April 19, 2024

Minnesota farmers and communities throughout the state are benefitting from a new program aimed at local and regional food systems. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has awarded 33 organizations, local units of government, and tribal nations $3.53 million in grants through the Minnesota Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Program. The program provides funding for projects that buy local food primarily from socially disadvantaged farmers and distribute that food at no cost to underserved communities.

The MDA is also accepting applications for a second round of LFPA Program grants. Applications will be accepted through May 20, 2024. Applicants may request between $20,000 and $125,000, and the MDA anticipates awarding roughly $3.1 million in this second round. The application and more information can be found on the MDA website at www.mda.state.mn.us/lfpa.

Interested parties can attend one of two virtual information sessions to learn more about the LFPA Program. The sessions will be held at the following times:

                • May 1, 2024, from 5 – 6 p.m. Register for this event.

                • May 2, 2024, from 12 – 1 p.m. Register for this event.

In the first round of grants, the MDA received 50 proposals requesting approximately $5.9 million. The grant recipients are:

Grant Recipient City
Audubon Neighborhood Association Minneapolis
Church of the Incarnation Minneapolis
City of Richfield Richfield
Community Action Center Northfield
Community Action Duluth Duluth
Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio Inc Saint Paul
Grand Rapids Farmers’ Market Grand Rapids
HAVEN, Int'l Saint Paul
Hennepin County Minneapolis
Hmong American Farmers Association West Saint Paul
Isuroon Minneapolis
Kaleidoscope-Kawm Thiab Siv, LLC Oakdale
Keystone Community Services Saint Paul
North Country Food Alliance Minneapolis
Pillsbury United Communities Minneapolis
Prairie Rose Agriculture Institute for Research, Innovation and Education (PRAIRIE Moorhead
PRISM Golden Valley
Real Food Inc. dba Becker Market Willmar
Red Lake Nation Red Lake
Red Wing Area Farmers’ Market Association, Inc. Red Wing
Red Wing Area Food Shelf Red Wing
Region Nine Development Commission Mankato
Riverwood Healthcare Center Aitkin
Southeast Minnesota Food Rescue and Redistribution Rochester
Sprout MN Little Falls
TC Food Justice Minneapolis
The Good Acre Falcon Heights
The Humanity Alliance Victoria
The Open Door Eagan
The Sanneh Foundation Saint Paul
The Village Agricultural Cooperative Rochester
Virginia Farmers’ Market Hub Virginia
White Earth Nation White Earth

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service awarded the MDA $8,141,877 million in LFPA funding. The LFPA Program is authorized by the American Rescue Plan to maintain and improve food and agricultural supply chain resiliency.

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Media Contact
Allen Sommerfeld, MDA Communications
651-201-6185
Allen.Sommerfeld@state.mn.us