These projects were funded by the Farm to Food Security Grant program.
In fiscal years (FY) 26-27, we awarded $1.295 million to 22 grantees to buy foods grown and raised in Minnesota and distribute them at no cost to Minnesotans experiencing food insecurity.
FY 26-27 Farm to Food Security Grantees
| Grantee organization | Grantee county | Award amount | Project description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anoka County Brotherhood Council Inc. | Anoka | $50,000.00 | Anoka County Brotherhood Council Inc. (ACBC) will purchase locally grown fresh produce and other food from the Alliance of Small Regenerative Farms, a coalition of eight diverse farmers. The food will be distributed at no cost through ACBC’s food shelf market, grocery delivery, and community distributions. ACBC provides culturally appropriate fresh produce and other food items to thousands of families each month in Anoka County and surrounding areas. |
| Calvary Lutheran Food Shelf | Hennepin | $100,000.00 | Calvary Food Shelf, serving the Twin Cities for over 40 years, will use grant funds to purchase fresh vegetables, fruit, herbs, and other food from five to seven Minnesota farm partners. Food will be distributed through twice-weekly in-person distributions and home deliveries near George Floyd Square in South Minneapolis. This grant expands Calvary Food Shelf’s capacity to serve families experiencing food insecurity in one of the area's highest-need neighborhoods. |
| Care and Share of Crookston Inc. | Polk | $50,000.00 | Care and Share of Crookston Inc. is an unhoused emergency shelter that operates a soup kitchen seven days a week, serving eight counties throughout Minnesota. Grant funds will be used to purchase farm-fresh produce, meat, and value-added food products grown and raised in Minnesota. In addition to daily meal service, food will be distributed three times per week through The New Hope Food Shelf to further support individuals and families experiencing food insecurity across Care and Share’s eight-county service area. |
| Community Action Center | Rice | $100,000.00 | The Rice County Area Farm to Food Shelf project will expand the Community Action Center’s (CAC) local food purchasing program. CAC will purchase food from emerging and socially disadvantaged farmers and distribute it through three food shelves, which primarily serve local BIPOC communities. Guided by the principles of justice and solidarity, CAC seeks to make high-quality local food available to all. |
| Community Food Shelf at First Lutheran | Aitkin | $50,000.00 | The Community Food Shelf at First Lutheran will purchase local produce, meat, dairy, and other food from the Aitkin Farmers Market. These products will be incorporated into regular food shelf activities, delivered to Housing and Redevelopment Authority housing in the area, and made available to the McGregor Area Food Shelf. |
| Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College | Carlton | $49,988.00 | Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, in collaboration with Fond du Lac Human Services Division and Fond du Lac Agricultural Division, will purchase culturally relevant foods from up to 20 local producers and up to 90 Bimaaji'idiwin Producer Training Program participants for the Veggie Rx Program and the Fond Du Lac (FDL) Food Box Program. Food will be distributed monthly from July through October to up to 60 participants of the Veggie Rx program, and at a one-time distribution to 600 FDL community members. |
| Front and Center Ministries Inc. dba Eyota Food Pantry | Olmsted | $28,924.56 | The Eyota Food Pantry will purchase fresh produce, proteins, and other food from farmers residing within a 25-mile radius of the pantry. The food will be distributed during the pantry’s weekly business hours, at a monthly community meal, and through a pop-up pantry in a neighboring town. The project will help the pantry continue serving residents across 10 counties and 24 towns/cities. |
| Grand Rapids Farmers' Market | Itasca | $49,999.00 | The Grand Rapids Farmers’ Market will purchase local produce, meat, poultry, eggs, grains, honey, maple syrup, and other food from farmers in Itasca County and other communities within a 50-mile radius of Grand Rapids. Sixty monthly local food boxes will be distributed by Kootasca Community Action and Hill City from July 2026 through December 2027. Box recipients will be Head Start families and residents of affordable housing in the area. |
| Hennepin County Public Health | Hennepin | $49,400.00 | Hennepin County Public Health will purchase local produce, meat, eggs, and other food from eight farmers in Hennepin County. Additional foods such as honey and maple syrup will also be purchased from local farmers. In partnership with the cities of Crystal, Robbinsdale, and Brooklyn Center, food will be distributed weekly from July to October at community centers, parks, and apartment buildings selected to reach residents experiencing food insecurity. |
| Hometown Hope | Norman | $30,000.00 | Hometown Hope will use grant funds to purchase locally grown produce, grains, and meat directly from area farmers who have limited opportunities to sell their products. These purchases will strengthen local farm economies while ensuring fresh, nutritious food is available for the community. Food will be distributed through the Hendrum Food Pantry. |
| Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul | Ramsey | $49,500.00 | Interfaith Action’s Department of Indian Work (DIW) will purchase produce, meat, traditional Indigenous food, and other food from Minnesota food distributors, farms, and Native businesses. Purchases will benefit low-income residents of the East Metro through special distribution events held between July 2026-June 2027 out of DIW’s food shelf. DIW is a culturally specific, choice model food shelf located in Little Canada that serves upwards of 5,000 East Metro residents each year. |
| Keystone Community Services | Ramsey | $75,832.40 | Keystone Community Services will purchase local food from Minnesota producers such as Grillin Meats, CannonBelles Cheese, Redhead Creamery, Ferndale Market, and The Good Acre. Food produced by socially disadvantaged and emerging farmers will support nutrition for 56,000 low-income residents via Keystone’s food shelves in Ramsey County and innovative mobile food programs at 37 locations. |
| LifeGate Services | Olmsted | $49,500.00 | LifeGate Services will purchase protein, fresh produce, and other food grown and produced in Minnesota from five emerging farmers and distribute it to low-income families. Food will be distributed weekly through LifeGate's food shelf programs in Rochester and Austin, serving Olmsted and Mower Counties. From July 2026 through June 2028, the project is expected to reach about 250 households and distribute about 5,000 pounds of food annually, strengthening local agriculture while increasing access to culturally appropriate, nutritious food. |
| Northwoods Food Project | Cook | $30,644.48 | Northwoods Food Project’s Local Food Access initiative will purchase produce, proteins, and other locally grown or harvested foods from approximately eight farmers and fishers in Cook County. The food will be distributed through partnerships with the Grand Marais Food Shelf and Sawtooth Mountain Clinic. The project will strengthen local markets for rural Minnesota producers while expanding access to fresh food for residents experiencing food insecurity. |
| Open Cupboard | Washington | $49,900.00 | Open Cupboard will purchase fresh, culturally relevant produce and other food from Minnesota farmers, including those with limited land and market access. Food will be purchased through The Good Acre food hub and directly from individual growers, then distributed at no cost through Open Cupboard's Today's Harvest free markets in Oakdale and Maplewood. These markets serve over 6,000 shopping visits weekly by eastern Twin Cities metro residents experiencing food insecurity. |
| Pine River – Backus Family Center | Cass | $47,929.00 | The Pine River Area Food Shelf, a program of the Pine River-Backus Family Center, will purchase produce, meat, eggs, value-added foods such as honey and preserves, and other foods from Minnesota farmers. Food will be distributed free through their Pine River Food Shelf, serving low-income families in Cass County and surrounding areas not fully reached by traditional food systems. This project builds on a proven model and strengthens connections between local growers and the community. |
| Second Harvest Northland | St. Louis | $100,000.00 | Second Harvest Northland will purchase food grown and raised in Minnesota from regional food hubs and local farmers across its 11-county service area in Northeast Minnesota. Through partnerships with food shelves, on-site meal programs, and through their own programming, the organization will distribute food at no cost to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity. The project will prioritize reaching rural and geographically isolated communities, expanding access to fresh, locally sourced foods. |
| Sisters' Camelot | Hennepin | $49,500.00 | Sisters’ Camelot is a nonprofit that specializes in providing healthy, organic, culturally relevant food to food-insecure individuals and families. Minnesota-grown produce, meat, dairy, and other foods will be purchased from The Good Acre, a food hub focusing on limited-land- or -market-access farmers, as well as directly from a family farm partner. This food will be distributed twice weekly in low-income areas of Minneapolis. |
| Sprout MN | Morrison | $50,000.00 | Sprout MN will purchase local commodities from a variety of farmers in Morrison, Todd, Kanabec, and Isanti counties. In collaboration with the Morrison County Food Access Group and The Purple Carrot Cooperative, these foods will be distributed at the physical locations of Sprout and The Purple Carrot market, and through food shelf opportunities. |
| TC Food Justice | Washington | $100,000.00 | TC Food Justice: Building Farm to Family Connections is a coalition of small, innovative farmers and hunger relief organizations committed to providing farmers with a sustainable income to encourage regenerative, ecologically sound farm practices and lasting distribution networks, while addressing health and economic inequity in underserved communities. The program will be the supporting link between those who are growing the healthiest food in Minnesota with those who may need it the most. |
| The Food Group | Hennepin | $100,000.00 | Through this project, The Food Group will purchase local produce, ground turkey, eggs, and other food from at least nine producers in Minnesota. Food will be distributed at no cost to approximately 180 food shelf partners in the seven-county metro area and three Tribal Nation partners. |
| Virginia Farmers Market Hub | St. Louis | $33,882.56 | The Virginia Farmers’ Market Hub will purchase local produce, meat, poultry, eggs, grains, honey, maple syrup, and other food from farmers in St. Louis County and other Minnesota counties within an 80-mile radius of Virginia. From July 2026 through June 2028, twenty monthly local food boxes will be distributed by Iron Range Partnership for Sustainability. Box recipients will be elderly, residents of an addiction recovery facility, or those in transient housing. |
