The Farm to Food Security (F2FS) Grant Program is a competitive funding opportunity to help individuals and organizations buy foods grown and raised in Minnesota and distribute them at no cost to Minnesotans experiencing food insecurity, particularly individuals whose needs are not met through the traditional emergency food system.
Eligible applicants
Applicants must be an individual, nonprofit organization, for-profit business, Tribal government, government entity, agricultural cooperative, economic development organization, or educational institution.
Examples of eligible applicants include but are not limited to:
- Local and statewide food access organizations and food shelves
- Farmers’ markets or cooperatives
- Farmers and food businesses with capacity to distribute food
- Universities, colleges, and other educational institutions
- Hospitals, clinics, or other health organizations
- Municipal or county government entities
- Tribal governments or Tribal entities
Eligible projects and expenses
All food distributions that are part of F2FS projects must take place in Minnesota, but how the food is shared can be based on the needs of the community.
Examples of eligible projects include but are not limited to:
- A local food shelf buying food produced by farmers in their county and then distributing the food as part of their weekly distribution events.
- A regional hospital establishing a “produce prescription” program to buy local foods and deliver them to families in need and individuals suffering from chronic illnesses.
- A Tribal government buying traditional foods grown by Tribal members and distributing the foods to elders.
- A farmers’ market implementing a food recovery program to pay farmers for products left at the end of the market and partnering with a local food shelf to distribute them.
Eligible expenses include:
- Foods grown and raised in Minnesota, including whole (unprocessed), minimally processed, and processed items.
- Up to 15% of the total project costs for administrative costs related to food storage, food transportation, and other supporting expenses.
See the request for proposals (RFP) for more details and examples of the types of projects and expenses that are eligible.
Amount available
We expect to award approximately $1.295 million using a competitive review process.
The maximum award is $100,000, and the minimum is $20,000.
Match requirements vary based on the amount requested. Requests of less than $50,000 are not required to provide any matching funds. For requests between $50,000 and $100,000, you must provide a dollar-for-dollar (1:1) cash match on the amount above $50,000.
Applying
Applications are due by 4 p.m. Central Time (CT) on March 31, 2026.
- Carefully read the Farm to Food Security Grant FY26-27 RFP (PDF) for program eligibility requirements, priorities, and scoring criteria.
- Apply for a Farm to Food Security Grant using our online application system.
- If you are a new user, you will need to create an account.
- Once you are logged in, select "Local Food Purchasing Assistance FY26-27 Grant".
Contact us if you need this information in an alternative format.
If you have questions that are not addressed on the Farm to Food Security Q&A webpage or in the RFP, email them to MDA.AGRIGrants@state.mn.us with "Farm to Food Security Grant" in the subject line. We will accept program questions until 4 p.m. CT on March 24, 2026, and post all questions on the Q&A webpage.
Program background
The Minnesota Legislature created the Farm to Food Security Grant Program to help buy Minnesota-grown food and share it for free with people facing food insecurity, especially those not served by traditional emergency food systems. This state-funded program, launched in 2025, is based on the former federal Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Grant Program but has a new name to set it apart (Laws of Minnesota, 2025 Regular Session, Chapter 34, Art. 1, Sect. 2, subd. 4(s) and Art. 3, Sect. 35).
