Q&A

Submitted work plans and budgets that use other formatting besides those provided on the MDA templates must include the same elements included on the MDA templates.  

A question within the eligibility section of the application originally read as follows: “No one involved in the project or the application for the grant is an employee or spouse of an employee of the MDA. Y/N.” This language has been updated for clarity.

Updated language: I confirm that no one involved in the project or the application for the grant is an employee or spouse of an employee of the MDA.

• Yes, I confirm that no one involved in the project or the application for the grant is an employee or spouse of an employee of the MDA.
• No, I can’t confirm that no one involved in the project or the application for the grant is an employee or spouse of an employee of the MDA.

A new required text field has been added within the "Contact Information" section of the online application, for applicants to provide their Unique Entity IDs. Unique Entity IDs are assigned by the federal System for Award Management (SAM.gov) and are a 12-character alphanumeric value. The text field that originally asked for the applicant's Unique Entity ID was not formatted to accept alphanumeric values. That original text field is still included in the application but is no longer a required question and should be left blank. 

The language regarding legal eligibility for applicants that are applying as individuals has been updated. As noted in version 2.0 of the Request for Applications, if applying as an individual, the applicant must not have been convicted of a criminal offense such as theft, embezzlement, or forgery related to a federal grant agreement within the past three years, or to a state grant agreement at any point in time.

In the online application, applicants that have indicated in the "Eligibility" section that they are applying as an individual are now asked to confirm if the following statement is true: 

• If applying as an individual, I attest that I have not been convicted of a criminal offense such as theft, embezzlement, or forgery related to a federal grant agreement within the past three years, or to a state grant agreement at any point in time.

Both scenarios are eligible - either a farmer or another entity could apply. Lead applicants are required to partner with at least one other person or organization to manage the project. We cannot advise on who the lead applicant should be. When deciding what makes sense for your potential project, note that the lead applicant will be legally responsible for the grant contract, reporting, and financial management. Lead applicants must get a Unique Entity ID from the federal System for Award Management (SAM.gov), disburse funding to subrecipients and contractors as applicable, and follow guidance for allowable expenses (see pages 7-9 of the Request for Applications and Appendix D). Additional information about grantee (lead applicant) requirements are on pages 11-12 and 15 -16 of the Request for Applications.

If you are in need of someone to work with as a lead applicant, or are a potential lead applicant that can offer your services to others, one option is to advertise to the public via an online directory form and find potential contacts by viewing the public responses.

A farm in Wisconsin could work with a lead applicant as either a partner or a collaborator and be a potential source for food depending on the farm’s exact location and the location where the food will be distributed to the end consumer. A farm in Wisconsin would not be eligible to submit an application themselves. A lead applicant’s legal business entity must be located in Minnesota. 

All food sourced must meet the definition of local and regional food. The full definition is on page 10 of the Request for Applications; for products sourced outside of Minnesota the total distance that the product travels between the farm where the product originates and the point of sale to the end consumer must be at most 400 miles. Up to 30% of food purchased (by monetary value) can be from outside of Minnesota provided it means this definition. At least 70% of food purchased must be sourced from within the geographic boundaries of Minnesota. All of the food purchased must be distributed to communities in Minnesota.   

Because you mentioned that you currently sell/donate food to organizations in Minnesota, please also note that projects must supplement (i.e., increase or expand) existing food procurement and food distribution activities. 

An applicant and project partners can be in rural or local metro/urban areas. The intent of this program is to buy food from socially disadvantaged and emerging farmers and get it to underserved communities throughout the state.
Please see additional related information in Question 1 in this section.

A person or organization may be a part of more than one application but can only be the lead on one. Proposals should be unique and should not be duplicative in purpose or be the same proposal with rotating leads to the project.

Yes, a church program would be eligible to apply. Note that individuals cannot have conditions placed on them to receive the food.

A lead applicant must get a Unique Entity ID from the federal System for Award Management (SAM.gov) and provide this ID as part of their application. An individual is eligible to get a UEI and submit a MN LFPA application on behalf of a community collaboration if desired. Please see additional information about requirements for lead applicants in Question 2 of this Q&A section (Applicant Eligibility). 

Groups that are not formally organized may also choose to work in partnership with formally organized groups. Partnerships can include fiscal sponsorship. If you are in need of someone to work with as a lead applicant, or are in search of other potential partnerships or collaborations, one option is to advertise to the public via an online directory form and find potential contacts by viewing the public responses.

A farm in Minnesota could submit an application and partner with area restaurants or grocery stores, provided that all food purchased using program funds is distributed at no cost and with no conditions for the end-user. At least 75% of food distribution locations must meet the definition of underserved communities. The full definition of underserved is included in the Request for Applications on page 10.

If all food being sourced and purchased with this funding was from the farm (or multiple farms) in Minnesota, that would meet the requirement that at least 70% of food purchased must be sourced from within the geographic boundaries of Minnesota. There is also a requirement that at least 70% of food purchases must be sourced from socially disadvantaged and emerging farmers. This includes: farmers of color; American Indian or Alaskan Native farmers; women; veterans; farmers with disabilities; young farmers; beginning farmers; and LGBTQ+ farmers. A farm/farms that do not identify as socially disadvantaged and emerging could provide up to 30% of a project’s food purchases if desired.

If the markets are organized as separate business entities, one would need to be the lead applicant. It is not a requirement to have a separate organization involved specifically for the purposes of receiving/distributing food. However, the food needs to be distributed at no cost as part of the project. If the farmers’ markets have their own plan for distribution that would meet the requirements.

Yes. 

No, that would not meet the requirement for partnership if the food pantry and student farm are both a part of the same organizational entity. The lead applicant must have at least one partner that is a different business/organization or an individual that is not organizationally affiliated with the applicant.

Yes. The lead applicant must be located in MN, but partners and collaborators can be located outside of MN. Please see question 1 in the Key Concepts and Definitions section for additional information on what is considered local and regional food, and where foods can be sourced.  

This project would not be eligible for MN LFPA funding. Projects funded through the MN LFPA are required to spend a minimum of 61% of their total budget on food procurement costs, meaning the purchasing of eligible local food items. Production-related expenses are not eligible. Because the milk is not being purchased, the project would not be eligible.

The distance between the farm or ranch where the food originates and the point of distribution to the end consumer must be at most 400 miles, or both the final market and the origin of the product must be within the same State, territory, or tribal land. For the Minnesota LFPA program, at least 70% of food has to be sourced within the geographic boundaries of MN. A maximum of 30% can be sourced from outside of the state, within a distance of 400 miles.

Yes, Amish farmers and other Plain community farmers would be considered socially disadvantaged and emerging farmers for the purposes of this grant.

A supplier is someone whose role is to supply food. If they don’t share in decision-making about the project they would be considered a collaborator. An example of this would be a farmer who is paid for their products and has no other role in the project.

If a farmer, or other type of supplier was also part of project work such managing distribution logistics, budgeting, etc., they would be taking an active role in project management and would be considered a partner.

No, there are not specific income eligibility requirements for underserved communities. “Underserved communities” refers to populations sharing a particular characteristic, as well as geographic communities, that have been systematically denied a full opportunity to participate in aspects of economic, social, and civic life. This includes Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and other persons of color; members of religious minorities; LGBTQ+ persons; persons with disabilities; persons who live in rural areas; and, persons otherwise adversely affected by persistent poverty or inequality.

Please see the above question for the full definition of “underserved communities.” If the applicant/partners are aware that the populations(s) receiving the food meet that definition, that is sufficient for the application.

The Request for Applications states that the priorities for this program include distributing food in the same community as it was grown. One portion of the application asks applicants to define community – that could be geographic communities, cultural communities, etc. It is up to the applicant to decide what their definition of community is and describe how their project will create alignment between the food producers and the communities receiving the food.

Either scenario would be an expansion of existing work. The idea is to build upon work that is already being done. If the project proposal is to purchase twice as much food, that’s an expansion of the existing program. The expansion activities would need to be explained as a part of the application.

One of USDA’s goals for this program is that we try to support efforts outside the traditional emergency food system. The traditional emergency food system isn’t excluded from this grant program but the idea is to think creatively, especially in areas that aren’t as well served by the traditional system, about how food can be distributed to these places and communities. It is also an opportunity to think about the traditional power-sharing and decision-making that exists in the traditional emergency system, and who has decisions about the food that is sourced and distributed through that system. There is nothing that says that food shelves can’t apply.

Yes.

No. Maple syrup tapping and processing equipment would be considered production-related expenses. Production-related expenses are ineligible. Finished maple syrup could be an eligible expense, however.

No. Apple trees would be considered production-related expenses. Production-related expenses are ineligible. Apples could be an eligible expense, however.

No. Plants and seeds would be considered production-related expenses. Production-related expenses are ineligible.

No. Field labor would be considered a production-related expense. Production-related expenses are ineligible. 

No. The acquisition of or improvements to buildings and facilities are not an eligible expense. Lease or rental of an underground cellar/greenhouse would be eligible if directly associated with the food procurement under this program, provided the lease or rental agreement terminates at or before the end of the grant cycle.

Yes, they would be considered a minimally processed food and would be eligible provided they meet the definition of local and regional food.

Yes, waxed boxes are an eligible expense provided they are used as part of the storage/distribution functions of the program. Boxes used for production-related functions are not allowable expenses.

Foods procured using LFPA funding may be distributed through a variety of channels, including through food service. The full cost of a prepared/cooked meal is not an eligible cost because it is fully processed and LFPA funded foods must be raw or minimally processed. However, LFPA can fund the cost of the raw or minimally processed local ingredients that may be part of meals. If a meal has LFPA funded ingredients it must be distributed at no cost, without conditions for the end users.  

Yes, provided that the outreach activities are related to approved activities of the grant project. To expand on Example 3 from Appendix B of the Request for Applications – if 5 farmers are partnering on an application, the time those farms spend going out to other new farms to build relationships with potential additional collaborators and talk about the LFPA program would be an approved outreach expense. Time spent documenting purchases and distributions for reporting purposes would be an allowable administrative expense.

The grant does not set limits on prices. Because grantees have a Federal subaward, they must follow the general procurement standards in 2 CFR 200.318. This includes having and using their own documented procurement procedures which follow applicable state and local law and regulations. These procedures must conform to applicable federal law and the standards found in 2 CFR 200.302-325. Additionally, your organization must follow the same policies and procedures for procurements from non-federal sources.

For your reference, the procurement (i.e. contracting and bidding) standards that the state requires for Non-Governmental Organizations are available in Section 4.3 of the Competitive Grant Agreement for Non-Governmental Organizations (Microsoft Word, updated June 2020). These standards should conform to most Federal law and standards for most non-profit or for-profit grantee organizations for typical MN LFPA grant project procurement purchases.

If LFPA funds are used to purchase food through a food hub the price of the food can be marked up following the hub’s standard practices. This can include markups to cover costs associated with aggregation. An organization cannot, however, charge a markup and charge expenses (e.g. an hourly staff rate) to LFPA for the same services that the mark up is intended to address. Food aggregation services should be aware of what expenses their mark up is intended to cover and be sure that other services billed to LFPA do not duplicate these expenses.

Mileage that’s involved with food procurement and distribution can be an allowable cost as long as it’s directly supporting an approved LFPA activity and program. If the driving is done by volunteers, the mileage is an eligible expense as long as there is a financial transaction taking place with the volunteers. Services that are donated are not an allowable cost.  

Transportation expenses can fall under three budget categories. As indicated on the budget templates, the “Transportation” budget category is intended to address expenses associated with food transportation (not including personnel). Transportation costs in the form of travel, including personnel expenses, can also be part of the Administration budget category and/or the Engagement and Outreach budget category depending on the activities the transportation is associated with. Please see Appendix D for additional examples and clarification.

We suggest grouping expenses based on the estimated activity and creating one or more line items within each relevant budget category. For example, as applicable:

• Food Transportation: one line for mileage, one line for distribution contracts
• Administration: one line for staff time, one line for mileage
• Engagement and Outreach: one line for staff time, one line for mileage

Further details, including specific or general locations and any equations used to estimate total miles, can be provided as part of the budget table along with information on the sources of the estimates. Details on the expense purpose can also be included in the budget narrative as necessary. If exact locations are not yet known, a rough estimate based on region (“SE Minnesota,” for example) can be provided.

The size and contents of a food box could vary widely depending on farm sources and the preferences of individuals receiving the food. The grant does not set limits on prices. Because grantees have a Federal subaward, they must follow the general procurement standards in 2 CFR 200.318. Please refer to question #10 in the Project Expenses and Budgeting section for more information on procurement standards.

During the presentation when this question was asked, another attendee provided an example from their own experience in a MN town that did a Veggie Rx program with farmers last year, where it was $20 a "box" for 12 weeks.

Based on the information shared, the produce and herbs purchased for samples would not be an eligible expense. The MN LFPA Program is intended as a hunger relief program. From what was described, the samples would be used to encourage paid sales between farmers and farmers market customers. Within the context of the MN LFPA program, food must be distributed at no cost and be distributed primarily (at least 75%) to underserved communities. Although the samples are free, their purpose as a motivator for financial transactions with customers would disqualify the local ingredients used from being an eligible MN LFPA expense.

MN LFPA funds would also not be able to be used to compensate chefs at a standalone rate for their food preparation services. This would be true even if the samples were being used to promote foods that were being distributed at no cost. This is because production-related expenses are not eligible.

No, EBT equipment and staffing related to EBT transactions are not eligible expenses for this grant. The MN LFPA Program is intended as a hunger relief program where the food is distributed at no cost, without conditions for the end users. Expenses associated with EBT transactions are not eligible because during an EBT transaction the SNAP customers are providing a form of payment for the food rather than receiving the food at no cost.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) offers no-cost, EBT-only equipment to SNAP authorized farmers markets (and direct marketing farmers). Please contact us if you’d like us to direct you to the appropriate contact at DHS.

Yes, uncooked pasta is considered minimally processed and would be an eligible expense. If the pasta business is located in Minnesota and the ingredients (e.g. flour, eggs) meet the definition of local provided in the Request for Applications (see page 10), the pasta would be considered a Minnesota product for the purposes of meeting the requirement that 70% of food purchased must be sourced from within the geographic boundaries of Minnesota.

The grant asks applicants to identify as a part of their budget how much they will spend in year one versus year two. If the bulk of expenses come in year two, that isn’t a problem.

We believe the reference in the question to “split 50% per annual year” stems from the questions in the application about advance funds. That portion of the application states that an applicant can request advance funding for up to 50% of their total year one budget, and up to 50% in advance funding for their total year 2 budget. It does not mean that an applicant’s budget must be spent 50/50 between years 1 and 2.

No. LFPA funds can only cover short term rentals or leases of equipment, with the expiration or finish date no later than the end of the grant program. 

No. Currently these are considered fully processed by USDA and not eligible as an MN LFPA expense.

Documentation is always required. The documentation needed will depend on who is conducting the work, and how those expenses are reconciled internally. As examples:

• If a lead applicant organization is paying staff from their organization to transport food using the org or staff’s vehicles, the organization may choose to use LFPA funding for expenses such as staff time, gas, and/or mileage. If that is the case, when developing your application budget, estimated gas and mileage expenses should be grouped within the “Food Transportation” budget category. Staff time should be grouped within the “Administration” budget category. If selected as a grant recipient, required documentation will include items such as:
  • Timesheets and cleared checks/direct deposition documentation for staff time
  • Receipts for gas purchases
  • Mileage logs (and pay stubs if expenses are reimbursed to employees)
• If the lead applicant organization is renting a vehicle and choosing to use LFPA funding for that rental, estimated rental expenses should be grouped within the “Food Transportation” budget category. Examples of documentation would include invoices and proof of payment.
• If a lead applicant conducts their own delivery and chooses to calculate expenses differently, for example by setting a flat charge per box rather than by submitting for reimbursement for staff time, mileage, etc., then that pricing must follow a standard. If a standard does not currently exist, for example if an org does not currently offer this service, then a standard must be established that remains consistent through the duration of the program.
• If a lead applicant is working with a partner (i.e. a subrecipient) to carry out services that relate to food transportation, that partner may choose to expense their services in a variety of manners, similar to the options available to the lead applicant (should the lead applicant be conducing transportation services themselves). The lead applicant will be responsible for collecting and maintaining documentation of these expenses.
• If a lead applicant is working with a contractor for delivery services, then the project budget should align with the way that you will be paying for these services from the contractor and accompanying documentation you’d have in the form of an invoice. For example, the contractor may charge a flat fee, or a specific rate per box, etc. If the contractor’s billing format includes a distinct line item for their time, that should be grouped under the “Administration” section of the budget. Otherwise, all expenses would likely be grouped within the “Food Transportation” budget category. Awardees would need to submit proof of purchase and proof of payment for services contracted for.

Your budget should align with the way that you will be paying for these services and accompanying documentation you’d have. If you are purchasing food from a partner or a collaborator and the prices that they are charging for the food include storage and transportation costs, then the expenses should be considered “food procurement” expenses and should not be broken out into procurement vs. storage vs. transportation expenses. You may want to note in your budget that that those prices included for food procurement incorporate storage and transportation, so that reviewers can have an accurate understanding of your budget.

A lead applicant needs to have a UEI in place at the time that they apply. If that applicant is awarded funding, they will need to follow federal requirements for serving as a pass-through entity. The people they partner with will also need to get a UEI if they are receiving funding as a partner. This is because the disbursement of funds to a partner is considered a subaward to a subrecipient who has programmatic decision-making and is helping the awardee carry out a part of the Federal award. In contrast, collaborators do not need a UEI. If a collaborator is receiving funding they are considered to be doing so as a contractor.

Yes, it is different than a federal tax ID. Getting a Unique Entity ID validates your legal business name and address as an organization or individual in order to receive federal funds. You can get a Unique Entity ID from the federal System for Award Management (SAM.gov) and view an instructional video if needed.

No, you do not need to state all farmers you will be supporting. The lead applicant needs to be clearly stated and at least one partner must be identified. However, you don’t need to confirm where you will be sourcing all of the food if the farms are not going to be direct partners.

If a project does not involve one or more partners who identify as a socially disadvantaged and/or emerging you will have to, at the time of the application, have identified at least one socially disadvantaged and/or emerging farmer you plan to work with. This farm will need to provide a letter of support acknowledging their intent to supply food as part of the proposed project. In addition, if you are planning to source more than $10,000 of product from any one farm, that farm would have to submit a letter of support.

No, letters of support are not required from collaborators, unless there aren’t any socially disadvantaged and emerging farmers included in the project partners. In that case you’d need a letter from a farmer who identifies as such. You’d also need a letter of support from anyone planning to supply more than $10,000 worth of food.

To understand how many letters of support you need to submit, start by identifying who you are working with and whether they are considered partners or collaborators as per the definitions on page 10 of the Request for Applications. (See page 7 for additional information on partners and collaborators.)

Any individual or entity named as a partner must submit a letter of support. This letter must demonstrate the partner understands their role regarding decision-making and management of the project. If the farmers are partners on the project and will assist with decision-making and project management, each farm business named as a partner must submit a letter of support.

Collaborators are not required to submit letters of support unless there aren’t any socially disadvantaged and emerging farmers included as project partners. If that is the case, then you must include one letter of support from a socially disadvantaged and emerging farmer who you are intending to source food from as a part of the project. An example of a collaborator would be a farmer who is supplying food for a project but not involved in decision-making or project management.

In addition, if you are planning to source more than $10,000 of product from any one farm, that farm would have to submit a letter of support.

If there are questions about if/how the “socially disadvantaged” and “emerging farmer” terms apply to farmers you intend to work with, farmers should be given an opportunity to self-identify. If that is not possible as a part of the application process, lead applicants may provide reasonable estimates in the “Outcomes” section of the application (e.g. when identifying the % of all food purchasing funds that will be directed towards farm businesses that identify as socially disadvantaged and emerging). Awardees will be asked to provide farmers an opportunity to self-identify and provide voluntary demographic data as part of the reporting process.

It is free to get a Unique Entity ID (UEI) through SAM.gov website. It appears that certain companies have created businesses that charge a fee and claim to help you manage SAM.gov services. SAM.gov does not charge a fee and offers two services: 1) UEIs and 2) entity registrations. You do not need to get an entity registration. You only need to get a UEI, as a UEI is required to receive a subaward of federal funds. An instructional video on how to get a UEI is available if needed.

You must go through the process to get a UEI if you intend to apply for the MN LFPA program. If you submit the information needed to receive a UEI but experience delays receiving your 12-digit UEI, please let us know at that point.

When providing an example as part of your application to demonstrate previous work sharing power, the example does not have to involve all proposed partners. It can involve the lead applicant or partner(s) as applicable and can be an example from non-food distribution related work. There does not need to be an example provided for each partner.

No, a nonprofit organization is not considered an individual for this question. Nonprofits should answer “no.”

A typed name on a letter of support is fine.  

Feedback will be available on request. The current Request for Applications indicates that new applicants will be prioritized above grantees already receiving MN LFPA funds.

Additional text from the question asked: The scoring criteria in the application are worded in a way that suggests only the sourcing from new suppliers will be rewarded with points. On the food recipient side, there is not wording to indicate a reward for reaching new or different groups of underserved people. 

Answer: 

Within the outcomes section of the application and rubric, points are given to projects that source food from socially disadvantaged farmers and emerging farmers. Points are also given for the establishment of new sources of food or food products. There are no specific points within the outcomes section or associated scoring given to projects that expand distribution to new underserved communities. However, points elsewhere are given to projects that demonstrate opportunities to build sustainable relationships within communities. Points are also awarded to projects that have clear definition of where the work will happen and can demonstrate alignment between those producing food and those receiving it, as well projects that share power, including through models for food distribution outside of the traditional emergency food/hunger relief distribution structures.

If you have feedback that you’d like to share about the current Request for Applications, including the application questions and/or scoring rubric, you are welcome to share that with us. Stakeholder comments can be emailed to LFPAgrant@MDA.state.mn.us. We are limited in how we can engage with that feedback while the current grant process is open, but feedback will be considered in the development of future MN LFPA RFAs and/or program plans.

Although lot of the current growing season is already planned, there are other less seasonal local food products that are eligible beyond fruits and vegetables. This is also an opportunity to think about plans for 2024 since the grant goes through September 15, 2024. The grant asks applicants to identify as a part of their budget how much they will spend in year one versus year two. If the bulk of expenses come in year two, that isn’t a problem.

Anyone is welcome to advertise the needs or services they have regarding this grant by sharing their information through an online directory form. The responses to this form are public and automatically updated. We recognize that this tool will not be an effective resource for everyone and there are reasons some people may not feel comfortable sharing this information. Potential buyers and distributors who do not have existing contacts with farmers may be able to establish connections through events or services where farmers gather, such as through farmers’ markets and/or food hubs. For those looking to connect with additional partners or collaborators, community meetings, food policy councils, local and regional governments and non-profit organizations may be places to find connections.

Farmers and others who would like to share their contact information and need assistance filling out the Google form are welcome to contact MN LFPA staff for support.

No, there is no match requirement.

Applicants can apply for up to $100,000. Applicants can also indicate as part of their application if they are interested in additional funding, up to $40,000. Additional funding is contingent on MDA securing additional LFPA Plus funding from USDA. That funding may allow for changes such as increasing the size of the awards or more awardees.

USDA has indicated that they are wanting to work toward a long-term picture. They are doing so in part by collecting success stories from participating states, tribal nations, and territories, in addition to quarterly reports. They are also asking questions about the relationships that are being established and if new food items are being provided that haven’t typically been available in the hunger relief system. However, there is not a formal long-term commitment to the program at this point.  

The metrics and data we are asking grantees for as part of their quarterly reports mirror our USDA grant reporting requirements. An example quarterly report is available in Excel. Examples of information to be collected include how many socially disadvantaged farmers are providing food, if the distribution location is underserved, and the general food categories provided. Based on public input and suggestions, the MN LFPA program will also facilitate an evaluation cohort for grantees to share feedback about their experience with the program overall.

Grantees will not be asked to collect or share the names of people receiving the food. It is a requirement of the program that data collection not create barriers to people receiving food.

Food safety training is not required MN LFPA eligibility, but food safety training and/or practices are encouraged, as evidenced by the MN LFPA scoring rubric. Food safety training is not an eligible expense for the grant, however.

If participants are interested in food safety-related training, appropriate trainings will vary depending on the foods being purchased and handled as a part of the project. Projects that are purchasing and aggregating food from multiple suppliers may be required to be licensed and may have accompanying training requirements. For example, entities that have a food handler license may be required to have someone from their operation complete certified food protection manager (CFPM) training. The Minnesota Department of Health maintains a list of approved CFPM courses. Please contact the MDA Food and Feed Safety Division’s Licensing Liaison (651-201-6081) if you are unsure whether your project needs a license.

The University of Minnesota Extension offers virtual and in-person Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) trainings for produce farmers. These optional courses focus on on-farm food safety practices, and include some information on best practices for post-harvest handling and storage. Courses are typically available in the wintertime but can also be made available by request to Annalisa Hultberg (hultb006@umn.edu). Individuals/organizations that purchase produce are also welcome to participate in GAPs trainings. Additional information for buyers on how to talk to produce farmers about their food safety practices is available on the Extension “Food safety for farm to school programs” webpage.