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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.  

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.