No. Applicants are asked to provide their own definition of community and decide accordingly how many farmers it makes sense to work with. It’s not something that there are set requirements around. Areas where there are requirements set in the application related to sourcing minimums, are regarding sourcing the majority of food products from within MN (minimum 70% by monetary value) and from socially disadvantaged farmers (minimum 70% by monetary value).
No. Applicants are asked to provide their own definition of community and decide accordingly how many farmers it makes sense to work with. It’s not something that there are set requirements around. Areas where there are requirements set in the application related to sourcing minimums, are regarding sourcing the majority of food products from within MN (minimum 70% by monetary value) and from socially disadvantaged farmers (minimum 70% by monetary value).
You do not need to have 100% of the details finalized on who you're going to be working with. Some of that can be determined after the application is submitted based on project needs. However, you must have enough of the plan in place that reviewers can have a general sense of what the actual plan is and how food will be procured and distributed.
You do not need to have 100% of the details finalized on who you're going to be working with. Some of that can be determined after the application is submitted based on project needs. However, you must have enough of the plan in place that reviewers can have a general sense of what the actual plan is and how food will be procured and distributed.
It’s up to the applicant, as part of the application, to describe their own definition of community and the relationships between the people growing/producing food and the people receiving food. This can be geographic or cultural, etc.; there are many potential factors that could be a part.
It’s up to the applicant, as part of the application, to describe their own definition of community and the relationships between the people growing/producing food and the people receiving food. This can be geographic or cultural, etc.; there are many potential factors that could be a part.
The definition provided in the RFP (page 10, also below) is the best available from USDA. Cheese is an example of an eligible minimally processed food, as long as that cheese doesn’t have added flavor. It couldn’t be a jalapeño cheddar, for example. Another example of an eligible minimally processed food is breakfast sausage. But not Italian sausage. Italian sausage is considered fully processed.
There isn’t a comprehensive list of items that are either considered fully processed or minimally processed. There is a list in the RFP, however, of some specific items that have previously been asked about and confirmed to be ineligible because they are considered fully processed. That includes kimchi, ham hocks, bacon (see page 9 for the list). It’s really case by case though so if you have specific questions let us know.
“Unprocessed or minimally processed: Examples of allowable food products include fruits and vegetables (including 100% juices); grain products such as pastas and rice; meats (whole, pieces, or food items such as ground meats); meat alternates such as beans or legumes; and, fluid milk and other dairy foods such as cheese and yogurt. Foods in a wide variety of minimal processing states (e.g., whole, cut, pureed, etc.) and/or forms (e.g., fresh, frozen, canned, dried, etc.) are also allowable.”
The definition provided in the RFP (page 10, also below) is the best available from USDA. Cheese is an example of an eligible minimally processed food, as long as that cheese doesn’t have added flavor. It couldn’t be a jalapeño cheddar, for example. Another example of an eligible minimally processed food is breakfast sausage. But not Italian sausage. Italian sausage is considered fully processed.
There isn’t a comprehensive list of items that are either considered fully processed or minimally processed. There is a list in the RFP, however, of some specific items that have previously been asked about and confirmed to be ineligible because they are considered fully processed. That includes kimchi, ham hocks, bacon (see page 9 for the list). It’s really case by case though so if you have specific questions let us know.
“Unprocessed or minimally processed: Examples of allowable food products include fruits and vegetables (including 100% juices); grain products such as pastas and rice; meats (whole, pieces, or food items such as ground meats); meat alternates such as beans or legumes; and, fluid milk and other dairy foods such as cheese and yogurt. Foods in a wide variety of minimal processing states (e.g., whole, cut, pureed, etc.) and/or forms (e.g., fresh, frozen, canned, dried, etc.) are also allowable.”
No, the 70% requirement creates leeway for food to be sourced from outside MN. All food needs to meet the USDA definition of local and regional food (see page 10 of the RFP), so the maximum distance it can travel between where it’s produced and where it’s distributed is 400 miles. Prior to Round 1 of funding we heard through public feedback that it was important to prioritize Minnesota farmers but to also have a broad range of sourcing options, especially for border communities. That’s where the requirement for minimum of 70% of food to be sourced from within the geographic boundaries of Minnesota comes from.
No, the 70% requirement creates leeway for food to be sourced from outside MN. All food needs to meet the USDA definition of local and regional food (see page 10 of the RFP), so the maximum distance it can travel between where it’s produced and where it’s distributed is 400 miles. Prior to Round 1 of funding we heard through public feedback that it was important to prioritize Minnesota farmers but to also have a broad range of sourcing options, especially for border communities. That’s where the requirement for minimum of 70% of food to be sourced from within the geographic boundaries of Minnesota comes from.
