Farmers’ Market Nutrition Assistance Grant

The Farmers’ Market Nutrition Assistance Grant, administered by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, provides financial support to Minnesota farmers’ markets to help them implement or expand food assistance programs. These programs include Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP), Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP), Market Bucks, and Power of Produce (PoP) Club. The grant aims to increase access to fresh, locally grown food for individuals and families who rely on nutrition assistance programs while also supporting local farmers and market sustainability. The grant provides funding for a range of activities, including hiring staff or volunteers to support food assistance programs, launching new programs, purchasing program-specific signage and printed materials, investing in technology upgrades, and covering transportation costs for bringing participants to the market. Additionally, the grant may be used to cover SNAP/EBT card processing fees and promotional expenses for food assistance initiatives. However, funding cannot be used for general business expenses, taxes, political contributions, fines, or reimbursed expenses from other federal or state programs. Eligible applicants must be farmers’ markets located in Minnesota that meet the definition outlined in Minnesota Statute 28A.151. A qualifying market must consist of at least three persons who gather at a designated location to sell farm or garden products directly to consumers. Furthermore, applying markets must intend to participate in at least one food assistance program in 2025. A total of approximately $150,000 in funding is available for this grant cycle, with individual awards ranging from $1,500 to $10,000. There is no matching fund requirement. Farmers’ market associations that receive funding may request an advance of up to 50% of the awarded amount. The number of grants awarded will depend on the size of funding requests but is expected to range between 15 and 30 awards. Applications must be submitted online by 4:00 p.m. Central Time on February 20, 2025. First-time applicants must create an account before accessing the online application system. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture provides an informational video and a Request for Proposals document outlining detailed eligibility criteria and application instructions. Applicants who are unable to apply online should contact the program administrators for alternative submission options. Applications will be evaluated based on their alignment with the grant’s objectives, feasibility, and expected impact. Successful applicants will receive an email confirmation upon submission. Additionally, farmers’ markets that have applied for the Farmers’ Market Cost-Share program may still apply for this grant. If a farmers’ market is managed by a nonprofit, city, or church, it remains eligible as long as it submits a valid IRS W-9 tax form for grant contract processing. For questions regarding the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Assistance Grant, applicants can contact program representatives Allison Beauregard and Christina Iliev at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Their contact details, along with additional resources, are available on the department’s website.