Good Food Access Program

All Minnesotans should have healthy eating options closer to home.

More than 340,000 Minnesotans face both distance and income as a barrier to obtaining healthy, affordable food. The Good Food Access Program is changing that.

A bill was passed in 2016 establishing the Good Food Access Program within the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to help establish facilities for the sale of healthy, affordable food in areas of the state where better access to those foods is needed. The state is currently investing $250,000 per year in seed money to begin providing resources such as grants, low-cost loans, and technical support for food-related enterprises. A range of community-driven solutions will be supported including new or enhanced grocery stores, mobile markets and farmers’ markets, fresh food refrigeration, community supported agriculture and other innovative approaches.

The Good Food Access Campaign is seeking an annual appropriation in the future to address the need for healthy food access solutions all around the state.

Click on the cover page to learn more about how seven 2017 and 2018 grant recipients have been positively impacting their community by being able to provide fresh, healthier options for their customers >

Click to read the individual stories of these seven grant recipients here >

Our Community Food Projects – Washington County, Minnesota

Appetite for Change – Minneapolis, Minnesota

Darrel’s Full-Service Foods – Hoffman, Minnesota

D & R Grocery – Oklee, Minnesota

Knutson’s Grocery – Roosevelt, Minnesota

Lamecker’s General Store – Kerkhoven, Minnesota

The Food Group – Operates Statewide

Resources

Grantee Fact Sheet
Campaign Support Sign On
Organization Support List
Wilder Foundation Study
Grocery Stores by the Numbers
University of Minnesota Survey

Food Desert and Low-Income, Low Food Access Maps