K-12 schools and early childhood education centers in MN have $1 million to spend on local purchases - find out which ones!

Annalisa Hultberg, Extension Educator, food safety

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has awarded more than $1 million in grants to schools and early care providers through its Farm to School and Early Care Grants program.

This means that these schools and early care providers and centers are looking for locally-grown produce. Learn more about these market in this article, along with important food safety and other best practices when selling to local schools. 

Photo: Rutgers University

The MDA awarded these grant funds to 63 school districts and nine early childhood education (ECE) centers across Minnesota. Recipients received one of two grants to purchase whole unprocessed or minimally processed foods. These foods must be at least 80% grown or raised in Minnesota.

Grant awards ranged from $2,500 to $35,000 and will support $866,089 in local food purchases. Applicants could also apply for additional funding to purchase equipment that supports their local sourcing efforts. 

A full list of recipients and award amounts for the First Bite and Full Tray grants can be found below. See the full list of awardees for the Local Tots Cost-Share program on the Local Tots Cost-Share Past Projects webpage.

How to sell to a school

The MDA does not list the school food service contact information of the grantees on their website, but you can readily find this information online. 

Call or email the food service director to see if they are looking to purchase fresh produce with their grant funds, and if so, what kind. You might want to set up an in-person meeting at the school where you can cover: 

• What produce items do you have and what do they want
• When will it be available
• Pricing
• Volume
• Packaging
• Food safety
• Delivery locations
• Payment terms
• Washing, quality, sizing, bunching, etc
• How you will maintain communication in case plans change/weather

Here is a blog post with much more information about best practices when connecting with local schools. See the blogpost on selling to local schools here.

Farm to School and Early Care Grant Recipients

First Bite Grants

FY25 First Bite Grantee	City	Type of Grantee	First Bite Award	Equipment Award	Total Award
Agape Child Development Center	Minneapolis	ECE	$5,000.00	$4,750.00	$9,750.00
Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley Public Schools, ISD 2888	Clinton	School	$5,000.00		$5,000.00
East Grand Forks Public Schools, ISD 595	East Grand Forks	School	$5,000.00	$715.00	$5,715.00
Eureka Kids	Rochester	ECE	$2,500.00		$2,500.00
Great Expectations School	Grand Marais	School	$5,000.00		$5,000.00
Hawley Public Schools, ISD 150	Hawley	School	$2,500.00	$3,240.00	$5,740.00
Hill City Public Schools, ISD 2	Hill City	School	$5,000.00		$5,000.00
Kelliher Public Schools, ISD 36	Kelliher	School	$5,000.00		$5,000.00
Kingsland Public Schools, ISD 2137	Spring Valley	School	$5,000.00	$12,000.00	$17,000.00
Kootasca Community Action (Kootasca Head Start)	Grand Rapids	ECE	$5,000.00	$1,386.50	$6,386.50
Lakeville Area Schools, ISD 194	Lakeville	School	$5,000.00		$5,000.00
Los Amiguitos De River Heights	Inver Grove Heights	ECE	$2,500.00		$2,500.00
Menahga Public Schools, ISD 821	Menahga	School	$2,500.00		$2,500.00
Northfield Montessori	Northfield	ECE	$2,500.00		$2,500.00
Olu's Beginnings	Minneapolis	ECE	$2,500.00	$10,310.81	$12,810.81
Ortonville Public Schools, ISD 2903	Ortonville	School	$5,000.00		$5,000.00
St. Michael's School	Mahnomen	School	$2,500.00		$2,500.00
Stillwater Area Public Schools, ISD 834	Stillwater	School	$5,000.00		$5,000.00
Underwood School District, ISD 550	Underwood	School	$2,500.00		$2,500.00
West Central Minnesota Communities Action (Perham Head Start)	Elbow Lake	ECE	$2,500.00		$2,500.00
Yinghua Academy	Minneapolis	School	$5,000.00	$2,500.00	$7,500.00

 

Full Tray Grants

FY25 Full Tray Grantee	City	Type of Grantee	Full Tray Award	Equipment Award	Total Award
Aitkin Public Schools, ISD 1	Aitkin	School	$20,000.00		$20,000.00
Alexandria Public Schools, ISD 206	Alexandria	School	$25,000.00		$25,000.00
Aurora Waasakone Community of Learners	Bemidji	School	$4,816.80		$4,816.80
Becker Public Schools, ISD 726	Becker	School	$30,000.00	$12,500.00	$42,500.00
Bloomington Public Schools, ISD 271	Bloomington	School	$30,000.00		$30,000.00
Brooklyn Center Community Schools, ISD 286	Brooklyn Center	School	$25,000.00		$25,000.00
Butterfield-Odin Public Schools, ISD 836	Butterfield	School	$6,062.40		$6,062.40
Cannon Falls Area Schools, ISD 252	Cannon Falls	School	$23,918.40		$23,918.40
Crosby-Ironton Public Schools, ISD 182	Crosby	School	$5,000.00		$5,000.00
Crosslake Community School	Crosslake	School	$4,212.00		$4,212.00
Dassel-Cokato Public Schools, ISD 466	Cokato	School	$30,000.00		$30,000.00
Deer River Public Schools, ISD 317	Deer River	School	$20,000.00		$20,000.00
Detroit Lakes Schools, ISD 22	Detroit Lakes	School	$25,000.00		$25,000.00
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Public Schools, ISD 2164	Dilworth	School	$30,000.00		$30,000.00
East Range Academy of Technology and Sciences (ERATS)	Mountain Iron	School	$2,500.00		$2,500.00
Foley Public Schools, ISD 51	Foley	School	$20,000.00	$10,000.00	$30,000.00
Fond du Lac Ojibwe School	Cloque	School	$4,386.00		$4,386.00
Greenway Public Schools, ISD 316	Coleraine	School	$3,750.00		$3,750.00
Holy Trinity Catholic School, Pierz	Pierz	School	$3,487.50		$3,487.50
Holy Trinity Catholic School, South Saint Paul	South Saint Paul	School	$2,500.00		$2,500.00
Hopkins Public Schools, ISD 270	Hopkins	School	$30,000.00		$30,000.00
Hutchinson Public Schools, ISD 423	Hutchinson	School	$30,000.00		$30,000.00
Immanuel Lutheran School	Gaylord	School	$2,500.00		$2,500.00
Jordan Public Schools, ISD 717	Jordan	School	$7,500.00		$7,500.00
Lake City Public Schools	Lake City	School	$15,000.00		$15,000.00
Litchfield Public Schools, ISD 465	Litchfield	School	$30,000.00		$30,000.00
Mesabi East Schools, ISD 2711	Aurora	School	$11,650.00		$11,650.00
Minneapolis Public Schools, SSD 1	Minneapolis	School	$30,000.00		$30,000.00
New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Schools, ISD 2168	New Richland	School	$21,000.00		$21,000.00
New Ulm Area Catholic School	New Ulm	School	$8,142.00		$8,142.00
Nisse Treehouse	Mabel	ECE	$2,500.00		$2,500.00
Pine City Public Schools, ISD 578	Pine City	School	$2,500.00		$2,500.00
Pine Island Public Schools, ISD 255	Pine Island	School	$5,000.00		$5,000.00
Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools, ISD 719	Prior Lake