MDA Invests Over $1 Million to Bring More Local Food to Children Across Minnesota
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 funding supports the purchase of Minnesota-grown and -raised foods, creating market opportunities for local farmers and improving the quality of school and early care meals across the state.
“When schools and early cares serve local food, everyone benefits – our farmers, our kids, our communities, and our economy,” said MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen. “We are proud to help schools and early care providers incorporate more local food into their meals. Minnesota kids deserve the best, and Minnesota farms can provide the best.”
New for 2025, the MDA awarded $97,000 to 194 family childcare providers through its Local Tots Cost-Share program. Each provider received a $500 award through this non-competitive cost-share program to help serve more local foods as part of their meal and snack programs. This marks the first year of the program, launched as the MDA expands Farm to School and Early Care efforts to support more children across the state.
The MDA also awarded $948,096 in Farm to School and Early Care grants to 63 school districts and nine early childhood education (ECE) centers across the state in this round. Recipients received one of two grants to purchase whole unprocessed or minimally processed foods that are at least 80% grown or raised in Minnesota.
- First Bite Farm to School and Early Care Grant: For school districts and ECE centers new to local purchasing and looking to start small.
- Full Tray Farm to School and Early Care Grant: For school districts and ECE centers with some Farm to School or Farm to Early Care experience who are ready to take on larger projects. Applicants for Full Tray grants are required to provide a 1:1 match on all funds awarded.
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, equipment funding also requires a 1:1 match. A total of $82,007 was awarded to 12 schools and ECE centers for items ranging from flat top grills and refrigeration units to tilt skillets and food processors. These tools help improve food safety and make scratch cooking with local foods more accessible and efficient.
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.
Funding for these programs is made available through the MDA’s Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) program, which administers grants to farmers, agribusinesses, schools, and more throughout the state of Minnesota. The AGRI Program exists to advance Minnesota’s agricultural and renewable energy sectors.
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/td> | 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 | School | $30,000.00 | $10,000.00 | $40,000.00 |
| Riverway Learning Community | Winona | School | $2,500.00 | $2,500.00 | |
| Robbinsdale Area Schools, ISD 281 | New Hope | School | $30,000.00 | $30,000.00 | |
| Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan, ISD 196 | Rosemount | School | $30,000.00 | $30,000.00 | |
| Saint Charles Public Schools, ISD 858 | Saint Charles | School | $25,418.00 | $25,418.00 | |
| Saint Croix Prep Academy | Stillwater | School | $15,000.00 | $15,000.00 | |
| Saint Paul Public Schools, ISD 625 | Saint Paul | School | $30,000.00 | $9,894.00 | $39,894.00 |
| Saint Wenceslaus Catholic School | New Prague | School | $7,500.00 | $7,500.00 | |
| Sartell-St. Stephen, ISD 748 | Sartell | School | $10,000.00 | $10,000.00 | |
| Schoolcraft Learning Community | Bemidji | School | $4,600.00 | $4,600.00 | |
| Stare Academy | Baxter | School | $2,500.00 | $2,500.00 | |
| The Journey School | Saint Paul | School | $5,132.40 | $5,132.40 | |
| United South Central Public Schools, ISD 2134 | Wells | School | $15,000.00 | $15,000.00 | |
| Vermilion Country School | Tower | School | $2,500.00 | $1,521.97 | $4,021.97 |
| Wayzata Cafes, ISD 284 | Plymouth | School | $30,000.00 | $30,000.00 | |
| Winona Area Public Schools, ISD 861 | Winona | School | $12,500.00 | $12,500.00 | |
| YMCA of the North, Early Childcare Centers (7 sites) | Minneapolis | ECE | $6,000.00 | $6,000.00 | |
| Zumbrota-Mazeppa Public Schools, ISD 2805 | Zumbrota | School | $13,513.00 | $13,500.00 | $27,013.00 |
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Media Contact
Nikki Warner, MDA Communications
651-238-7909
Nikki.Warner@state.mn.us
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