The Food Group

10/13/2026

🌟 The The Food Group team recently took a dedicated day to reflect and reconnect with our purpose—visiting the AgriSolar farm and stopping by one of our local food shelf partners.

Taking time to step back, learn, and engage directly with our partners highlights just how connected every piece of our work truly is. From cultivation to community access, none of it happens without deep collaboration and shared purpose.

Huge thank you to our team and partners for your ongoing care and commitment! Excited for more opportunities to learn and grow together. 🥕🌱

10/09/2026

Monday is . Our offices and programs will be closed Monday, October 12th in observance of Indigenous Peoples' Day. ➡️ We will resume normal hours Tuesday, October 13th!

We honor and celebrate the rich histories, vibrant cultures, and enduring contributions of Indigenous communities across our region and beyond. Food is culture, history, and community—and ensuring access to culturally connected foods is vital to building true equity. Indigenous peoples have stewarded these lands for generations, developing sustainable agricultural traditions and deep connections to the earth that continue to nourish us all today.

As an organization committed to building a healthier, more equitable food system, we honor Indigenous food sovereignty, uplift local Native growers, and reaffirm our commitment to learning and growing together. We invite our community to join us in honoring Indigenous resilience and leadership:
🌾 Learn whose ancestral land you reside on at native-land.ca
🌾 Support local Native-owned farms, producers, and small businesses
🌾 Follow and amplify Indigenous-led organizations championing food justice

10/09/2026

The Food Group is honored to partner with emerging farmers like Winifred and Bai to fight hunger by expanding land access and delivering affordable, locally grown food to our neighbors in need. ☀️ Read the article to learn more about our Agri Solar Farm and the incredible farmers who just signed 10 year leases to grow there. 🌱 🌱 🌱 https://ow.ly/oKlU50ZW5XS

September 28, 2026 How Our AgriSolar Farm Is Expanding Land Access to Fight Hunger A strong local food system is a powerful tool for fighting hunger. When local farmers have what they need to succeed, they provide affordable, nutritious food to their community. Yet many immigrant and resource-limite...

10/08/2026

Building an equitable, healthy food system takes steady, long-term work—and people who show up for our community year after year. We'd like to share a transition in our board leadership that reflects that commitment.

First, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Dave Schmiechen for serving as our Board Chair these past two years. Dave spent his career at Andersen Windows and brought much of that expertise into his board service. Now retired, Dave's steady leadership, generosity, and commitment to our mission contributed so much to The Food Group.

We’re also proud to share that Leah Porter with Propel Nonprofits is stepping up as our incoming Board Chair. Leah has been on our Board of Directors for many years, always keeping food justice and community access at the center of her work. As she takes on this new role , we’re grateful for her continued dedication to creating a more just and equitable food system. Thank you to both of these leaders for their time, care, and guidance! 🌾💚

10/07/2026

What a powerful day celebrating alongside nearly 90 of our incredible farmers, staff, families, and community supporters! 🚜✨

Beyond catching up with familiar faces after a hard-earned season, it was inspiring to make so many new connections and explore fresh ways to grow together. The highlight? Three full tractor rides packed with excited kids—a joyful reminder of the lasting impact this community is building for generations to come.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and made the day so special! 💚

10/06/2026

Designate a gift to The Food Group this fall 🍂🍁
For many companies, fall is the season of workplace giving and United Way campaigns. If your employer is offering a workplace giving campaign this year, please consider designating your gift, or a portion of it, to The Food Group. 🍎

Your gift will provide nourishing and culturally connected food for local families most in need today, while also creating a more equitable food system for tomorrow.

The best part is that your impact may go even further. Many companies match their employees’ charitable contributions, multiplying the difference your gift makes. 💚
https://www.thefoodgroupmn.org/give/

10/01/2026

🎉 The Food Group has launched a redesigned website! 🥳 The new site fully integrates our expanded Hunger Solutions programs—including Market Bucks, SNAP Rx, and the Minnesota Food Helpline—alongside an upgraded Find Help Map. This automated, interactive tool is available in five languages to connect Minnesotans to real-time food resources.

✨“Many of our neighbors are struggling to keep food on the table. They need to be able to find resources quickly and easily. Our new map tool is intuitive and simple to use, removing barriers to nutritious, culturally connected food.” 🍎 – Emily Eddy White, Director of Advancement & Culture at The Food Group

Our new website makes it easier to connect with The Food Group, whether you are a farmer interested in our training programs, a neighbor looking for food support, or a partner or community member looking to share food and build a stronger food system for the future. Explore the new website at ➡️ https://www.thefoodgroupmn.org/

Direct links:
🍎 Find Food Near You: https://www.thefoodgroupmn.org/find-food/
💚 Ways to Donate: https://www.thefoodgroupmn.org/give/

09/30/2026

For 50 years, Cassia lived across the street from her neighborhood food shelf. She volunteered two to three times a week - unloading food deliveries, stocking shelves, and preparing bags for her neighbors. She never imagined she’d one day need that same support. 💚 After decades as a licensed social worker and volunteer, an unexpected hospitalization left her unable to shop or cook for herself. Staff at Joyce Uptown Foodshelf, a partner of The Food Group, started bringing food and care packages while she recovered. Today, living on Social Security, Cassia is still struggling to make ends meet. Rising grocery prices and unexpected medical expenses have made it harder. 📈

More Minnesotans are finding themselves in similar positions to Cassia. Food costs are rising, fuel costs are putting more pressure on families and food shelves, and cuts to federal nutrition assistance are shifting more of the burden to local communities.

Will you make a tax-deductible gift today to provide nourishing food for local families most in need? Every dollar you give will be matched–doubling your impact thanks to our match partner Andersen Windows + Doors! ➡️ https://ow.ly/YCQk50ZT9Gc

09/25/2026

Celebrating a bright harvest with all our farmers! ☀️🌾

09/23/2026

The Food Group’s Agri Solar farm in Big Lake creates a pathway for emerging farmers like Winifred Sylvah to affordably lease farmland while providing an additional use for land that would otherwise be fenced-in rows of panels. ☀️ The project started as a pilot in 2023, but this year was made permanent with Sylvah and two other farmers entering 10-year leases on the land. Read the article to learn more about how we’re combining energy production with land access for emerging and immigrant farmers. 🌱 https://ow.ly/mQ9R50ZQf3z

The Trump administration has slashed federal funding aimed at helping farmers of color access land. A partnership between a Big Lake solar garden and a nonprofit supporting immigrant farmers is moving forward.