Produce Safety Mini-Grant Q&A

Yes, previous awardees may apply again this year.

The application and supporting documents can be submitted through one of the following options:

• Online. Supporting documentation can be uploaded via the webform along with the application.
• Email. The application and supporting documentation can be emailed as attachments to: ProduceSafety.MDA@state.mn.us
• Mail. The application and supporting documentation can be mailed to:
  • Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Attention: Produce Safety Program - Mini-Grant, 625 Robert Street North, Saint Paul, MN 55155

Supporting documents can be submitted as:

• Scan(s) of the document(s)
• Digital photograph(s) of the document(s)

Note: Do no submit original documents as they will not be returned. If you do not have access or ability to scan or photograph the documents, please contact your local Extension office or library; they may be able to assist.

No, your grant application and all supporting documents should be submitted via the same method and at one time.

If you are eligible in more than one funding category, your application will be included in the randomized selection for each round that your application qualifies for.

Example: An applicant's farm was confirmed to be fully covered and subject to routine inspection under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule in 2023. The applicant has also attended a Produce Safety Rule Grower Training.

This application would be entered in the selection round for farms that were confirmed to be fully covered in 2023. If not selected/awarded, they would then be entered into next selection round they are eligible for (the training round, in this case). If not selected/awarded, they would then be entered into the 5th and final round. This round consists of all remaining eligible applicants that haven't been awarded in a previous round.

Depending on what funding categories an application qualifies under, an application could be included in at minimum 1 round but maximum 5 rounds. 

To be considered for funding under the training category you must submit documentation that indicates you or a member of your farm has:

• Attended a FSMA Produce Safety Rule Grower Training, or
• Attended a GAPs training hosted by the University of Minnesota Extension. The University of Minnesota Extension only issues certificates of attendance for GAPs trainings that are minimum half-day (3+ hours) in length. 

• If you attended a Grower Training hosted by the MDA and no longer have a copy of your certificate of attendance for a Produce Safety Rule Grower Training, please contact the Produce Safety Program.
  • If you attended a Grower Training hosted by another state, please contact afdo@afdo.org to obtain a copy of your certificate.
• If you no longer have a copy of your certificate of attendance for a GAPs training (minimum half-day, 3+ hours) hosted by the University of Minnesota Extension, please submit a letter or an email from the University of Minnesota Extension staff verifying you have attended the training. Please contact Annalisa Hultberg at hultb006@umn.edu or 612-625-1951.

If you are unsure of your farm's status under the Produce Safety Rule and want to verify this information, please contact the Produce Safety Program. 

No. If you were eligible for an exemption under the Produce Safety Rule in 2023, your farm does not qualify for the mini-grant funding category of farms that were confirmed to be fully covered and subject to routine inspection in 2023.

Please contact the Produce Safety Program to verify you have previously filled out a Grower Questionnaire. You also have the option to newly complete the 2024 Grower Questionnaire at the time of your application. 

We understand the inconvenience of having to submit similar information in multiple places. However, in order to maintain data privacy, we are asking you to submit your mini-grant application separately from your Grower Questionnaire. If we used the data from your questionnaire response for the mini-grant application, all of your questionnaire data could become public. 

A wash station may be considered an eligible expense if it is portable. Permanent fixtures are not eligible for reimbursement under this grant.

Yes, a plastic bag that is used for packaged food items would be considered a "market container" and is an eligible expense. This is different than a plastic bag that might be provided to a customer, for example at a farmers market, to carry their purchased product. Those types of plastic bags would not be considered an eligible expense.

No, stainless steel tables and shelving are not eligible expenses under the current mini grant.

No. Permanent fixtures, or repairs to permanent fixtures, are not eligible for reimbursement under this grant. 

No, renting or buying a porta potty is not an eligible expense. All expenses must fit under the following categories in order to be eligible:

• Water testing for generic E. coli
• Plastic or paper liners
• Harvest collection tools
• Market containers
• Supplies to build or purchase a portable handwashing station
• Supplies to build or purchase a portable produce washing station
• Canvas bags
• Sanitizer used for wash water and food contact surfaces
• Consultation fees for developing an on-farm food safety plan
• Waxed boxes
• Harvest totes
• Carts and pull wagons

A fully covered farm would have a status letter from the Produce Safety Program advising that their farm is covered and would have spoken to one of our inspectors to schedule an initial on-farm inspection. If you’re uncertain if you’ve had an inspection by our program, we can look up your farm name and verify your status within our farm inventory.