2026 Produce Safety Mini-Grant Application | Minnesota Department of Agriculture

This application is for the 2026 Produce Safety Mini-Grant. The Produce Safety Mini-Grant helps reimburse Minnesota produce farmers for expenses that improve on-farm food safety systems. Complete grant details are available on the Mini-Grant Overview page.

Amount available

The Produce Safety Program has approximately $30,400 to distribute via this mini-grant. Funding is from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant (SCBG), Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) 10.170. This grant provides reimbursement up to $800 per farm. No matching funds from the applicant are required.

Publishing this request for proposals does not commit the state to awarding any federal funds.

Who can apply?

Produce growers who farm in Minnesota, who:

Grew and sold one or more of the following crops in 2025: Leafy greens, apples, berries, carrots, cucumbers, garlic, green beans, herbs, melons, microgreens, mushrooms, onions, peppers, sprouts, summer squash/zucchini, tomatoes.
Have completed the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule Grower Questionnaire or otherwise verified their farm's Produce Safety Rule status with the MDA between 2023 - 2026.
Are in good standing and not debarred or suspended to receive state or federal funds.

Only one application per farm will be accepted.

Application instructions

Applications are due by March 21, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time.
Answer all the questions that have an asterisk symbol (*) indicating they are required. Note that answering additional questions may help you be considered in additional drawing rounds.
If you have attended an applicable produce safety training and want to receive consideration in the drawing round for the training category you must include:
- A certificate of attendance for a FSMA Produce Safety Rule Grower Training or a GAPs training offered by the University of Minnesota Extension or Cornell University
The MDA reserves the right to waive minor irregularities or request additional information to further clarify or validate application information, provided the application, as submitted, substantially complies with the requirements of this Request for Proposals. There is, however, no guarantee the MDA will look for information or clarification outside of the submitted application.

Questions

For questions, please contact the Produce Safety Program via email at ProduceSafety.MDA@State.mn.us or call 651-539-3648.
Questions about the grant must be submitted by March 13, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.
All questions asked will be added to a list of regularly updated Mini-Grant Questions and Answers on our website or by request.

I attest that I have read the Privacy Policy.

The data you supply on this form will be used to assess your eligibility for the MDA Produce Safety Program, Mini-Grant. Applying for this grant is voluntary, and applicants are not legally required to provide any of the requested information. Applicants may decline to complete this application without any legal consequence. However, only completed applications will be considered.

Applicant data is initially classified by the Minnesota Data Practices Act as private or nonpublic. Some or all of the data will become public at various points of the application process, as detailed below, unless the data are otherwise classified by state or federal law. Access to private or nonpublic data is limited by law those parties authorized by state or federal law, including MDA staff and contractors with a valid work assignment to access the data, parties authorized by the applicant or by a valid court order, Minnesota Management and Budget, Minnesota Department of Administration, the state auditor, and the legislative auditor. If necessary, MDA may also share the data with law enforcement and the Minnesota Office of the Attorney General.

Per Minn. Stat. 13.599:

Names, addresses of grant applicants, and amount requested will be public data after all applications are opened.
All remaining data in the applications (except trade secret information, see below) becomes public data after the evaluation process is complete and all grant agreements have been fully executed.
All data created or maintained by the MDA as part of the evaluation process (except trade secret information, see below) will be public data after the evaluation process is completed and all grant agreements have been fully executed.
A Social Security Number submitted by an applicant on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form W-9, is classified as private data and will not be released to the public at any time.
Trade secret information (as defined in Minn. Stat. § 13.37) is classified as nonpublic data. To protect data submitted as part of this application as trade secret information, the applicant must, at a minimum:
- identify the specific formula, pattern, compilation, program, device, method, technique or process that applicant believes legally qualifies for trade secret classification;
- demonstrate that the information is subject to efforts by applicant that are reasonable under the circumstances to maintain the information’s secrecy; and
- provide an explanation of how the information derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable by proper means by, other persons who can obtain economic value from its disclosure or use.
All persons, businesses, and individuals applying for grants in the state of Minnesota must comply with applicable laws. Under the law titled Right of Setoff (MINN. STAT. 270C.65, subd. 3), a grantee consents to disclosure of its social security number, federal employer tax identification number, and/or Minnesota tax identification number, already provided to the State, to federal and state tax agencies, and to state personnel involved in the payment of state obligations. These identification numbers may be used in the enforcement of federal and state tax laws which could result in action requiring a grantee to file state tax returns and pay delinquent state tax liabilities, if any.

Applicant Information

First name

Last name

Farm or company name

Phone

Mailing address

Mailing address city

Mailing address state

Mailing address zip

Mailing address county

Is your mailing address the same as your farm location?

Yes

Farm location (if different than mailing address)

Farm location street address

Farm location city

Farm location state

Farm location zip

Farm location county

What is the best way to contact you?

Mail

Additional contact info (optional)

If you would like an additional person to be contacted with updates on your application, please share their contact information here. This could include someone else from your farm business or someone who has helped you fill out the application if you would like their continued assistance.

First name

Last name

Farm or company name

Phone

Eligibility (Required)

The applicant (organization/individual) is in good standing and not debarred or suspended to receive state or federal funds.

Yes

Does your farm grow and sell one or more of the following crops?

Leafy greens, apples, berries, cucumbers, green beans, melons, microgreens, mushrooms, onions, peppers, sprouts, summer squash/zucchini, tomatoes

Yes

Have you verified your farm’s status under the Produce Safety Rule by completing the MDA FSMA Produce Safety Rule Grower Questionnaire between 2023-2026, or through other confirmation from the MDA between 2023-2026?

Yes

The Grower Questionnaire asks questions to determine your farm’s FSMA Produce Safety Rule status. You can complete the Grower Questionnaire online or request a paper copy if you'd like to complete it at this time.

Individuals newly completing the Grower Questionnaire must submit these by 3/21/2026 to be eligible for the 2026 Mini-Grant.

If you are unsure whether you have already completed the Grower Questionnaire or have otherwise previously verified your farm’s status with the MDA, and would like to confirm with program staff, please contact us at ProduceSafety.MDA@state.mn.us or call 651-539-3648. Responses of “Yes” to this question will be cross-checked using the program’s database of Grower Questionnaire responses and status verifications.

Certification Statements (Required)

I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief, the data in this application is true and correct and supporting documentation for the claims and assertions made within this application is available to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture for its review. Additionally, I understand the following statements:

Submitting false or misleading information in connection with this application may may be grounds for disqualification from the Mini-Grant award and may subject me and my organization to suspension or debarment proceedings, as well as other remedies available to the State, by law.
Receiving public funds as a consequence of false representations constitutes an act of fraud.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture may conduct audits, check references, and conduct site inspections and monitoring after grants are awarded and prior to dollars being disbursed.

I certify that I understand the grant funds will be awarded via randomized selection process.

How much funding are you requesting? ($800 maximum)

Expenses

What type of expenses are you seeking to have reimbursed with mini-grant funds? (Select all that apply)

Water testing for generic E. coli ^

Supplies to build or purchase a portable handwashing station ^^

Supplies to build or purchase a portable produce washing station ^^

Harvest totes

Sanitizer used for wash water and food contact surfaces

Carts and pull wagons

Market containers

Waxed boxes

*Note: these are the ONLY categories of eligible expenses for this grant. The Mini-Grant will not reimburse any items that are ineligible and/or do not fall within these categories.

^ Pre-harvest water: Should be a quantitative testing method for generic E. coli. Post-harvest water: Can be presence/absence or quantitative testing method for generic E. coli.

^^Building requirements: Building plans must be submitted and approved prior to purchase to be eligible for reimbursement.

All complete applications that meet minimum eligibility requirements will be considered in the final round of the lottery drawing. Completing the supplemental questions below, designed to prioritize funding decisions, can increase opportunities to be included in additional drawings. By selecting “No”, “N/A”, or “Choose not to answer” you will not be awarded prioritization or consideration in the drawing for that specific category.

Farm Food Safety Training Information

Have you, or a responsible party associated with your farm, attended one of these trainings?

Yes - FSMA Produce Safety Rule Grower Training (approx. 8 hours)

Yes - GAPs training of at least a half-day (3+ hours), offered by the University of Minnesota Extension

Yes - GAPs training offered by Cornell University

No, no one associated with my farm has attended one of these trainings

Choose not to answer

Attendee first name

Attendee last name

Date attended training

Location of training

Training Certificate

NOTE: We accept scanned or photographed copies of the certificate of attendance. If you do not have your FSMA Grower Training certificate of attendance, please contact us at ProduceSafety.MDA@state.mn.us or 651-539-3648. For your GAPs Training certificate of attendance from the University of Minnesota Extension please contact Annalisa Hultberg at hultb006@umn.edu or 612-625-1951.

Upload requirements

Produce Safety Rule

Was your farm considered fully “covered” and inspected or subject to routine inspection under the Produce Safety Rule in 2025?

Yes

Choose not to answer

Some farms are subject to routine inspection under the Produce Safety Rule. Farmers receive information about their farm’s Produce Safety Rule status and any associated requirements for their farm after filling out the Grower Questionnaire. General information about farm statuses is available on our website. If you have further questions about your farm’s Produce Safety Rule status, please contact us at ProduceSafety.MDA@state.mn.us or call 651-539-3648. Responses of “Yes” to this question will be cross-checked using the program’s database of covered farms.

Demographic Information

Does the ownership of the farm business identify as beginning farmer(s)?

Yes

Choose not to answer

A beginning farmer is an individual or entity that has not operated a farm or ranch for more than ten years and substantially participates in the operation.