Farmer & Maker Grants - Mill City Farmers Market

Farmer & Maker Grants

Next Stage Grant Program

The Mill City Farmers Market Charitable Fund (MCFM-CF) is committed to the success and sustainability of the local food economy. MCFM-CF designed the Next Stage Grant to provide funding to local, regenerative farmers and other food producers who are improving sustainable farming and business practices or growing toward the “next stage” of their local food businesses. Since 2013, we have awarded 119 Next Stage Grants totaling over $395,000 in project funding. Learn more in our video below.

The Next Stage Grant program is funded solely through community support. Your donation directly empowers the farmers and producers at the heart of our local food system, giving them the resources needed to create long lasting community and environmental impacts.

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“The project is actively changing our lives and bringing much needed financial security to the farm.” -2020 Awardee Leah Bailey, Salt and Light Heritage Farm

Next Stage Grants range from $1,000 to $7,000 and past projects have included season extension, cold storage for produce and flowers, organic certification and experimenting with new tools and techniques.

Through equipment, technologies and other capacity building that increases yields, improves growing practices and supports small sustainable businesses, farmers and makers become more efficient and successful. We have seen these farmers’ hard work and innovation and know they can be successful with a little help from their community.

Application Information

Applications for MCFM-CF’s 2023 Next Stage Grant cycle closed on March 1st, 2023. Grants are awarded in early April. For any questions please reach out to us at info@millcityfarmersmarket.org or 612-341-7580.

Applicant Requirements:

Farm or business…

Must sell at one or more regional farmers markets. Preference will be given to applicants with a higher percentage of sales coming from direct-to-consumer sales.
Must be located in Minnesota or within 200 miles of Minneapolis.
Must adhere to Mill City Farmers Market’s Sustainability Statement or the project must aim to bring them closer to meeting it.
Must have been in operation for more than one year.
Not required to be a current vendor at the Mill City Farmers Market.
Farms structured as 501(c)3 nonprofits are eligible to apply as of 2022.
Applicant must meet our Financial Need Statement or project must demonstrate a significant research or education component.

Next Stage Grant program uses can include:

Support farmer transition to organic certification and other sustainable and regenerative farming and land management practices
Training, courses and other forms of education related to capacity-building and sound business practices from professional service providers or qualified consultants (Other farmers or business owners, marketing specialists, web designers, etc.)
Innovations that improve efficiencies, growing practices or product quality

The following may also be funded, but are subject to additional criteria relating to financial need and hardship situations defined by MCFM-CF’s ‘Financial Need Statement’ (in our application documents below):

Building cold storage facilities
Season extension projects
New product development such as value-added farm goods, diversifying crops or livestock, etc.
Software and other technology upgrades such as heaters, refrigerators, solar installations, business management software, etc.
Marketing improvements such as labeling and packaging equipment, web design, etc.

Application Documents:

2023 NSG Application and Description

2023 NSG Budget Template

2023 Financial Need Statement

2023 NSG Financial Summary

Email completed application to info@millcityfarmersmarket.org by March 1st, 2023.

**Additional Funding Resources**

History & Past Projects

Mill City Farmers Market started its grant program in 2013 as a way to support its farmers in times of extreme crop loss and other hardship, understanding that farms operate on tight margins and can be vulnerable to an array of unpredictable weather-related crop loss and infrastructure damage. Within a few years, funds we raised for hardship grants at our annual Harvest Social dinner exceeded the amount requested by our vendors, and we were able to expand the program to support MCFM farmers experimenting with new crops, growing techniques and equipment.

The next big change came in 2018, after the inception of the Market’s Charitable Fund. With this sister organization, we have been able to expand the size of grant awards and the pool of grantees beyond Mill City Farmers Market vendors. Now, Next Stage Grantees represent local farmers and food makers throughout the region who sustain our healthy, local food system.

As of the 2023 grant cycle, we have awarded over 119 Next Stage Grants totaling over $395,000. Learn more about past projects below.

2023 Awards

2022 Awards

2021 Awards

2020 Awards

2019 AWARDS

2018 AWARDS

Support

CTHM Pigs next stage grant

SUPPORT

The Next Stage Grant program is sustained through the generosity of the market community. Please join us in supporting a healthy and sustainable local food economy by donating to this program today. Ways your donation could have an impact:

$25 Many hands make light work! Your donation goes far to support local farmers and makers
$50 Buys 100′ of plastic sheeting to extend the growing season with a greenhouse
$100 Supports a portion of the commercial equipment needed to effeciently process farm produce into sauces, baked goods and dried products for additional year-round income
$350 Provides a “coolbot” temperature controller for a farmers’s cold storage system, improving produce shelf life and quality
$1,000 Funds new tools that reduce hard labor of prepping fields, transplanting and processing harvested crops

DONATE TODAY

DONAte through your Donor Advised Fund

In accordance with IRS guidelines, 100% of your donation is tax deductible.

The Next Stage Grant program is sustained by donations from our generous market community and from CoBank. We are honored to be stewards of this program.

Hardship Grant

Hardship Grant Program

The Mill City Farmers Market Charitable Fund (MCFM-CF) is committed to the success and sustainability of the local food economy. In addition to supporting farmers and food makers who are innovating and moving to the “next stage” of their businesses through our main grant program, MCFM-CF understands that the livelihood of a farm can be vulnerable to an array of extreme weather-related crop loss or other unpredictable causes of hardship. While these risks are inherent to farming, MCFM-CF’s Hardship Grant is intended to provide support of up to $2,000 while farmers work to recover and rebuild.

This grant program is sustained through the generosity of the market community with a goal to keep regenerative family farmers on the land, producing nourishing food for all.

Application Process

This grant is meant to be easily accessible for busy, hardworking farmers and small business owners. MCFM-CF staff is available to answer your questions, help you complete the application and will provide translation if needed. For questions or assistance with your application, please contact us at info@millcityfarmersmarket.org or 612-341-7580.

Hardship Grant Description and Application 2023

NSG Financial Summary

Applications for our hardship grant program are accepted ongoing as needed and typically awarded within 2 to 4 weeks of receiving applications. Submit your completed application and financial summary any time via email to info@millcityfarmersmarket.org.