Each year, our Harvest Social farm-to-table fundraiser dinner is what powers our grantmaking programs, giving sustainable family farms across the region what they need to succeed. These funds are matched by our program sponsor, CoBank, and split into amounts up to $7,000 per farm business.
Together, we have been able to distribute over half a million dollars directly to small farmers and food makers in our local food shed via our Next Stage Grant Program and Hardship Grant Program since 2013. We are so proud to be the stewards of these programs!
Here are the results of our 2025 Next Stage Grant Projects with updates from the awardees. Scroll to the bottom for a list of our 2026 Next Stage Grant Awardees, whose projects are currently in progress!
Fiddlehead Knob – Precision Processing for Organic Mushrooms
This project completed its goals of reducing food waste, accessing a larger market for value added products, and reducing labor costs on the farm.
For program supporters: “We’re just so thankful for this opportunity and funding. We’re appreciative of all the folks that work hard to keep the local food systems vibrant, active, and prioritized – and we hope we can do our part to keep it thriving!”
A Very Good Farm – Pack Shed
“The greens spinner was put to use right away and has been a great help for saving energy and time. It is definitely saving us a couple hours a week plus freeing up that time for rinsing other produce while the greens are spinning. The greens bubbler and stock tank free up our utility sinks for rinsing other produce as well, so we are saving time in two ways with each tool.”
California Street Farm – Cold Storage
“The grant allowed us to buy a walk-in cooler, which has multiplied our storage space by 6 times, and allowed us to grow our operations accordingly – doubling our CSA members, and adding a Flower and Autumn Share. The excerpt from Elyssa’s speech at the 2025 Harvest Social below highlights why grants like this matter, and what types of support and change make being a farmer sustainable, and more enjoyable.” Read the excerpt here.
Oxheart Farm LLC – Paper Pot Transplanter
“In our trials we were able to transplant a 150′ row with the paperpot planter in approximately three minutes, operated by one person. With our normal manual transplanting system it takes two people at least fifteen minutes to plant out a 150′ row. If we maintain this rate for our major transplant crops this spring with the paperpot planter, we will be able to accomplish our planting in one tenth of the time.
Not only that, but pulling the paperpot planter down the row is done standing upright. This means bending over one time to staple the paper chain at the beginning of each row, versus getting up and down roughly 66 times (about every three plants for 200 plants per row), or bending over the entire time. The ergonomic impacts of this will be massive!”
Maple Ridge Farms – Produce Food Safety Renovations
“We are lucky to have many produce farms in Aitkin County, but we don’t have a centralized facility to wash and process our produce. This project seeks to help not only my business sustain the local food growth in Aitkin but to help other produce farmers in my same situation. Most of us have cobbled together a packshed from the materials we had on hand and couldn’t afford to address the larger food safety needs of wholesale orders. The investment of a modern washing facility will allow more produce farmers to access larger food hub sales and create value-added products.”
Better Greens LLC – Mulch Layer
“This equipment directly targets challenges associated with labor-intensive field prep work, weed control, and inconsistent moisture retention. The mulch layer lessens the amount of manual labor needed, optimizes resources, and enhances the quality and uniformity of produce. The investment provided much-needed support while also supporting our greater mission of a resilient and equitable food system.”
For future applicants: “[This grant program] inspired me and gave me hope that there are organizations out there, like Mill City Farmers Market, that will go the extra mile to stand with emerging farmers like myself. I will tell future applicants to believe in themselves and the impact they are creating. Mill City got their back!”
Dawn2Dusk Farms* – Greens Harvester/Salad Spinner
“Buying a greens harvester and a salad spinner enabled us to produce more [salad greens] while maintaining quality of the produce. We also have been doing more demonstrations to beginning farmers on our farm since 2020 and having better tools and equipment for demonstration builds on our mentoring capacity. Lastly, we joined a producer cooperative (new with beginning farmers) that will benefit from this as a shared resource.”
Dancing Gnome Farm – Wash & Pack Upgrades for Greens Efficiency
“The Next Stage Grant allowed us to thoughtfully invest in infrastructure that directly improved efficiency, ergonomics, and food safety on our farm. By addressing real bottlenecks in our wash-pack system, we’re now positioned to increase greens production and better support our workers and customers. Our new root washer really proved its worth with our fall storage crops—we washed 1500 pounds of potatoes in 3 hours! We’re incredibly thankful for this program and would strongly encourage other farmers to apply.”
For future applicants: “In the end, carefully thinking about the bottlenecks in our system was such an effective way to target what our next investments should be.”
Farm Sol – Greenhouse for Season Extension
“Season extension goal achieved! After greenhouse tunnels were installed, we were able to plant kale, lettuces, spinach, scallions, and other leafy greens at a seasonally appropriate time (August), without sacrificing space for our long-term annual crops like tomatoes and peppers. These crops grew well and we were harvesting them through the middle of November, after our field crops were killed by heavy frost.”
For program supporters: “Thank you so much for supporting our project with the Next Stage Grant! This opportunity has already made a meaningful impact on our farm and we anticipate the continuation of benefits for many years to come. Thank you for believing in the small farm, local-food movement – we couldn’t do this job without you!”
Philadelphia Community Farm – Cold Storage
“We have more than doubled the amount of produce being produced both by the farm, as well as by emerging farmers leasing farm land! Seeing African farmers feeding their communities with culturally relevant food has been such a joy. Seeing their knowledge and capacity to support twin cities communities has been an inspiration! We are proud of the amount of product that has been moving from growers’ hands directly to the communities that they are impacting.”
Agate Acres Farm & Events – Cooler & Farm Electrication
“Agate Acres has operated for 3 seasons without adequate refrigeration. With this cold storage, we can better meet demand at our farm stand, improve CSA distribution logistics, reduce loss from no cooler, and expand wholesale sales. By investing in essential infrastructure, Agate Acres is taking a vital step toward long-term sustainability, ensuring we can continue to provide high-quality, fresh produce and flowers to our community.”
Mhonpaj’s Garden* – Pack Shed
This project created a permanent wash and pack area, eliminating repeated setup and breakdown, reducing post-harvest handling time and improving workflow, and improving food safety and produce quality through proper washing and packing. “This project shows how targeted infrastructure funding can make a lasting impact on small farms. A tent-based pack shed with proper leveling and water access has transformed how we handle produce and teach others.”
For future applicants: “simple, well-planned infrastructure can significantly improve daily operations.”
Granja Las Aguilas LLC – Tractor for Pasture Rotation
“Having our own tractor has been more efficient as we do not have to wait on others’ schedules to borrow a tractor or to come with their tractor to complete a job for us. We can do the jobs at hand quickly and on our own schedule. We have moved our layer chickens more often, turned our compost pile ourselves, and kept 16 acres of pasture mowed [. . .] it has saved us a lot of headache so far this summer.”
Morning Glory Farm and Gardens* – Walk-In Cooler
“The cooler has helped us expand and improve our farm operation in many ways. The cooler/heater allows us to maintain proper and reliable temperatures, which results in higher-quality produce. Because of this reliability, we are able to begin harvesting earlier and increase overall production. Harvest and storage efficiency have increased, allowing us to do more with our time on the farm. As a result, we anticipate a 25% increase in production and sales in the next growing season.”
For future applicants: “To anyone thinking about applying for a grant—go for it! The application process is not difficult and is well worth the effort. This grant enabled us to expand our production much faster than we could have without building the cooler.”
Twin Cities Berry Company* – Living Windbreak for Crop Protection
“Living fences have been used for ages. They give privacy, habitat and function as a windbreak to boot. We planted this living fence last year to protect our tunnels from the intense, straight-line winds along the Highway 65 corridor. Thanks to a small grant from the @millcityfarmersmarket Next Stage Grant in 2025 we will have a beautiful dogwood windbreak that shelters our tunnels and keeps your strawberries safe!”
Watch the video: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DY0GKZJJ8Hk/?stkn=bnluM3o3bm4yaDVq
The Healing Garden – Mobile Greenhouse Year Round
“I am grateful I got the grant and was able to get the structure set up. I found local farmers in the community who were more then willing to help and new friends who also share the same passion as I do in just growing herbs, and more then willing to offer assistance and resources to others who seek the same.”
Xia Lor Vang – Pack Shed Project
From Friendly (Xia’s daughter): “(She) was elated to have won this grant. She was very surprised and felt like her 40+ years of farming in MN was being acknowledged and honored. It gave her a boost entering into the season. Mental health improved!”
Shepherd’s Way Farms* – Egg Expansion
“By installing a small egg washer with a water heater, we dramatically decreased the time needed to hand wash eggs. By building a portable housing unit we expanded the flock without a costly brick and mortar building.”
Here is a list of our 2026 Next Stage Grant Awardees – their projects are currently in progress! Stay tuned for updates next year once their projects are complete.
Akokoto Farms – Walk-Behind Tractor for Sustainable Weed Management
Banh Sizzle* – Mobile Food Unit
Blackbrook Farm – On-Farm Chicken Processing Equipment & Hog Fencing
Chocolate San Jose – Minneapolis* – Scaling Organic Indigenous Cacao for Local Chocolate Production
Cultivating the Commons – Seed Screening & Sifting Upgrades
Dowell Farm & Gardens – Greenhouse Project
Farm Farm – Modernizing Hand Tools
Hummingbird Farm – Outdoor Walk-In Cooler
J&X Farms – Mechanizing the Farm: Tiller
Janna’s Gluten Free Bakery* – Sustainable Growth Project
Kisheri Farm* – Hoophouse Build, Chicken Coops & Fencing
Maple Hill Sugarbush and Farm – High Tunnel Vertical Growing Expansion
Nutri Harvest – Farm Infrastructure Improvement
Ruth’s Farm – Equipment for Scaling Up
Shalomba Farm – Enhancing Small-Scale Hydroponics
Sound of Rain Store Farm – Weed Management with Tilmor attachments
Sweet’s Produce – Expanding Deer Fencing
Twin Tiger Farm & Gardens – Production Space & Classroom
* denotes past or present Mill City Farmers Market vendor