Local Emergency Assistance Farmer Fund
If you’re a small-scale farmer who identifies as a black, indigenous or person of color, within 200 miles of the Twin Cities and you have lost markets or sales due to the pandemic or unrest in the wake of protests in Minneapolis and St. Paul, please consider applying for the LEAFF program. LEAFF is not a grant, but a guarantee to buy up to $5,000 of produce from each accepted farm during the 2020 season. Farms are accepted into the program by filling out the application below. With our first round of funding we are only accepting emerging and BIPOC farmers with assistance, but all may apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! To have this page translated to Somali, Hmong or other Southeast Asian languages, contact Tou Xiong. For Spanish, contact Aaron Blyth.
The application is currently open to any farmer who identifies as a black, indigenous or person of color whose gross farm sales are less than $100,000 and whose farm income is at least 25% of their household income.
If accepted in the LEAFF program, The Good Acre will purchase up to $5,000 of produce from your farm. Once we reach $5,000 in purchases we can no longer purchase from you so that we can provide assistance to other farmers.
Yes, the intention of the LEAFF program is to assist BIPOC farmers who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 and have lost markets.
We will process the first round of applications the first week of July.
During the pilot phase we have enough funding to purchase $5,000 of produce from 20 farms.
We began accepting produce the week of July 6, 2020.
LEAFF will buy whatever produce you wish to sell each week until you have reached $5,000 in sales, provided it is on the LEAFF Accepted Produce List.
You will need to call each week on Monday morning to let us know what you have available. We will let you know which items and what quantity we can take.
Produce must be packaged according to the LEAFF Accepted Produce List. All produce is priced by the full box. Smaller quantities and mixed boxes cannot be accepted at this time.
Produce is delivered to The Good Acre, 1790 Larpenteur Ave. W. Receiving times for the LEAFF program are on Wednesdays from 8am-4pm.
Not seeing your question answered here? Check out our regularly updated Supplemental F.A.Q.
Apply for the LEAFF Program
If you’re a small-scale, local farmer within 200 miles of the Twin Cities who has lost markets or sales due to the pandemic or unrest in the wake of protests in Minneapolis and St. Paul, please consider applying for the LEAFF program.
Program Contacts
For questions about the program or application, contact David Van Eeckhout.
To have this website translated to Somali, Hmong or other Southeast Asian languages, contact Tou Xiong, or call HAP: 651-495-9160.
To have this website translated to Spanish, contact Aaron Blyth, or call LEDC: 651-253-7268.
Equity in the Food System
LEAFF partners recognize that our food system was built through the systemic oppression of BIPOC communities, farmers and consumers, and continues to be inequitable. Our goal is to provide resources and support to BIPOC farmers to ensure COVID-19 does not create additional barriers to success, and provides connections to new wholesale markets and technology for longer-term sustainability. We are committed to providing purchased produce to organizations supporting those facing hunger and food insecurity, whether it’s people impacted by COVID-19, communities rebuilding from protests following the murder of George Floyd, or communities that have been oppressed throughout our cities’ history.
Are you a community member wanting to join us in supporting farmers?
Meet the LEAFF Partners
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