The Food Group

What The Food Group does

The Food Group Minnesota, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1976 as Hennepin County Emergency Food Shelves and rebranded to The Food Group in 2014. It operates as a regional food bank headquartered in the Twin Cities (New Hope, MN) with a 65,000 sq ft warehouse, a St. Paul office, and the Big River Farms production and training site in Marine on St. Croix. Its core business is distributing nutritious and culturally connected food through a network of 180+ agency partners (food shelves, meal programs, Tribal Nations) across 30+ counties in Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin, supplemented by two direct-to-consumer affordable grocery channels — Fare For All pop-up markets (currently 11 rural Greater Minnesota sites after a metro consolidation) and the Twin Cities Mobile Market (a retrofitted bus serving 25+ weekly urban sites).

Revenue is a hybrid of charitable donations and grants (primary), subsidized program revenue from affordable grocery sales at up to 40% off retail, and government food distributions including TEFAP. Pricing for retail units is unit-based and pay-as-you-go (e.g., Produce Pack $10, Mega Meat Pack $25). Distribution is multimodal: food-bank-to-agency channel, mobile and pop-up retail, farmers markets, and farm-to-school/institution direct sales. The upstream side is Big River Farms, an organic farmer-training and incubator program with USDA Certified Organic production and an annual Emerging Farmers Conference drawing participants from 36 cultures, 26 states, and three countries. The 2024 integration of Hunger Solutions as a wholly-owned subsidiary added hunger-relief policy work, and the organization pursues strategic alliances (e.g., US Solar for agrivoltaic land access; Minneapolis Public Schools and Seward Co-op as farm-to-school and retail channels). The company does not disclose revenue; in 2025 it supported 9,026,843 food shelf visits (fourth consecutive record year) and 6,334,070 meals.

Name

The Food Group

Legal name

The Food Group Minnesota, Inc.

Website

https://thefoodgroupmn.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Food Group is a 501(c)(3) regional food bank founded in 1976, serving 180+ agency partners across 30+ Minnesota counties with food distribution, two direct-to-consumer affordable grocery programs (Fare For All pop-ups and Twin Cities Mobile Market), and the Big River Farms farmer-training program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Bank and Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (624210), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Retail-Grocery Stores (5411)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community-Owned / Nonprofit Grocery Stores (CRAHALAB), Farm-to-Consumer Cooperative Markets (Local Producer Co-ops) (CRAHALAG)

Keywords

• Food bank services
• Hunger relief programs
• Affordable grocery distribution
• Mobile food markets
• Farmer training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: The Food Group operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit relying primarily on charitable donations, grants, and government funding to support operations.
2. Affordable Food Sales: Revenue from selling affordable groceries through Fare For All (up to 40% off retail) and Twin Cities Mobile Market. Produce packs $10, Mega Meat packs $25.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Food Group is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a full-service food bank that distributes nutritious and culturally connected foods to 180+ partner agencies across Minnesota and Wisconsin. It runs two direct-to-consumer affordable grocery programs (Fare For All pop-up markets offering produce and meat at up to 40% off retail, and the Twin Cities Mobile Market grocery bus) and the Big River Farms organic farmer training and incubator program for emerging farmers.

Product overview

The Food Group is a nonprofit food bank and hunger relief organization operating a platform of interconnected food access programs. The core offering is a food bank/warehouse distributing to 180+ agency partners statewide, supplemented by two direct-to-consumer affordable grocery programs: Fare For All (pop-up grocery stores offering produce and meat at up to 40% off retail in rural Greater Minnesota) and Twin Cities Mobile Market (a bus-based mobile grocery serving urban food deserts in the Twin Cities). Complementing food distribution is Big River Farms, an agricultural program with grower training and farm incubator services for emerging farmers, including an annual Emerging Farmers Conference. Additional offerings include TEFAP federal food distribution, bulk product donation coordination, and culturally connected recipe content. The organization previously operated an aggregated CSA but shifted to supporting independent farmer CSAs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Food Bank / Hunger Relief Services Full-service food bank distributing nutritious and culturally connected foods to 180+ partner agencies including food shelves, meal programs, and Tribal Nations across Minnesota and Wisconsin.
• Fare For All Affordable pop-up grocery program offering fresh produce (Produce Pack $10 with 2-3 fruits and 3-4 veggies) and frozen meat (Mega Meat Pack $25 with 6-8 items) at up to 40% off retail prices. Operates at 11 rural sites in Greater Minnesota.
• Twin Cities Mobile Market Mobile grocery store on a retrofitted bus bringing affordable, nutritious food directly to urban neighborhoods lacking full-service grocery access in the Twin Cities metro area, serving 25+ sites weekly.
• Big River Farms Agricultural program at the Marine on St. Croix farm providing land, resources, and training for emerging farmers to learn USDA Certified Organic farming practices and build agricultural businesses. Includes Grower Training Program and Farm Incubator Program.
• Emerging Farmers Conference Annual conference connecting 2,500+ farmers from 36 cultures, 26 states, and three countries, providing education, resources, knowledge-building sessions, and networking for immigrant and BIPOC farmers and community stakeholders.
• TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program) Federal program distributing USDA foods at no cost to qualifying food access programs. The Food Group distributes TEFAP foods to partner agencies statewide across Minnesota.
• Farm-to-School Programs Partnerships connecting Big River Farms produce to Minneapolis Public Schools and other institutions, enabling farm-to-school meal programs and providing children access to fresh, locally grown vegetables.

Quantifiable outcome

• Record 9 million food shelf visits in 2025 - 2.5x pre-pandemic levels
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hunger SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Hunger Solutions became part of TFG as a subsidiary in 2024, expanding hunger relief programs and adding policy work to the organization.
• Twin Cities Mobile MarketcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Twin Cities Mobile Market joined The Food Group in 2020, expanding access to affordable groceries through a mobile grocery bus serving food deserts.
• Minnesota Food Association (Big River Farms)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Minnesota Food Association, operator of Big River Farms, became a program of The Food Group in 2017, expanding the organization's work across the food system from farming to distribution.
• US SolarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with US Solar to offer free, long-term leases to three farms at the Solar Farm in Big Lake, Minnesota. Agrivoltaics program increases land access for emerging farmers.
• Second Harvest HeartlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint TEFAP Civil Rights Training presented by The Food Group MN and Second Harvest Heartland.
• Minneapolis Public SchoolscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFarm-to-school program purchasing produce from Big River Farms farmers. Students gain access to fresh, local produce while farmers gain reliable market.
• Seward Co-opminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJacob Daniel Farms produce sold through Seward Co-op's Friendship store in south Minneapolis.
• The Good Acre (LEAFF program)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Healing Garden and Oniwede Farm sell produce through The Good Acre's LEAFF program.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Second Harvest Heartland: The largest food bank in Minnesota, also serving the Twin Cities metro. Directly comparable as a regional food bank distributing to partner agencies, with overlapping service territory and a shared history (co-presented TEFAP Civil Rights training with TFG).
• San Antonio Food Bank: Large regional food bank distinguished by an extensive on-site agriculture program (cultivating produce on its own farm). Highly comparable to TFG's combination of food distribution and Big River Farms production side.
• Greater Chicago Food Depository: Major urban food bank serving a large metropolitan area through agency distribution and direct programs. Comparable to TFG in scale, partner-relationship model, and emphasis on fresh and culturally relevant foods.
• North Texas Food Bank: Large regional food bank known for innovation in distribution models and program design. Comparable as a high-performing regional food bank investing in programmatic differentiation beyond commodity distribution.
• Capital Area Food Bank: Mid-size regional food bank serving the Washington DC metro with distribution, direct programs, and nutrition education. Comparable to TFG in combining agency distribution with direct-to-consumer affordability programs.
• Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan: Regional food bank distributing to partner agencies while running direct-service nutrition and education programs. Comparable to TFG in operating multi-channel distribution in a defined metro region.
• Food Bank of the Rockies: Large regional food bank serving Colorado and Wyoming with distribution, mobile pantries, and fresh-produce programs. Comparable to TFG's mix of food bank plus mobile/direct grocery distribution.
• Philabundance: Regional food bank serving the greater Philadelphia area through agency distribution and direct programs. Comparable mid-to-large scale nonprofit food bank with similar partner-network structure.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National network of 200+ food banks including many of TFG's direct peers. A broader incumbent operating at national scale with brand, advocacy, and supply-chain leverage that individual regional food banks like TFG lack.

Emerging players

• Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA): California-based nonprofit that trains beginning and limited-resource farmers in organic production and helps them access land and markets. Directly comparable to Big River Farms' emerging-farmer incubator and USDA-organic positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/fareforall

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Food Group