Minnesota Food Association

Name

Minnesota Food Association

Legal name

The Food Group Minnesota Inc.

Website

https://mnfoodassociation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Food Group is a Minnesota-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates hunger relief, affordable grocery (Twin Cities Mobile Market, Fare For All), and emerging farmer training (Big River Farms) programs, serving food-insecure communities across 30+ Minnesota counties through a 500+ partner network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hunger Relief Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI), Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (Fair Trade, Food Access, Regenerative) (BPAGALAD)

Keywords

• Hunger relief services
• Community grocery programs
• Mobile food distribution
• Farmer training programs
• Food shelf support

Headquarters

HQ city

New Hope

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The Food Group operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 41-1246504) funded primarily through charitable donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. These contributions support hunger relief operations, farmer training programs, and mobile market distribution.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Food Group Minnesota Inc. (operating as The Food Group, formerly Minnesota Food Association) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs hunger-relief and food-access programs for communities in Minnesota. Its core offerings include discounted grocery programs (Fare For All and the Twin Cities Mobile Market), a food shelf grants and support program for partner food shelves, and Big River Farms, a sustainable agriculture training program for emerging and immigrant farmers. The organization generates the majority of its funding through donations and grants.

Product overview

The Food Group operates as a nonprofit food distribution and access organization offering multiple interconnected programs. The core offerings include Fare For All (an affordable grocery program), Twin Cities Mobile Market (a mobile food distribution service), and Big River Farms (a sustainable farming and grower training initiative). Additional programs include Food Shelf Support with grants and agency assistance, and the Emerging Farmers Conference. These programs work together to address food insecurity, support sustainable agriculture, and provide nutritious, culturally connected foods to communities across 30+ counties in Minnesota.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Big River Farms: Agricultural training program providing land and resources for farmers to learn sustainable practices, grow organic foods, and build strong businesses.
• Fare For All
• Twin Cities Mobile Market

Products and services

• Fare For All A discounted community grocery program that sells produce and grocery packages at reduced prices to low-income individuals and families across Minnesota, providing an affordable alternative to retail grocery stores.
• Twin Cities Mobile Market A mobile grocery service that travels to underserved neighborhoods in the Twin Cities to sell affordable fresh produce and groceries to residents who lack easy access to full-service grocery stores.
• Big River Farms A sustainable agriculture training and incubator farm program that provides emerging and immigrant farmers with land access, equipment, training, and farm business support to develop successful small-scale organic farm operations.
• Food Shelf Support Grants Program A grant-making and capacity-building program that provides funding, resources, and operational support to partner food shelves and hunger-relief agencies across Minnesota.
• Emerging Farmers Conference An annual conference that convenes farmers of color and immigrant farmers for agricultural training, peer networking, and policy advocacy supporting emerging farmers in Minnesota.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7.6 million quality, culturally connected meals distributed in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Valley OutreachcoreOthersValley Outreach is listed as a partner organization, likely receiving food and funding support from The Food Group as part of the 500+ partner network of food shelves and meal programs across Minnesota.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• FoodCorps: Nonprofit connecting students to healthy food through school gardens, nutrition education, and farm-to-school programming. Comparable through its intersection of food access and farmer/sustainable agriculture education.
• Wholesome Wave: Nonprofit improving access to affordable, healthy, local food through nutrition incentive programs and farmer support. Comparable through its combined focus on food access for low-income communities and local farmer market development.
• Local Matters: Nonprofit focused on food access, nutrition education, and food system change in Central Ohio. Comparable through its integrated mission combining direct food access, education, and local food system support.

Regional players

• Greater Chicago Food Depository: Cook County's food bank and a Feeding America affiliate distributing food through a network of partner agencies. Comparable as a large regional food bank operating hub-and-spoke distribution through partner pantries.
• Food Bank of the Rockies: Regional food bank serving Colorado and Wyoming with comparable food distribution scale and partner network model. Comparable as a regional hunger-relief intermediary distributing millions of meals annually.
• Capital Area Food Bank: Regional food bank serving the Washington D.C. metro area with comparable partner-network distribution model and hunger relief programs. Comparable scale of operations and beneficiary reach.

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National umbrella organization for over 200 food banks including Second Harvest Heartland. Comparable as the dominant nationwide hunger-relief network through which much of The Food Group's partner funding and food sourcing is channeled.

Direct peers

• Second Harvest Heartland: Minnesota's largest food bank and a Feeding America affiliate operating across the same geography. Directly comparable as a hunger-relief intermediary distributing millions of meals annually through food shelves and partner networks in overlapping Minnesota counties.
• Moveable Feast: Mobile-based meal and food distribution nonprofit serving food-insecure individuals. Comparable model using direct-to-client distribution to reach homebound and underserved populations with nutritious food.
• Hunger Solutions Minnesota: Minnesota-focused anti-hunger advocacy and food access organization. Comparable mission addressing food insecurity through policy advocacy, SNAP outreach, and food shelf support across overlapping Minnesota geographies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/minnesota-food-association

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Minnesota Food Association