The Good Acre Local Emergency Assistance Farmer Fund (GA-LEAFF)

Created to empower emerging farmers with enhanced market access opportunities, our LEAFF program provides participants with the technical support needed to prepare for wholesale production. The produce purchased through LEAFF is then donated to hunger relief organizations serving the Twin Cities and beyond.

Any farmers who fall into the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s definition of an emerging farmer (PDF). Applications to the LEAFF program are open to all emerging farmers. The number of participants is dependent on program funding. 

Acceptance into LEAFF will be determined through a lottery system for completed applications that illustrate:

• A demonstrated plan for growing produce

• Prior experience or training in Minnesota for produce farming

• Experience with marketing or growing according to quality standards

• Ability to respond to communication and show up to meetings when required

• Ability to meet the logistical requirements of delivery time, invoicing, and weekly quantity limits

• Understanding of the LEAFF tiered system and willingness to grow with The Good Acre

This is a purchase guarantee, not a grant: "LEAFF is not a grant, but a guarantee to buy a set dollar amount of produce from the farmers accepted into the program."

What The Good Acre will buy — amounts depend on the tier you are assigned (the FAQ states these figures for the 2024 season):

• Tier 1: "We will procure up to $5,000, with a weekly delivery cap not exceeding $500."

• Tier 2: "We will procure up to $7,500, with a weekly delivery cap not exceeding $750."

What it costs you. "The only costs associated with participating in LEAFF are the farm's typical cost of production and packaging." All produce must be packed in single-use, non-porous wholesale packaging (wax boxes) for FSMA compliance: "Farmers in Tier 1 of LEAFF can expect to spend approximately $400–$600 on boxes. Farmers in Tier 2 should anticipate spending approximately $700–$900 on boxes." You can buy bulk packaging from The Good Acre or source your own; Minnesota's Produce Safety Mini Grant can reimburse packaging costs.

Terms of sale. "All produce is priced by the full case. Smaller quantities and mixed boxes will not be accepted." Produce must be on the current wholesale list and packed to the wholesale standards guide. Unless you work with a spoke site, you deliver to The Good Acre in Falcon Heights, MN on Mondays, Wednesdays or Thursdays.

Season and selection. "The LEAFF program runs from mid June to mid October"; acceptance decisions come in March and are made by lottery among completed, qualifying applications, one application per family. Open to farmers meeting MDA's limited-land-access and limited-market-access definitions.

Status. "Applications for the 2026 growing season are now closed" — join the 2027 notification list.

Get notified when this funding opportunity opens again

If accepted into the program, the quantity of produce we will purchase from you depends on your assigned tier for the 2024 season:

• Tier 1: We will procure up to $5,000, with a weekly delivery cap not exceeding $500.

• Tier 2: We will procure up to $7,500, with a weekly delivery cap not exceeding $750.

• Tier 3: This tier is applicable to all farmers with growing contracts at The Good Acre. LEAFF funds will amount to 10% of your total contracted value for the 2024 season. These funds offer a form of insurance and are designed to be flexible. If a contracted farmer faces crop failure or is unable to fulfill a contracted item for any reason, they can maintain overall contract revenue and swap crops, mitigating excess in other crops on their farms.