Mill City Farmers Market is now accepting Next Stage Grant applications through March 1st. The Next Stage Grant program provides funding to farmers and food producers who are improving sustainable farming and business practices or growing toward the “next stage” of their local food businesses. Applicants do NOT have to vend at MCFM to apply, but do need to vend at a farmers market and be located in Minnesota or within 200 miles of Minneapolis.
Projects can include, but are not limited to:
- Season Extension
- Cold Storage
- Pack Sheds
- Supporting the Transition to Organic Certification
- Gates and Fencing
- Improving Soil Health
- Experimentation with New Tools
- Equipment and Infrastructure for Value-Added Processing
- and more!
Grants are up to $7,000. To learn more, including eligibility, grant priorities, and to access the application, click here.
In 2025, the Next Stage Grant Program funded 18 grants totaling $92,000, funding 60% of eligible applications. In 2026, MCFM plans to distribute up to $110,000 in NSG funding. Funded projects receive award money upfront.
As one farmer grantee put it - "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 [our project]."
Questions? Reach out to us at programs@
Hardship Grants: We also want to take this opportunity to re-share information about our Hardship grants. This grant provides support of up to $2,000 while farmers work to recover and rebuild after extreme weather-related crop loss or other unpredictable causes of hardship. More info on Hardship grants is available here, and applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
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