Local Producer Support Fund

Thank you for your interest in applying to the Cook County Local Producer Support Fund!

The Cook County Local Producer Support Fund exists to increase the amount of food being grown and distributed/sold within Cook County. Funds will be distributed in grants up to $5,000.

Additional qualifications for the grant include: 

• Will only fund projects based in Cook County and Grand Portage, MN.

• The food products must be for human consumption, edible, and nutritious. 

• A qualifying applicant will not be a nonprofit.

• Applicants must have a plan for distributing their products beyond their immediate household

Funds may be used for:

• Projects that help a food producer scale operations

• Purchase of new equipment or materials for the farm/ food business

• Rental of equipment that will have a lasting impact on the farm operation

• Improvements to facilities that increase productivity or efficiency of production or distribution

• Investments that will support operations over multiple growing seasons

Funds should be used before Jan 1, 2027. Grantees will be asked to complete a short report about their project. 

Application Review Process

Applications are reviewed by a volunteer committee of Northwoods Food Project board members, professionals within the local food system, and members of the community. 

We will use a blind review process. Please do not include directly identifiable information about your business in your responses to the open-ended questions. Use language like "my partner and I" instead of names and "the business" instead of your business name.

Applications are scored using a weighted rubric evaluating:

1. If the project will increase access to locally grown and/or produced nutritious food for people living in Cook County, MN.

2. How the applicant demonstrates their capability to execute the project successfully

3. If the applicant demonstrates how funds will support the productivity of their food operation across multiple seasons.

4. If the applicant has an existing relationship with and/or identified customers or food markets within Cook County where they plan to distribute their products.