Senator Mark Johnson (R-East Grand Forks) introduced bipartisan legislation to continue providing funding for the Minnesota Good Food Access Fund to improve opportunities for Minnesotans to eat healthier while supporting small grocery stores and other food retail enterprises throughout the state.

“The Good Food Access Fund is designed to increase the ease of eating healthy. This is a promising program, especially for us in Greater Minnesota where many communities and regions may not have many food choices,” said Sen. Johnson.

The availability of healthy and affordable food is especially acute in Greater Minnesota where large regions of the state have limited access to grocery stores and other food retail outlets.  Approximately 235,000 Minnesotans live more than 10 miles away from a large grocery store or supermarket, and more than 340,000 Minnesotans face both distance and income as a barrier to obtaining healthy, affordable food.  A total of 53 of 87 Minnesota counties saw a loss in the number of grocery stores per 1,000 residents between 2007 and 2012.

“The bipartisan support behind funding the Good Food Access Fund shows that both parties recognize the need and benefits of creating opportunities to assure that Minnesotans have access to healthy, affordable food,” said Lorna Schmidt of the American Heart Association, one of more than 60 Minnesota organizations that support the Good Food Access Fund.

The Minnesota Legislature established the fund in 2016, and then in 2017 provided $250,000 in seed money per year for fiscal years 2017-2019 to begin providing resources such as grants, low-cost loans, and technical support for food-related enterprises. To date, the fund has supported a range of community-driven solutions including enhanced grocery stores, mobile markets, farmers’ markets, fresh food refrigeration, and community supported agriculture.