Second Harvest Northland

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture announced its first Food to Farm Security Grant recipients on Sept. 28, 2026. The new grant provides funds to distribute local produce to communities for free.

The nonprofit's new food shelf location in downtown Grand Rapids is closer to other services and more walkable compared to the current location off Highway 2 in LaPrairie.

The business would grow, manufacture and sell cannabis out of the building off Highway 2, though there are still moving parts as far as the sale of the warehouse.

The expansion in Crow Wing County will help an estimated 1,100 households experiencing food insecurity per month by June 2026, the organization reported.

Ten days after the City Council approved a permit for a cannabis business in Second Harvest’s warehouse, the prospective buyer learned that the sale would not be taking place.

Plus: Crow Wing County is hosting a meeting on its long-range transportation plan, and Second Harvest Northland's BackPack Program will continue serving northeastern Minnesota students through the 2025-26 school year.

In the 15-county service region served by Second Harvest Northland, the organization says 1 in 6 children don’t have access to enough food to lead a healthy and active life.

Second Harvest hosted a meeting to discuss its recent operational changes. Before that, another group gathered informally to talk about how to feed the community.

The Grand Rapids Food Shelf remains open. But volunteers are concerned that the warehouse closure means community needs won't be met. The org says it will reinvest savings.

Over the past year, Second Harvest reported rescuing 7.5 million+ pounds of food from national and regional wholesalers and retailers, as well as farmers and growers.