Media Inquiries
Sophia Lenarz-Coy
Executive Director
Phone: 612-790-1852
Rachel Martin Asproth
Communications Manager
Phone: 763-450-4202
Latest Press Stories
Food Bank News
ICE targeting immigrant communities over the past few months has forced new methods of food distribution that prioritize the safety of food recipients above all else. This article from Food Bank News explores how The Food Group and partners have responded to the emergency need in immigrant communities and what we’ve learned in the process. Read more here.
MPR News
The elimination of SNAP exemptions for foster youth, veterans, and parents of teenagers is forcing thousands of vulnerable Minnesotans into a desperate search for qualifying work to avoid hunger. Read more here.
MPR News
The Food Group Executive Director Sophia Lenarz-Coy spoke with MPR News about how over 38,000 Minnesotans face new eligibility requirements after federal changes to the food assistance program (SNAP). Read how these cuts, implemented under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” will impact families and strain county-administered services. Read more here.
Food Bank News
Food Bank News covered how the recent temporary SNAP interruption brought an unexpected silver lining: it boosted volunteer energy, showcased the operational capacity of food banks, and dramatically raised public awareness of the critical value of the SNAP program. “People are stepping up in this beautiful way,” noted Sophia Lenarz-Coy, Executive Director of The Food Group. “But what we’re really saying is that the federal safety net needs investment at the same time it’s being cut.” Read here on why leaders are mobilizing to demand accountability and urging people-power to protect millions from rising hunger.
Sahan Journal
The Food Group Executive Director Sophia Lenarz-Coy spoke with Sahan Journal about how delayed and partial SNAP benefits in November could increase Minnesotans’ risk for hunger and put unbearable stress on Minnesota’s hunger relief system. Read more here.
MPR News
The Food Group Executive Director Sophia Lenarz-Coy spoke with MPR News about the impact of the federal shutdown and delayed and partial SNAP benefits on Minnesotans’ lives and health as well as the strain on Minnesota’s emergency food system. Read more here.
2025
November 18, 2025 Food Bank News: CEO Roundtable: SNAP Shutdown Continues to Weigh Heavily on Food Banks
October 31, 2025 Sahan Journal (Shubhanjana Das, Katrina Pross and Binta Kanteh): Last-minute Federal Ruling Stops Cutoff in SNAP Benefits, But Timing for November Payment in Question
November 4, 2025 MPR News (Erika Zurek): Minnesota SNAP Recipients Worry About Hunger While Political Battle Casts Doubt on November Benefits
November 6, 2025 DW News (Ines Pohl): US Shutdown Halts Food Aid, Leaving Millions in the Lurch
October 29, 2025 Star Tribune (Trey Mewes and Emma Ritter): With Federal Food Aid About to Dry Up, Counties Scramble to Help Those Who Rely On It
October 26, 2025 WCCO-CBS News (Esme Murphy): Food Banks Across Minnesota Are Bracing for a Surge in Demand
October 16, 2025 Minnesota Reformer (Sophia Lenarz-Coy): If You Don’t Have the Data, It Doesn’t Exist: USDA Cancels Important Hunger Report
October 1, 2025 KBIA News (Jana Rose Schleis): Solar Arrays Supply Shade—and Land — for Midwest Farmers
September 18, 2025 WCCO – CBS News (Ashley Grams):How Farm Aid Helps Support Minnesota Organizations
June 29, 2025 Star Tribune (Sophia Lenarz-Coy): Opinion: The Minnesota Lives Complicated as Congress Considers the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’
May 15, 2025 MinnPost (Ana Radelat and Brian Arola): Hunger Advocates: 150,000 Minnesotans Could Be Affected by House GOP’s $300 Billion in Food Stamp Cuts
May 16, 2025 Star Tribune (Jessie Van Berkel and Christopher Vondracek): What Could Congress’ Changes to Medicaid, Food Stamps Mean for Minnesota?
March 29, 2025 MPR(Hannah Yang):Minnesota Food Shelves Worried as USDA Cancels Truckloads of Food
March 24, 2025 Sahan Journal (Center for Racial and Health Equity): Community Advocates Come Together to Address Growing Threats to Food Security in Minnesota
March 4, 2025 Star Tribune (Jesse Van Berkel): Minnesotans Fear Food Stamp Cuts as Food Shelf Visits Reach All-Time High
February 27, 2025 MPR (Hannah Yang): Minnesota Food Shelves Saw Nearly 9 Million Visits in 2024
February 12, 2025 Pioneer Press (Frederick Melo):Frozen Funding, Federal Uncertainty Leave St. Paul Nonprofits Reeling
2024
December 18, 2024 AltEnergMag: How Agrivoltaics Can Help Solve Land Access Challenges for New Partners (AltEnergyMag)
December 12, 2024 KSTP (Eric Chaloux): New Data Shows EBT Card Skimming Crime Hit Thousands of Minnesotans
December 5, 2024 Minnesota Spokesman Recorder (Aria Binns-Zagar): SNAP Challenge Highlights Why Hunger Remains A Crisis
November 14, 2024 MPR News (Hannah Yang): High Cost of Living Drives Minnesota Visits to Food Shelves, Adds Strain to System
November 27, 2024 Star Tribune (Jessie Van Berkel): Food Shelves See Record Demand as Minnesotans Struggle to Afford Groceries
September 3, 2024 WCCO (Jeff Wagner): Nonprofit Helps Young, BIPOC farmers Get Their Start
September 6, 2024 Star Tribune (Katy Read): Mobile Market Delivers Food to Twin Cities Communities in Need
August 20, 2024 Sahan Journal (Andrew Hazzard): Immigrant Farmers, Solar Company Pioneer New Methods at Big Lake Farm
August 21, 2024 The Guardian (Suha Musa): Sudanese Farm Grows Connection in Minnesota Amid Conflict at Home
2023
December 28, 2023 KARE 11 (Jason Hackett): ‘Twin Cities Mobile Market’ brings fresh groceries to people in food deserts
November 29, 2023 Minnesota Spokesman Recorder (H. Jiahong Pan): A food desert in downtown Minneapolis?
November 28, 2023 Morrison County Record: Fare for All holiday packs available in December
November 20, 2023 Star Tribune (Kelly Smith): Minnesota on record-setting pace to top 7 million food shelf visits this year
November 17, 2023 Star Tribune (Kelly Smith): Give to the Max Day draws $34 million, the second-highest amount ever for Minnesota schools, nonprofits
November 12, 2023 Star Tribune (Kelly Smith): Will Minnesotans break from the national trend of declining donations on Give to the Max Day?
November 7, 2023 MPR (Kirsti Marohn): Mixing solar and farming could be key to clean energy future
October 31, 2023 The Land (Laura Cole): The Food Group covers many bases in supplying food and markets
October 30, 2023 KSTP: Decreasing food waste, feeding those in need
October 13, 2023 Minnesota’s New Country 98.1 (Kelly Cordes): Fare-For-All Pop Up Grocery Coming To St. Joseph On Monday
October 3, 2023 Star Tribune (Matt McKinney): Manitou Fund buys Wilder Foundation forest land near Stillwater
September 29, 2023 Kiowa County Press (Mike Moen): Growing veggies with a side of solar cuts emissions, boosts land access
September 28, 2023 Public News Service (Mike Moen): Growing veggies with a side of solar cuts emissions, boosts land access
September 25, 2023 Star Tribune (Christopher Vondracek, Kelly Smith): Ag secretary: Federal shutdown would hurt nutrition assistance, rural America
September 14, 2023 KARE 11 (Kent Erdahl): MN household income fell again in ’22; food shelves aren’t surprised
August 31, 2023 MPR (Angela Davis, Kelly Gordon): Growing diversity: The changing face of Minnesota farming
August 28, 2023 Solar Industry (Nina Korman): Pilot Project Aims to Increase Solar, Preserve Farm Land
August 26, 2023 KARE 11 (John Croman): Pilot project combines solar and farming
August 25, 2023 Twin Cities Business (Dan Niepow): USDA Officials Tout Solar Projects in Minnesota
August 23, 2023 Great Plains Institute (Brian Ross): Innovative Project Shows How Solar Power Benefits Extend to Sustainable Farming
August 10, 2023 KARE 11: Minnesota communities empowered through TEGNA Foundation grant funding
July 24, 2023 WCCO (John Lauritsen): Dry, hot summer taking its toll on Minnesota farmers
July 12, 2023 Food Bank News: Why Some Food Banks Charge for Low-Cost Groceries
July 10, 2023 5 News (Arkansas Business): $327 million Driver Solar farm going in alongside Big River Steel’s new mill
May 24, 2023 Hutchinson Leader: Oak Heights Covenant marks one year as Fare For All site
May 3, 2023 KELOLAND: Twin Cities’ grocery bus a ‘great community asset’
April 27, 2023 MPR (Emily Bright, Alanna Elder): Sudanese Farming Group works to grow culturally relevant crops, get access to land
April 26, 2023 KELOLAND (Eric Mayer, Lauren Soulek): Mobile groceries coming to you: A new program announced in Sioux Falls
February 22, 2023 Ambrook Research (Shea Swenson): Oklahoma’s New Lunch Program Puts a Twist on the Farm-to-School Model
February 20, 2023 MN Daily (Amirah Razman): Campus-based assistance programs aim to combat food insecurity
2022
December 2, 2022 Ag Week (Noah Fish): 40-Acre Co-op, Big River Farms offer more opportunities for state’s emerging farmers
October, 17 2022 WCCO News (Beret Leone): “They need your help”: Inflation hitting local food shelves hard
July 18, 2022 MinnPost (Sophia Lenarz-Coy): Minnesota, you have a problem with food inequity
July 15, 2022 Country Messenger (Leslie MacKenzie): Co-op tour offers opportunity to meet longtime farming neighbors
April 26, 2022 WCCO (Pauline Le, Kate Raddatz): Local Nonprofit The Food Group Sees Boom in Bulk Buying Due To Inflation
April 21, 2022 CCX Media (Shannon Slatton): Fare For All offers groceries at 40% discount
April 18, 2022 UMN Sustainable Development Goals Initiative: Student Activity Grant Brings Mobile Market to Campus
March 25, 2022 MN News Country (Kelly Cordes): Amazing Program Helps All Minnesotans Save Money on Groceries
March 25, 2022 Star Tribune (Gail Rosenblum): Fare For All offers discounted groceries for people facing food insecurity and anyone else
March 9, 2022 Pioneer Press (Molly Guthrey): Inflation resources & how to stretch your grocery budget
March 9, 2022 City of Bloomington: Fare For All at Creekside Community Center
January 27, 2022 MN Women’s Press (Demetria Dickinson): Seeking Agricultural Equity
January 22, 2022 StarTribune (Kelly Smith): After record year, Market Bucks program for low-income Minnesotans expands this Spring
2021
November 21, 2021 WCCO 830 AM Radio: Twins, Saints food donations available in time for Thanksgiving
November 20, 2021 StarTribune: With Thanksgiving coming, Minnesota nonprofits are struggling to cope with a national shortage of turkeys
November 10, 2021 WCCO CBS Minnesota: Converted Bus Brings Fresh, Healthy Groceries To Twin Cities Food Deserts: ‘If Your Belly’s Full, You’re Happy’
September 8, 2021 WCCO CBS Minnesota: ‘The Need Is At Historic Highs’ – Twin Cities Food Group Struggles To Find Volunteers
August 20, 2021 Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) In Her Boots Podcast: KaZoua Berry – A Call to Action
February 26, 2021 StarTribune: Co-op supporting immigrant farmers in Minnesota gives back with food boxes for families in need
February 10, 2021 Press Release: U.S. Senator Tina Smith Teams up with Senate Colleagues to Introduce Justice for Black Farmers Act
2020
December 22, 2020 StarTribune: More Minnesotans visited food shelves in 2020 than any year on record — and the need is expected through 2021
December 20, 2020 FOX9 KMSP: The Food Group doubles its food distribution to help families in Minnesota and Wisconsin
December 14, 2020 Red Lake Nation News: Guthrie Theater continues longtime partnership with The Food Group to host curbside food drive
November 5, 2020 University of Minnesota CFANS: Emerging farmers apply science, explore soil-improving crops
September 11, 2020 StarTribune: The Food Group responds to fresh demand
September 5, 2020 ThreeSixty Journalism: Nutritious and culturally specific in a time of need
August 21, 2020 StarTribune: Some help emerges for farmers that supply local markets in the Twin Cities
August 12, 2020 Northern Spotlight: Big River Farms – Summer Update
July 31, 2020 Northern Spotlight: An Incubator Farm Reacts
July 31, 2020 KSTP: Allina Health host food giveaway with The Food Group
July 21, 2020 KARE 11: Minnesota food banks, shelves prepare for hunger surge
July 14, 2020 Sun Post: The Food Group receives 20 tons of food from LDS Church
June 25, 2020 StarTribune: New data project a Great Depression-level surge in hunger by fall in Minnesota
June 19, 2020 StarTribune: Minneapolis organizations, groups transition to meet neighborhoods’ needs after George Floyd death
May 18, 2020 MPR News with Angela Davis: Combating food insecurity during the pandemic
March 6, 2020 KSTP: Minnesota nonprofit expands affordable grocery options with store on bus
