2025 Fall Fundraising Campaign
The Village Grows Fund
As we close our farms for the winter, we are reflecting on an incredible season of growth, community, and impact. Thanks to our dedicated farmers — and supporters like you — 13,909 pounds of locally grown produce moved through the Local Food Purchase Agreement (LFPA) in 2025, creating more than 11,000 meals for our neighbors.
Behind every pound of food is a story: families working the soil, harvesting fresh, culturally meaningful produce, and strengthening food security right here in Southeast Minnesota. Through LFPA, twelve Village farm families earned meaningful income in 2024 and 2025 while growing the foods that nourish our newest Minnesota residents. Together with community partners like Pamoja Women, Lifegate Services, Zumbro Ridge Estates, and Channel One, we have helped ensure that everyone has access to fresh and healthy produce.
But we know the need continues to grow. With rising food prices and uncertainty around federal programs like LFPA and SNAP, we’re taking bold action.
We are launching The Village Grows Fund — a dedicated local food purchasing fund — with a goal of raising $40,000 by the end of 2025. Every dollar you give will go directly to our emerging farmers in exchange for fresh produce, which will then be distributed through our trusted local partners to families facing hunger.
Over the past seven years, partnerships with Mayo Clinic, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, the City of Rochester, Olmsted County Public Health, and the Rochester Area Foundation have sustained our core operations. Now, you can help us take the next step — growing the farmers of tomorrow while feeding our people today.
You can give online at www.rochvillage.org/donate, or mail your gift to:
The Village
3703 Country Club Rd SW
Rochester, MN 55902
Your support will do double duty: strengthening the livelihoods of local farmers, and feeding those most vulnerable to food insecurity. Thank you for believing in The Village, a proud 501(c)(3) nonprofit rooted in Rochester and committed to helping our community grow together.
In gratitude,
Amanda Nigon-Crowley
Executive Director
Rochvillage.org