Food Recovery Partners

Food Recovery Partners is an R&E program that supports the diversion of edible food from the waste stream to people who need it. Partners are established organizations that implement ongoing food recovery and gleaning programs in Ramsey and Washington counties. Partners enter into a yearly agreement with R&E to recover a significant, agreed-upon amount of edible food for distribution to people in need.  

Eligibility and Requirements 

Eligible organizations include food shelves, food banks and gleaning organizations. 

To qualify for partnership, organizations must: 

• Demonstrate three consecutive years of experience conducting food recovery or gleaning activities. 
• Ensure all food recovery and gleaning associated with this service agreement takes place in Ramsey and/or Washington counties. 
• Distribute all recovered food free of charge to people in need in Ramsey and/or Washington counties. 
• If operating a physical location, manage food waste through organics recycling, food-to-animal programs and/or on-site composting. 
• If participating as a Gleaning Partner, provide payment to farmers for recovered produce. 
• Submit quarterly reports detailing the amount of food recovered and distributed in the previous three-month period. 
• If renewing, submit an annual workplan to R&E by November 1 outlining planned activities and goals for the upcoming calendar year. 

For more detailed information, download full program guidelines here. 

Partnership Types 

Food Rescue Partners 

Food Rescue Partners are eligible for up to $40,000 based on their minimum annual food rescue poundage and an additional $10,000 in incentives for a maximum total of $50,000 annually. Food Rescue Partners engage in food recovery, which is the collection of surplus food from grocery stores, distributors and other sources of safe and edible food for redistribution to people who need it. Organizations must recover a minimum of 100,000 pounds of food annually in Ramsey and Washington counties to be eligible for partnership. 

Gleaning Partners 

Gleaning Partners are eligible for up to $50,000 annually based on amount of food recovered. Gleaning Partners engage in gleaning, which is defined as the harvest and/or recovery of surplus produce from farms and/or farmers’ markets for donation to people in need. Organizations must glean a minimum of 35,000 pounds of fresh, surplus produce annually in Ramsey and Washington counties to be eligible for partnership. 

Food Bank Partners 

Food Bank Partners are eligible for up to $15,000 annually for food recovery work in Ramsey and Washington counties. Food Banks store food in bulk for delivery to local food distribution programs such as food shelves, food pantries and meal locations. Organizations must recover a minimum of 100,000 pounds of food annually in Ramsey and Washington counties to be eligible for partnership. 

To Apply 

The deadline to apply to be a Food Recovery Partner in 2026 is March 13. Please email your completed annual workplan (application) to Programs@RecyclingAndEnergy.org. 

Download the Food Recovery Partners Annual Workplan here.