Gain insight into how the food shelf sites in this round of FFEN’s Food Sourcing Analysis Reports are serving their communities
FFEN staff and volunteers have just finished analyzing data from 226 food shelf sites in communities small and large. This is your chance to see the impact of your support at work and how food shelves are making the most of every dollar.
This isn’t generic data – it’s drawn directly from food shelves across Minnesota, Western Wisconsin and North Dakota receiving FFEN’s free Strategic Food Sourcing Reports.
These reports, available exclusively through FFEN twice a year for free, provide food shelves with a clear tool to track spending by food type and category, empowering them to manage tight budgets and achieve the greatest reach.
The results of these individual food sourcing “health checks” roll up into a statewide glimpse at how food shelves are working toward maximizing resources, prioritizing fresh food and expanding access.
Key Takeaways:
Food costs are rising:
- Food shelves spent roughly $3.30 per individual visit on food, up from $2.82 the previous six months. Cost per pound rose from $0.22 to $0.25 resulting in $1 million more in spending when applied to the total pounds of food sourced during this time frame. Higher spending was made possible thanks to the generosity of Minnesotans who stepped up for their communities during the federal government shutdown and Operation Metro Surge allowing food shelves to invest more in food.
Pounds per visit remain steady – for now:
- Food shelves are providing roughly 18 pounds of food per visit – relatively stable compared to early 2025 but continuing a slow trend downward since 2022.
Fresh food holds strong:
- Despite high costs and demand, fresh produce, protein, and dairy sourced by food shelves decreased only slightly – and continues to exceed FFEN’s 50% fresh food recommendation.
Where dollars are going:
- The vast majority of food shelves are spending most of their dollars on protein (89%), baking and cooking (73%), and fruits and vegetables (49%).
Visits outpacing some food sources:
- Visits are outpacing food available through federal commodity programs, with significant variability in how food shelves access these resources.
Context:
This data is from July to December 2025, a timeframe when food shelves were navigating the following:
- July: Changes to federal programs like SNAP, Medicaid; SNAP education funding was eliminated
- Nov: Federal shutdown; SNAP benefits were delayed to receipients
- Dec: Operation Metro Surge; Pivots in food distribution methods start
Next steps:
FFEN staff will meet in individual consultations with food shelf leaders who received reports to further understand the nuance behind these numbers and set goals for the future. Consultations will be held from March 18 to April 30 and FFEN will release a qualitative report following the completion of this round of consultations.
To view the full data insights report which captures how food shelf size, visit frequency and budgeting practices shape these numbers:
