Dane County Awards $41,345 to 2025 Partners in Equity Food Grant Program Awardees

May 29, 2025
execmedia@danecounty.gov, 608-800-1127
County Executive, Office for Equity & Inclusion

Grant Program Works to Advance Food Equity & Access in Dane County

 

Dane County Executive Melissa Agard announced the local agencies have been selected to receive the Tamara D. Grigsby Office of Equity and Inclusion’s 2025 Partners in Equity (PIE) Food Grant.

 

The County Board approved the Food Council’s recommendation that the Partners in Equity Program be expanded to address the challenges related to food insecurities within the county in 2019.  The PIE Food program encourages innovative development of projects that advance equity and access in local food systems through educational and outreach services.

 

“Food insecurity touches every corner of our community, and we must be bold and creative in how we respond,” said Dane County Executive Melissa Agard. “The PIE Food Grant program uplifts grassroots solutions and empowers local leaders to build a more just, sustainable, and accessible food system. These investments reflect our shared commitment to equity and community well-being.”

 

The PIE Food program encourages the development of projects that advance equity and access in local food systems across Dane County. Recipients were selected among proposals addressing increasing food access, strengthening regional agriculture, decreasing food waste, and enhancing community voice in local food system development.

 

In total, $41,345 will be awarded to recipients of the 2025 PIE Food Grant. Recipients were selected based on proposals intended to address issues related to healthy food access, access to land for growing food, or issues related to food waste and recovery.

 

“The PIE Grants provided a unique perspective on challenges within our community’s food system and the collaborative efforts to address them. This invaluable experience brought me closer to my community and I’m grateful to be a part of this. These PIE Grants work to strengthen Dane County as a whole by tackling problems in a practical and meaningful way." Radhika Gupta, member of the  high school Youth Governance Program Dane County Food Council.

 

The 2025 grants fall in one of two categories – small grants (applicants requesting $2,000 or less) and large grants (applicants requesting $2,001 to $4,000).  The twelve 2025 grant recipients are the Allied Food Pantry ARC – Community Services Inc./ARC Outpatient Services , Horizon High School, Lakeview Community School, Marshall Public Schools, Mount Horeb Farmers Market, Native Food Network, Project Home, Inc., REAP Food Group, Sunshine Place, Sustain Dane Inc. and Waunakee Neighborhood Connection.