Twelve local organizations will receive a total of $41,345 through Dane County’s 2025 Partners in Equity (PIE) Food Grant Program, officials announced Thursday.
The grants, administered by the Tamara D. Grigsby Office of Equity and Inclusion, are aimed at advancing equity and access in the local food system. According to a statement from County Executive Melissa Agard, the initiative supports innovative, grassroots solutions that tackle food insecurity and promote sustainability.
“Food insecurity touches every corner of our community, and we must be bold and creative in how we respond,” Agard said in the statement. “The PIE Food Grant program uplifts grassroots solutions and empowers local leaders to build a more just, sustainable, and accessible food system.”
The PIE Food Grant Program was expanded in 2019 with the support of the County Board to help address challenges related to food insecurity. Grant recipients were selected based on proposals addressing healthy food access, land availability for food production, and food waste recovery.
“The PIE Grants provided a unique perspective on challenges within our community’s food system and the collaborative efforts to address them,” Radhika Gupta, a member of the Dane County Food Council and the county’s Youth Governance Program, said in a statement. “These PIE Grants work to strengthen Dane County as a whole by tackling problems in a practical and meaningful way.”
The 2025 awards are divided into two categories: small grants for projects requesting $2,000 or less, and large grants for projects requesting between $2,001 and $4,000.
This year’s recipients include:
- 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.
- Waunakee Neighborhood Connection
The program aims to support efforts that increase food access, reduce waste, strengthen regional agriculture, and amplify community voices in food system development.
