2025 Minnesota Food Shelf Survey Timeline

The Minnesota Food Shelf Survey is back for 2025! This unique-in-the-country initiative is an opportunity to hear from Minnesota food shelf managers and shoppers. We need your voice and participation to ensure results are most meaningful.

2025 Minnesota Food Shelf Shopper Survey:

Week of April 14th: Shopper Survey materials mailed to each food shelf site
- Shopper Survey Materials - Templates
  - Welcome Letter
  - Shopper Survey: Site Specific Overview
  - Shopper Survey Sign - Coming Soon!
April 21st - June 20th: Shopper Survey response collection timeframe
October - December 2025 (tentative): Food Shelf Shopper Survey Results released

2025 Minnesota Food Shelf Manager Survey:

Full list of 2025 Minnesota Food Shelf Manager survey questions
Feb - March: Data Collection Complete
July - August (tentative): Food Shelf Manager Survey Results released

Survey updates and materials will be shared in email updates from The Food Group + Hunger Solutions Minnesota. To sign up for the email list, contact info@ffen.org.

2025 Minnesota Food Shelf Shopper Survey Implementation Webinar

On April 9th, 2025, an implementation webinar was held to provide an overview of 2025 Shopper Survey materials and timeline as well as support tools and strategies for implementation. Missed the webinar? Check out the information here:

2025 Minnesota Food Shelf Survey Kick-off Webinar

On February 19th, 2025, a kick-off webinar was held to share information about the upcoming 2025 Minnesota Food Shelf Survey and to discuss the impact of previous surveys. Missed the webinar? Check out the information here:

Minnesota Food Shelf Survey Overview

The Minnesota Food Shelf Surveys provide a critical opportunity to gather feedback from individuals visiting food shelves and food shelf managers. These voices have the ability to inform food shelf services and hunger relief system priorities. The survey takes places every 3 years and prior results from 2017, 2019, and 2022 surveys have provided important insights on the most requested food items and most valued shopper experiences at a food shelf.

The Minnesota Food Shelf Survey is administered through University of Minnesota Extension and Foundation for Essential Needs (FFEN), in partnership with the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), The Food Group, and SuperShelf.

Additional Minnesota Food Shelf Survey background here.

Questions? Contact us!

Call/Text: 612-524-9360 Email: info@ffen.org

2022 Minnesota Food Shelf Survey Results

2022 Minnesota Food Shelf Survey Overview

The 2022 Minnesota Food Shelf Survey was administered to food shelf clients via paper or electronically from July to October 2022 at 288 unique food shelf sites (roughly 58% of 437 total Minnesota food shelf sites). A total of 7,014 responses from clients were gathered statewide. A companion survey was emailed directly to food shelf sites in August and September 2022 and was completed by 248 food shelf managers.

Minnesota Food Shelf Survey Overview & Background here.

Support Tools: Make the most of the survey data!

Below are several support tools to help food shelves review results and discuss areas of strength and opportunities for improvement. If you have questions or need support, email info@ffen.org.

Want support to review your data? Sign up for a free, online consultation with one of the food shelf survey partners. The session can be used to ask questions, discuss statewide or site-specific reports, and determine next steps to share data with your organization and community.
2022 Minnesota Food Shelf Client Survey Overview Video: Listen to a brief overview of the survey process, key results and supporting tools.
Discussion Facilitation Guide: Use this guide to help facilitate a discussion about the 2022 survey results; includes pre-session planning tips, session agenda, email invite template and facilitation talking points.
- Discussion Worksheet
Media Guide: Use this guide for key talking points and graphics that can be shared in social media, newsletters and other communications.
Convenings - Join your peers to dig deeper into the food shelf survey data at the statewide, regional, or county level, and hear more about promising practices being implemented at food shelves across the state. Click here to request a convening for your group or organization.

Additional Survey Results

Site Specific Reports for Food Shelves: Each participating food shelf site with at least 10 client responses has been emailed a site specific client survey report. For site specific report inquiries, or to request your full qualitative data set, email info@ffen.org.

2022 Data Collection and Process Resources

Food Shelf Client Survey Tools

Food shelves received a Survey Cover Sheet for additional guidance on the Survey tools and process along with their survey materials kit.

SURVEYS are available in the following languages available for you to download and print:

SURVEY HANDOUTS provided QR codes and links to access the survey electronically:

Food Shelf Manager Survey Tools

FOOD SHELF MANAGER SURVEYS were provided via email for electronic responses:

Data Parties

Over 150 individuals registered across the four data party sessions and over 150 voices joined breakout rooms to discuss the data. Breakouts were facilitated by Extension staff, FFEN staff and other leaders in the hunger relief sector and key discussion items were captured on jamboards. An overview of the high-level themes from the data parties can be found here.

Additional Materials and Resources

Videos

Helpful videos to answer many of your questions!

Past Survey Results

2017 Client Survey Report

USDA NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

All institutions are equal opportunity providers and employers. For more information about USDA non-discrimination policy or to inquire about filing a complaint, go to http://z.umn.edu/u76.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides nutrition assistance to people with low income. It can help you buy nutritious foods for a better diet. To find out more, contact the MN Food Help Line at 1-888-711-1151.

This resource was funded in part by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP-Ed – with funds received from and through the Minnesota Department of Human Services.

Individual Food Shelf Survey Results were sent to participating agencies in summer 2020.

COVID-19 IMPACT ON THESE REPORTS

It is important as readers of this 2019 survey to note that these data were collected prior to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic and do not reflect the potential impacts of COVID-19 on food shelf clients in 2020. Evidence from national data suggests that food insecurity has increased since the start of the pandemic*.

The "Top 5" foods remain more important than ever during the current economic and health crisis because they are higher nutritional value and more expensive.
Providing a welcoming environment is even more important to help people, especially first time food shelf users, feel comfortable asking for help, given the increased need many people are finding themselves in due to COVID-19.
A choice-based food distribution model (in whatever degree possible while also maintaining COVID-19 safety protocols) allows clients to choose foods that are important to them with dignity and respect.

*Schanzenbach, D. W., & A. Pitts. (2020). How much has food insecurity risen? Evidence from the Census Household Pulse Survey. Institute for Policy Research Rapid Research Report. https://www.ipr.northwestern.edu/documents/reports/ipr-rapid-researchreports-pulse-hh-data-10-june-2020.pdf

Key Highlights from the 2019 Statewide Food Shelf Client Survey

Healthy foods, including fresh fruits and veggies, continue to be in demand and clients know how to prepare them.
The “Top 5” foods clients told us they wanted in 2019 are meat and other proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, eggs, and cooking and baking supplies; which are the same top 5 foods that clients requested in 2017. These foods are often available, but not frequently enough; there is still more work to be done to provide them reliably.
A good client experience is about more than just providing food, it also means providing services in a welcoming and dignified manner. Providing a positive client experience is an area that needs further improvement.
Despite the great work happening in the hunger relief sector today, clients still face significant food insecurity and need to make budget trade-offs between food & other basic needs.

2025 Minnesota Food Shelf Survey Timeline​​​