Official Site of The State of New Jersey

The State Food Purchase Program (SFPP) was initially funded in Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 through the Governor’s Hunger Initiative. Funds were provided for purchases of nutritious foods and infrastructure support for Emergency Feeding Organizations (EFOs) and Local Distribution Agencies (LDAs). A cornerstone of the SFPP is the purchase of fresh fruits, vegetables, and seafood based on a local, regional, and national hierarchy. These products are severely lacking in the diets of many food-insecure people who receive food assistance. It has been well documented that families with limited income often do not consume enough fresh fruit, vegetables, and seafood.

In addition to the purchase of such items through the SFPP for EFOs and LDAs, organizations that feed New Jersey’s food insecure also receive donations through farm gleaning and seafood recovery operations. Gleaning, a strategy for eliminating food waste on farms, and seafood recovery, a strategy for redirecting surplus seafood from fisheries, docks, and markets, complement the goals of the SFPP by providing additional fresh items to the food insecure. These items are provided at no cost to the donating or receiving agency. Costs such as labor and transportation are absorbed by the gleaning or seafood recovery organization. To assist, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, through the SFPP, has identified funds to be allocated to support these activities (the Gleaning and Seafood Recovery Support Grant).

A total of $518,000, subject to the availability of funds, is anticipated to be accessible to eligible non-profit applicant organizations.

Grant funds can be requested from NJDA by interested, eligible non-profit 501c3 entities that are either gleaning from New Jersey farms or recovering seafood from New Jersey sources and distributing such food to only New Jersey organizations that help feed New Jersey’s food insecure residents. The eligibility requirements are included in the application packet. Please note:

Gleaning Organizations:

• The applicant must be a non-profit, 501c3 entity formed and operated in New Jersey. A Letter of Determination from the IRS documenting non-profit status is required.
• The applicant must submit an implementation plan stating how a grant would support its gleaning / recovery program activities.
• “Gleaning activities” include the active involvement in the hands-on work of harvesting surplus produce from farms, orchards, and gardens.

Seafood Recovery Organizations:

• The applicant must be a non-profit 501c3 entity formed and operated in New Jersey. A Letter of Determination from the IRS documenting non-profit status is required.
• The applicant must submit an implementation plan stating how a grant would support its seafood recovery program activities.
• “Seafood recovery activities” include the active involvement in the hands-on work of recovering surplus seafood from fisheries, docks, or markets.

Examples of activities eligible for grant support include, but are not limited to: entering into agreements with New Jersey farmers or fisheries; providing support for vehicles and drivers by paying for mileage; buying containers for transport of gleaned or recovered products; buying coolers and ice for transport and interim storage of foods; obtaining innovation to improve efficiency and reduce costs of distribution systems; developing volunteer networks; and adding administrative support to manage and/or coordinate larger operation logistics.

Grant funding may be requested for expenses in the following categories: 

• Transportation/freight costs include tolls, and per mile vehicle usage reimbursement for activity in New Jersey. The mileage will be reimbursed at the prevailing federal rate. Grant Applicant may also include the cost of a scale for tracking of gleaned/recovered items received and distributed in New Jersey. If approved for the grant, the applicant must maintain separate vehicle logs for each vehicle that will be covered by the grant. The vehicle log must include the beginning and end destination for each trip along with the odometer reading and must specify whether the trip was for gleaning/recovery or non-gleaning activity.
• Salaries of staff that are directly involved in gleaning/recovery activities, including supervision, transportation, and distribution of gleaned/recovered food in New Jersey as well as SFPP foods. If approved for the grant, the applicant must have separate timesheets for each staff member whose salary is covered by the grant. The days listed on the timesheet must match the period and time spent on gleaning/recovery activities and must be tracked separately from time spent on non-gleaning activities. Grant funds shall only be used for the portion of salaries associated with gleaning/recovery activity.
• Miscellaneous expenses directly associated with the immediate transportation and distribution of produce grown by New Jersey farmers and seafood recovered will be considered on a case-by-case basis. (i.e.: utilities, containers, communication equipment, ice, small refrigerator, coolers, scales, forklift, to assist with the immediate distribution of gleaned/recovered foods).

Examples of unallowable costs may include but are not limited to freezers, infrastructure improvements, storage facilities, etc.

Application packets will be distributed by NJDA to the organizations that have previously received the grant and to any other entities currently engaged in farm gleaning or seafood recovery activities in New Jersey that request an application packet. The same application materials can be found linked below:

• FY27 Farm Gleaning and Seafood Support Program - Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA)
• FY27 Farm Gleaning and Seafood Support Program - Information Sheet
• FY27 Farm Gleaning and Seafood Support Program - Application Template (Word)
• FY27 Farm Gleaning and Seafood Support Program - Application Template (PDF)

Completed applications, and all required supporting documentation outlined in the Application Template must be submitted by email to NJDA.Grants@ag.nj.gov no later than noon, 12:00 P.M., on July 31^st, 2026. Incomplete and/or late submission will be determined ineligible.