Introducing our 2015 Green Patch Nominees

Minnesota Food Association

The mission on Minnesota Food Association (MFA) is to build a sustainable food system based on social, economic, and environmental justice through education, training, and partnerships.

We envision a community where:

• All people who desire to farm have the tools, knowledge, skills and access to resources necessary to be              successful farmers.

• Organic and sustainable agricultural principles and practices are embraced and supported by both                    producers and consumers.

• All people eat organic, sustainably and locally produced food.

MFA provides a full range of educational programming about organic agriculture to beginning immigrant and minority farmers and the community. We use the rich resources of our Certified Organic educational farm, located just 30 miles outside of the Twin Cities, to provide hands-on training, workshops, and other opportunities for people to engage in the lives of organic farmers and the production of the food they eat. We are committed to leveraging our strong reputation as a pioneer in the field to lead our community into the next phase of building a strong and equitable local food system.

The mission and work of Minnesota Food Association is in concise alignment with the values of the Green Patch Program. All of our programs—our farmer training program, food hub, and community engagement programs—promote environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable food production. We help build strong, sustainable and healthy communities by supporting historically undeserved farmers, supplying healthy food to the Twin Cities, and building awareness of food and social justice issues. Any contributions generated through the green patch program would ensure continued progress of these important programs.

The Sustainable Farming Association

The Sustainable Farming Association supports the development and enhancement of sustainable farming systems through farmer-to-farmer networking, innovation, demonstration and education.

We are a grassroots network that brings farmers together to learn from the experts—at on-farm events, fun family gatherings, like Minnesota Garlic Festival, and innovative educational events like our Annual Conference and Midwest Soil Health Summit. We also train new farmers through our Deep Roots Farmer Development Program, teaching the hands-on skills necessary to successfully run a farm. Deep Roots also hosts a variety of one-day educational seminars on cutting-edge topics like Deep Winter Greenhouses, Small Ruminant Husbandry, and Homestead Dairy.

SFA believes in the wisdom of the Minnesota farm community. Our farmer-to-farmer network organization thrives on the collective knowledge we are cultivating. Our members produce vegetables, fruits, livestock, eggs, row crops, dairy, maple syrup, forestry products, and honey— all with a commitment to leaving the land better than they found it. Of special interest to co-op shoppers is our New Crops Project, which is working to increase the availability of locally grown hard-to-find foods like quinoa, spelt, currants, and more.

A small nonprofit with a virtual office and very little overhead, SFA’s mission closely aligns with the values of local-food champions. Supporting SFA will increase the availability of locally grown products for Linden Hills Co-op shoppers.

Mashkiikii Gitigan (The Medicine Garden)

Mashkiikii Gitigan (Ojibwe for medicine garden) was created in 2013 on a formerly vacant, contaminated lot by the 24th Street Urban Farm Coalition as a way to address the food justice needs of people living in the Phillips area of South Minneapolis. Mashkiikii not only provides a space for community members to get their hands dirty and take home fresh produce, but it also functions as a local gathering place and reconnects neighbors to traditional growing practices.

Mashkiikii Gitigan organically grows over 80 varieties of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers; many of these varieties include heritage and Native American medicinal plants. The farmers embrace permaculture practices, use rain barrels for watering, and incorporate a portable chicken composter into their overall system. Mashkiikii Gitigan works to promote food security by serving as a central hub through which our neighbors can learn how to start their own home gardening projects and gain hands-on food cultivation experience. They offer paid internships for members of the Phillips community, providing valuable training that community members can later use to start their own sustainable food-related ventures. They also connect people to local resources and support surrounding community organizations affiliated with the project.

Mashkiikii Gitigan hosts free “Grow Your Own” classes each week (from mid-May through October) in which participants learn gardening skills from our lead farmers and also gain knowledge from visiting specialists in their area of expertise. In addition, Mashkiikii Gitigan hosts the Good Nature    4-H Garden Club, which provides interactive and fun gardening education targeted toward younger students. They also provide thousands of pounds of vegetables to a local, free community café (Waite House Community Café) through a partnership with Native American chef Austin Bartold.

Everyone is welcome in the garden, and Mashkiikii’s programming reflects the cultural and racial diversity of our Phillips neighborhood community. The staff incorporates topics relevant to Native American health and food culture. Mashkiikii works to include Spanish-speaking neighbors in the project, especially recent immigrants who are missing their home farms and gardens. They also provide wheelchair accessible raised bed gardens so that our differently-abled neighbors can share in our garden. Overall, Mashkiikii Gitigan is committed to fostering social, environmental, and economic justice, and therefore, would be an excellent recipient of the green patch fund.

The Midwest Food Connection 

Through school programs, MFC educates children about natural foods, local sustainable farming and the cultural origins of our food. MFC empowers elementary school children to make healthy and responsible food choices. MFC Educators visit classrooms to provide opportunities for children to study and taste natural and organic foods and help to create an understanding of the origins and traditions of regionally produced foods. They also organize and lead field trips to local diversified farms.

MFC is a prime example of part of the mission of the co-op: teaching our children about food, health, and sustainability. This past year, MFC had a residency at Lake Harriet Lower School providing a full series of lessons for all students in grades k-3. 1119 children in the Linden Hills target schools received lessons this year. The Green Patch Fund would allow MFC to continue those lessons and provide more. What a great program to help us educate our future!

Cool Planet

What’s your Cool Planet look like? We want to hear from YOU!! Cool Planet is engaging the community to solve our climate dilemma. We live in the neighborhood. We need your voice! JOIN US!!

Cool Planet is an Edina-based non-profit whose mission is to inform and inspire people to be fit, have FUN, and take action for a healthy home, neighborhood, and planet. We believe getting outside, connecting with nature and doing what you love leads to deeper citizen engagement and solutions to climate change.

Cool Planet engages people of all ages through biking (Low Carbon Crossings), skiing (Cool Planet Skiers), Frisbee (hosting regular playshops and tournaments), and monthly sessions to build non-partisan relationships with our elected officials. We host SPEAK UP!!—a climate leadership training that links climate science with story-telling. Finally, we partner with MN Community Solar to promote community solar gardens and work in schools and parks to build our “Cool Planet Family Lives Here.” All this with a yearly income less than $20,000!

Cool Planet shares the values that the co-op espouses and is firmly rooted in the community that the co-op serves. Many of our core team members are members of the co-op and deeply concerned about climate change and motivating people to increase their level of participation on climate calming actions. Cool Planted started the Linden Hills Co-op Climate Action Team (CAT) in February of 2015 with other co-op members and together organized April’s “30 Days of Climate Action.”

Cool Planet works 24/7 for the world we want for our kids and future generations and they will use the funds from the Green Patch program to engage more people.

Lynnhurst Environmental Committee

The Lynnhurst Environmental Committee (LEC), a part of the Lynnhurst Neighborhood Association, is a volunteer group of individuals who are residents of the Lynnhurst neighborhood in South Minneapolis. LEC is committed to improving the quality and sustainability of the neighborhood’s natural environment.

Examples of their work include: 

• Collaborative work with MPRB to sponsor the annual Earth Day Clean Up along the Minnehaha Creek within the Lynnhurst            boundaries

• Organize Adopt a Storm Drain program that has residents keeping their storm drains clear of leaves and debris

• Provide residents with lawn signs to remind people not to sweep leaves in to the street

• Host and staff an environmental educational table at the yearly Lynnhurst Summer Festival.

• Make rain barrels and compost bins available for residents to purchase at a reduced cost

• Publish a quarterly newsletter for Lynnhurst residents

• Organize annual spring mustard and fall buckthorn pulls along the creek

• Organize yearly forms on various best management practices that residents can implement in their yards at no cost to participants

• Partnering with Metro Blooms on the Blooming Alleys Project in Lynnhurst and maintaining the Boroughs School Rain Garden

Members of the LEC attend local, state, and national conferences to stay informed on issues and best management practices. When there is a registration fee, committee members pay out of pocket.

I would like to nominate the committee for the Green Patch Program in recognition of their hard work, dedication and creativity in improving the quality of the Lynnhurst and surrounding neighborhoods natural environments.

Appetite For Change

Appetite For Change’s mission is to use foods as a tool to build health, wealth, and social change. They are a community-led, grassroots organization in North Minneapolis and they are leading a Food Justice movement. They do community cooking workshops, urban agriculture, and work on food-policy and advocacy. They also incubate small food businesses by operating Kindred Kitchen and they own/operate Breaking Bread Cafe and Catering. Both are social enterprises that support their programs.

Appetite For Change is making a major impact in the lives of North Minneapolis residents. They are led by community members who are the ones most affected by the inequities of our current food system. They are a small organization in need of support so they can fulfill their vision of a community-owned food system where every child has the opportunity to access fresh local food.

The Minnesota Breastfeeding Coalition

The Minnesota Breastfeeding Coalition (MBC) was formed in 2006 by a group of volunteers seeking to improve the health of babies, families, and communities through promoting and supporting breastfeeding. The coalition works to build environments that support breastfeeding to make it easier for women to breastfeed.  More information about MBC goals and projects can be found on the MBC website mnbreastfeedingcoalition.org.

At first glance a breastfeeding coalition may not sound like an environmental organization; however breastfeeding not only provides nourishment, protection from illness, warmth and closeness – it is also local, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.   Breastmilk does not require fossil fuels for production or shipping, involves no packaging, reduces the burden on landfills, saves water – no or fewer bottles to wash, and is a locally produced food.  It is the original “green” product.

The MBC has demonstrated that it can accomplish a lot with a small amount of funding, including supporting local breastfeeding coalitions, hosting a workshop for hospitals to share information and resources on best practices to support breastfeeding, holding a statewide annual meeting – which has grown to over 100 attendees, and hosting three summits for hospital leadership, providing hospital leadership with the information and tools to better support women who choose to breastfeed.

Breastfeeding is vital to the health of mothers and babies, and important for families and the community.  Breastfeeding is consistent with the Green Patch donation guidelines and with the Linden Hills Co-op’s stated priorities.  The Minnesota Breastfeeding Coalition has demonstrated the ability to implement important projects with relatively small amounts of funding, and with additional funds MBC can accomplish even more.