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Homegrown Minneapolis is a citywide initiative
expanding our community's ability to grow, process,
distribute, eat and compost more healthy, sustainable,
locally grown foods.
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March 11, 2015
Homegrown Minneapolis Food Council Launches Interactive Map of Vacant Residential Land
The Homegrown Minneapolis Food Council’s Land Access Working Group has developed an interactive
map of vacant residentially zoned land parcels in Minneapolis. This map
includes details about location, ownership and zoning information for each
parcel. The City zoning code allows community gardens and market gardens to locate on
land that is residentially zoned. Urban farms can only locate in industrial
districts (I1 and I2) and the general commercial district (C4); urban farms
cannot locate on residentially zoned parcels.The property data for this map comes from Hennepin County and will be
updated periodically. This map is best viewed on large screens.
 City of Minneapolis Invites Interest from CSA Farms for Employee CSA Pilot Project
The City of Minneapolis is inviting CSA farms to communicate their interest in distributing CSA shares to City of Minneapolis employees during a pilot program for the 2015 growing season. Farm application deadline is noon on Friday, March 20. Selection criteria and application information
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Homegrown Minneapolis Policy Updates
Homegrown Minneapolis Presents Annual Report to City Council HECE Committee
On February 23, 2015 Homegrown Minneapolis Food Council Co-Chairs, Russ Henry and Omari Chatman, and Homegrown Minneapolis/Local Food Policy Coordinator, Tamara Downs Schwei, presented the 2014 Homegrown Minneapolis Food Council Third Annual Report to the Minneapolis City Council's Health, Environment, and Community Engagement (HECE) Committee. The presentation included background on the Homegrown Minneapolis initiative and Food Council, a report on 2014 activities, a snapshot of the current local food system, potential 2015 activities and several recommendations for City Council action.
City Council Approves Four New Food Council Positions
On February 27, 2015, in response to a recommendation from the Food Council and HECE Committee, the Minneapolis City Council approved a resolution amending the membership of the Homegrown Minneapolis Food Council to add one staff member each from the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board (MPRB) and the Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) and one community member representative each, appointed by the MPRB and MPS.
City Council Supports Changes to Minnesota Seed Law
On February 27, 2015 the Minneapolis City Council approved support for changes to the Minnesota seed law and a resolution supporting seed libraries and interpersonal seed sharing in Minnesota. Gardening Matters is providing legislative updates regarding proposed changes to the Seed Law.
CPED Staff Will Assess City's Vacant Parcels and Make Policy Recommendations
On March 3, 2015 the Minneapolis City Council's Community Development and Regulatory Services (CDRS) Committee directed Community Planning and Economic Development (CPED) Housing and Economic Development staff to review their list of City-owned vacant properties and determine which parcels are developable based on economic conditions and lot size. They will also develop a set of policy recommendations regarding the Food Council’s land access policy goals, to present to the Community Development and Regulatory Services Committee no later than July 31, 2015.
March 2015 Food Council Meeting
Wednesday, March 11, 2015 | Meeting Agenda
5:30-7:30 meeting, 5:00 pm optional presentation
about the Wedge Table and Co-op expansion
Wedge Table, 2412 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis (map)
View all
2015 Food Council meeting dates and locations
 There's Still Time: Sign up for 2015-16 Organics Recycling!
Minneapolis Solid Waste & Recycling customers will have an organics recycling option starting in 2015 - 2016. Rollout will take place in two phases: 25 percent of customers will have organics recycling available in August and the rest will have it in spring 2016.
Customers must sign up to be part of the first 25 percent of organics recycling customers. The green organics collection bins will be distributed only to customers who opt in. To sign up, email swrcustomer@minneapolismn.gov or call 612-673-2917. For more information, read the City's press release or visit http://minneapolismn.gov/solid-waste/organics/index.htm.
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Community Garden
Compost Program Accepting 2015 Requests
The City of Minneapolis is offering
low-cost or no-cost compost to registered community gardens through the 2015
Community Garden Compost Program. Compost is provided on a first-come,
first-served basis. However, community gardens that have never received
compost, have poor soil quality, or are start-up gardens will get priority.
In order to qualify for the program, community gardens must
register with Gardening Matters,
a local non-profit dedicated to community gardening.
Spring compost requests must be submitted by April 22.
For more information, please visit the program web page or contact Minneapolis Solid Waste and Recycling.
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Health Department
Launches Online Neighborhood Health Indicator Tool
The Minneapolis Health Department launched an online
tool that provides information about the physical, social and
economic conditions of community health in Minneapolis. The information on
this new website can be used for strategic planning, policy development,
civic engagement and performance monitoring with data on more than 40
indicators, available by Minneapolis neighborhood. Each indicator measures a
social, economic or environmental characteristic of or condition in a
neighborhood that influences health or is broadly representative of the
health of the population. Users can examine how individual neighborhoods
perform on each indicator as well as compare neighborhoods.
The Health Indicator Tool was developed as part of a
three-year pilot project called Healthy Communities Transformation
Initiative. The Minneapolis Health Department is leading the pilot in
Minneapolis. The project helps fill a growing need for health-focused,
comprehensive and nationally relevant indicators. Minneapolis is one of four
pilot cities in the United States selected by Healthy Housing Solutions Inc.
and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to participate in
this pilot project.
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Membership Now Open for Gardening Matters Local Food Resource Hubs
Local Food Resource Hubs are community-based networks of residents,
organizations, and businesses supporting each other to grow, cook, and preserve
fruits and vegetables and increase health and access to fresh food. Joining a Local Food Resource Hub can help you:
- Grow your own fresh produce
- Engage in local food issues, making healthy, locally-grown food more accessible in your neighborhood
- Receive seeds, seedlings, to help your garden grow
- Connect with other gardeners in your neighborhood to share and swap resources
- Share your skills and learn from others about gardening techniques, compost, cooking, food preservation, and more
No gardening experience is required. 2015 membership details | Sign up online
Want to be more involved in Hubs planning and decisions? Gardening Matters is also recruiting 2015 Stewardship Council Members!
Order a Compost Bin or
Rain Barrel Now; Pick it up in the Spring
Get a
jump-start on gardening by ordering a $55 compost bin or a $69 rain barrel
for your home. (These regularly cost $105 and $139.)
By using a compost bin, you can keep more than a quarter of
your household waste out of the garbage while making valuable compost for
your garden.
A rain barrel will help you save water and money by using
rainwater rather than the faucet for your garden and trees. Rain barrels are
also a way of trapping the stormwater that runs toward the storm drains –
picking up pollutants along the way – and into our lakes, streams and rivers.
Order now and pick up your compost bin or rain barrel in
Minneapolis Saturday, May 30, from the Recycling Association of Minnesota. To
pre-order now, find more information, or see other dates and locations, go to
www.recycleminnesota.org.
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Hennepin County Grant
Funding Available for Recycling and Waste Reduction Education Projects
Business Recycling Grants
Funding is available to businesses,
organizations and institutions to start or improve recycling and organics
recycling programs. Funding can help with the purchase of recycling containers,
equipment and hauling services and minor improvements to loading docks and
waste enclosures. Applications are due on March 15. For more information,
contact Andre Xiong at andre.x.xiong@hennepin.us or 612-543-1316.
Waste Reduction Education Grants
Funding is available through the Community POWER program for projects that
educate and actively engage residents in the Twin Cities to change their
behavior to reduce waste. Non-profit organizations and schools are eligible to
apply. Applications are due on March 27. For more information, email communitypower@rethinkrecycling.com.
Metro Blooms Offering Rain Garden Workshops in Partnership with City
Rain
gardens help keep our lakes, rivers and streams clean and can provide
beautiful pollinator-friendly habitat. Want to install a rain garden in
your yard? Attend a Metro Blooms
workshop. Participants receive an overview of rain gardens and native
plants, as well as individual design assistance from Metro Blooms landscape
designers and U of M Extension Master Gardeners from Hennepin County. These
workshops are sponsored by the City of Minneapolis as part of its focus on the
well-being of people and our environment. For more information and to register,
go to www.myraingarden.org or call
651-699-2426.
USDA Community Food Projects RFA and Technical Assistance
The Community Food Project 2015
RFA has been released and applications are due March 17, 2015 at 5 pm EST. The
New Entry
Sustainable Farming Project, in collaboration with its partners,
is offering free one-on-one technical assistance, educational resources, and
professional development opportunities for current grantees and applicants to
the Community
Food Projects grant program of the USDA National Institute of Food and
Agriculture (NIFA). To apply for one-on-one technical assistance for applicants
or current grantees fill out an intake
form here. Please contact Sarah Lambertson with any questions, slambertson@commteam.org. http://nesfp.org/food-systems/community-food-projects
Greencorps Position at Gardening
Matters
CityKid Farm Seeks Urban Farm Volunteers
CityKid Farm has open volunteer shifts at their urban farm (located at 2832 5th Ave S) on Mondays and Wednesdays from 12-5pm. If interested in signing up, click here.This will lead you to a spreadsheet with all volunteer opportunities. To help out on the farm, scroll to the red "Urban Farm" section to select a slot. Please note: you DO NOT have to be there the entire 5 hour shift - please specify your desired hours on the spreadsheet. Questions? Contact Lizzie Gelderman at elizabethgelderman@urbanventures.org.
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