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2020 was a year unlike any other, and we were so glad to be a part of sharing your business or farmers' market with customers last year.
In 2021, we look forward to revamping the printed Minnesota Grown Directory into new kinds of print materials, which we will begin piloting at end of summer and through early fall. Keep a close eye on Member Update as that work continues to unfold, and see the print Member Update mailed in October 2020 for more details as well.
Please reach out to Karen (karen.lanthier@state.mn.us) if you have any questions about the program and resources available to you as a member!
Coming Soon: Wholesale Mkts Survey
Do you sell into wholesale markets? Are you listed in our Minnesota Grown Wholesale Directory?
In the weeks ahead we’ll send out a survey link via email to understand our members’ wholesale interest and help us identify opportunities to better support your wholesale marketing needs. Please contact Helen (helen.schnoes@state.mn.us) if you have any questions and keep an eye out on your email – we look forward to hearing from you!
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Webinar: Lessons from COVID-19
You're invited to the first webinar of the Lessons from COVID-19: Positioning Regional Food Supply Chains for Future Pandemics, Natural Disasters and Human-made Crises project! This webinar will include a brief introduction of team members, a project overview, survey tools used and example questions from the first survey, preliminary data from an environmental scan of available resources and insights from prior assessments of the impacts of COVID-19 on the Florida food system.
For more info and to register, visit www.ruralengagement.org/lessons-from-covid-19.
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Group Order: Minnesota Grown bags
Looking for Minnesota Grown-branded plastic bags? Cindy at Afton Apple Orchard is organizing a group order for interested Minnesota Grown members. These bags are designed for extra strength and are 1-mil high density plastic bags (Specific Specs: 12”x7”x23” T-sack, 1 color 1 side print on 1.0 mil white HDPE film, 1000/case).
The bags are white with green ink and include the Minnesota Grown logo. Bags come 1,000 per box, for $65 each, shipped on a pallet to Afton Apple Orchard: 14421 S 90th St, Hastings, MN, 55033. Shipping charge will be split among all orderers and billed after final totals (about 7% of order total).
Pick-up or shipping details can be arranged directly with Cindy. Please also inquire for more details on customized bags that can have your logo positioned directly below the Minnesota Grown logo. Reach out to Cindy by 2/12/2021 if interested in ordering: Info@aftonapple.com / 651-707-4331
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Integrating Day-Neutral Strawberries: U of M and UW Madison Survey
Researchers at UW-Madison and University of Minnesota are surveying specialty crop producers in the upper Midwest using organic practices (certified or not). This short survey will take less than 5 min to complete and you can choose to end the survey at any time. The purpose of this survey is to gather information on grower interest in adopting/integrating day-neutral strawberries into their pre-existing production systems. Link to the survey: https://umn.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9SOoAZIYBetBPsV
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FSMA Produce Safety Rule Grower Trainings: 12/2020-3/2021
Author: MDA Produce Safety Team
Registration is now open for Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule Grower Trainings. These trainings are being held 100% virtually, and are co-led by produce farmers, University of Minnesota Extension, and the MDA Produce Safety Program. Training attendees will learn food safety practices, Produce Safety Rule requirements, and answers to questions about the rule.
New this year: weekend and weekday training dates, along with a two-day training option. Register and find more information here.
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City of Minneapolis Seeks CSA farms for Workplace CSA Program
The City of Minneapolis Stride Employee Wellness Program is opening a proposal process for Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) local farms to partner in our workplace CSA program. The goal of this program is to promote healthier eating by providing City of Minneapolis employees with access to locally sourced, quality produce at an affordable cost and in turn supporting a local farm enterprise. Click the link above for full details and scroll to "RFA_Farmers for Community Supported Agriculture" to learn more.
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Here's to a happy, healthy New Year! All the best in 2021 from all of us at Minnesota Grown / Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
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