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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.
July 2024
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Ensuring the Longevity of Community Gardens on City-owned Lots
Gardens provide many benefits to our city. That is why the Community Planning & Economic Development (CPED) department, the Public Works department, and Homegrown coordinate the Garden Lease Program. This program leases City-owned vacant properties for community and market gardens. Under the current program, the gardens on these lots are temporary as the land can be sold to a developer or other owner.
As part of implementing the Minneapolis Food Action Plan, Homegrown aims to create a policy that allows the City to sell City-owned vacant land for urban agriculture (Urban Agriculture work plan, action 1). In alignment with this goal, the Garden Lease Program is hoping to preserve the benefits of community gardens on certain CPED-owned properties by selling some of them to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) through a permanent community garden pilot project. MPRB does not sell land for development, so the lots would be preserved as gardens for years to come. Additionally, the gardens would still be independently managed by their current organizers.
Homegrown staff and the MPRB Community Gardens Coordinator recently met with the seven gardens eligible for the pilot. The next step is a Phase 1 environmental assessment. We are excited to continue to work with the gardeners and City colleagues on next steps to ensure the availability of gardening spaces in Minneapolis for years to come.
The Homegrown Minneapolis Food Council works to ensure an environmentally sustainable and socially just food system. These meetings are a great way to meet other community members and learn more about the work that is happening within our local food system. Every meeting is also accompanied by a food theme where attendees are welcome to bring food to share with others.
When: In-person meeting on Wednesday, July 10th from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Where: Red Leaf Center - HCMC hospital 717 South 6th St, Minneapolis, MN
What we'll be doing: We will learn about how the Red Leaf Center is using the onsite teaching kitchen as part of their healing work and hear updates from our new Action Teams.
Food Theme: They say food is medicine; and for a good reason. Food has the power to nourish and heal our body, soul, and mind. At this meeting, there’s no potluck because we’ll be preparing food together.
View current and past Food Council meeting agenda and minutes
Hai Hai's Christina Nguyen wins Best Chef in Midwest at 2024 James Beard awards
Minnesota's Christina Nguyen won "Best Chef: Midwest" in the 2024 James Beard awards. Nguyen won specifically for her northeast Minneapolis restaurant Hai Hai, which puts an unforgettable twist on Southeast Asian cuisine. She also runs the Venezuelan street food hot spot Hola Arepa in south Minneapolis.
More than 100 restaurants were finalists across 22 categories for the culinary world's equivalent of the Oscars with diverse range of cuisine and chef experience, a recent shift following turbulent, pandemic-era years for the James Beard Foundation. Just being a finalist can bring wide recognition and boost business. The most anticipated categories included awards for outstanding restaurateur, chef and restaurant.
Read the full article on an MSN news page
Downtown Minneapolis prepares for Taste of Minnesota for the second time
The Taste of Minnesota is once again coming back to Nicollet Mall this summer with a new lineup of music. This is the second year comeback of the Taste of Minnesota festival in downtown Minneapolis. It comes after a seven-year hiatus. The original Taste of Minnesota started in the early 1980s at the State Capitol in St. Paul. It was always a free event, and eventually became one of the state’s largest gatherings. It moved to Harriet Island in 2003.
Read the full article on an MSN news page
The new answer for empty Twin Cities stores? Asian grocers and market destinations
Asian groceries are not new to the Twin Cities, but it's clear they have developed beyond the small, family-owned shops dedicated to one or two specific communities. For some, that means bigger stores with more products from various Asian and other immigrant cultures, like cuts of meat for Korean barbecue to soup bases for Chinese hot pot. Others have incorporated more prepared foods, from Instagram-able boba and Korean corn dog stalls to full-on food halls.
Ethnic supermarkets in the United States have experienced a burst of growth since the pandemic. According to global market research firm IBISWorld, U.S. ethnic supermarkets' revenue has grown to $57.6 billion over the past five years. The growing immigrant population, especially within the Hispanic and Asian communities, has increased the demand for ethnic ingredients. For many, these stores are not just places to grab hard-to-find produce or whole fish, but they represent homes away from home with familiar sights, smells and tastes.
Taste of Minnesota
This two-day smorgasbord of food and fun celebrates everything we love about Minnesota: great music, fabulous food, outdoor family fun, a few surprises and really great people-watching! Come for the food and stay to play!
Where: Nicollet Mall in Downtown Minneapolis
When: July 6th – 7th from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Learn more about this event and obtain free tickets on the Taste of MN website
Ficticious -A Solo Exhibition- by Xavier Tavera at CLUES
Ficticious is a collection of photographs where Latine people transmit messages that suggest political, historical and social justice themes. The characters are part of a fictional world where people are portrayed as heroic manifestations of Latine culture. CLUES will be hosting a family-friendly evening and conversation with the artist, free food and beverages. Free and open to all ages!
Where: CLUES Art Gallery – 797 E 7th St., St. Paul, MN
When: Saturday, July 20th from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The art exhibit is also open to the public from June 24th to August 9th
Learn more about this event on CLUES’ website
RE-AMP Action Team: Urban Food Systems Resource Sharing Sessions
Cities across the Midwest are digging into urban agriculture and building resilient urban food systems. With support from the RE-AMP network, a coalition working to enable collaboration on climate solutions in the Midwest, the Urban Food Systems Resource Sharing Action Team is building a network to strengthen collaborative relationships, share ideas and resources, and gather best practices based on lived experience. Monthly resource sharing sessions will be held on Zoom, 2-3:30 pm Central Time on Mondays: July 8, August 12, September 9, October 7, and November 7.
The first session will engage in conversation about key considerations before applying for federal funding, building strong partnerships, what you can do to prepare, and examples of successful urban food system projects.
Learn more about this opportunity and apply for the July 8th session on a Zoom registration page
Food Waste Action Team Meeting
Where: Curry Corner Indian Eatery & Bar (201 E Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55414)
When: Wednesday, July 24th, 7 p.m.
Please join us for our first Food Waste Action Team meeting! This will be a casual gathering where we discuss our first steps towards reducing wasted food in Minneapolis, make connections within the community, and enjoy great food and drink together at Curry Corner (not provided). If you work in the service industry or agriculture, enjoy composting, or simply care about reducing wasted food, we'd love to see you there.
Garden with a Naturalist
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is hosting a series of gardening events. See below to learn more.
Insects in the Garden
Learn about various garden pests, organic ways to manage them, and the importance of other insects in the garden, such as pollinators.
Where: JD Rivers' Garden - 2900 Glenwood Ave
When: Tuesday July 9th from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m..
Lean more about this event on the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
Terrific Tomatoes
Learn about the history of the plant, best ways to care for them, common diseases tomatoes suffer from and how to remedy them, help with tomato chores and try a tomato snack.
Where: JD Rivers' Garden - 2900 Glenwood Ave
When: Tuesday July 9th from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m..
Learn more about this event on the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board
“Celebrating our Roots 2024” Cooking Class Series
Minneapolis Edible Boulevards is hosting a series of cooking classes throughout the summer season. Refer to the poster below for more information.
New Round of Funding Available for Continuous Living Cover Grants – July 15th deadline
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for a grant to develop enterprises, supply chains, and markets for continuous living cover crops and cropping systems in the early stage of commercial development. The MDA will use a competitive review process to select grantees. The minimum award is $10,000 and the maximum award is $45,000.
The Developing Markets for CLC Crops Grant application must be received by 4:30 p.m. Central Time on Monday, July 15, 2024, through the MDA’s online application system.
Learn more about this opportunity on CLC Crops webpage
Land Stewardship Project Accepting Applications for 2024-2025 Farm Beginnings Class – September 1st Deadline
Beginning and prospective farmers are invited to apply to Land Stewardship Project’s (LSP) Farm Beginnings, a year-long training program that focuses on the goal setting, marketing, and financial skills needed to establish a successful farm business. The Farm Beginnings course creates a space for folks to name their vision, acquire the tools and skills needed to make it happen, and become part of a community of support to help them succeed.
The course will run from November 2024 through March 2025, with some additional educational opportunities to take place later in 2025. Scholarships may be available.
Learn more this opportunity on LSP’s website
USDA Opens Application Period for Composting and Food Waste Reduction Cooperative Agreements – September 4th Deadline
USDA is accepting applications for Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) pilot projects for fiscal year 2024. The cooperative agreements, using remaining funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, are jointly administered by USDA’s Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Selected projects will develop and test strategies for planning and implementing municipal compost plans and food waste reduction plans and are part of USDA’s broader efforts to support urban agriculture.
Learn more about this opportunity and apply on the USDA’s website
Put local on your table
Minnesota has a bounty of locally grown and made foods. As you fire up the grill, get ready for a dinner party, or break out the picnic blanket to break bread with loved ones this summer, think about supporting our local farmers and food vendors. Minnesota Grown makes it easy with a directory that highlights local foods and where you can find them.
Use the Minnesota Grown Directory to discover new local foods
Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships is seeking board and work group members
Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RDSP) is seeking board and work group members for its Southeast, Southwest, Northwest and Northeast regions. RSDP board and working group members work with local communities to identify and support programs and projects that foster sustainable systems in our four focus areas: agriculture and food systems, resilient communities, natural resources and clean energy.
Community Forester – Minneapolis Health Department, City of Minneapolis
The City Trees Program is seeking a knowledgeable and passionate Community Forester to bring technical expertise to the Health Department. This experienced Forester will have experience with outreach and be passionate about environmental justice and developing relationships with under- represented communities. They will develop and maintain relationships with community organizations, residents, volunteers, and partners.
Learn more about this position and apply on the City’s Government Jobs webpage
Program Manager – Mill City Farmers Market
Mill City Farmers Market (MCFM) is a year-round farmers market located next to the Guthrie Theater in the Downtown East neighborhood. MCFM’s new Program Manager will manage their Charitable Fund's portfolio of interconnected programs including at-market education, food access initiatives and grantmaking for sustainable farms and local food producers. This position will also assist with on-site market management and vendor support -- playing a critical role in advancing the mission by maintaining a vibrant community gathering place where vendors prosper and by building positive relationships with vendors, visitors, community and grantee partners.
Learn more about this position on MCFM’s careers webpage
Minnesota Women in Conservation (MNWiC) State Coordinator - Renewing the Countryside
Renewing the Countryside’s (RTC) mission is to cultivate and support vibrant, sustainable and equitable communities. Minnesota Women in Conservation (MNWiC) is a state-wide collaborative effort to bring together Minnesota women landowners to learn about conservation practices, resources, and funding opportunities. Through learning circles, field days, conservation planning assistance, webinars, and newsletters, MNWiC will connect, empower, educate and inspire women-- for the sake of the land and our local communities.
Learn more about this position on RTC’s careers webpage
Registered Dietician – Open Arms
Open Arms of Minnesota (OAM) is hiring a registered dietitian to provide nutrition counseling and education to their clients living with life-threatening illnesses. This full-time, salaried position works closely with their nutrition and client services departments and contributes to the fulfillment of Open Arms’ mission by providing evidence-based nutrition information and medical nutrition therapy to clients with varying health needs.
Learn more about this position on Good Food Jobs webpage
VP of Programs - The Farmlink Project (remote)
The Farmlink Project is looking for a dynamic, strategic, and communicative VP of Programs to direct their Food Recovery Program, the cornerstone of our mission. This key leadership role involves oversight of the program's main functions, including Procurement & Farmer Advocacy, Transportation & Logistics, Agency Relations, and Operations, Systems & Data Management. The VP will ensure effective budget management, systematize goal tracking and execution, and provide crucial visibility and foresight into Farmlink's programmatic activities.
Feeding Tampa Bay Advances Community Model of Food Banking
Food Banks have traditionally been the organizations in our communities that help get food to people in need. However, in recognition that food insecurity isn’t just an isolated need, some food banks have been changing up their models to also account for the additional needs of people that need food assistance. As an example, Feeding Tampa Bay will be providing “wraparound” social services at its new facility. Wraparound social services, besides food, can help with housing, health care and job training, and are all aimed at helping people overcome their food insecurity for good. The food bank has enlisted about 20 community agencies to make the various services they offer more accessible to food-insecure people.
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