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We expand our community's capacity to grow and share food. |
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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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Celebrate Farm to School Month!
October is National Farm to School Month! For over a decade, Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) has been a Farm to School trailblazer, both in Minnesota, and nationally. The district purchases and serves local food year-round from over 20 small- and mid-sized producers across Minnesota.
MPS Culinary and Wellness Services (CWS) incorporates a variety of local grains, beans, vegetables, fruits, meats, and dairy products into school meals. They also provide innovative Farm to School programs like monthly Minnesota Thursday meals and Farmer Classroom Visits to highlight local farm partners and teach students about where their food comes from. Students can even collect Farmer Trading Cards to learn more about the people who grow their food.
In celebration of Farm to School Month, the MPS CWS menu will feature a variety of local, seasonal items every week, including apples, squash, bell peppers, potatoes, chicken, Kernza, and pinto beans. The district is committed to providing "True Food"— meals made from scratch with whole ingredients to support students' physical, mental, and academic health. MPS CWS strives to create an environment where students can develop positive eating habits, understand how food fuels the body, and experience the flavors of our local and global cultures.
You can support the Farm to School movement all year long by purchasing from local and regional farmers, advocating for supportive Farm to School and school nutrition policies, and promoting the Farm to School program benefits within your community. Happy Farm to School Month!
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Food council meeting
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 happening within our local food system. Every meeting is also accompanied by a food theme and attendees are welcome to bring food to share with others.
When: In-person meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 8 starting at 5:30 p.m.
Where: Powderhorn Park, 3400 15th Ave. S.
Agenda: At this meeting, we will provide feedback for a community garden policy update to the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. We will discuss feedback provided by food council members at the last meeting and talk about next steps.
Food theme: Fall comfort food – it might still be warm out, but autumn is here! As the leaves begin to turn and the air begins to chill, we invite you to bring a dish that warms your heart and reminds you of this time of year.
Action teams
Homegrown Minneapolis hosts action teams which help us make progress on the goals set out in the Minneapolis Food Vision. Anyone interested in helping to build a more local, equitable, and sustainable food system can get involved!
See below for upcoming action team meetings:
Wasted Food Action Team – Oct. 6
When: Monday, Oct. 6, 6:30 p.m.
What: We will discuss outreach and plans for the fall “86” Food Waste events.
Food Skills Action Team – Oct. 6
When: Monday, Oct. 6, 1 p.m.
What: We will continue to plan for the food skills inventory as well as explore potential collaborative grant opportunities for food skills in schools.
Urban Agriculture Action Team – Oct. 14
When: Tuesday, Oct. 14, 6 p.m.
What: We will share our updates on engaging stakeholders and start to plan winter engagement opportunities.
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Preserving Plants on a Budget – Oct. 6
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When: Monday, Oct. 6, 5 – 6 p.m.
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Where: East Side Neighborhood Services, 1700 Second Street NE
Soil Health Bus Tour: Intensive small-scale market gardening – Oct. 10
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When: Oct. 10, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
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Where: Various
Fall Free Produce Distributions – Oct. 17 and Oct. 23
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When: Oct. 17, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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Where: New Salem Missionary Baptist Church, 2507 N Bryant Ave
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When: Oct. 23, 1 – 3 p.m.
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Where: East Side Neighborhood Services gym, 1700 2nd Street NE
86 Food Waste events for Minneapolis food businesses – Oct. 20 and Nov. 17
Join us for an inspiring and practical event series designed to help Minneapolis restaurants, cafes, bakeries, caterers, food trucks, and other similar businesses to prevent and divert food waste!
The 86 Food Waste series brings together local chefs, restaurants, and food business leaders who are successfully tackling food waste through prevention and diversion.
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Who are these events for: Minneapolis restaurants, cafes, bakeries, caterers, food trucks, and other similar businesses to prevent and divert food waste.
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When:
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Oct. 20: Prevention – Strategies to prevent wasted food
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Nov. 17: Diversion – Resources to divert food from the landfill
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Where: Glass House, 145 Holden Street North
Low Tunnels for Beginners – Oct. 20
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When: Oct. 20, 5 – 6 p.m.
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Where: East Side Neighborhood Services gym, 1700 2nd Street NE
Community Garden Leader Harvest Celebration – Nov. 10
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When: Nov. 10, 5 – 7 p.m.
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Where: Oak Park Center Pillsbury United, 1701 Oak Park Ave N
Emerging Farmers Conference – Nov. 7 and 8
Registration closes Oct. 17
Northside Fall Festival – Oct. 18
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When: Oct. 18, 3 – 5:30 p.m.
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Where: Webber Park, 4400 Dupont Ave N
Minneapolis Health Department: two positions – both close on Oct. 5
The Minneapolis Health Department division of Workforce Management is seeking public health Interns and Associates for the fall of 2025 through spring 2026! The Public Health Pathways Program (PHPP) provides hands-on experience where participants can gain real-world experience in public health, build a resume, and grow a professional and meaningful network.
As part of the Public Health Pathways program, Homegrown Minneapolis will be hosting one Intern or Associate. That individual will support Homegrown’s mission by:
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Assisting with planning, promoting, and implementing community events
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Helping with stakeholder engagement
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Supporting implementation of the Minneapolis Food Action Plan through research and analysis
The Good Acre: Marketing Manager – closes Oct. 10
Food Connect: Regional Director
Mississippi Market Natural Foods Co-op: Director of People and Culture
Radish Farm Shop: Assistant Store Manager – closes Nov. 1
Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy: Program Assistant
Every Meal: Marketing Manager
The Sanneh Foundation: Americorps VISTA positions (multiple)
Twin Cities Food Justice: Volunteer opportunities
Make it Minnesota Cost Share Program – reviewed as received
The Make it Minnesota Cost-Share Program is accepting applications for marketing investment reimbursement. They have budgeted $400,000 to match eligible investments made between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026.
Growing Justice Fund: 2025 grant opportunity – Oct. 14 deadline
The Growing Justice Fund offers grants ranging from $25,000 to $250,000 to support community-led initiatives that advance equitable food purchasing. These grants empower Tribal, Indigenous, Black, Latinx, Asian, and immigrant communities engaged in food markets to secure institutional contracts and gain economic viability.
Lawns to Legumes – Nov. 30 deadline
Lawns to Legumes is a grant program by Blue Thumb and the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources that helps Minnesotans plant native gardens to support pollinators like monarchs and rusty patched bumble bees. Participants are selected each spring and fall and can receive project support and reimbursement. Minneapolis residents are eligible to apply for Lawns to Legumes reimbursement-based funding of up to $400 to create pollinator habitat in their yards
Applications are open for Spring 2026 Lawns to Legumes Individual Support grants. The deadline to apply for a Spring 2026 grant is November 30, 2025.
Twin Cities dinner series explores America’s culinary origins
“It is impossible not to love someone who makes toast for you,” wrote British chef Nigel Slater. That idea — that food is a gateway to connection — is at the heart of Stories Behind the Menu, a Twin Cities dinner series that pairs meals with storytelling.
“We take four chefs of color a year, and we storytell how the only true cuisine in the United States is Indigenous,” said Chaz Sandifer, a health and wellness coach who founded the dinner club. “Everything else was brought in through enslavement or immigration.”
Each Stories Behind the Menu event blends food and story, with chefs sharing both personal histories and the cultural roots behind their dishes.
Problems in your fall vegetable garden can make it a pollinator paradise
Often, when one considers what is growing in their fall vegetable garden, their first thought isn’t about pollinator support. With a full production season behind them, gardeners are much more likely to be focused on squeezing one last harvest out of their garden spaces, making every minute of the growing season count.
But what if they could do both? Many crops commonly grown in the limited timeframe of fall gardens also tend to bolt if the environment is right. While a nuisance for gardeners, in this nuisance lies opportunity.
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Want more good news? So do we! Send us the good news you see across the food system and we’ll share it here!
USDA releases Farm-to-School funding after earlier cancellation
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced yesterday that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making the largest single-year investment to date in a popular farm-to-school grant program, while streamlining the application process.
The announcement failed to mention the USDA’s earlier cancellation of the same program’s 2025 funding, and experts say the money is unlikely to make up for other recent cuts making it harder for schools to source local food.
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Homegrown News
We send information on food systems topics of interest to residents, employees, advocates, and eaters in Minneapolis. If this newsletter was forwarded to you, sign up to receive your own copy!
Public Health Matters
Stay informed with important public health news and insights from the Minneapolis Health Department.
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Homegrown Minneapolis brings together key partners from local government, area businesses, community organizations, non-profits, and residents to build a healthy, local food system.
Please contact Homegrown if you would like to suggest an item for the monthly Homegrown Newsletter.
For reasonable accommodations or alternative formats please contact 311 at 612-673-3000. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 at 612-673-3000. TTY users call 612-263-6850. Para asistencia, llame al 311. Rau kev pab 311. Hadii aad Caawimaad u baahantahay 311.
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