STORIES OF FOOD: THE FILM
Meet the people in our region who are at the forefront of the Slow Food movement. They are growers, producers, chefs, and food activists in relationship with the land. This documentary film is a collection of stories: bright narratives of the folks revolutionizing the way we relate to food.
What if instead of wishing the industrialized food system was different, we showcased the folks who are building alternatives?
These are the stories
of Slow Food in Minnesota
STORIES OF FOOD: GOOD, CLEAN, AND FAIR FOR ALL
This film tells the story of big, bright actions that are being taken by food revolutionaries in and around Minnesota.
The story follows folks like Kateri Tuttle and Jessika Greendeer of Dream of Wild Health, Moses Momanyi of Kilimo Minnesota, and Chef Brian Yazzie of Gatherings Cafe—to name a few. It tells of a more beautiful food system that our hearts know is possible. A food system that is rooted in respect and relationships.
It is a Good News story: a seed of sovereignty amidst corporate-dominated, exploitative mono-crops and CAFOs. Rather than wishing industrial agriculture would disappear, we are highlighting the people who are building alternatives—people creating a food system at the intersection between joy and justice.
Meet the Protagonists
This documentary was a labor of love: every person involved in the creation of this film volunteered their time.
If their stories inspire you, we encourage you to donate, volunteer with, and support their work by whatever means you have available to you.
See the ‘Support’ dropdown below each protagonist for ways to contribute and amplify.
KATERI TUTTLE
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The mission of Dream of Wild Health is to restore health and well-being in the Native community by recovering knowledge of and access to healthy Indigenous foods, medicines, and lifeways.
Kateri Tuttle is an enrolled member of the Santee Dakota tribe and is responsible for coordinating the Indigenous Food Network (IFN) and works closely with Dream of Wild Health partner organizations that make up the IFN.
Learn more at dreamofwildhealth.org
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Donate to Dream of Wild Health and seed a bed of organic vegetables, support the preservation of Indigenous seeds, and enhance youth education and leadership opportunities
Check out the many ways to get involved with the Dream of Wild Health mission.
You can also follow Dream of Wild Health on Facebook & Instagram
JESSIKA GREENDEER
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The mission of Dream of Wild Health is to restore health and well-being in the Native community by recovering knowledge of and access to healthy Indigenous foods, medicines and lifeways.
Jessika is a Ho-Chunk Nation tribal member from Baraboo, WI and a member of the Deer Clan. Jessika is excited to be able to share her lifework of growing and protecting our seed relatives, her desire to regenerate the soils of our Earth, and she is grateful for the opportunity to train and inspire future seed keepers.
Learn more at dreamofwildhealth.org
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Donate to Dream of Wild Health and seed a bed of organic vegetables, support the preservation of Indigenous seeds, and enhance youth education and leadership opportunities.
Check out the many ways to get involved with the Dream of Wild Health mission.
You can also follow Dream of Wild Health on Facebook & Instagram
VANESSA CASILLAS
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Former Business Manager & Internship Coordinator with Gatherings Cafe at the Minneapolis American Indian Center (MAIC).
MAIC is a community center in the heart of the American Indian community of Minneapolis. It is one of the oldest Indian centers in the country, founded in 1975. The center provides educational and social services to more than 10,000 members of the community annually. Their work preserves and supports American Indian cultural traditions through art, youth and inter-generational programs.
Gatherings Cafe utilizes Indigenous ingredients and Indigenous foodways to craft meals.
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Visit Gatherings Cafe
Donate to the Minneapolis American Indian Center
You can also follow Gatherings Cafe on Facebook and Instagram
MOSES MOMANYI & Lonah ONyancha
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Kilimo Minnesota is a certified organic incubator farm in Cambridge, Minnesota with a mission to empower emerging and African immigrant farmers, socially and economically, through mentorship, land access and community engagement. Founded in 2020 by Minnesota farmers and Kenyan immigrants Moses and Lonah Momanyi, Kilimo supports African immigrant farmers’ transition to farming in Minnesota.
Learn more at kilimominnesota.org
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Dawn2Dusk Farm is a certified-organic, family-run vegetable farm in Cambridge, MN. The 20-acre farm is committed to a philosophy of using sustainable farming practices and a fair way to share space. In 2020, Dawn2Dusk started training beginning farmers on behalf of Kilimo MN.
The farmers grow along farmers Moses and Lonah of Dawn2Dusk farm and gradually transition to their own space. For more information on farming training or support, contact Moses at info@kilimominnesota.org
Learn more at dawn2duskfarm.com
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Donate to Kilimo Minnesota and fund a farm visit, compensate instructors, pay for shared farming equipment, and support a farmer for one year in the farmer training program.
You can also follow Dawn2Dusk Farm on Facebook
RODRIGO CALA
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Rodrigo Cala grew up in a farm family near Mexico City which grew broccoli and cauliflower. The family operated a vending booth at the Centro de Abastos in Mexico City, which is a huge wholesale market. He moved from Mexico to Minnesota in 1996.
Cala Farm is run by Rodrigo and his brother Juan Carlos in Turtle Lake, Wisconsin. They have grown certified organic vegetables for the Twin Cities' food co-ops and Co-op Partners' Warehouse for many years. Off the farm, Rodrigo works for the Latino Economic Development Center as a Farm Consultant for other Latino and immigrant farmers in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.
Learn more about Rodrigo Cala through another short film about his farm.
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Donate to the Latino Economic Development Center, where Rodrigo is an Agricultural Trainer.
You can also follow Cala Farm on Facebook
PROFESSOR JULIE GROSSMAN
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Professor Julie Grossman and her collaborators study the interactions of plants, soils, and microbes with the goal of creating more sustainable agricultural systems.
Field work is the focus of Grossman Lab growing seasons. Their field and lab work seeks to address agricultural challenges both in the U.S. and abroad, and lab members work collaboratively to ensure field projects are successful and addressing farmer needs and interests.
"Making change relies on building relationships characterized by trust, mutual respect, and reciprocal effort and knowledge sharing."
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Learn more about how to become cool like Professor Grossman and her team!
You can also follow the Grossman Lab on Instagram
CHEF BRIAN YAZZIE
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The goal of Gatherings Cafe is to educate the community and promote decolonized diets to improve the health of the Native population that has been severely impacted by colonization and the resulting historical trauma and have led to epidemics of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other diet-related health problems.
Chef Yazzie’s mission is specifically working with and for the betterment of tribal communities, wellness and health through Indigenous foods. He travels internationally and is available for catering, private dinners, pop up dinners, chef demos & cooking classes, collaborations, and presentations on indigenous food sovereignty.
Learn more at maicnet.org/gatherings-cafe and yazziethechef.com
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Visit Gatherings Cafe in Minneapolis
Check out and share Yazzie the Chef TV
Donate to the Minneapolis American Indian Center
You can also follow Gatherings Cafe on Facebook and Instagram
SUPPORT the WORK OF
building a better food system
Your donations will be distributed between everyone who played a role in creating this film, with 75% being distributed between the folks featured in this film and the remaining 25% going to Slow Food Minnesota for future storytelling projects.
We also encourage you to donate directly to the protagonists and their revolutionary initiatives.
How this project came INto beING
The idea for this film was born from Slow Food Terra Madre in 2016, where food revolutionaries from all over the world shared stories and built relationships around how they were actively changing the food system. Executive Producer Cedar Schimke had an idea to bring the power and electricity of this community home to Minnesota.
Share these stories where we, the growers, producers, chefs, teachers, use the power we have to change the systems that aren’t working for us. Share stories that are empowering, directly from the people who are doing some of the most revolutionary work in our community. And don’t just tell the stories: show them.
Cedar serendipitously crossed paths with Kish Daniels of Biscuits & Gravy Productions and the film took its first step from idea to physical reality. The generosity of time given by every single person involved in this film is a story in itself of community. We have deep, intense gratitude for being given the opportunity to share these stories.
“We believe stories are the best catalysts and connectors. A powerful story will ultimately bring more impact to our communities.”
— Biscuits & Gravy Productions, the creative team behind this film
Biscuits & Gravy Productions
Meet the Filmmakers behind Stories of Food: Good, Clean, and Fair for all
Kish Daniels
Kish Daniels is a marketer and freelance videographer based in Minneapolis. As the son of Liberian parents, Kish's upbringing in New York City, Monrovia, Liberia, and Cambridge, Minnesota taught him the power food has in bringing people together. Currently he spends his days as a part of the External Communications team at Best Buy, and his nights running Kish Media Company, a small content creation and marketing agency out of his home. Outside of work you can find him fishing, traveling, and spending time with his young son.
Liz Werner
Liz is a highly skilled writer and marketing professional with exceptional creative drive. Her work inspires action and engagement.
Bud Burge
Bud is a multi-disciplined storyteller that thrives in video and animation creations. He operates primarily out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, but has been known to travel great distances to tell a good story.
