Eat the News in Bites: Local Food Community News, May 2021
Every 13th of the month, we’ll recap some of what’s happening in the local food community and how you can get involved. Some of it might make you joyous, some of it might make you pissed, but all of it shows the resilience of Minnesota food folks working toward a regenerative future that nourishes all people, all beings, and the entirety of our living planet.
What’s in this edition?
Delicious recipes and community conversation with Indigenous women chefs
Volunteers needed for Community Cooks Meal Box program
Northside Fresh plant and seed sale
Minnesota farmers markets gear up for 2021 season
Webinar series showcases the work of Indigenous women chefs
Stark health disparities exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous US populations—a result of centuries of racial violence, displacement, and neglect. Tribal communities around the US lack sufficient access to healthy foods and suffer from higher rates of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other health issues. The University of Minnesota’s Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives Institute and the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community are working to improve Indigenous health outcomes using nutrition research and Indigenous expertise. For the past five years, they’ve hosted the Annual Conference on Native American Nutrition, the only conference devoted completely to Indigenous nutrition. Though they were forced to postpone the 2020 conference due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they quickly filled the gap with other educational, community-oriented virtual events. Their current Celebrating Indigenous Women Chefs webinar series features conversations and live cooking demonstrations with Indigenous women chefs around the country. Their next event in the series will be held Tuesday, June 8th with Chef Tawnya Brant. Tawnya is a Mohawk nation chef based in southern Ontario who uses her decades of restaurant experience to celebrate and showcase Haudenosaunee foods.
join in
Learn more about the June 8th event and register here. You can find the recipes and recordings from previous webinars here.
Check out other events from the Healthy Food, Healthy Lives Institute here. Support their work by donating here.
Visit the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community’s website to learn about their community projects, and check out the Seeds of Native Health website.
Appetite for Change launches second season of Community Cooks Meal Boxes
Before the pandemic, the flagship Community Cooks program of Appetite for Change consisted of weekly cooking classes where youth, new mothers, and other community members learned fun new recipes and cooking techniques. Unfortunately, like many other things, the cooking classes were put on hold during 2020. But the COVID-19 pandemic and community uprisings exacerbated food inequities in the community. The folks at Appetite for Change knew they needed to continue, and strengthen, their nutrition support for their Twin Cities neighbors. Along with their local food justice partners, AFC launched the Community Cooks Meal Box program, delivering weekly boxes of fresh, nutritious food items to local residents, free of charge. Inspired by the culinary delights of Community Cooks classes, each meal box included recipe recommendations to go along with the grocery items. Over 30 weeks, the program delivered more than 9,500 boxes of food. After the success of the 2020 pilot program, AFC and their partners are expanding the program this year. The 2021 Community Cooks Meal Box program will start in early June, and Appetite for Change is looking for volunteers to help get food out to the community.
Join In
AFC relies on volunteers to deliver meal boxes to over 400 households every week. If you’ve got some free time on Mondays and are interested in helping out, fill out the volunteer form here.
Stay up-to-date on all of AFC’s work by signing up for their newsletter and following them on social media: @appetiteforchange (Instagram) and @afcmn (Twitter)
Visit the Northside Fresh plant sale to get your own garden growing
Northside Fresh is a coalition of over 60 businesses, organizations, and community members committed to creating a more just and self-reliant food system in North Minneapolis. Prominent coalition members Appetite for Change and Youth Farm are hosting a Northside Fresh seed and plant distribution THIS Saturday, May 15th from 2-5 pm. Check out the plethora of seeds and seedlings available at aftcmn.org/shop. All contributions from the event are suggested donations, and will go towards Northside Fresh’s work. Swing by the Breaking Bread Cafe parking lot on Saturday to pick up your plants! Learn more about the event on their event page.
Stay in the loop about all of Northside Fresh’s work by signing up for their newsletter and following them on Facebook.
minnesota Farmers markets kick into gear
It’s that time of year again--farmers market season! Farmers markets are central to a vibrant local food economy, and Minnesota is filled with markets of all sizes. Due to pandemic restrictions, many farmers markets operated at a limited capacity or completely closed for the 2020 season. This was tough on both farmers, who often rely on markets for a significant portion of their income, and eaters alike. But with the state’s COVID caseload falling, and restrictions lifting, things are looking up for the 2021 season. Markets that were forced to close last year, like the Minneapolis Nicollet Mall Market, are planning to open in the coming weeks. One of our favorites, the Four Sisters Farmers Market, is kicking off their 2021 season starting Thursday, June 3rd. Four Sisters is a market centered on Indigenous foods and hyper-local products from Phillips, Minneapolis and surrounding neighborhoods. The market is a project of the Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI), an organization that works to empower Native peoples in Minnesota and beyond through community development projects and partnerships. With safety protocols in place, the Four Sisters Farmers Market will be held Thursdays from 10 am-3 pm at 1414 E Franklin Ave in Minneapolis.
join in
Keep up-to-date on the Four Sisters Farmers Market by following them on social media: @4SistersFarmersMarket (Instagram) and @FourSistersMarket (Facebook)
Check out the NACDI website and follow them on social media to learn more about their other projects: @nacdi.mn (Instagram) and @nacdimn (Twitter)
Looking for a farmers market near you?
The Minnesota Grown farmers market directory has a handy map that allows you to search for markets by location and day of the week. If you live in Minneapolis, check out the interactive directory created by the Farmers Markets of Minneapolis collaborative.
About Lydia Fermanich
Lydia's relationship with the food system is grounded in communications and environmental stewardship. She has worked in training new sustainable farmers, food access, urban gardening, and energy efficiency. Lydia is also an avid cross-country skier and outdoor recreationist.