In case you missed it, the Walmart Corporation announced that they intend to make a major investment in sustainable agriculture. Most of the blogs, Facebook posts and Tweets seem to be pretty excited! Please forgive me if I reserve judgment and explore this news a bit before I celebrate.
Perhaps its fortuitous that I’ve finished a 7-part series on sustainable food and farming here on World.edu, just in time to use these ideas to help us explore the question “is Walmart’s version of sustainable agriculture really sustainable?” Read More
Friday, February 11, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Kitchen Literacy
A conversation with author, Ann Vileisis about her new book Kitchen Literacy; what we know about our food, and how we came to know it. For Ann, Kitchen Literacy came about because she was struck by how much she didn’t know about the common foods she encountered in the supermarket. In conducting her research, she was surprised to learn how much people in pre-industrial times knew about their food. It was common then to know the sex and age of an animal, the farm it came from, and even the animal’s background before purchasing the meat. Read More
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Mini Farmers Markets Thrive in Low-Income Minneapolis Neighborhoods
Tim Page has broken up concrete, chased away woodchucks, and battled an overflowing sewer with one purpose in mind -- to create a farmers market to bring fresh produce to north Minneapolis residents. Read More
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Is Local on Your Grocery Receipt?
It may be if you're buying from a co-op.
Seward Co-op in Minneapolis made a big announcement this fall announcing P6. It's Seward's way of letting customers know how much of what they buy is local or grown or made by a small producer or produced by a nonprofit cooperative business.
If a product meets two out of three criteria, it's designated P6, with stickers or signs. And the receipt will say what percentage of purchases fall in the P6 category. Read More
Seward Co-op in Minneapolis made a big announcement this fall announcing P6. It's Seward's way of letting customers know how much of what they buy is local or grown or made by a small producer or produced by a nonprofit cooperative business.
If a product meets two out of three criteria, it's designated P6, with stickers or signs. And the receipt will say what percentage of purchases fall in the P6 category. Read More
Monday, February 7, 2011
Joel Salatin Speaking in Fergus Falls
To some, he may be recognizable from movies "Food, Inc" and "Fresh" in which his organic, ecologically friendly, sustainable farm in Virginia is featured. As an example, Salatin will not send food anywhere beyond a 4-hour drive, outside what he feels to believe is his food-shed. Salatin will primarily be speaking on local food systems.
Thursday, March 3rd
Keynote address 6:30 pm
Legacy Hall, M State-Fergus Falls
Also two sessions earlier in the afternoon
Click Flyer to Enlarge
Click Flyer to Enlarge
Food Safety Bill Passes with Exemption for Small Farms
The Food Safety Modernization Act passed by the U.S. House Tuesday strengthens government oversight of food processing facilities and farms, but a controversial part of the bill exempts small farms from most safety oversight.
The exemption means the farmers who sell at farmers markets or to restaurants and sell less than $500,000 a year do not have to adhere to the same new safety regulations as larger farmers under the new food safety bill. Read More
The exemption means the farmers who sell at farmers markets or to restaurants and sell less than $500,000 a year do not have to adhere to the same new safety regulations as larger farmers under the new food safety bill. Read More
ND Growers Stock Food Pantry Shelves
More than 361,559 pounds of fresh produce made its way to food pantry shelves across the state, thanks to the work and dedication of gardeners and growers in the first year of the Hunger Free North Dakota Garden Program.
The North Dakota Department of Agriculture (NDDA) asked gardeners and growers to pledge a portion of their harvest to those with less access to fresh vegetables and fruits. In cities like Bismarck and Fargo, whole gardens or parts of community gardens were designated for growing food for food pantries, homeless shelters and other programs. Read More
The North Dakota Department of Agriculture (NDDA) asked gardeners and growers to pledge a portion of their harvest to those with less access to fresh vegetables and fruits. In cities like Bismarck and Fargo, whole gardens or parts of community gardens were designated for growing food for food pantries, homeless shelters and other programs. Read More
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Dakota Discussion: America By Food
The "Dakota Discussions: America by Food' series is being hosted by the Bismarck Public Library this spring.
Discussions will be facilitated by Jay Basquiat, professor at Bismarck State College, founder of a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program using his sustainably-operated farm and board member of the NDHC.
Explore the history and future of our food. Three texts offer insight and thought-provoking questions about food and our culture.
Three sessions will discuss The Jungle by Upton Sinclair, February 24th; Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, March 24th; and Westhope: Life as a Former Farmboy by Dean Hulse, April 28th.
See more details and RSVP on Going Local North Dakota
What is Sustainable Food?
A film made by Manchester's Kindling Trust, which explains the various elements we need to consider in building a sustainable food system. The ideas were developed by a group of over 50 organizations working on sustainable food issues in Greater Manchester, UK.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Co-ops Make the World a Better Place
Cooperatives are born out of community need. They are founded on the ideals of social responsibility and self-help. For that reason, it seems most fitting that the seventh of the cooperative principles is “concern for community.” Members of the National Cooperative Business Association—and cooperatives around the world—subscribe to all seven cooperative principles. Read More from the USDA
Friday, February 4, 2011
Seed Sale
Student leaders of the BSCI (Building Sustainable Communities Initiative) at Concordia College are holding a seed sale to raise funds to support the organic campus garden. This fundraiser is made possible by Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving biodiversity and heirloom seeds for the home garden. http://www.seedsavers.org/
The seed sale will take place from 10:00-6:30pm, February 7-9th in the Knutson Campus Center Atrium. Seeds are sold in packets of four and because they are open-pollinated heirlooms, can be saved from year to year.
For additional information contact Gretchen Harvey at harvey@cord.edu
The seed sale will take place from 10:00-6:30pm, February 7-9th in the Knutson Campus Center Atrium. Seeds are sold in packets of four and because they are open-pollinated heirlooms, can be saved from year to year.
For additional information contact Gretchen Harvey at harvey@cord.edu
Food Co-op Update
By Dan Nygard
Contributing Writer to High Plains Reader
“At each stage of the game there’s so much to be done that it doesn’t feel far away. It’s getting closer and closer.” –Leah Wright
It’s easy to get caught up in the blizzard of holiday activities, racing from one event to the next so quickly that you forget to slow down and reflect on what has been accomplished in the previous year. However, I recently had a chance to sit down with volunteers Reba Mathern-Jacobson, Leah Wright and Stephanie Christeson to discuss the past year in the life of the Cass Clay Wholesome Food Co-op. In observing the co-op’s journey from idea to reality, how appropriate it is that accomplishing its initial goals have lead the group into 2011.
To begin, the co-op has accomplished one of its chief goals: it is currently working with CDS Consulting Co-op to conduct a feasibility study to assess potential sales, find a suitable storefront location and estimate a 10-year operating budget. This is the next step in accomplishing the co-op’s stated mission of “connecting consumers and producers in a nourishing, responsible and community-minded market.”
“[CDS is] the premiere people that deal with food co-ops across the country,” said Mathern-Jacobsen, who heads the finance committee.
This study will enable the co-op to honestly assess the business climate in the area and to make sound decisions while minimizing risk.
“This is a community project and we want to move forward in a way in which people can feel confident,” said Christeson, who chairs the membership committee.
The results of the feasibility study were made available in January. Accomplishing this goal leads to the next: incorporation as a legal entity (which is planned for this February) and the beginning of a membership drive. A food co-operative is driven by the concept of member-ownership.
“Every member has equal standing,” said Wright, who heads the communication committee. “You invest the same amount of money, and you have one vote in what happens within the co-op. It’s an egalitarian system.”
The co-op adheres to the International Co-operative Alliance Principles, which provide a foundation for an open, democratic organization that treats individuals and the entire community with respect.
At this time last year, the first co-op meeting had not been held. Now on the verge of a new phase of the overall mission, there is a real sense of accomplishment.
“Our timeline is based in reality, but it is ambitious,” Christeson said. “There are co-ops that have worked for eight years to open, and we’re on a three-year schedule, which we know is possible based on the research we have done.”
Despite the speed at which the process is moving, there is a strong sense of deliberation at each step of the process.
“We’re doing it thoughtfully, carefully,” Wright said, noting, “it takes a lot of hours to do something like this.”
Despite the hard work involved, the group is focused, well organized and driven.
“This will be a convenient place to shop,” Mathern-Jacobsen said, “where people will feel good about buying food they know is healthy for themselves, for the people that grew it, and for the land that it came from.”
There is more to the co-op than the storefront, Wright said.
“A major piece of a co-op is education, helping people learn things they wouldn’t have necessarily thought about before,” she said.
As they go through the new year, especially once they are incorporated and seeking members, the Cass Clay Wholesome Food Co-op will also be seeking volunteers. And as this project continues to progress from idea to reality, now is the time to get on board. Ultimately, as Christeson explains, the co-op is “a group of people working together, pooling resources, learning from each other and having fun.”
Contributing Writer to High Plains Reader
“At each stage of the game there’s so much to be done that it doesn’t feel far away. It’s getting closer and closer.” –Leah Wright
It’s easy to get caught up in the blizzard of holiday activities, racing from one event to the next so quickly that you forget to slow down and reflect on what has been accomplished in the previous year. However, I recently had a chance to sit down with volunteers Reba Mathern-Jacobson, Leah Wright and Stephanie Christeson to discuss the past year in the life of the Cass Clay Wholesome Food Co-op. In observing the co-op’s journey from idea to reality, how appropriate it is that accomplishing its initial goals have lead the group into 2011.
To begin, the co-op has accomplished one of its chief goals: it is currently working with CDS Consulting Co-op to conduct a feasibility study to assess potential sales, find a suitable storefront location and estimate a 10-year operating budget. This is the next step in accomplishing the co-op’s stated mission of “connecting consumers and producers in a nourishing, responsible and community-minded market.”
“[CDS is] the premiere people that deal with food co-ops across the country,” said Mathern-Jacobsen, who heads the finance committee.
This study will enable the co-op to honestly assess the business climate in the area and to make sound decisions while minimizing risk.
“This is a community project and we want to move forward in a way in which people can feel confident,” said Christeson, who chairs the membership committee.
The results of the feasibility study were made available in January. Accomplishing this goal leads to the next: incorporation as a legal entity (which is planned for this February) and the beginning of a membership drive. A food co-operative is driven by the concept of member-ownership.
“Every member has equal standing,” said Wright, who heads the communication committee. “You invest the same amount of money, and you have one vote in what happens within the co-op. It’s an egalitarian system.”
The co-op adheres to the International Co-operative Alliance Principles, which provide a foundation for an open, democratic organization that treats individuals and the entire community with respect.
At this time last year, the first co-op meeting had not been held. Now on the verge of a new phase of the overall mission, there is a real sense of accomplishment.
“Our timeline is based in reality, but it is ambitious,” Christeson said. “There are co-ops that have worked for eight years to open, and we’re on a three-year schedule, which we know is possible based on the research we have done.”
Despite the speed at which the process is moving, there is a strong sense of deliberation at each step of the process.
“We’re doing it thoughtfully, carefully,” Wright said, noting, “it takes a lot of hours to do something like this.”
Despite the hard work involved, the group is focused, well organized and driven.
“This will be a convenient place to shop,” Mathern-Jacobsen said, “where people will feel good about buying food they know is healthy for themselves, for the people that grew it, and for the land that it came from.”
There is more to the co-op than the storefront, Wright said.
“A major piece of a co-op is education, helping people learn things they wouldn’t have necessarily thought about before,” she said.
As they go through the new year, especially once they are incorporated and seeking members, the Cass Clay Wholesome Food Co-op will also be seeking volunteers. And as this project continues to progress from idea to reality, now is the time to get on board. Ultimately, as Christeson explains, the co-op is “a group of people working together, pooling resources, learning from each other and having fun.”
Make Mine a Co-op
Joining a cooperative is one small step toward bringing locally sourced and organic groceries to your community - and one giant step toward food activism. Read More
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