Kale'in It: Talks About Farmers Markets and Food Justice

This episode is a conversation with Martha Archer, who is the Executive Director for the Mill City Farmers Market. Our conversation is centered around food access and food equity. Specifically, how these topics are important to the mission of the market and affect communities locally and throughout the state. We discussed some of the efforts that the Mill City Farmers Market has taken to initiate change, talked about how SNAP and EBT benefits can be used to help increase access to fresh produce, and we spoke about the LEAFF (Local Emergency Assistance Farmers Fund) program which is helping to support farmers, particularly BIPOC farmers during our current economic crisis. To learn more about the LEAFF program check out: https://thegoodacre.org/leaff/. If you are curious to learn more about Mill City Farmer's Markets efforts, take a look at: https://millcityfarmersmarket.org/impact/. 

This episode is a conversation with Annabella Sardelis, the artist and entrepreneur behind the business Indigo & Snow. Her focus is on creating functional items, such as scarves, or during the last several months, masks. Her mediums include calligraphy, textiles and natural dyes. She creates her pieces in a way that is very conscious of the environmental impact that the mainstream fashion industry has. We spoke about what it means to be an artist with a zero-waste mindset, including how she decides what materials and dyes to use. We also discussed how the pandemic has affected her business and the importance of places like the farmers market not just for farmers but for other local business as well! Check out Indigo & Snow at https://millcityfarmersmarket.org/vendors/indigo-snow/ or at https://www.indigoandsnow.com/.

In this episode, I spoke with Beth Jones who is one of the Market Chefs for the Mill City Farmers Market. She also works at the University of Minnesota Campus Club. In our conversation we covered a wide range of topics from how to explore unfamiliar produce, how to get kids involved in the kitchen, and ways to preserve produce for the winter months! If you are curious about the work of the market chefs take a look here: https://millcityfarmersmarket.org/cooking-classes/. Or, if you are interested in exploring some of their recipes you can explore those as well: https://millcityfarmersmarket.org/recipes/.

In this episode, I spoke with D'Loveantae Allen who is the Communications Director for Green Garden Bakery, a vendor at the Mill City Farmers Market. Green Garden Bakery is a youth-run business that specializes in making vegetable based desserts right here in the city of Minneapolis. We chat about what it means to be a youth-led business, how they come up with dessert ideas, and the many ways that they are making a positive impact for their community. Check out Green Garden Bakery at http://www.greengardenbakery.org/ or https://millcityfarmersmarket.org/vendors/green-garden-bakery/. Or, visit http://www.greengardenbakery.org/get-involved.html if you are interested in supporting the bakery through financial donations or by volunteering. 

Last episode was a conversation with Sarah Holle to learn about the Mill City Farmers Market's food donation program, Greens for Good. One reason that program is successful is because of community partnerships, and one of those partnerships is with Augsburg University. In this episode, we get to hear first from Natalie Jacobson about Augsburg's relationship with Mill City Farmers Market and learn about the other efforts that Augsburg has to improve food security on campus and in the local community. Second, we hear from Brianne Bury, a recent Augsburg graduate, and explore what they have learned and appreciates from their involvement in Augsburg's Campus Kitchen, Campus Cupboard, Community Garden, and with the Greens for Good Program. Check out the previous episode for more information on the Greens for Good Program. If you are curious about the work Augsburg is doing, check them out at https://www.augsburg.edu/campuskitchen/.

Sarah Holle is a Market Manager for the Mill City Famers Market. In this episode, she takes a moment to discuss the food donations program that Mill City Farmers Market has, which is called the Greens for Good Program. The program is an important way that the market is not only able to help improve food security in the surrounding community but also helps support the farmers as well. We discussed how the program works, who it supports and how, how the efforts have expanded during the 2020 season! Check out the program at https://millcityfarmersmarket.org/food-donation/ to learn more or to make a donation to support Greens for Good. 

In our first episode we spoke with Moses Momanyi, the farmer behind Dawn 2 Dusk Farm. Listen to hear Moses' journey from growing up in Kenya to how he became a farmer here in Minnesota. We also talk about changes to market farming with COVID-19 and how he is helping start an incubator farm to teach other small farmers and immigrants midwestern farming practices and how to access land! Check out his farm at https://dawn2duskfarm.com/ or on Instagram @dawn2duskfarms. If you want to learn more about organizations helping farmers from diverse backgrounds get started check out Big Rivers Farms at https://bigriverfarms.thefoodgroupmn.org/.