Minnesota Food Charter
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November 19, 2019

Minnesota Food Charter Network Future Directions

mnfoodcharter Uncategorized

As you may know, the Minnesota Food Charter Network has become inactive without staff. A Transition Team, composed of former Action Team members, was charged with recommending future directions for statewide collaborative work. This blog post outlines these recommendations and directions for future work. The recommendations are based, in part, on recommendations from the 2018 […]

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November 18, 2019

Talk About the Food Charters: States Gather to Share and Learn

Nadja Berneche Uncategorized

Terra Soma, Consultant to Minnesota Food Charter For three days in September (Sept. 17-19, 2019), nearly 80 representatives from 25 states and regions with food system plans, food system backbone organizations, or similar efforts to coordinate a state food system agenda gathered to share lessons, success stories, and challenges. The convening, funded by the Kellogg […]

A Time of Transition
May 10, 2019

A Time of Transition

mnfoodcharter Uncategorized

The Minnesota Food Charter Network is in a time of transition. As you may have heard, the network does not currently have any formal staff. A group of committed network partners have been working together as part of a Transition Team to develop a plan for re-engaging ALL Minnesota food advocates to re-imagine the future of the […]

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January 15, 2019

Importance of Student Involvement for the Future of Food

Jaycie Thomsen Uncategorized

“To be interested in food but not food production is clearly absurd.” – Wendell Berry Everyone eats. That is a fact that cannot be argued. However, in our current food environment, people are increasingly disconnected from their food system. With a growing population and a changing climate, we need change makers, idea generators, and system […]

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December 27, 2018

From the Director – A Farewell to Minnesota Food Charter Champions

Michael Dahl Uncategorized

I write my final “From the Director” with mixed emotions.  Next week, I will be stepping down as Director for the Minnesota Food Charter Network and moving on to work as the Public Policy Director at HOME Line, a Minnesota tenant advocacy organization.  It has been a great honor to work with you for the […]

December 10, 2018

Noelle Harden

Health and Nutrition Educator, University of Minnesota Extension

November 27, 2018

Food Hub Action Team Meeting Recap

mnfoodcharter News

On Friday, November 2, Food Hub Action Team members tuned in from across Minnesota to discuss, share, and collaborate past successes, challenges within their food hub enterprises, potential opportunities for the future. The Food Hub Action Team is comprised of 16 food hub founders, owners, and managers It is co-led by Jim Gehrke, Arlene Jones […]

November 26, 2018

Beverly Dougherty

Owner, Real Food, Inc.

Beverly Dougherty of Willmar, MN is working to make fresh, healthy food more accessible, affordable to consumers and more marketable for local farmers. She owns a small grocery specializing in fresh local foods. Dougherty is piloting a program delivering fresh fruits and vegetables to two childcare programs on tight budgets [...]
Great Lakes Great Apple Crunch Logo
October 25, 2018

Minnesota Great Apple Crunch

mnfoodcharter Uncategorized

The crunch heard ‘round the world, or ‘round the Great Lakes Region at least. On October 11th, students, teachers, state agency workers, and business campuses across the Great Lakes Region crunched into locally and regionally grown apples in support of farm to school purchasing initiatives across the region. According to Stephanie Heim, coordinator of the […]

October 25, 2018

Bertrand Weber

Director of Culinary and Wellness Services, Minneapolis Public Schools

Imagine having to feed yourself a fresh and healthy meal on $1.47. Now, imagine having to feed not only yourself, but 36,000 students with only $1.47 for each student. As Director of Culinary and Wellness Services for the Minneapolis School District, this is the challenge Bertrand Weber faces daily. Bertrand [...]
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October 25, 2018

Communities Across Minnesota Are Making Healthy, Safe, and Affordable Food a Priority

Michael Dahl Uncategorized

Communities Across Minnesota Are Making Healthy, Safe, and Affordable Food a Priority State and local governments, using Minnesota Food Charter strategies, are increasing food access across Minnesota.  In this month’s report I’d like to call attention to three such ways: The Statewide Health Improvement Partnership, a program of the Minnesota Department of Health, is working […]

Lincoln Elementary School Garden-Bemidji 2018
October 23, 2018

How school gardens build a two-generation path to food system change

mnfoodcharter Uncategorized

By Kris Berggren The benefits of a schoolyard garden are immense: getting kids to try new foods and get healthier is one. Connecting a garden to classroom subject matter is another. Developing heightened student – and parent — awareness of our food system and our choices as consumers is another, big-picture benefit. “I see the […]

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September 24, 2018

What we believe is possible

Michael Dahl Uncategorized

I recently attended the Red Lake Nation’s Food Summit.  One of the presenters noted that we must teach our youth that what we believe is possible.   It’s a simple statement that I also found incredibly profound. How many beliefs do you hold for which you’ve thought through how to change those beliefs into reality?  Could […]

September 24, 2018

Happy Dancing Turtle

Organizational Food Charter Champion

You might say Jim Chamberlin tends miniature livestock as part of his work with Happy Dancing Turtle (HDT), a nonprofit organization in Pine River near the heart of Minnesota’s cabin country. That probably deserves an explanation: as HDT’s food and water security coordinator and grounds manager, Chamberlin oversees a two-acre [...]
Lincoln Elementary School Garden-Bemidji 2018
September 24, 2018

Getting serious about school gardens

mnfoodcharter Uncategorized

By Kris Berggren School gardens from St. Paul to Brooklyn Center to Wadena are taking root. They are good for children’s health, can give children a positive sense of purpose and enhance classroom curriculum. For example, children can use math to calculate the size of the beds and spacing of seedlings. They may write a […]

August 29, 2018

Two Harbors Area Food Shelf

Organizational Food Charter Champion

Michelle Miller, executive director of the Two Harbors Area Food Shelf (THAFS), recalled the day she met a mom making her monthly selection there, with two young kids who were visibly (and audibly) excited to see bananas and apples in their cart. “The kids were like: ‘ ‘Nanas!’,” Miller said. Meanwhile [...]
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August 29, 2018

Food sovereignty starts from the ground up

mnfoodcharter Food Charter Champions

By Kris Berggren A thriving garden on the Red Lake Reservation is producing abundant fresh food for the band’s members and is positioned to become a cornerstone of its eventual food sovereignty. The Gitigaanike Training Garden, now in its third year, is a project of 4-Directions Development (4DD), formerly called the Red Lake Entrepreneur Program. […]

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August 29, 2018

Learning from each other: Local and national network collaborations

Michael Dahl News

I have two pieces of exciting news to share in this month’s From the Director report.  First, at our most recent Strategic Team meeting, we approved the formation of a Food Hub Action Team to explore ways Minnesota’s food hubs can collaborate for a more vibrant future.  Second, the Center for Regional Food Systems at […]

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July 30, 2018

Why the Minnesota Food Charter is Important Now, More than Ever

mnfoodcharter Uncategorized

By Jaycie Thomsen, Minnesota Food Charter Network Intern Nearly five years ago, passionate food system advocates began organizing thousands of stakeholders in listening sessions, interviews, and events to create the Minnesota Food Charter, a document to help all Minnesotans gain access to healthy, safe, and affordable food. In the five years since the Minnesota Food […]

July 30, 2018

Jaycie Thomsen

Intern, Minnesota Food Charter Network and Student-athlete, U of MN

The long race for food systems change Helping in her grandmothers’ gardens, cooking with her dad, and hanging out at the dinner table were always part of Jaycie Thomsen’s family culture, so she picked up food skills early. “I got my first chef’s knife when I was 10. I still [...]
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July 30, 2018

Hunger Hurts Children

Michael Dahl Uncategorized

By Michael Dahl, Director of the Minnesota Food Charter Network I grew up poor.  I lived in a shoddy trailer from the 1960s, which had haphazard wafer-board additions tacked on as our family grew.  I lived through many of the experiences that poor families face.  I watched my parents try to reconcile an irreconcilable budget […]

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June 25, 2018

Participatory Grantmaking – Please Share Your Feedback!

mnfoodcharter Food Charter Champions, News

Greetings food systems advocates, network leaders, and Food Charter Champions: The Minnesota Food Charter Network is excited to share a draft participatory grantmaking process with you today. This process is similar to a traditional request for proposals, but with much greater community engagement throughout all stages, including in shaping the proposal and in the final […]

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June 25, 2018

How the 2018 farm bill could impact thousands of Minnesotans

mnfoodcharter News Farm Bill, nutrition programs, SNAP

Talk is ripe in the nation’s Capital about the 2018 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill is a key component in determining the structure and function of the American food system. The bill covers twelve titles from Commodity Programs to Crop Insurance, from Rural Development to Energy. The bill is also the largest source of funding […]

June 20, 2018

John Xiong

Program Assistant, Twin Cities Food Justice

Maybe your mom or dad said things like this at the dinner table, a buffet line, or the family reunion picnic: Don’t let your eyes be bigger than your stomach. Take only what you know you will eat. You better eat everything on your plate. Like your parents, John Xiong [...]
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June 13, 2018

Join us for a summer of learning!

Jared Walhowe Uncategorized

The Minnesota Food Charter Network is offering a series of learning resources throughout 2018 to help food networks and food advocates across Minnesota sharpen their strategic communications skills and hone their network development know-how. We’re offering TWO—you heard that right—TWO different online learning series to help you and your colleagues be persuasive communicators and effective […]

RuralVoices
May 22, 2018

What Do Rural People Think?

mnfoodcharter News

Minnesotan farmers and rural residents are frustrated. They are frustrated that they have been voicing their opinions on major issues, yet little has been done by legislators and government to address them. In the spring and summer of both 2017 and 2018, the Minnesota Farmer’s Union (MFU) hosted 16 Rural Voices Discussions. The events this […]

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May 15, 2018

Let your Congressperson know how important SNAP is to your community

mnfoodcharter News

The Minnesota Food Charter Network supports the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (that is SNAP or what was formerly known as food stamps).  It’s important to let your Congressperson know NOW how important SNAP is to your community: Need to know who your US Representative is?  This will help you out. Call Representative Tim Walz at (202) 225-2472:  Tell him that 50,000 […]

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April 23, 2018

New Resources for Assessing and Strengthening Network Health

Michael Dahl News

Healthy relationships can create incredible power.  As the saying goes, “Two heads are better than one.”  Now, as part of the Minnesota Food Charter Network, we all get to think about how hundreds of people engaged in thousands of overlapping relationships are working as a whole to create a strong, supportive network. Together and statewide, our goal […]

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April 23, 2018

Building a Stronger local food economy on Minnesota’s Iron Range

mnfoodcharter News

The rutabaga, a humble root vegetable that thrives in cool climates and keeps well, is the emblem of a collaborative project nurtured on Minnesota’s Iron Range with two broad aims: to help people with low incomes access healthy fresh food and to create markets for local food producers. In 2013 the Rutabaga Project was born […]

April 19, 2018

David Nicholson

Fare for the Common Good: Farmers Markets as Public Square David Nicholson was drawn to the healthy food movement because, as he says simply, “I really like to eat.” His passion soon became a calling to help others gain access to the same good food he loves, and to help [...]
800-300-Minnesota Food Charter Network
March 28, 2018

The New Minnesota Food Charter Network Strategic Team!

Michael Dahl Uncategorized

I am proud to announce a new and expanded Strategic Team for the Minnesota Food Charter Network, which will meet for its first time on March 29 in St. Cloud, MN. We’ve brought in a number of new voices and improved our representation of Minnesota’s regions and diverse population. As the think-tank for the Minnesota […]

March 28, 2018

Samty Xiong

Equity Specialist, The Food Group

Food shelves in Minnesota are innovating. In recent years, many have made changes to their food offerings, and even their policies, in order to better meet the needs of their communities. Increasingly, food shelves are stocking fresh fruits and veggies, incorporating customer choice models, and launching new mobile programs in [...]
MFC1
March 26, 2018

The Foods They Are a-Changin’

mnfoodcharter Uncategorized

Minnesota kids today aren’t likely to learn at mom’s or grandma’s elbow to bake from scratch, fry up chicken or assemble a tuna casserole. The foods they are a-changin’ (apologies to Bob Dylan). Despite the wealth of cooking knowledge and bountiful cultural food traditions Minnesotans bring to the table, too often families are time-strapped and […]

2017 AC slider update
February 26, 2018

Protecting the health of people, animals, soil, air, and water

mnfoodcharter Food Charter Champions, News

By Jim Chamberlin, President, Sustainable Farming Association Board The Sustainable Farming Association (SFA) has long advocated for a just and equitable food system.  Since its inception 25 years ago, our farmer-to-farmer network has focused on growing food in a manner that protects and restores our soil and water resources. And we’re good at it. However, […]

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February 26, 2018

Announcing the Minnesota Food Charter Champion Map!

mnfoodcharter Food Charter Champions, News

We are pleased to invite you to be a part of a new tool: The Minnesota Food Charter Champion Map. This map was developed by the Learning and Capacity Building Action Team of the Minnesota Food Charter Network. The map is intended to help people connect with information, resources, and others doing similar work in order […]

February 14, 2018

Sara George

Manager, Wabasha Farmers Market. Vice President, Minnesota Farmers Market Association

For Sara George, food access means that everyone has a variety of healthy food choices available to them regardless of their income, budget, location, or education. Sara first became involved in improving healthy food access after she applied for SNAP/EBT benefits for the Wabasha Farmers Market. “It was then that [...]
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January 29, 2018

Make Your Voice Heard on February 6th

mnfoodcharter News

On February 6th, attend your party’s caucus to help improve Minnesota’s food system. This year is an important election year, which presents a great opportunity for us to come together to positively impact our food systems and help make sure MN’s agriculture and food policy is sustainable and just. While it’s important those of us […]

January 18, 2018

Regional Minnesota Food Charter in Action Events Seed Ideas for Future Work Together

Michael Dahl News Food Charter In Action, university of minnesota extension

This past November and December, while attending eight of the nine Regional Minnesota Food Charter in Action events, I was fortunate enough to listen in as over 700 people engaged in meaningful conversations about food. Participants reminisced about how food is deeply embedded in their traditions and favorite memories. In many ways, attendees shared how […]

December 21, 2017

Sheila Packwood

Food Program Director, Minnesota Department of Corrections

According to a 2015 U.S Department of Justice study, half of all incarcerated people in state and federal prisons report having had a chronic illness and are potentially at risk for future medical problems. Thirty percent of incarcerated people have hypertension, 10 percent have heart problems, 9 percent have diabetes, [...]
michael's blog post
December 19, 2017

From the Director: Connecting with other Networks and Food Access Advocates

Michael Dahl News

Earlier this month several Minnesota Food Charter Champions traveled to Boston for the 2017 Community Food Systems Conference. An estimated 500 attendees from the fields of community food security, social justice, and sustainable agriculture gathered to discuss their range of perspectives, how these areas overlap, and how to support one another’s work. While the whole […]

convo blog
December 18, 2017

Changing Systems Takes Effective Persuasion: Communicating for Impact

Maggi Adamek News food equity, frames, Frameworks Institute

These days, many people are interested in finding ways to build bridges across difference, find common ground, and work together to advance changes that benefit the public good. That’s why the Minnesota Food Charter is so powerful. A shared roadmap developed by thousands of Minnesotans, the Food Charter is composed of 99 proven policy and […]

network blog post
December 15, 2017

Network Evaluation: Phases and Patterns

mnfoodcharter News

Social-impact networks don’t happen overnight—they evolve. Peter Plasrik, Madeline Taylor, and John Cleveland council in their book Connecting to Change the World: Recognizing a network’s potential evolutionary patterns can help you to anticipate and manage opportunities and challenges likely to come your way. (2014, p. 104) The development of a network’s capability, what its members […]

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November 21, 2017

From the Director: November Update

Michael Dahl News

You should be a Minnesota Food Charter Champion! Stacy Hammer, a registered dietitian with the Lower Sioux Health Care Center, works to get healthier food options served at community meetings, powwows, funerals, and other important widely attended events hosted at the community center or the tribe’s casino. Janneke Quick Sobeck, Director for Live Well Winona and […]

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November 19, 2017

Mapping the Connectivity of Network Leaders in Minnesota

Michael Dahl News

Prepared by: Johnstad & Associates A key ingredient of network health is connectivity—how and the degree to which members are connected to each other.  Network mapping is a great way for people to cultivate a network mindset and actually see themselves as part of a network. Network mapping helps participants see, analyze and act to […]

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November 18, 2017

Implementing Food Charter Strategies Statewide

Michael Dahl News

Prepared by: Johnstad & Associates We have some great news to share. At the beginning of October, we worked with Jamie Bain from University of Minnesota Extension to send out a brief survey to all the local, regional, and statewide networks and groups identified as working on improving access to, availability of, and/or affordability of healthy foods […]

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November 14, 2017

Minnesota Food Charter in Action Series Events Spark Important Conversations

Michael Dahl News

Throughout November and December, nine Minnesota Food Charter in Action events are taking place to build momentum for creating a Minnesota where its residents have reliable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food no matter where they live or how much money they have. Specifically, our goals are to: Build and strengthen relationships; Recognize and […]

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November 3, 2017

Minnesota Food Charter in Action Series

mnfoodcharter News Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, Center for Prevention, minnesota department of health, Minnesota Food Charter Network, university of minnesota extension

From to Marshall to Mountain Iron, big things are happening in the Minnesota Food Charter Network. To continue to support local and regional food access work, the University of Minnesota Extension is coordinating the Minnesota Food Charter in Action series—nine events across the state in November and December to bring together community members, key decision […]

michael blog
October 23, 2017

From the Director: Minnesota Food Charter Network Sets Strategic Priorities

Michael Dahl News Food Charter, Michael Dahl, Minnesota Food Charter Network, strategy

The Minnesota Food Charter Network’s vision is that all Minnesotans can have reliable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food in the places the work, learn, live, and play. Minnesota Food Charter Network Champions carry out this work and represent many sectors, working together to foster healthy food skills, healthy food environments, and a healthy […]

October 23, 2017

Colleen Moriarty

Executive Director, Hunger Solutions

For Colleen Moriarty, executive director of Hunger Solutions, the mark of a successful movement is when you’re no longer identified as where you come from, but instead where you want to be. That’s how she sees the food access movement in Minnesota, specifically work resulting from the Food Access Summit. [...]
maggi blog
October 23, 2017

Mobilizing Food Networks in Minnesota

Maggi Adamek News food networks, health equity, hunger relief, Minnesota, minnesota food charter, public health

Across the country, communities continue to innovate and connect with the shared aim of improving reliable access to safe, affordable, healthy food. In Minnesota–under the umbrella of the Minnesota Food Charter Network–and beyond, many continue to advance state policy, work through local government channels, create new policies and priorities in organizations, and foster powerful collaborations […]

fapg
October 6, 2017

Thinking Ahead and Working Together: Comprehensive Planning Underway

mnfoodcharter News

Our state is stronger when everyone has access to opportunities for health, security, prosperity, and quality of life. However, in Minnesota, we face serious issues related to food and health—nearly 900,000 Minnesota residents live in lower-income communities with insufficient grocery store access. Policies and plans are needed to create environments where the healthy choice is […]

director update
September 22, 2017

Fall Update from the Director

Michael Dahl News David Manuel, director, Johnstad & Associates, Michael Dahl, minnesota food charter, Network Weaver, Red Lake Local Food Initiative, Red Lake Nation, university of minnesota extension

An update from Minnesota Food Charter Network Director Michael Dahl: Minnesota Food Charter Champion Honored with National Award Congratulations to Minnesota Food Charter Champion David Manuel for being honored with the National Indian Health Board Outstanding Service Award on September 27. David was recognized for affecting change and improving the health of Red Lake Nation. […]

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September 20, 2017

Are you a Network Weaver?

Sara Blair Uncategorized

Prepared by: Johnstad & Associates Healthy networks have people who fulfill the role of Network Weaver. Are you a Network Weaver? Here are some good questions about this role. Why is this role important? How would I know if I’m effectively playing this role? Network Weavers share information about the Minnesota Food Charter Network with […]

david blog
September 19, 2017

Honoring Tradition and Embracing Innovation at the Red Lake Nation Food Summit

Michael Dahl News David Manuel, Food Summit, Land Stewardship Project, Red Lake Local Foods Initiative, Red Lake Nation, Rowen White, Seed Savers Exchange

For the second year in a row, Red Lake Nation members and others from around the region gathered earlier this month at the Redby Community Center, the Red Lake Local Foods Initiative training garden, and the Red Lake Nation College to learn all about Indigenous food. Participants explored a range of topics, including Indigenous seed […]

August 29, 2017

Lillian Otieno

Produce Safety Outreach Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Agriculture

When Lillian Otieno joined the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) as an intern last year, she was assigned an important project—to develop a web-based licensing and food safety information tool. At the time, the project was just an idea on a piece of paper. “The concept was in diagram form [...]
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August 24, 2017

Rural Voices Discussions: The Next Farm Bill

Michael Dahl News, Uncategorized Farm Bill, farmers, food shelf, Michael Dahl, Minnesota Farmers Union, Rural Voice Discussions, SNAP

Excerpts from the Minnesota Farmers Union’s August 1, 2017 report Rural Voices Discussions: The Next Farm Bill There is an ever-present question on the minds of policymakers and the media: What do rural people think? In no area is this as true as when it’s time to build a new federal Farm Bill. As the United […]

August 11, 2017

Janneke Quick Sobeck

Director of Live Well Winona; SHIP Co-Coordinator for Winona County

When you ask Janneke Quick Sobeck, Director of Live Well Winona, what challenges she sees in Minnesota’s food system, she readily supplies two major issues. The first is the cost of healthy food at the supermarket, and how high prices often makes it difficult for people to provide nutritious meals [...]
HONU2
July 21, 2017

New Ulm: A Community Becoming A Beacon to Improving Healthy Behavior

Michael Dahl Health Equity, News Heart of New Ulm, Hearts Beat Back

Want to be inspired? Watch the short documentary “The Story of New Ulm:  A Population Health Transformation.” You’ll learn that in focusing on the social determinants of health, New Ulm, in the words of New Ulm Medical Center’s President Toby Freier, has “improved by 7% the level of hypertension within a community, … has stabilized […]

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July 21, 2017

How Do People Feel Connected To A Network?

mnfoodcharter News

By: Johnstad & Associates Here is a good question that someone recently posed to us:  How do people feel connected to a network and what role can evaluation play? Developing strong connections among members is the foundation for three types of network actions: Members exchange information easily and are then learning because of the interchange. […]

Shared Gifting
July 18, 2017

Shared Gifting Circle Supports Food Charter Implementation in Minnesota

Noelle Harden News food availability, food infrastructure, food skills, Shared gifting, university of minnesota extension

On May 4th, 2017, twenty Extension staff and community partners met to participate in a shared gifting circle, an innovative approach to participatory grantmaking pioneered by RSF Social Finance. During the process, grant recipients collectively determined how $36,000 would be allocated amongst their proposed “action projects.” The circle was part of an Issue Area grant-funded […]

July 17, 2017

Connie Carlson

Executive Director, Crow River Food Council

For Connie Carlson, relationships are everything. As Executive Director of the Crow River Food Council (Wright County region), President of the Crow River Chapter of the Sustainable Farming Association, and a natural community organizer—she builds connections between people, ideas, and resources every day. Community connections are especially important for the [...]
MNcapital
June 21, 2017

I’m Grateful for Your Advocacy

Michael Dahl Health Equity, News Beginning Farmers, farm to school, food shelves, Good Food Access Program, Market Bucks, SHIP

By: Michael Dahl I am grateful for everyone who contacted their legislators with the goal of making sure everyone has reliable access to healthy, affordable, and safe food. Because of your hard work, vital programs were maintained (e.g. the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership, Market Bucks), some received increased funding (e.g. food shelves and the Good […]

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June 21, 2017

How Network Evaluation Leads to Action

Jared Walhowe Uncategorized Network Evaluation

Prepared by:  Johnstad & Associates Someone asked me the other day just what is the purpose of our evaluation work and how will the data be used. Good questions. First some reminders. Never forget that Minnesota’s food system is complex. Underneath this system is a set of networks holding the old ways in place that […]

nat food policy
June 21, 2017

Blueprint for a National Food Policy: Aligning National Food Policy Strategies

Nadja Berneche News Farm Bill, food policy, food systems, Harvard Law School, SNAP, Vermont Law School, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, WIC

Did you know that 15 different federal agencies regulate our food? Despite the complexity of our food system, there is no formal structure for coordination, collaboration, or communication among these federal agencies. We know the resulting system is full of challenges and contradictions, without clear alignment to tackle the serious issues of diet-related diseases, food […]

June 14, 2017

Hannah Colby

Coordinator, Aitkin County Statewide Health Improvement Partnership Program

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” says Hannah Colby, Aitkin County’s Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) coordinator, quoting Benjamin Franklin. Formerly a clinical dietitian, Colby noticed a “revolving door” trend of clients who made eating changes to address chronic conditions—but often found themselves back in the [...]
Woodchuck Community Farms
June 6, 2017

Seeds of Sustainability Build Community

Jared Walhowe News Fargo Farmers Market, Moorhead, SNAP, Woodchuck Community Farms

Christian Schultz and Kayla Prismore are new generation farmers – neither grew up farming. Through Woodchuck Community Farms, they rent land from Kayla’s family near Moorhead, where they live and work. The couple met in high school in Minneapolis and began farming right after college. His interest in sustainable, organic food production derived partly from […]

June 6, 2017

Stacy Hammer

Registered Dietitian, Lower Sioux Health Care Center

It’s no secret the diabetes rate is high in many of Minnesota’s Native American communities. The Lower Sioux Community, where Stacy Hammer works, is no exception. Hammer, the first registered dietitian with the Lower Sioux Health Care Center, runs a culturally-specific diabetes program as well as an elder nutrition program. [...]
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May 17, 2017

Overview of Network Health and Evaluation Tools

mnfoodcharter Uncategorized

The evaluation of the health and effectiveness of the Minnesota Food Charter Network is intended to contribute to the network to achieve its potential in fostering the deep changes that need to occur in our food system. Johnstad and Associates are in the process of developing a set of tools to assess Minnesota Food Charter […]

May 16, 2017

Megan Myrdal

Cass Clay Food Commission

As a farmer’s daughter from northeast North Dakota, Megan Myrdal cares how food is grown and how it’s marketed and sold. And as a registered dietician, she cares what people eat. She believes everyone deserves access to good, healthy, affordable food. “Food has been at the center of my life [...]
friesens
April 25, 2017

Mankato Business Owners Catalyze Local Food Movement

Michael Dahl News community supported agriculture, CSA, Food Hub, Friesen's Bakery & Bistro, Mankato, Public Health Law Center, Roots, Shoots and Boots, William Mitchell School of Law

To say Mankato hungered for new dining options might be an understatement. When Friesen’s Bakery & Bistro opened three years ago, they had to close early several times because they’d run out of food. Within two weeks, co-owners Natasha Frost, her husband Tony Friesen, and family member Spencer Vanderhof expanded their operation. Eventually, they opened […]

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April 24, 2017

Stages of Network Development and Role of Evaluation

mnfoodcharter Uncategorized

Did you see the front-page article in the Sunday Star Tribune (April 24, 2017) about the demand for local food? It highlights some of the great work in Minnesota and the strides that have been made in the past 15 years. For example, the number of Minnesota Grown farmers markets have increased statewide from 45 in […]

felt garden
April 20, 2017

Back to Basics in the Barnyard with the Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota

Michael Dahl News AgLab, agriculture, BOOMCHICKAPOP, Children's Museum of Southern Minnesota, Grow it Gallery, Minnesota Pork Producers Association, youth education

The popular Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota is surely geared to its target audience of children from birth through 10. The Mankato museum offers numerous indoor and outdoor displays and gardens, opportunities to see live animals up close, and child-sized garden tools available for those who want to dig in. One of the organization’s clear […]

legislation
April 5, 2017

With Session Heating Up, What’s the Temp of Food Charter Legislative Opportunities?

Maggi Adamek News farm to school, food shelves, Forever Green, hunger relief, Hunger Solutions, legislation, SHIP, University of Minnesota

The Minnesota Food Charter is a shared roadmap of 99 proven policy and systems changes strategies that will improve health and prosperity for all Minnesotans. Out of those 99 strategies, more than 20 require state and legislative action to ensure safe, affordable, healthy food for everyone. With the state legislative session heating up, we wanted […]

April 5, 2017

Robin Schow

Research Assistant at University of Minnesota, Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives Institute

If you measure it, better understanding will come. At least that’s the approach Robin Schow, Research Assistant at the University of Minnesota’s Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives Institute (HFHL), is taking with HFHL’s two-year food skills assessment study. Funded by a Cargill Foundation grant, the study seeks to establish a food [...]
December 14, 2016

Randel Hanson

Geography Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota Duluth

Just a generation ago, most people in Minnesota had a one- or two-degree connection to a farm. Whether by growing up on a farm or enjoying fresh vegetables picked that day from a neighbor down the road or at the local market—people generally understood where their food came from and [...]
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December 12, 2016

Closing the Health Equity Gap: How the Minnesota Food Charter Can Help

Vayong Moua News equity, food access, Food Trust, good food access fund, grocery store, health equity, Minnesota, Minnesota Food Charter Network, SNAP

The Minnesota Food Charter is designed to ensure that all Minnesotans have reliable access to safe, affordable, healthy food. Why? When it comes to health, not everyone is on a level playing field. In many parts of the state, certain communities experience disproportionate rates of diet-related chronic diseases (such as heart disease, cancer, obesity, and […]

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December 10, 2016

Minnesota Food Charter Network Update: Policy Priorities

mnfoodcharter News agriculture, food policy, healthcare, hunger relief, policy, policy action team, public health, systems change

The Minnesota Food Charter contains 99 proven policy and systems changes strategies designed to increase reliable access to safe, affordable, healthy food for all Minnesotans. There are over twenty policy strategies contained in the Food Charter that are focused on state-level policy action. If implemented, these policies are designed to move the dial on creating […]

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December 9, 2016

Parallel Events Demonstrate the Power of the Minnesota Food Charter Network

Michael Dahl News community, Congressman Rick Nolan, food access, Food Charter, Governor Mark Dayton, leadership, Minnesota, network, Senator Al Franken

“We Are the Champions” blared out of the hotel’s sound system.  At the same time nearly 80 food network leaders from over 40 local, regional, or issue-based networks snaked their way around the ballroom.  When the music stopped, pairs — in quick interactions — shared how they were championing Minnesota Food Charter strategies in their […]

October 28, 2016

Mary Marczak

Director of Urban Family Development and Evaluation, University of Minnesota Extension Center for Family Development

Mary Marczak—Director of Urban Family Development and Evaluation at the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Family Development—is extremely humble about her past. When she speaks about her efforts to help educate recent immigrants about food systems in the United States, she notes the personal reasons that drive her to [...]
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September 26, 2016

On the Road with the Minnesota Food Funders Network

Sara Blair News, Uncategorized Cannon River Watershed Partnership, cover crops, economic prosperity, food access, Hmong American Farmers Association, Main Street Project, Minnesota Food Funders Network, regenerative agriculture, rural Minnesota, water quality

Last week, the Minnesota Food Charter joined Minnesota Food Funders Network members to visit three farms that practice sustainable agriculture and reflect several Food Charter strategies. The Cannon River Watershed Partnership, Main Street Project, and Hmong American Farmers Association all led important conversations with tour participants on food access, water quality, cover crops, regenerative agriculture, […]

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September 26, 2016

How Federal Policies are Helping to Shape Our “Foodscape”

Maggi Adamek Health Equity, News Affordable Care Act, agriculture, antibiotic use, breastfeeding, farm enterprises, federal policies, healthy kids, hunger, legislation, Obama Administration

The 99 strategies contained in the Minnesota Food Charter include myriad federal policy recommendations—spanning seed to table, research to education, technology to taxation. Indeed, the simple reality is many changes to our food systems can only occur at the federal level, with the federal government playing a major role to guide the evolution of the […]

September 26, 2016

Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin

Chief Strategy Officer, Main Street Project

Main Street Project Chief Strategy Officer Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin has a dream to revitalize rural Midwest communities—and it begins with a chicken. According to Reginaldo—or Regi, for short—a poultry-centered regenerative agricultural model can chart a course toward prosperity for Latino immigrant families, boost local economies, and provide healthier food that all [...]
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September 20, 2016

Network 201: Food Network Pro-Tips

Maggi Adamek Health Equity, News change, collaboration, content knowledge, Minnesota Food Charter Network, network, strategy, university of minnesota extension

This article is the second of three in a series on developing successful food networks. Across Minnesota, food and agriculture coalitions—also called food networks—are cropping up all the time (pun intended). With ~70 food networks in Minnesota in various phases of development and activity, communities across our state recognize the value and potential that these […]

September 8, 2016

Cheryal Lee Hills

Region Five Development Commission

A new narrative about rural Minnesota is being written—not a story of decline, but one of prosperity and innovation. Not a story of isolation, but one of community and collaboration. By all accounts, Cheryal Lee Hills and the Region Five Development Commission (R5DC) have played a major role in shaping [...]
June 22, 2016

So what is a food network, anyway?

Maggi Adamek News food coalition, food issue network, minnesota food charter, minnesota food network

Communities across the country have established local, regional, and issue-specific food and agriculture coalitions, often referred to as ‘food policy councils,’ ‘community food partnerships,’ or ‘food networks.’ These groups pursue systems and policy changes that can enhance the health and vitality of our food supply. In Minnesota, we have more than 20 of these food […]

June 21, 2016

DeVon Nolen

Market and Outreach Manager for the West Broadway Farmers Market

DeVon Nolen is a big-picture person. When thinking about healthy food affordability, she knows it’s not just about making the price of tomatoes cheaper. It’s also about education—educating those in poverty on purchasing and preparing healthy foods, educating policymakers on the importance of food affordability, and educating the community at [...]
June 20, 2016

On Health Equity by Commissioner of Health Dr. Ed Ehlinger

mnfoodcharter Health Equity, News

When it comes to good health in our state, not everyone has a level playing field. This has dire consequences for disadvantaged Minnesotans, but there’s a growing awareness that health disparities make it harder for everyone in a community to achieve full health. At one time, Minnesota was the healthiest state in the nation. In […]

April 18, 2016

David Manuel

Enrolled member and resident of the Red Lake Nation and community food educator

April 5, 2016

Minnesota Food Charter Network Hires First Director

mnfoodcharter News Michael Dahl, Minnesota Food Charter Network

The Minnesota Food Charter Network—the statewide network, rooted in Minnesota Food Charter strategies, that supports and fosters shared action towards healthy food access for all— recently hired Michael Dahl as its first director. Dahl took office April 1. Michael brings more than 20 years of economic justice advocacy and lobbying experience to the Network. He […]

Minnesota Food Charter
March 31, 2016

Building a Healthy Food Future for All Minnesota Communities: An Introduction to the Good Food Access Fund

mnfoodcharter News good food access fund

A lot of Minnesota communities don’t have easy access to a store that sells healthy, affordable food. It’s a big problem for many city neighborhoods and remote rural communities across the state. However, to the rescue, comes the Minnesota Food Charter. Armed with its 99 strategies to create a Minnesota with healthy, affordable and safe […]

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March 30, 2016

Food Charter Champion Profile: David Manuel

mnfoodcharter Food Charter Champions, News Anishinaabe, Food Charter Champions, foodways, Red Lake Nation, tribal communities

David Manuel is an enrolled member and resident of the Red Lake Nation; he’s also a Food Charter Champion. Year-round, David can be found in the woods, on the lake, and in the garden. This time of year, he is just winding up ‘sugarbush’ – tapping maple trees, boiling sap, and making maple syrup and […]

Winona County Food Partnership Team
March 7, 2016

Winona County Food Partnership Team convenes to address food insecurity

mnfoodcharter Health Equity, News food access, food partnerships, health equity, healthy food, minnesota food, minnesota food access

This article was originally published on Winona Daily News and written by Marcia Ratliff, a Winona Daily News reporter covering wellness, environment and arts topics.  A healthy diet plays a big role in a healthy lifestyle, and the newly-formed Community Food Partnership Team is working to make sure every Winona County resident has access to […]

Minnesota Food Funders Network
January 20, 2016

Funding to Fight Disparities: Minnesota’s Food Funders Address Health Equity Issues

mnfoodcharter Health Equity, Minnesota Food Funders Network, News food access, food funding, food systems, health equity, minnesota food, minnesota food access

By: Sue Letourneau, Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, and Pam Bishop, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation There is strong legacy of creative work and collaboration between Minnesota’s funding community and hunger relief organizations and coalitions that have led to real impact. As funders who work at the intersection of food, […]

December 4, 2015

Leveling the Playing Field

Lindsi Gish Health Equity, News center for prevention at blue cross and blue shield of minnesota, health equity, minnesota department of health, mn food charter

The Minnesota Food Charter Health Equity Guide Offers Resources to Improve Healthy Food Access for all Communities While Minnesota’s food system requires myriad changes to ensure healthy, safe, and affordable food is accessible for everyone—Minnesotans of color and American Indians are disproportionately affected by these issues. Cultural barriers, such as institutional and economic inequities, human […]

October 29, 2015

Safe Food, Local Meats

Lindsi Gish News

New funding means more support for Minnesota meat processing facilities. Last month, we told you about the recent bill passage that made it possible for inmates to obtain butcher licensures while serving time—not only providing them an opportunity to thrive after their sentences are complete, but also to support the small meat processing industry in […]

September 24, 2015

Bolstering Butcher Licensures

Lindsi Gish News

A recently-passed bill will create more licensed butchers in Minnesota, supporting the Northeast region and keeping farms connected to consumers. While Minnesotans’ appetite for locally-processed meat is as hearty as ever, the unfortunate reality is that small-town butchers are fewer and farther between than ever before. Two-thirds of the owners of small Minnesota meat processing […]

August 21, 2015

Rob Zeaske

Chief Executive Officer, Second Harvest Heartland

For the one in 10 Minnesotans struggling with hunger, fresh produce is often out of reach whether due to cost or other access barriers. At the same time, millions of pounds of food from grocery store shelves across the state go unused each year. Second Harvest Heartland’s Food Rescue program [...]
August 21, 2015

Rhys Williams

Executive Director, The Good Acre

Combine people, produce, purpose, and passion and what do you get? The Good Acre—a nonprofit food hub that operates programs to support local agriculture efforts in and around the Twin Cities. The food hub’s main goal is to expand the market for immigrant and underserved farmers by building a strong [...]
August 21, 2015

Pakou Hang

Founder and Executive Director, Hmong American Farmers Association

Raised in a family of immigrants where farming was passed down through generations, and with parents who grew and sold produce to put her and her siblings through college—Pakou Hang has a long history in agriculture. “Some of my earliest and fondest memories are of summertime at the farm right [...]
August 21, 2015

Nadja Berneche

Healthy Comprehensive Plan Director, Terra Soma

Policy connoisseur, communicator, collaborator, social justice advocate, and food lover. Add it all together, and you get Nadja Berneche, Healthy Comprehensive Plan Director with Terra Soma. In her role of Healthy Comprehensive Plan Director, Nadja says a big part of her work is to bridge communication gaps. As a self-proclaimed [...]
August 21, 2015

Michelle Horovitz

Co-Founder & Executive Director, Appetite for Change

When hobbies, passions, and professional opportunities align—magical things happen. For Michelle Horovitz, executive director of Appetite for Change, the intersection of her passion for food and commitment to social change led her to her current food access work. “My background as a public defender and a professional cook led me [...]
August 21, 2015

Mary Jo Forbord

Coordinator, Morris Healthy Eating, University of Minnesota, Morris

Americans living in rural areas are four times more likely to lack access to a healthy food retailer than those who live in urban areas, according the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In the small southwestern town of Morris, Minnesota, community members and university students have banded together [...]
August 21, 2015

Maria Regan González

Health Equity Program Manager, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

As an undergraduate in Global Studies and Spanish at the University of Minnesota, Food Charter Champion Maria Regan Gonzalez spent a year in Ecuador working alongside an indigenous farming collaborative. The collaborative focused on strengthening local economies by using traditional and organic farming practices. This life-changing opportunity helped Maria to [...]
August 21, 2015

Lori Kratchmer

Executive Director, The Food Group

When people struggle to find enough to eat, they often find themselves turning to a local food shelf for assistance. Canned goods and other non-perishable food items are important and appreciated, but fresh, nutritious, and culturally-specific food can be hard to come by—particularly for those struggling with hunger who count [...]
August 21, 2015

Kristen Klingler

Senior Public Health Specialist, Minneapolis Department of Health

Knowing what to eat is important, but having access to healthy food options matters too. While it’s easy to find healthy foods at a supermarket or co-op, residents in some communities must shop for groceries at corner stores, gas stations, and other general retailers where nutritious choices are often very [...]
August 21, 2015

Katherine Mackedanz

Community Planning Unit Manager, Todd County Health & Human Services

Access to healthy and affordable food is not only an urban problem—it can also be a significant challenge for rural residents. Every day, individuals and families who live in rural regions face myriad  challenges that put them at risk of missing meals, or simply not getting the nutrition they need [...]
August 21, 2015

Joan Nelson MacLeod

Vice President, Damon Farber Landscape Architects

An inadequate food infrastructure is like an inadequate transportation system of vehicles, roads, and bridges—it’s difficult to get where you want to go without reliable food supply chain operations, facilities, and services in place. Joan Nelson MacLeod, Vice President at Damon Farber Landscape Architects, is working to bridge gaps in [...]
August 21, 2015

Gina Nolte

Director, PartnerSHIP 4 Health

Making big changes to a community’s food system can’t happen overnight, and it can’t happen without the collaboration of myriad people and organizations. According to Gina Nolte, the best way to ensure healthy, affordable, safe food access for all Minnesotans is through perseverance and partnerships. And she’s leading the way [...]
August 20, 2015

Eric Weiss

Healthy Improvement Project Manager, Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota

Eric Weiss—Healthy Improvement Project Manager with the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota—unexpectedly found his way into food access work while helping run the New Hope Farmers Market through his previous job as a city planner. As residents’ interest in food production increased, so, too, [...]
August 20, 2015

CeAnn Klug

Associate Program Director, University of Minnesota Extension

A national survey from the anti-hunger group Share Our Strength recently found nearly 80 percent of low- and moderate-income families cook evening meals at least five times per week, and two-thirds said they want to learn more about making healthy food. That contradicts a commonly-held notion that low-income families often [...]
August 20, 2015

Amanda Stoelb

Associate Director, Youth Farm

In five different neighborhoods across the Twin Cities, there are small plots of land that grow food. But these plots—run by Youth Farm—grow more than just vegetables. They grow leaders. They grow food as a tool to change the world. Amanda Stoelb is Youth Farm’s Associate Director, and has worked [...]
August 20, 2015

Amanda Shongo

Statewide Health Improvement Programs (SHIP) Coordinator, Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe

When Amanda Shongo was young, she didn’t always know where her next meal would come from. Even when her family did have food to eat, there was never enough. “My passion for food access, sustainable food systems, and food sovereignty stems from my personal history growing up in extreme poverty,” [...]
August 20, 2015

Bernie Hesse

Director of Special Projects, Legislative and Political Action, UFCW Local 1189

People who grow, harvest, clean, process, pack, deliver, and prepare our food work hard, long hours for low pay—pay so low they often can’t afford healthy food for themselves and their families. That’s where Bernie Hesse and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) Local 1189 come in. [...]
August 4, 2015

Kris Igo

Associate Director, Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives Institute, University of Minnesota

Early in her career, before focusing on teaching food skills, Kris Igo worked in restaurants and wine retail—where eating food is regarded as a pleasurable and communal experience. “Spending time with local chefs inspired my interests in cooking and new flavors,” Kris explained. “Being a wine educator taught me the [...]
May 28, 2015

Financing a Healthy Food Future: Minnesota’s Food Funders Come Together to Build a Coordinated Healthy Food Funding Ecosystem

Lindsi Gish News

The Food Charter offers effective, publicly-supported ways to improve all Minnesotans’ health through changes in food environments and furthering collaboration within our food and farm economy. By implementing strategies outlined in the Food Charter, we can ensure a healthy, safe food supply—and support the state’s future prosperity, including reducing healthcare costs, increasing worker productivity, and supporting […]

April 30, 2015

Food System Innovators Convening on the U of M Campus

Lindsi Gish News

Today, a strategic group of 50 decision-makers working in food and farm financing and technical assistance are convening at the University of Minnesota to explore together how to align and strengthen our state’s ecosystem of these resources to increase the health and prosperity of all communities. Hosted by the Minnesota Food Funders Network, “Our Common Table: […]

April 23, 2015

Session Strategies:Legislating Healthy Food Access

mnfoodcharter News farm to foodshelf, food infrastructure, legislative session, meat processing, mnfoodcharter, Omnibus Agriculture policy, urban agriculture

Several Food Charter-related requests are working their way through the busy legislative session—particularly around food infrastructure strategies to improve food safety and inspections, promoting the development of urban agriculture, and restoring regionally-scaled processing facilities across the state. Here’s a bit more detail about the bills moving through the legislature: SF1459 – The Omnibus Agriculture policy bill, […]

March 26, 2015

Food Charter Ground Game in Full Effect: Featuring communities and individuals across the state working to make healthy, safe, and affordable food accessible to all

Lindsi Gish Food Charter Champions, News cass clay, cass county, clay county, food policy, food policy council, hamline midway, kate mudge, leech lake band of ojibwe, metro food access network, metropolitan food systems plan, MFAN, midway nest, minnesota food charter, mn food charter, mnfoodcharter

For years, people across the state have been working across sectors, across communities, across county lines, across Indian Country, to ensure healthy, safe, and affordable food is accessible to everyone. From hunger relief to family farms, we’ve made significant progress over the years towards a healthy food future for Minnesota. The launch of the Minnesota […]

January 29, 2015

A Look Forward to 2015

mnfoodcharter News

For Food Charter Champions across Minnesota, 2014 was a year marking an important step forward. For three years, leaders from many sectors, interests, and communities, worked together to engage the public and produce the Minnesota Food Charter and Schools Leader Guide. These two documents offer proven and specific policy and systems change strategies identified by […]

December 22, 2014

Food Charter Champion Spotlight: Mini-Guide Champions

mnfoodcharter News

Organizations and individuals across the state are working diligently on advancing Food Charter strategies in various settings. To help with this important work, we’ve developed seven setting-specific mini-guides to help stakeholders learn more about healthy food access issues in places they live, learn, work, and play. The mini-guides offer recommendations and strategies to help implement […]

November 19, 2014

Food Charter Champion Spotlight: Kristen Klingler and the Staple Foods Ordinance Amendment

mnfoodcharter News

For many years, organizations and individuals across Minnesota have worked diligently in pursuit of a healthy food future. The Minnesota Food Charter reflects a useful synthesis of numerous, vetted policy and systems change strategies many already believed were needed; its October launch offered a way to share this change agenda in a cohesive and broad […]

October 29, 2014

The Food Charter Launches Today

mnfoodcharter News

The time has come! The Food Charter launches today at the Food Access Summit in Duluth, Minnesota. Thousands of Minnesotans have come together in preparation for this exciting moment in history. The Food Charter will serve as a roadmap to guide policymakers and community leaders in advancing access to affordable, safe, and healthy food for […]

August 12, 2014

Good Eats for Growing Minds: The Importance of Healthy Food for Pre-K Children

mnfoodcharter News

Through partnerships with community organizations and state and local leaders, Minnesota has spent the past decade building support for young children to ensure they’re set up for a lifetime of academic success. But success in school isn’t the only thing that can be impacted by early intervention; the foundations for a lifetime of healthy eating […]

July 14, 2014

Protecting the Producers: Improving Healthy Food Access for New Immigrant Communities

mnfoodcharter News

New immigrants are significant drivers of Minnesota’s food system—not only are they food consumers, but they also play an important role in the growing and distribution of food for local markets. New immigrants work on and own farms, in restaurants, and in supermarkets and other food stores. Their influence on how and what we eat […]

June 12, 2014

Better Health for the Bottom Line: Challenges and Solutions for Healthy Food Access in Minnesota Workplaces

mnfoodcharter News

The majority of Minnesota’s residents spend a significant amount of their time at work; many employees eat or purchase food there. Creating healthy food environments at work can significantly impact what Minnesotans eat and, in turn, their overall health. A healthy workforce keeps healthcare costs down and employee productivity up. A Harvard study has shown […]

May 5, 2014

Healthy Food Access in Indian Country

mnfoodcharter News

Over the past few months, we’ve shared findings from the Minnesota Food Charter statewide public input process, focusing on food equity issues in communities, schools, and healthcare settings on our Third Thursday webinars. This month, we’ll explore the challenges and solutions for healthy food access in Native communities. We’ll focus on how tribally-led initiatives and […]

April 9, 2014

Healthy Food = Healthy Bodies: A Vision for Healthy Food Access and Equity in Healthcare Settings

mnfoodcharter News

During the past few months, we’ve shared findings collected from the Minnesota Food Charter public input process, with a focus on healthy communities and the importance of good nutrition in learning environments like schools. This month, we look at healthcare and how one of Minnesota’s largest industries can also be one of the most effective […]

March 13, 2014

Minnesota Communities Play Role in Foods We Grow and Eat

mnfoodcharter News

Minnesota Food Charter Public Input Findings: Community Setting This month, Dr. Kathy Draeger, Statewide Director for the Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships at the University of Minnesota and Minnesota Food Charter Steering Committee member, will host our “Third Thursday” webinar: “For Our Healthy Future: Communities And Healthy Food Access.” It’s widely recognized that food access is […]

February 12, 2014

Healthy Food Access for Minnesota Youth

mnfoodcharter News

Minnesota Food Charter Public Input Findings: School Setting In last month’s newsletter, we told you a little more about the public input process for the Minnesota Food Charter and gave a sneak peek into some of the findings that were presented at the January 29 “For Our Healthy Food Future: Food Charter Findings.” More than […]

January 23, 2014

Minnesota Food Charter sets one big menu

mnfoodcharter News

“The menu has been chosen, and now comes the challenge of preparing all that has been ordered. More than 2,000 people across Minnesota participated in 127 regional events to draft Minnesota’s Food Charter, which aims to guide state agencies and others on how to increase access to healthy foods.” Read the rest of the story […]

January 19, 2014

Public Input Provides Direction for Food Charter Creation

mnfoodcharter News

In just 12 months’ time, thousands of Minnesotans – the general public (consumers), nutrition experts, farmers, food distributors, and a host of other healthy food advocates – contributed their feedback about improving nutritious food access for all. Input gathered from more than 150 Food Charter Events, online worksheets, interviews, listening sessions, and a virtual townhall […]

December 18, 2013

Food Charter Input: You Talked, We Listened

mnfoodcharter News

Since the Minnesota Food Charter first engaged with residents across the state in early 2013, the public response has been exciting and informative. In just 11 short months, the Food Charter has connected with more than 2,000 Minnesotans at 130-plus events. In addition, more than 400 online responses have been compiled and, most recently, the […]

November 18, 2013

Online Townhall Platform Seeks Your Minnesota Food Charter Suggestions

mnfoodcharter News

You’ve been asked to participate and you have! And now the Minnesota Food Charter is taking things to the next level. It’s here and you’re invited to participate – from your desk at work or sofa at home. The Minnesota Food Charter MindMixer Online Townhall platform is live. Now through the end of January 2014, […]

November 18, 2013

Access and Affordability: Critical Food Issues in Minnesota

mnfoodcharter News

Editor’s Note: The following article is reprinted from the Healthy Eating Minnesota online network. Visit www.healthyeatingmn.org Nobles County, in the southwestern corner of Minnesota, produces plenty of food. In fact, it ranks among the top 10 counties in the state in total agricultural production. Yet access to healthy food can be a challenge in this […]

October 16, 2013

Traditional Foods and Tribal Health: Creating Local Solutions

mnfoodcharter News, Uncategorized

Tribally based efforts can play a significant and positive role by creating increased access to and consumption of healthier foods. Minnesota is often touted as one of the healthiest states in the nation. While that is indeed true, for many Minnesotans, especially from communities of color, that distinction is not shared. One of those communities […]

September 18, 2013

Envisioning the Possible

mnfoodcharter News

Minnesota Food Charter listening sessions and interviews provide a wealth of input on improving access to healthy food for all Minnesotans. The Minnesota Food Charter is a public process designed to identify policy, systems and environmental changes that can help steer Minnesota’s decisions related to healthy foods access far into the future. More than 130 […]

August 22, 2013

Walking the Talk

mnfoodcharter News, Uncategorized

Health Care Facilities Become Healthy Food Champions Hear the words “hospital” or “clinic” and what terms come to mind? Healing? Good health? Rapidly expanding efforts by hospitals and clinics in Minnesota will soon add “healthy food” to that list of descriptors. Healthcare facilities throughout Minnesota are working to improve access to healthy local foods—including fresh fruits […]

July 11, 2013

Reducing Barriers: The SHIP-Food Charter Connection

mnfoodcharter News

The SHIP-Food Charter Connection In 2008, faced with skyrocketing health care and health costs due to the growing impacts of unhealthy eating, a lack of physical activity and tobacco use, Minnesota policymakers had to make a decision.  They could hope piecemeal efforts in the public and private sectors designed to combat this growing triple threat […]

June 10, 2013

Ripe for change: How State Food Charters Work

mnfoodcharter News

In February 2013, we set out to engage communities across the state in important conversations about access to healthy food in our schools, worksites, health care institutions, childcare settings and other community environments. Our goal? Gather as many ideas, comments and even questions around improving Minnesota’s food system so that all Minnesotans can have access […]

May 1, 2013

From cans to canning: How Dover-Eyota transformed its school food

mnfoodcharter News

As the food and nutrition director for Dover-Eyota School District, Carrie Frank didn’t know she’d get an opportunity to change the lives of the district’s 1,142 students when she stopped by a produce stand in nearby Rochester to purchase fresh sweet corn. For some time, Carrie struggled to find a farmer who could deliver locally grown […]

April 19, 2013

Food Charter looks to make healthy foods a priority for residents in rural areas of Minnesota

mnfoodcharter News

by Tom Cherveny GRANITE FALLS — So-called “food deserts” in our nation’s urban areas have received much press lately, but the problem may be even more challenging in parts of rural southwestern Minnesota. In urban areas, food deserts are neighborhoods where convenience stores are the main source of food items. They primarily stock snack foods […]

April 3, 2013

Food banks and food shelves: The new frontier for healthy food?

mnfoodcharter News

More and more Minnesotans are turning to food shelves to help meet their daily food needs. In 2012, Minnesotans visited food shelves more than three million times, according to Hunger Solutions Minnesota. With strong links between hunger and obesity, food shelves and their distribution depots, food banks are discovering ways to infuse healthier food options […]

February 6, 2013

Rewriting our food future

mnfoodcharter News

By Carmen Peota Some Minnesotans are aiming to do for obesity what the anti-tobacco movement did for smoking five years ago: create a new normal. An effort is underway in the land of Jell-O salad and hot dish to ensure that people across the state have access to healthy foods so that individuals make better […]

The Minnesota Food Charter will ensure we have healthy, affordable and safe food, building a legacy of health for future generations.
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The Minnesota Food Charter Network is supported by the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Minnesota Department of Health, University of Minnesota Extension, and the General Mills Foundation. This material was funded in part by USDA’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP – with funds received from and through the Minnesota Department of Human Services. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. The Minnesota Food Charter Network is hosted by the University of Minnesota’s Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives Institute.

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