Community-based food systems

Minnesota FoodShare program to lead Mini Farmers Market Network

MINNEAPOLIS – The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) has selected Minnesota FoodShare, a program of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches (GMCC), to serve as one of four organizations to assume leadership of IATP’s network of mini farmers markets in Minneapolis.

Taking ownership of good food: Minneapolis neighborhoods take the lead on Mini Market project

Six years ago, an IATP intern with a bright idea and a lot of determination launched what has become known fondly as the Minneapolis “Mini Market” project.  With technical assistance and support from IATP, a wide variety of public housing facilities, churches, hospitals and neighborhood-based organizations have launched small farmers markets in

Freshest for the youngest: Minnesota launch of Farm to Child Care pilot to serve as national model

MINNEAPOLIS – A new partnership between the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) and child-care provider New Horizon Academy (NHA) is delivering fresh, local foods from Minnesota farms to child-care centers around the state.

The freshest for the youngest

 IATP is pleased to announce our new partnership with child-care provider New Horizon Academy (NHA) and the launch of our Farm to Child Care pilot program (press release).

Farm to Child Care: A no-brainer for healthy kids

You’ve heard the numbers: 30 percent of American kids between the ages of 2 and 5 are either overweight or obese. Overweight children and adolescents suffer disproportionately from diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, atherosclerosis, bone and joint problems, and sleep apnea. Further, overweight youth have an estimated 70–80 percent chance of becoming obese adults.

Farm to Child Care: Opportunities and Challenges for Connecting Young Children with Local Foods and Farmers

Introduction

Moving the ball on local foods financing

For many of us working on local food system development, one of the biggest challenges is forging the infrastructure needed to aggregate, process, distribute and market locally grown foods. These businesses are essential for meeting increased demand for local foods while creating jobs, connecting farms with buyers, and bolstering struggling local economies, both rural and urban.