Community Healthy Eating Setting

2024 UPDATES:
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Wabasha County Food Access Network (WFAN) continues to support local food connections and resources to solve hunger.

With a diverse group of people working together to solve hunger across Wabasha County, we continue to listen stories such as this one shared by Channel One.

Make Hunger History, a plan initiated by Second Harvest Heartland and championed by Channel One Regional Food Bank, among other statewide partners, offers a bold goal to cut hunger in half for all Minnesotans by 2030. 

Minnesotans visited food shelves a record seven million times in 2023, a clear indicator of the rising need in the state and the result of sky-high grocery, gas and utility prices coupled with the expiration of pandemic-era emergency relief programs. Channel One Regional Food Bank and Second Harvest Heartland, along with an extensive network of local food shelves and hunger relief partners, are challenging community leaders to find the necessary urgency and creativity to tackle the issue of hunger once and for all. Read the full ROCHESTER, Min. (WLAX/WEUX) news release.

We all have enough to worry about. Food shouldn’t be one of your worries. If you are struggling to afford food, maybe for the first time in your life, please don’t hesitate to use any of the Wabasha County community resources.

Wabasha County Food Access Network wants more people to know about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

SNAP, formerly known as Food Stamps, helps Minnesotans with low incomes get the food they need for nutritious and well-balanced meals. The program provides support to help stretch your household food budget. It is not intended to meet all of your household's food needs. It is a supplement.

If approved for the program, you will get an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card. It is like a debit card. Each month, your benefits will be credited to your EBT account. Learn more on Minnesota Department of Health’s Website.

• If you are approved for SNAP, you can use your benefits at many stores, farmers markets and senior dining sites.

• Apply for benefits easily online in 20 minutes or less.

SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating, well-being and tobacco-free living, thereby helping to reduce the leading causes of chronic disease. For information on what it means to partner with Wabasha County SHIP on healthy eating, physical activity, and/or tobacco-free environment projects, please email Tina Moen or call her at 651-565-5200.

2023 UPDATES:
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Wabasha County Food Access Network’s rich discussion results in a local cull cow pilot project.

Martha Black is manager of the Wabasha Area Food Share, the food shelf in Wabasha. She also owns and runs Avodah Farm in Stockholm, WI.  She’s a regular participant of the Wabasha County Food Access Network (WFAN). As a farmer and food shelf manager, she strongly believes food should never go to waste.

In a spring 2023 WFAN meeting facilitated by SHIP Coordinator Tina Moen, team members brought up “cull cows,” or cows who were raised for dairy or as mothers for beef calves, and are no longer able to serve their purpose. These animals are not raised specifically for their meat and cannot be sold as “finished” or ready-for-market beef cows because they’re too old, or have the wrong body type with muscles too small to make normal-sized steaks. An animal can become "cull" for a variety of reasons, almost none of which affect the safety or quality of the meat. They tend to only be suitable for ground beef or hot dogs instead of steaks or roasts, so there is a limited market for cull animals.

As Martha and others began talking about how there should be a way to connect these animals with people needing nutritious meat, the seed of a program that doesn't exist was planted. They started dreaming of a state-funded program that could pay farmers and area processors for animals whose meat would then be available for hunger relief.  It was one of those connection moments the Food Access Network is so great at providing.

Just a month after discussions began at a WFAN meeting, a cow on Martha’s farm was having a difficult start nursing her twin calves. The cow, named Rachel, and she is the only dairy cow in a herd of beef cows. Rachel had originally been the family milk cow when Martha was a stay-at-home mom with two small children. As Rachel got older, she suffered from ongoing issues with her udder that affected milk quality, Martha and her husband stopped milking her, instead letting her raise a calf every year with the beef cows. In the spring of 2023 it became obvious that it was too difficult for new calves to nurse from her.

“We spent three solid days working from dawn to late at night trying to teach Rachel's calves how to nurse. We bottle fed them, intubated one of them, checked on them constantly trying to help them learn the basic thing a calf is born knowing how to do. We were successful in the end with both calves surviving, but we said never again. Rachel would have to be culled or her next calf could end up starving even though his mother has plenty of milk, just because the calf wouldn’t be able to find the teat and nurse.”

- Martha Black

Donations will help defray the processing cost

Often farmers like Martha are willing to donate a cull animal or sell them for a much reduced price. The animal is a write-off for the farm. What gets in the way of getting meat from farms to food shelves is the cost of paying the slaughterhouse the processing fee to cut, grind and package the meat. Meat processing businesses need these fees to support jobs in the community and provide farmers with the essential agricultural infrastructure of processing facilities for their animals.

With the cull cow, Rachel is ready to be donated to a good cause and with a slaughter date of December 19, the only piece missing is money to pay the processing fee at J.R. Watkins in Plum City, Wisconsin, a small locally owned slaughterhouse. Watkins charges $0.90 per pound of hanging weight for processing cattle. With a cull cow typically weighing 500 to 800 pounds, the processing fee will be $450 to $750.

Your help is needed!

Make a donation to Rachel’s fund. Mail a check to Wabasha Area Food Share, PO BOX 174 Wabasha MN 55981 with “Rachel’s Fund” in the memo line, or donate online and send Wabasha Food Share a note using the contact form to let them know your donation is for Rachel’s fund.

SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating, well-being and tobacco-free living, thereby helping to reduce the leading causes of chronic disease. For information on what it means to partner with Wabasha County SHIP on healthy eating, physical activity, and/or tobacco-free environment projects, please email Tina Moen or call her at 651-565-5200.

SNAP time-limited work rules will start July 2023.

What are the time-limited work rules?

Some SNAP recipients are limited to three months of SNAP benefits in a 36-month (3-year) period, unless they meet work requirements (click on image below to read details). SNAP's current 36-month period is from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2025.

The time-limited work rules were suspended during the COVID-19 public health emergency, and will be enforced again starting July 1, 2023. This means time-limited SNAP recipients will only get three months of SNAP benefits from July 1, 2023 to December 31, 2025, unless they meet work requirements. Not all SNAP recipients have to follow these rules.

Who has to follow time-limited work rules? 

SNAP recipients may have to follow time-limited work rules if they are:

• Age 18 – 49

• Not physically or mentally disabled; and

• Not living with a dependent under age 18

You may not have to follow the time-limited work rules if you are:

• Pregnant

• Homeless

• Not working because of a physical or mental health condition

• Getting unemployment benefits, or you applied for unemployment benefits

• Going to school, college, or training program at least 20 hours per week

• Taking part in a drug or alcohol addiction treatment program

• Taking care of someone who is disabled or ill

• Earning $217.50 or more per week already

How to request an exemption:

Call your county or Tribal Nation eligibility worker. If they confirm that you are exempt, you will not have to follow the time-limited work rules. 
If the county or Tribal Nation human services office cannot verify your exemption, they will ask you for verification. 

How to meet the work requirements:

Spend at least 80 hours each month doing one or a combination of the following work activities: 

• Working 

• Taking part in a job training or work program, or

• Volunteering

Find an approved training program through the SNAP Employment and Training program. Use the provider map to find organizations that offer qualifying education and training activities. 

What if I don't meet the work requirements? 

If you choose to try and meet the work requirements, you can gain additional months by following the work rules. If you fail to meet the work requirements for any three months, you will not be eligible for SNAP for the rest of the 36-month period unless you start meeting the work requirement or become exempt from the rules.

Read more on the mn.gov web page and to find this information in multiple languages.

Farmers Market season is here!

Wabasha Farmers Market

Location & hours: Main Street West & Alleghany Avenue in Wabasha. Open Wednesdays 2-5 p.m. mid-May through October.
Products available: a variety of fresh local fruits and vegetables, eggs, meats, and flowers.
EBT/SNAP/DEBIT & CREDIT CARDS and WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) Vouchers: Stop by our information booth for more details! New vendors are always welcome.
ALSO: Scan your EBT card for $10 and get $30 in products. ($10 in EBT tokens, $10 in market bucks, and $10 in produce bucks). 
Learn more about the market.

Lake City Market by the Lake

Location & hours: at Ohuta Beach Park in Lake City. Open Thursdays 5-8 p.m. through August 31
Products available: local produce, home-baked goods, jams, food vendor snack and meals, crafts & much more. Enjoy convenient and ample street and marina lot parking. Thursday market offers PoP program for kids. Learn more about PoP and PoP Plus.
EBT accepted: on Thursdays
ALSO: The market offers PoP Club for kids and PoP Plus for seniors.
Learn more about the market.

Plainview Farmer’s Market

Location and hours: On the north side of Bennett’s Food Center parking lot. Open Wednesdays 4-7 p.m.
Products available: Local honey, meats, baked goods, eggs, produce, hand made items, bedding plants, and more.
Learn more about the market.

Veggie Rx 2023 Delays.

Veggie Rx is a grant-funded project. Due to legislative delays, we will not have confirmation of funding until August 2023 and will let participants know as soon as possible.

The 2023 Veggie Rx season will run 20 weeks.

Veggie Rx is a nutrition program that provides free local, nutritionally dense, delicious fruits & veggies from the Wabasha Farmers Market to members of the Wabasha community! The program also includes nutritional education information, recipes, newsletters, and tasting events!

For questions about participation, please email Wabasha Farmers Market.

SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating, well-being and tobacco-free living, thereby helping to reduce the leading causes of chronic disease and death.

For information on what it means to partner with Wabasha County SHIP on healthy eating, physical activity, and/or tobacco-free environment projects, please email Tina Moen or call her at 651-565-5200. 

Donation from Lakeside Foods and new freezer from the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) help keep Wabasha Area Food Share shelves stocked.

Thanks to a donation of an entire pallet of healthy canned vegetables and beans this week from  Lakeside Foods in Plainview, Minnesota, the Wabasha Area Food Share (WAFS) shelves are no longer bare.

"Having community partners like Lakeside Foods make it possible to keep shelves stocked," says manager Martha Black. "Demand has been higher than we've ever seen it before as an organization, and that's true all around the state. We're also seeing more people coming from communities all over Wabasha County, including Plainview which is our fastest growing area of service and now makes up a quarter of all the individuals we serve. As a food shelf, we don't turn anyone away. Legally, we can't. Anyone present in the state of Minnesota who is eligible is welcome to shop with us or with any other food shelf in the state."

TWAFS doesn't only distribute canned foods and other dry goods, but also fresh produce, dairy, eggs, and frozen protein, produce and other foods. SHIP recently provided funding for WAFS to purchase their fifth freezer. "Having five freezers and four coolers gives us the opportunity to stock up when we have large donations of perishable items like what we receive during the gardening season, or when USDA funded commodities become available for free through the food bank," Black explained.

WAFS doesn't only distribute canned foods and other dry goods, but also fresh produce, dairy, eggs, and frozen protein, produce and other foods. SHIP recently provided funding for WAFS to purchase their fifth freezer. "Having five freezers and four coolers gives us the opportunity to stock up when we have large donations of perishable items like what we receive during the gardening season, or when USDA funded commodities become available for free through the food bank," Black explained.

"We typically distribute between 2,500 and 5,000 pounds of food every week now. In order to keep anything in stock for over a week, we have to have inventory so we can keep stocking it out as people are shopping,” says Black

The newest freezer was put to work right away holding around three hundred pounds of cheddar cheese and chicken breasts that the food shelf was able to get for free from the Channel One Food Bank in Rochester.

"We probably won't see cheese again for months from the food bank, so I'm really glad we were able to stock up when we had the chance." Black said. "Having freezer space to stock up when we have an opportunity like this means families can get cheese or chicken for a few months instead of only for a few days,” Black shared.

WAFS now typically sees fifty to seventy households each week. While Wabasha remains the largest single community served by the food shelf, in 2022 only 61 percent of the households served lived in Wabasha and Kellogg. The rest live in a variety of other communities, with Plainview and Lake City being the most common. 

Volunteers for the food shelf also come from a variety of communities, as do financial donations and donations of food like the one received from Lakeside Foods. "Although we are the Wabasha Area Food Share, we really want to have partnerships that reflect that we don't just serve Wabasha," Black emphasized. "We're here for anyone who needs us, and that's how it should be. We're here to help, and we can only do it because other people in our wider community help us." 

SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating, well-being and tobacco-free living, thereby helping to reduce the leading causes of chronic disease and death.

For information on what it means to partner with Wabasha County SHIP on healthy eating, physical activity, and/or tobacco-free environment projects, please email Tina Moen or call her at 651-565-5200. 

Introducing the new Wabasha Farmers Market Hub Coordinator, Isabel McNally.

Hello! I am Isabel McNally, the new Wabasha Farmers Market Hub Coordinator. Frequenters of last year's market may recognize me from sometimes being at the Dancing Gnome Farm stand at the Wabasha Farmers Market. I graduated from Winona State in 2021, and was lucky enough to move to Wabasha shortly after. I am passionate about food access, supporting local farmers, and making sure everyone gets to eat well. I am so excited to continue to build connections and relationships with the members of our community through food in my role as the Hub manager. Sara George, the founder of the Wabasha Hub market and proponent of them across the state, has been such a fantastic guide for helping me be successful in this role. Tina Moen, the Wabasha County SHIP coordinator has also been instrumental in the success of our Hub site, especially with the launch of the Food Rx program locally. It has been my pleasure to continue the work in local food access that they have started, and I am excited to see what is next for the Wabasha Farmers Market Hub!

Learn More about how Farmers Market Hub work is made possible

SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating, well-being and tobacco-free living, thereby helping to reduce the leading causes of chronic disease and death.

For information on what it means to partner with Wabasha County SHIP on healthy eating, physical activity, well-being,
and/or tobacco-free environment projects, please email Tina Moen or call her at 651-565-5200. 

The Farmers Market Food Hub Project, first launched in Wabasha, has grown exponentially.

Renewing the Countryside Program Manager, Sara George, isn’t afraid of asking everyone great questions. This part of her approach to everyone who will listen is how she achieves great success in increasing access to healthy foods for all. Add to that the fact that she never gives up. The former Wabasha Farmers’ Market manager reached out to Wabasha County Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) for the first time in March 2014.

“I had just started my job in January of that year. I knew right away Sara was a go getter and wondered how I’d keep up with her as I was trying to gain knowledge myself,” said Tina Moen, Wabasha County SHIP Coordinator. “She pushed me right along and I learned that an important part of my job was to listen first, and then do my best to meet my partners where they are at.”

Moen worked with Sara on her first SHIP Community Partner Funding Application that March. “Sara has an innovative mind and it was a wild ride trying to keep up with her passion,” Moen recalled.  “Our partnership worked so well that she had contracted with SHIP three times that grant cycle.”

One of Sara’s projects from that year was a farmers market food aggregation project. In order to implement this project Sara needed a Wholesale Food Handler’s license. With her second SHIP application in May 2015, Sara requested support in obtaining the Wholesale Food Handler’s license needed to implement the project. This license had never been approved for this use before; Sara worked with Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, Minnesota Farmers’ Market Association, Renewing the Countryside and other partners on an agreement with the licensers.

On September 29, 2016, Sara emailed her team, “…after years, we finally received it!! YEAH!! Thank you all for your help in making this happen, I cannot wait to see what we can do together for other markets on this in the very near future.” That team would include SHIP.

Sara’s passion for this project was so great, she was hired by Renewing the Countryside, and by 2022 she helped add five new hubs to their existing four. Sara says, “Our goal was to create food hubs right there at the farmers market where we could aggregate, or combine, produce for schools, hospitals and restaurants to purchase. And we had a team that produced the Farmers’ Market Hub Manual.”

Sara personifies an answer to the big question: Can one person really make a difference? Sara, clearly, demonstrates the impact of one. Sara fought for the things about which she cares and the entire community benefits

Farmers Market Hub project was in the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) 2024-25 Governor’s Biennial Budget Recommendations report

(page 61): “The Governor recommends $700,000 from the General Fund split between FY 2024 and FY 2025 to create and implement a new grant program for the growth and expansion of farmers market hubs. Grants will be made available to farmers markets to start or expand aggregation and food hub services. This recommendation includes the ability to apply directly costs for administration of the program.”

MDA seeks public input as the agency develops a strategic plan for 2023-2027.

• Building on feedback gathered in the fall of 2022 legislative session ideas, the MDA is again looking for input as the department reviews and shapes goals and priorities for the next four years.

• The MDA seeks to engage with communities throughout Minnesota to hear ideas that reflect the diversity of the state. Input is welcome from all, especially emerging and beginning farmers who may have had little to no interaction with state government.

SHIP CAN SUPPORT FOOD HUB WORK.

What is SHIP?

Tina Moen is the Wabasha County Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) Coordinator. SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level with schools, healthcare providers, employers, and communities to increase access to healthy eating, physical activity, well-being, and commercial-tobacco free environments, thereby helping to reduce the leading causes of chronic disease.

Get to know your Local SHIP Coordinator
Each county sets different priorities within their workplans; currently SHIP is working with 40+ local markets across the state. Get connected with SHIP in your community.

SHIP works locally under the MN Eats Context Area in many of the following ways:

• MN Eats work pertaining to farmers markets

• Local connector to tools, resources, and people

• Meeting facilitator such as food access networks

• Community Partner - Examples of Community Partner Awards related to food hubs are first time start-up items such as a Wholesale Food Hander’s License, sorting table, commercial grade kitchen mat, tent, first time advertising, signage, refrigeration, nesting buckets, utility cart, reusable totes, scale, and handwashing station. SHIP can also support your customers such as supporting a salad bar cooler or a robo coop for a school or a fruit and veggie display at a SuperShelf, so not only should you work with your local SHIP Coordinator, you could also make  referrals.

For information on what it means to partner with Wabasha County SHIP on healthy eating, physical activity, well-being, and/or tobacco-free environment projects, please email Tina Moen or call her at 651-565-5200. 

Wabasha County food shelves are here for you.

We all have enough to worry about. Food shouldn’t be one of your worries. If you are struggling to afford food, maybe for the first time in your life, please don’t hesitate to use any of the Wabasha County community resources.

Lake City Food Shelf
600 South 8th Street, Lake City, MN 55041
Hours: Tuesday, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, Thursday, 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
and the 2nd & 4th Saturdays of the month 9:00 -11:00 AM.
Phone: 651-345-5888

Mazeppa Area Food Shelf
329 1st Ave N, Mazeppa, MN 55956
New hours have been added on Saturdays.
Hours: second Thursday, 9-11 AM and 3:30-5:30 PM;
fourth Thursday, 3:30-5:30 PM; and fourth Saturday, 8:30-10:30 AM.

Plainview Elgin Area Food Shelf
346 W. Broadway, Plainview, MN 55964
Hours: Wednesday, 10:00 AM-5:00 PM (October-May) and Wednesday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM (June-September).
Phone: 507-876-0112

Wabasha Area Food Share
142 2nd St. West Wabasha, MN 55981
Next to Grandpa’s Barn, across from the Library.
Hours: Monday, 1:00-3:00 PM; Thursday, 10:00 AM-12PM; third Monday of Month, 5:00-6:00 PM.
Phone: 651-565-5667

Zumbro Valley Food Shelf
56817 Hwy. 63, Zumbrota Falls, MN 55991.
Hours: Tuesdays, 11:00 AM-5:00 PM; Thursday, 1:00-5:00 PM.
Phone: 507-259-1442

If you are a non-citizen, you and your family members may be eligible to participate in several programs operated by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). We hope you explore the programs and resources below to find access to nutritious meals for yourself and your loved ones. 

Important Update

Applying for or receiving benefits from FNS nutrition programs does not make someone a "public charge." If you or a family member are eligible for FNS programs, you can apply knowing that you and your family will not face immigration consequences.

On Sept. 9, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published the final rule "Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility," which aligns with longstanding policy that applying for or receiving FNS program benefits, like SNAP, will not make you a public charge and will not be considered in a public charge determination. More information on this rule is available here.

You can read the FNS - United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) joint letter to learn more about public charge and SNAP.

SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating, well-being and tobacco-free living, thereby helping to reduce the leading causes of chronic disease and death. For information on what it means to partner with Wabasha County SHIP on healthy eating, physical activity, and/or tobacco-free environment projects, please email Tina Moen or call her at 651-565-5200.

2022 UPDATES:
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Wabasha Area Food Share counters hunger in the region.

The Wabasha Area Food Share was recently recognized in the Rochester Post Bulletin for the work that it is doing to counter hunger in the region. Supported by Wabasha County SHIP and others such as the City of Wabasha’s Grow a Row program, the Food Share has received support this summer from area gardeners.

In early September, the gardeners donated almost half of that week’s fresh fruits and vegetables including potatoes, zucchini, squash, carrots, apples and garden tomatoes. Those fresh fruits and vegetables are helping to supplement the food that is typically donated by local food retailers and others, which is critically important because demand for food from the Food Share has grown significantly. Between August 2021 and August 2022, the number of households that visited Wabasha’s Food Share at least once a month had tripled.

“The Food Share has been working hard to meet the needs of the demands, and they’re being creative in finding more ways to get more food,” says Tina Moen with Wabasha County SHIP. “It’s just been an ongoing effort, and people are really working hard to make it happen.”

To read the Post Bulletin story, clicking here.

The City of Wabasha had four “Grow a Row” plots this planting season.

“Grow a Row that’s our goal, a variety of produce from tomatoes, kale, beans, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumbers, brussel sprouts, bell peppers, and coming soon is butternut squash! We are grateful for the people that volunteer to grow, harvest, and donate their produce to the Wabasha Area Food Share Program,” said Lisa Springer, garden volunteer.

In 2022, SHIP funded a garden tool shed to make growing local foods more accessible for volunteers and local community members supporting project like Grow a Row.

Additional MN Eats community activities SHIP supports include:

• Super Shelf

• FoodRx

• Support for Breastfeeding

• Community Based Agriculture

• Community Food Assessments and Planning

• Food and Nutrition Security

• Farm to School and/or Institution

• Farmers Markets

• Food Guidelines

• Healthy Food Retail

The next grant cycle begins November 1, 2022
and ends October 2023.

SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating, well-being and tobacco-free living, thereby helping to reduce the leading causes of chronic disease and death.

For information on what it means to partner with Wabasha County SHIP on healthy eating, physical activity, well-being, and/or tobacco-free environment projects, please email Tina Moen or call her at 651-565-5200.

Wabasha Kellogg Area Food Share implements a Veggie Table with SHIP support.

With support of SHIP (Statewide Health Improvement Partnership) Wabasha Kellogg Area Food Share was able to implement a fresh and mostly locally grown produce area participants see when they first walk into the Food Share.

“We had a beautiful wooden table donated and a bright tablecloth, then purchased bins to help display the produce in a visually appealing manner. Additionally, we purchased educational posters as well as handouts, which are displayed in this area. By adding this fresh produce area we have seen a substantial upswing in the amount of fruits and vegetables our food share shoppers are selecting and have seen that participants are excited about the new produce,” said Dr. Amy Sapola, previously of Gundersen St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center

Having access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables is one of the social determinates of health and helps to address the needs of those with facing nutrition insecurity; this grant has helped the Food Share to make that a reality. The Food Share is setting an example of what is possible and other food shares are learning from this innovative approach to increasing access to fruits and vegetables and this project is hopefully going to have a larger reach than Wabasha alone.

This project also pairs well with the healthy food mural that was completed in 2021 and further supports making the Food Share space welcoming and emphasizes the importance of fruits and vegetables.

“These two projects highlight our dedication to not only providing ‘calories’ to food share shoppers but access to whole nutrient dense high-quality foods that support health,” said Sapola.

SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating, well-being and tobacco-free living, thereby helping to reduce the leading causes of chronic disease and death. For information on what it means to partner with Wabasha County SHIP on healthy eating, physical activity, and/or tobacco-free environment projects, please email Tina Moen or call her at 651-565-5200.

Expect positive changes at local farmers markets in 2022.

Wabasha Farmers Market introduces a new location and a new manager.

The Wabasha Farmers Market GRAND OPENING is coming soon and guess what!?!? The market will be back in person! You asked for it; the marker is delivering this year.

The market has a new location in the parking lot across from the library and will be open Wednesdays from 2-5 pm. Come check it out at the Grand Opening which will take place May 25th.

The market will have LOTS of new vendors because it’s offering both in-person AND online this year. Some vendors can't participate in-person the market is selling items both in-person and online.

But that’s not all that’s new…let’s hear from the new market manager.
“Hello! My name is Laura Jahnke and I will be the new market manager for the Wabasha Farmers Market. I am very excited to meet our community members. I am originally from Rhode Island and moved to S.E Minnesota in the Fall of 2012. I have been a career server and have a bachelor’s degree in Psychology (Chemical Dependency and Addiction studies) and completed eight years in the Army. Food security and feeding people has always been my passion. I joke that I missed my career as an “Italian Nonna.” Last fall I started volunteering with the Wabasha Area Food Share. Martha Black, the food share manager recommended me to Sara George for the Wabasha Farmers Market Manager position. I happily accepted and have been learning the specifics of how to run this market and improve fresh food access in the community.”

Janke added, “Sara George, the previous market manager, has provided mentorship and direction to make me feel like I can do a great job making the Wabasha Farmers Market a success. I am thrilled to announce that Wabasha will, once again, have an in-person market.” The new location will allow the Wabasha Food Shelf to explain their mission to members throughout the community by having an information and donation table set up as well as allow for tours of the food shelf.

Janke said she is very grateful they were awarded a Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP) grant to help transition the market to the new manager as well as to support marketing and advertising, a website and signage for the new location. The Wabasha Farmers Market also has a new online platform called Open Food Network. (click here to learn more) and acts as a food hub to allow customers to get fresh food online or in person. The online marketplace and local pickup option make a convenient way for people to support local farmers and get fresh, nutrient-dense foods into their diet.

All types of volunteers are appreciated at both the market and food share. Please email Wabasha Farmers Market or email Wabasha Food Share to inquire.

At the Wabasha Farmers Market, cash is accepted as well as debit cards, credit cards and EBT (Food Stamps). A match is offered for anyone using their EBT card at the farmers market, come down and ask about it in our information booth! The first in-person farmers market starts May 25th, from 2-5pm. There are both experienced and new vendors who have signed up.

Lake City Market by the Lake moves again.

Opening day will be June 16, 2022 at the O’huta Park, its original location.

This year, a permanent shelter will be available where guests will be able to dine and will include a bathhouse for the beach area, storage for the farmers market and room for concessions. The building would be a four-season structure complete with HVAC, meaning it can be used all year.

Susan Draves, market manager, says, “I’m excited about the double Market Bucks program this year.”

Those interested in being a vendor this season can sign up by clicking here.

What does double Market Bucks mean? According to Hungers Solutions, the program allows households on SNAP to stretch their EBT spending at farmers markets in Minnesota. Funded by the Minnesota State Legislature, Market Bucks matches EBT spending dollar-for-dollar, up to $10, each time a customer on SNAP visits a participating farmers market.

This year, Hunger Solutions is adding an additional Produce Market Bucks match. This will double the program’s impact thanks to the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP), a federal grant program aimed at improving the health and nutrition of households facing food insecurity. Learn more about this program by clicking here.

Both markets will also offer the Power of Produce (POP) Club. The Power of Produce (POP) Club provides a fun opportunity for children to engage in the local food system through conversations directly with farmers, educational games and demonstrations, and exposure to new fruits and vegetables. In addition to participating in educational activities, POP Club kids receive vouchers to spend at the market, allowing them to make their own shopping decisions at the market. Click here to learn more. The Lake City by the Market is also piloting Power of Produce Plus, a similar program for seniors.

SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating, well-being and tobacco-free living, thereby helping to reduce the leading causes of chronic disease and death. For information on what it means to partner with Wabasha County SHIP on healthy eating, physical activity, well-being, and/or tobacco-free environment projects, please email Tina Moen or call her at 651-565-5200.

Wabasha Food Share has a new location and a new Community Roots Mural.

Wabasha Main Street submitted an application to SHIP in April 2021 to bring attention to the new Wabasha Food Share location and their Community Roots mural project as part of the Artists on Main Street capstone event. With a successful partnership campaign, the mural was completed with a ribbon cutting ceremony held on October 7, 2021. Prior to this project, the 110-foot beige block building had a wall that was deteriorating. As a result of beautifying the area, there has been some discussion about using this area for more venues such as the Wabasha Farmers Market.

Look closely at the mural writing:

“We work together to nourish the common soil, cultivate deep root systems. We sow the seeds in a hard row and occasional drought, grow vines of connection. We share the bounty and harvest a healthy community.”

Go see the mural up close and please consider helping the Wabasha Food Share by donating time, food or money. It’s easy, fun, and a great way to give back to your community. Learn more here.

Community Roots Mural at the Wabasha Food Share. Over 400 hours were put into this endeavor by the artist and community volunteers.

The Wabasha Food Share and Community Roots Mural was highlighted in the Fall ‘21 issue of RETHOS REIMAGINED.

Community Roots Mural at the Wabasha Food Share from across the street.

“This project assists in mental wellness, sends a message for healthy eating, living, growing gardens or plants. The Artist’s vision is to let you interpret “Community Roots” as you see it. Physically, mentally or action based and it also is a large reminder to eat healthy or even buy local farmer's market produce. Artists on Main Street’s goal is to bring the community together using local volunteers, employing local artists and recognizing healthy living, healthy lifestyle by bringing in stakeholders such as SHIP, Food Shelf, WK Foundation, Wabasha Main Street and other partners as we work towards a healthy community.”
- Mary Flicek, Director of Wabasha Main Streets

SHIP is a state-based program that works at the local level to support healthier communities by expanding opportunities for active living, healthy eating, and tobacco-free living, thereby helping to reduce the leading causes of chronic disease and death. For information on what it means to partner with Wabasha County SHIP on healthy eating, physical activity, and/or tobacco-free environment projects, please email Tina Moen or call her at 651-565-5200.