Use American Rescue Plan Act Funds for farmers’ markets.

As the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds are allocated to local governments across the state, they could be used to support low-income consumers while enhancing community food systems. There is specific language in the ARPA that directs funds to food and nutrition assistance including expanding resources for SNAP EBT, and WIC programs ( National Association of Counties, Legislative Analysis for Counties: American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, (NACo), 12.)

The ARPA funds are also meant to support small businesses, public health, and building out of infrastructure to ease the burdens of the pandemic. Choosing to use ARPA funds to ensure farmers’ markets have the resources needed to provide food access programs could provide a vital public service, supporting both food security and nutrition for at-risk households and addressing issues of public health.  

How could this look in your community? Check out this new pair of case studies from the Farmers’ Market Hub team by clicking here.

This document showcases how the rural communities of Aitkin in central Minnesota and Wabasha in southeast Minnesota piloted two versions of vegetable boxes for low-income families in 2020 and 2021.

Reach out to the following contact people for more information:

• Sara George, Renewing the Countryside, sara@rtcinfo.org

• Jane Jewett, Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, jewet006@umn.edu

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.

The Wabasha Area Food Share hires a new manager and expands to unlimited options.

Operating with an all-volunteer staff over the course of its 35-year-plus history, the Wabasha Area Food Share has hired their first paid position this summer. Martha Black became the new Manager of the Wabasha Area Food Share on June 14, 2021. Martha takes over many of the duties that former director, Chris Simonson, as well as the Food Share Board and other volunteers had been shouldering. The Board is looking for support from local governments and foundations to cover the cost of the new position. Chris Simonson will continue as Director, but now her volunteer position is less than full-time.

One of the first things Martha did after starting her job was to formalize the policy to be more generous with the Food Share’s offerings. New coolers and freezers had already allowed the Food Share to pivot from offering mostly canned and boxed shelf-stable foods to offering more fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh dairy, frozen fruits, vegetables and meats. Many of the perishable items were offered on an unlimited basis, most notably on the large table display of fresh produce that welcomed shoppers with an opportunity to take whatever they needed. Now a spirit of abundance and security has been applied, for the time being, to everything the food share offers.

So far volunteers and shoppers have positive feedback about the new policy.

One volunteer shared that they always felt bad when they had to decide if a customer who needed more could take an extra can or package. Being trusting and generous was much more comfortable for both volunteers and customers. Shoppers at the Food Share expressed appreciation and gratitude for the new policy.

Martha shared a story of one shopper who was going through a tough time. “Their partner had just been laid off and at the same time they were struggling with chronic health issues and trying to raise a family. They almost couldn’t believe that we wanted them to take whatever they needed, as much as they needed. I just kept telling them, ‘really, it’s okay, take more. This is why this food is here.’ I told them, ‘you know, it sounds like you’ve been hearing a whole lot of bad news recently. I hope this can be the start of hearing more yeses. They almost started crying they were so grateful. That’s really what abundance and resilience is all about, is knowing that no matter what happens, you’re going to be okay and everyone in your household is going to be able to have their basic needs met. You can’t have that type of resilience on  an individual level unless you have it on a community level.”

The new policy is still being tested, but so far the results are promising.

“Everyone seems really happy with the change, and overall we’re seeing that people are taking almost the same amount they usually get or a little less,” Martha explained. “Our clients are very considerate of others, almost to a fault. We’re still really encouraging them to take as much produce as they can use because I’d much rather see it go home with someone than sit in our coolers getting sad.”

This Community Roots Mural project was partially funded by SHIP which 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.

Wabasha County Food Access Network (WFAN) effectively works to increase access to healthy foods in Wabasha County.

According to a national survey, there is an association between food policy councils and policies that support healthy food access. “Food policy councils are one form of community coalition that aims to address challenges to local food systems and enhance availability, accessibility and affordability of healthy foods for local residents.” Read the full article here.

Funded by a federal government program called Farmers to Families, Channel One Regional Food Bank worked locally to implement pop-up food shares in two Wabasha County Cities: Arrangement were made with the Lake City Hispanic Community Inclusion, the City of Lake City, and the Lake City Chamber of Commerce to implement a series of pop-up food share events which began in Lake City.

According to Susan Draves, University of Minnesota Extension SNAP-Ed Regional Coordinator, additional success has occurred with the support of eight Wabasha County agencies that picked up boxes for their clients and families they serve. The eight agencies include:

• Lake City Packing for the Weekend

• Wabasha County Head Start

• Lake City Hispanic Community Inclusion

• Wabasha County child Protection

• Hiawatha Valley Education District

• Mazeppa Area Food Shelf

• Three Rivers Community Action

• Lutheran Social Services

Channel one has also worked with the Wabasha Area Food Share, Wabasha Kellogg Area Community Foundation and the Rotary of Wabasha to implement pop-up food shares in Wabasha. “The next step for us at WFAN will be keeping these participating organizations engaged and involved in food security systems when Farmers to Families food boxes are no longer available,” Draves said. “Our WFAN group hopes to use this momentum to continue to evolve the food system.”

To learn how to get involved with WFAN, please email Tina Moen or call her at 651-565-5200. 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 commercial tobacco-free living.

New equipment and expanded hours at Wabasha Food Share will help meet demand for healthier food options.

A new larger downtown location, coupled with new equipment and expanded hours, will help the Wabasha Area Food Share (formerly named Wabasha Area Food Shelf) to meet the needs of area residents impacted by the pandemic or other factors limiting the ability of families and individuals to put food on their tables.

The Food Shelf, previously housed at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center for 35 years, moved downtown Wabasha in September 2020 which doubled their space. With a grant from the Wabasha County Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP), they purchased a new double door freezer and expanded shelving which allows them space for more free, healthy food options they can acquire through the food bank they rely on for food products. The healthier options include fish, chicken, turkey, fruits and vegetables, canned and frozen. Many of these food commodities are only available certain times of the year, and the freezer and shelving will allow the food to be stored until it is needed.

Locally, director Chris Simonson says there is an increase in demand for food due to the economic fallout of the pandemic and the holidays. Their expanded hours will help meet the demand.

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.

Wabasha County Food Access Network (WFAN) shifts focus to a COVID-19 response.

The pandemic has changed the economic circumstances of many Minnesota families. Due to this growing reality, the Wabasha County Food Access Network (WFAN) has shifted its focus to a COVID-19 response approach.

During the current winter season, and with COVID-19 restrictions in Minnesota, it became increasingly clear that hunger was of growing concern in Wabasha County as well as in our surrounding counties. In these unsettling times, WFAN is making current information from state and federal agencies available to help Wabasha County families have more access to food and other resources.

What happened late November through December 2020

• WFAN partnered with Channel One Food Bank to coordinate three separate Truck-To-Trunk food distributions for Wabasha County residents in Lake City’s Underwood Park. The 30-pound boxes were available free to anyone negatively impacted by COVID-19, no questions asked.

• Thanks to the Farmers To Families Food Box Program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), each box contained apples, onions, peeled carrots, oranges, potatoes, cheddar cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, a gallon of milk, liquid egg, pulled pork, smoked sausage, and hot dogs.

• Volunteers from local sponsors helped distribute boxes from Channel One to individual cars and trucks in a drive through format. For people with ongoing needs, volunteers distributed information on local food resources in both English and Spanish.

• Three distributions in Wabasha County totaled 880 boxes (26,400 pounds) of food and milk to residents.

• In addition to WFAN, local sponsors included the Lake City Economic Development Authority, Lake City Chamber of Commerce, and Lake City Hispanic Community.

Recent news about future funding

Funding for the program was due to end December 31, 2020, but according to a recent news release, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, announced an additional $1.5 billion worth of food will be purchased and distributed nationwide through the Farmers to Families Food Box Program. In total, USDA has distributed more than 132 million food boxes in support of families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Additional funding for the program was included in the COVID-19 relief package as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act which was approved on December 21, 2020. In this fifth round of purchases, USDA will again purchase combination boxes to ensure all involved recipient organizations have access to fresh produce, dairy products, fluid milk and meat products. Seafood products will also be included this round. With the new funding comes the potential for further distributions. Channel One Food Bank would again be handling regional distributions. For now, dates haven’t been set for distributions, but more information is expected in early February.

In the meantime, people experiencing hunger can contact their local food banks for assistance. Click on the graphic to expand it, or click here for the Spanish version.

To learn how to get involved with WFAN, please email Tina Moen or call her at 651-565-5200.

For 2020, Wabasha Farmers Market switched to online only in light of COVID pandemic.

This summer you may have noticed something missing from the streets of Wabasha—the Wabasha Farmers Market. “It was really hard to make the decision to go online only, but since we already had the online sales platform up and running and our farmers were trained on using it, I felt like this would be the safest option for our community” said market manager Sara George. Since 2013, the Wabasha Farmers Market has served as an easy, resource hub for connecting school food service directors, hospital kitchen staff and local restaurants looking to add local ingredients to their menus, without having to visit the market each week. In 2016, they streamlined the process and went online.

Local Line is the online sales platform that Wabasha Farmers Market has been using for a couple of years. Renewing the Countryside, in partnership with the Minnesota Farmers’ Market Association (MFMA) and the Minnesota Institute of Sustainable Agriculture (MISA) worked together to not only establish a farmers market food hub in Wabasha but also in seven other communities across Minnesota.

October was Farm to School Month, and schools across southern Minnesota celebrated locally-grown foods and in a variety of ways, thanks in part to the Wabasha Farmers Market, the Statewide Health Improvement Partnerships (SHIP) and Renewing the Countryside.

This past Farm to School Month, Wabasha Farmers Market supplied foods such as carrots and apples from area growers to Lake City Public Schools, Zumbrota/Mazeppa Public Schools and St. Felix School in Wabasha. The market will continue offering local produce this year, while supplies last. The hope for the 2021 season is to be open in-person as well as offer on-line ordering.

Wabasha County SHIP sponsored a Farm to School Workshop during the 2019/2020 grant cycle to support these efforts. 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.

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