Organic vegetables
sold to support CityKid’s efforts to make fresh food available in south
Minneapolis food deserts
by Tesha M. Christensen
Drop by the Mobile Farmers Market at Becketwood Cooperative
on Monday afternoons between 1 and 2 p.m. and you’ll not only be enjoying
fresh, local produce at reduced rates, but you’ll be helping other south
Minneapolis residents get access to healthy food.
It’s a win-win.
Pick up four ears of sweet corn for $1, a head of cabbage for
$2, or an onion for $1. Proceeds from the sale of these organic vegetables
benefit CityKid Enterprises. Plus, CityKid is adding other items, such as
salsa, pickles and asparagus spears canned by six women -- the job is making
the difference in their lives between affording a house payment or not.
CityKid Enterprises is a social enterprise run by Urban
Ventures with the mission to improve the lives of vulnerable youth and families
by increasing access to healthy food through a mobile farmers market and Kid’s
Café; creating employment through producing, processing, and selling goods; and
educating on nutritious cooking and eating through demonstrations and classes.
“We enjoy making our produce available to others who are not
low income as a way to support our efforts in neighborhoods that are dealing
with food scarcity,” said Urban Ventures Vice President Mark-Peter Lundquist.
CONNECTED BY COUNCIL
MEMBER JOHNSON
“Becketwood Cooperative residents left a strong impression
with me from my visits. They are so kind, active, and engaged,” observed Ward
12 Council Member Andrew Johnson. “The idea of a farmer’s market in their
parking lot really struck me as something they would enjoy, and ever since I’ve
been thinking of how best to make it happen.”
When he learned about the work of CityKid Enterprises, he
knew he’d found a good match. Johnson pitched the idea to both organizations,
and they took it from there.
The benefits of this partnership are many, according to Becketwood
Manager Mark Dickinson. They include financial, health, convenience, community
building, and the opportunity to support a wonderful local organization.
“Many members at Becketwood have flower gardens, but few have
any vegetables,” said Dickinson. “Members have a strong desire for
sustainability and healthy food options.”
Plus, supporting the mission of Urban Ventures fits into the
vision of the cooperative as a whole.
“The Becketwood mission has been to provide a
well-maintained, financially stable housing in a beautifully wooded setting,
creating a vibrant, supportive cooperative community,” said Dickinson.
Becketwood Cooperative at 4300 West River Parkway S. was
founded in 1986. A board of 10 women looking to create a new kind of
housing was supported by Episcopal Church Home. They purchased 12 and a half
acres of what was the Sheltering Arms Orphanage. In 1986 construction was
completed and the first active, independent members age 55+ moved in.
A MOBILE FARMERS MARKET
The CityKid Food Mobile Farmers Market Truck was born when
staff at Urban Ventures (2924 4th Ave. S.) decided to try to get organic
produce in the hands of people in the Phillips and Central neighborhoods,
according to Lundquist.
That was three years ago.
They started by working someone else’s farm, the Philadelphia
Community Farm, in 2013. The next year, they launched their own operation,
farming a section of land along the Midtown Greenway at the corner of S. 5th
Ave. and E. 29th St. This year, they added six acres in Lakeville and an
apiary. Plus, they’re planning to use an aquaponics system in their green house
to grow greens this winter.
Powderhorn resident Brian Noy operates as the farm manager,
and summer workers include 14 local youth. CityKid Farm gives kids and families
the opportunity to learn about agriculture and how to grow food while getting
paid $9 an hour. Participants also sample produce fresh out of the soil.
“There’s a real sense of ownership that they’re showing,”
said Lundquist. “They’re making suggestions on how to run the farm better.
“They’re not just working with a bad attitude and collecting
money. They’re invested.”
Once school started in August, staff changed over. Through a
partnership with Simpson Housing Services, those battling homelessness will receive
food in exchange for volunteering.
“It’s a really awesome thing,” observed Lundquist. “They’re
struggling to pull themselves out of homelessness and yet they’re willing to
volunteer to produce the food.”
KIDS GOING HUNGRY
Residents in the Central and Phillips neighborhoods live in a
food desert (as classified by the USDA), with few fresh food options available
in the neighborhood.
They face other challenges, as well, Lundquist pointed out.
Through its Kids Cafe, Urban Ventures serves 40,000 meals a
year. Staff began noticing some kids coming up for seconds and thirds. “We
wanted to take a look at what’s going on with hunger in the neighborhood,”
recalled Lundquist.
What they discovered alarmed them. Many residents struggle
with not having enough money to afford buying three meals a day. According to
Hunger-Free Minnesota, 100,000
plus meals a year are missed in the Phillips neighborhood.
Adding to the mix are social justice issues centered around
the vulnerable youth and adults in south Minneapolis not having access to
healthy food options.
“They can’t go to Whole Foods and plop down $3.50 for a head
of lettuce,” observed Lundquist.
But they can afford a $5 bag of fresh vegetables grown and
sold by CityKid Enterprises.
“It’s great,” said Lundquist. Kids are working and people are
eating and they’re feeling good.”
The Mobile Market makes
several stops each week. Find the full schedule online at http://www.citykidenterprises.org/.
This story appeared in the September 2015 Messenger.
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