Workshop Descriptions

1:00pm-2:30pm Workshops

Food + Justice = Democracy
LaDonna Redmond, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

The personal and historical traumas of people of color and indigenous people affect the way that we are able to effectively work together in multicultural alliances in the community garden and greater food movement. Using narrative as a way of witnessing and healing from personal and historical trauma related to food injustice, participants will gain a deeper understanding of our connection to these traumas, and reflect on what it will take to have truly meaningful change in our food system.

Engaging Youth in the Garden
Ben Masters, Redeemer Center for Life
Ann Beuch, Blake Road Corridor Collaborative, Cottageville Park Neighborhood Garden
Tyler Berres, Youth Farms and Market Project’s West Side Program Director

Do you and your fellow gardeners want to involve youth in your community garden, but are unsure of how to reach out and keep the youth engaged? This panel will feature three individuals who work with youth in garden settings. Workshop attendees will have the opportunity to listen to the panelists’ experience, participate in a Q&A and discussion, and walk away with concrete strategies to implement in their own gardens.

Beyond Canning: Creative Ways to Preserve the Harvest
Russ Henry, Jeremy and Aimee McAdams, and Michelle Horovitz, Food Preservers

How do you preserve your harvest? Canning is trendy these days, but there are many other ways to enjoy homegrown fruits and veggies all year long. Learn about fermentation, freezing, dehydration, root cellars, and building your own underground walk-in cooler. Various types of equipment will be shown in the teaching kitchen!

Food Swaps and Co-ops
Kim Chistensen and Mandy Ellerton, MPLS Swappers
Joanna Toleno Bakken, Produce Co-op Organizer
Collie Graddick, Community Table Cooperative
Leah Morgan, West Side Chicken Co-op

Food exchanges and Co-ops are great, creative ways to share food and resources. Learn about the benefits and challenges of starting your own food exchange (where people get together to trade food they prepared or grew) or Co-op (where groups of people pool their time, skills, work, or money to leverage resources and benefit everyone). 

Don’t Eat the Dirt!
Gilbert Gabanski, Hennepin County Department of Environmental Services – Contaminated Lands Unit

The possible presence of contaminants in soil at your garden should not prevent you from gardening in your back yard or at a community garden. This workshop will cover the myths and facts of soil contamination for gardeners, as well as a broad overview of risks, soil testing resources, and case studies from metro area gardens. Come with your questions!

Planning to Eat: Twin Cities Food, Farming, and Gardening
Mustafa Sundiata, Minneapolis Homegrown Food Council
Julie Ristau, Minneapolis Homegrown Food Council
Robin Garwood, Policy Aide to Minneapolis Second Ward City Council Member Cam Gordon
Anton Jerve, City Planner, City of St, Paul 
Bernie Hesse, St. Paul-Ramsey County Food and Nutrition Commission
Brett Olson, St. Paul-Ramsey County Food and Nutrition Commission

On both sides of the river, citizens are leading efforts to craft local policies that support healthy eating. This includes removing barriers and creating supports for expanded gardening and urban farming. Learn more about the work of the newly-formed Minneapolis Homegrown Food Council and the St. Paul-Ramsey County Food and Nutrition Commission, and share your thoughts on what cities can do to support growing local, healthy food in our urban area! Bring your ideas and your policy questions!

3:00-4:30pm Workshops

 Growing Hunger, Growing Answers
Jennifer Schultz, Little Kitchen Food Shelf
Lisa Horn, Garden to Table at Eagan Resource Center
Jude Ortiz, Neighbors Connecting for Action in Phillips

Community gardening provides abundant opportunities for addressing hunger issues locally. Though their work in organizing focused neighborhood-wide conversations, facilitating gleaning networks, gardening, and food education, panelists will share their unique approaches to local hunger issues. Prepare to be inspired and motivated!

Composting: Creating “Black Gold” For the Garden
Neil Cunningham, Green Noise LLC
Patsy Parker, The Compostadores
Stephen Sewell, Eleanor Graham Community Garden

All too often, composting for the garden goes by the wayside because it is seen as complicated or confusing. Our three panelists will show that notion is just a pile of rubbish! They will present their own initiatives in the composting realm, with tips to emulate in your own garden. Eleanor Graham gardeners will present their time-tested solution for gardener teamwork and efficient pile maintenance, the Compostadores will explain their methods of community-based composting in with local businesses and youth on bicycles, and Neil Cunningham will share insights about the process and products of composting with worms.

Strategies for Land Access
Karen Washington, NYC Community Garden Coalition

New York City presents big challenges in land access for community gardens and urban farms, making solidarity and strong advocacy among gardeners essential. Although New York certainly boasts more skyscrapers, the Twin Cities has similar challenges of land access. In 2010, a key agreement protecting community gardens expired, and many community gardens were under threat of losing their land. The NYCCGC played the lead role in organizing gardeners and communities to advocate for policies and protections of community garden land. Karen will discuss New York’s key strategies in securing land for urban agriculture.

Growing Abundantly in Small Spaces
Courtney Tchida, University of MN Student Farm Manager and PRI Cold Climate Instructor

Yes, you can grow a lot, even in a small gardening space! Learn tested tips for growing more food, saving money, and eating well. Maximize your harvest with good early planning, the right planting techniques, the right varieties of plants, efficient design, and easy season extenders. Get more into – and out of – your vegetable garden!

Sembrando Semillas para Nuestro Futuro Colectivo:
Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin; Marcelo Araujo, The Zenteotl Project; Deborah Ramos, The Zenteotl Project
Jose Luis Villasenor, Tamales y Bicicletas; Silvia Perez, Jardin Paraiso
Les invitamos a nuestra comunidad Chicana y Latina a un dialogo para explorar sistemas inovadores para la integracion de nuestras familias a un sistema agricola sostenible que realizara el camino hacia nuestro desarrollo en Minnesota.

Planting Seeds for Our Collective Future
Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin; Marcelo Araujo, The Zenteotl Project; Deborah Ramos, The Zenteotl Project
Jose Luis Villasenor, Tamales y Bicicletas; Silvia Perez, Jardin Paraiso

Our Chicano and Latino community is invited to a dialogue to explore innovative systems for the integration of our families into a sustainable agriculture system that will be pave the way to our development in Minnesota. The dialogue will be in Spanish, with English interpretation.

Chickens and Bees for Beginners
Farmer Don Oberdorfer, Dodge Nature Center
Erin Rupp, Community Bees on Bikes

How do you get started with bees or chickens? Learn more about the equipment, commitment, and resources to keep bees or chickens. Farmer Don will talk about the basics of keeping chickens; Community Bees on Bikes will discuss backyard bee-keeping and share an excited project that places beehives in community gardens. Bring your questions!