Homegrown Minneapolis outlines food-vision implementation, food-waste prevention and urban-farm pilot

Homegrown Minneapolis staff presented an update to the Public Health and Safety Committee on Oct. 29 on implementation of the Minneapolis Food Vision and the Food Action Plan, highlighting wasted-food prevention, urban-agriculture projects, community grants and farmers market activity.

Allison Babb, manager of the Homegrown Minneapolis initiative, described the program''city partnership'that supports community gardens, farmers markets and food-waste prevention. Babb said Homegrown is working on a USDA-supported Food Forward program providing four months of training and coaching for restaurants to reduce waste and improve kitchen operations; the first cohort will begin orientation in November and includes businesses from Midtown Global Market.

Babb described a recently completed boulevard-planting ordinance amendment and related online guidance to help residents grow fruits and vegetables in boulevards while meeting city requirements. She also said Homegrown released a request for proposals to purchase a lot to be held by the City of Lakes Community Land Trust, with $50,000 allocated in the 2025 budget to support community ownership and operation of an urban farm in an underserved area; the RFP closed Oct. 7 and an awardee will be notified soon.

The presentation documented the scale of farmers markets in Minneapolis: 16 markets with 1.45 million visitors in 2024, widespread SNAP acceptance and high SNAP market usage…