Sophia Lenarz-Coy

So there's a real kind of complicated context to all of this that we need to keep talking about so that we can change those outcomes. But there's nothing natural about it, right? It's really just built into kind of our built environment and our food ecosystem.

So there's a real kind of complicated context to all of this that we need to keep talking about so that we can change those outcomes. But there's nothing natural about it, right? It's really just built into kind of our built environment and our food ecosystem.

Yeah, well, I mean, so one kind of exciting way that there can be partnership between farmers market and folks experiencing food insecurity is there's a program called Market Box. And so what that does is for a participant, if you bring your SNAP card to a farmers market, you can get your money match.

Yeah, well, I mean, so one kind of exciting way that there can be partnership between farmers market and folks experiencing food insecurity is there's a program called Market Box. And so what that does is for a participant, if you bring your SNAP card to a farmers market, you can get your money match.

So we have a state program that matches money, and then there's actually a federal program that is another even match on top of that. So you could spend $10 of your SNAP card at a farmer's market and end up getting $30 worth of produce.

So we have a state program that matches money, and then there's actually a federal program that is another even match on top of that. So you could spend $10 of your SNAP card at a farmer's market and end up getting $30 worth of produce.

And so, again, it's really trying to incentivize folks to think about farmer's markets as a good option, to understand that they are in lots of neighborhoods, and that, again, that produce, that local, often organic produce, can have such good health outcomes for folks using the program. So that's all super exciting.

And so, again, it's really trying to incentivize folks to think about farmer's markets as a good option, to understand that they are in lots of neighborhoods, and that, again, that produce, that local, often organic produce, can have such good health outcomes for folks using the program. So that's all super exciting.

I think the piece, though, that we always have to remember is in Minnesota, we have quite a short growing season. And so while farmers markets are great at expanding access, and there certainly are some that are open in the winter, finding other year round grocery options is important as well.

I think the piece, though, that we always have to remember is in Minnesota, we have quite a short growing season. And so while farmers markets are great at expanding access, and there certainly are some that are open in the winter, finding other year round grocery options is important as well.

Well, so this is a really important kind of piece of the whole conversation around kind of like. food waste and food rescue. So again, in the same way that there's this paradox maybe between food insecurity and obesity and people not thinking those are linked, the other paradox we're working with kind of in our country is that we have people who don't have access to the food they need.

Well, so this is a really important kind of piece of the whole conversation around kind of like. food waste and food rescue. So again, in the same way that there's this paradox maybe between food insecurity and obesity and people not thinking those are linked, the other paradox we're working with kind of in our country is that we have people who don't have access to the food they need.

At the same time, we have huge problem with food waste. So all sorts of people are trying to kind of

At the same time, we have huge problem with food waste. So all sorts of people are trying to kind of

think through better ways to find prevent that food waste and get that to folks who need it so a few things on that uh one of the programs we run at the food group that i i love and i think is really exciting is called gleaning where we bring volunteers out to farmers fields because one of the most expensive parts of farming is to have the labor to pick the vegetables

think through better ways to find prevent that food waste and get that to folks who need it so a few things on that uh one of the programs we run at the food group that i i love and i think is really exciting is called gleaning where we bring volunteers out to farmers fields because one of the most expensive parts of farming is to have the labor to pick the vegetables

So there are local farmers who sometimes will, you know, maybe have a bumper crop of something, but they don't have a market for it. So they're not going to pick it. Generally, it just gets tilled back under as compost for the next year. But what we do is we bring volunteers. So we might be picking apples. We might be picking squash.

So there are local farmers who sometimes will, you know, maybe have a bumper crop of something, but they don't have a market for it. So they're not going to pick it. Generally, it just gets tilled back under as compost for the next year. But what we do is we bring volunteers. So we might be picking apples. We might be picking squash.

We might be picking, you know, green beans or peppers, things that they can't harvest. But would otherwise go to waste. So that is that's outstanding. And then what we can do is get that to our food shelf partners. And that's top quality foods. So that's a really, really exciting thing.

We might be picking, you know, green beans or peppers, things that they can't harvest. But would otherwise go to waste. So that is that's outstanding. And then what we can do is get that to our food shelf partners. And that's top quality foods. So that's a really, really exciting thing.