Produce for the People
Farmers, Food Access, Environment
St. Paul Farmers’ Market
INTRODUCTION
Produce for the People is a food recovery program where local farmers provide fresh food to their community. The program facilitates a triple benefit to the local food system in the Saint Paul, MN metro area.
Program Timeline
1 location | 2 collections | 3 partners | 6,241 lbs
1 location | 2 collections | 3 partners | 8,405 lbs
1 location | 11 collections | 3 partners | 35,032 lbs
2 locations | 17 collections | 4 partners | 54,975 lbs
5 locations | 38 collections | 6 partners | 178,159 lbs
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
FARMERS
Farmers
Supporting the Local Food Economy
Farmers’ receive $1 per pound for any leftover produce they have at the end of the market day.
Heavy produce such as melon and winter squash are $1 per each, instead.
Farmers appreciate the opportunity to not waste food (and their hours of work) and the extra payment helps quite a bit!
Partners
Funding
Farmers
Logistics
Food Shelves
Ramsey/Washington Recycling & Energy
Dakota County Environmental
Second Harvest Heartland
St. Paul Growers’ Association Members
Hamline Food Shelf
Merrick Community Services
Keystone Community Services
Dept. of Indian Work
St. Kate's Food Services
Neighborhood House
Corner Shelf
Open Door Pantry
Open Cupboard
Neighbors Inc.
Hastings Family Service
Inver Hills Community College
Neighborhood House
360 Communities - Burnsville
360 Communities - Rosemount
North Country Food Alliance
Open Cupboard
FOOD ACCESS
Food Access
Supporting Our Neighbors
“The number of people struggling to afford to eat has climbed over the past decade and Minnesota is on track for its third consecutive year of record-breaking visits to food shelves. The state is likely to see close to 9 million food shelf visits by the end of this year, about 1.5 million more than last year. Rising prices have driven more people, particularly seniors, to seek help.” - Star Tribune (12/02/24)
Our food shelf partners offer many ways for folks to access food for free.
The fresh food coming straight from the fields is a welcome addition to the shelves goods.
Money & Admin
Money Flow
Equipment
Reporting
People
Neighborhood Markets
County ->
NCFA ->
Farmers’ Market ->
Checks to Farmers!
Downtown Market
Second Harvest ->
Farmers’ Market ->
Checks to Farmers!
Tracking:
At least three people (who are comfortable lifting) on hand to collect and pack vehicles at the market is ideal.
ENVIRONMENT
Environment
Supporting Greenhouse Gas Reduction Efforts
Food waste accounts for about 40% of our landfilled items in America. This helps to create the greenhouse gas, methane.
While farmers most often compost unsold produce back into their fields, it’s even better for the community and the environment when people get to eat it!
Since we are actively recovering would-be wasted food, this program is easy to support with food-waste mitigation dollars, something the state has prioritized in recent years.
THANK YOU