Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on January 26, 2011
Although there aren’t many pictures we can be taking outside right now, the picture inside of our organization could not be more vibrant and fast changing. Last year we developed new structures and processes to ensure that we can approach the work with immigrant farmers in a systematic, deliberate and sustainable manner. We have built the organizational infrastructure needed to support the growth we need to see during 2011 and the coming years.
During this last part of January and February we will be finishing the mobile poultry processing facility design, applying for a building permit for the fixed infrastructure to conduct biological treatment of effluent from poultry processing and preparing the plan for the building of these infrastructure. Other parallel tracks are also moving forward like the overall business planning for the Hillside Farmers Cooperative, the hiring of an outreach coordinator for our region, hiring of an agripreneur training program and community farm manager, putting together the financial package for the launch of farming operations to support the launch of the cooperative, etc.
As we move forward in all of these fronts, we are thankful for the many partners, volunteers, and funders that make this work possible. Stay tuned for future postings where we will be profiling these partnerships and the key roles they play in launching a new food and agriculture system in our region.
Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on January 13, 2011
We are also hiring an outreach coordinator, this individual will work primarily with Spanish speaking families in the Northfield area, but will cover other communities in our region.
Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on January 11, 2011
We are working to support the Sustainable Farming Association’s Cannon River region members as we explore the opportunities to increase direct markets through selling to School cafeterias in the region. There is no better opportunity than the the chapter’s annual meeting. So join us as we celebrate the annual meeting of the Cannon River SFA Chapter on Saturday, Jan. 29 from noon to 5 p.m. at St. Dominic’s Church in Northfield as JoAnne Berkenkamp from the Institute of Agriculture and Trade Policy shares her experiences with successful Farm To School programs in Minnesota. Berkenkamp’s conversation starts at 1 p.m., following a local-foods potluck that starts at noon. She’ll discuss both the policies and pragmatics of schools buying food directly from farmers and farmers selling food directly to schools. Joining Berkenkamp will be area farmers and school foodservice folks who have worked with each other. Learn what has worked and what has not worked for school districts and farmers. Following the presentation will be a Q & A and networking session.
The Cannon River SFA Chapter will hold their annual meeting at 3:30 p.m. following the Farm To School program. Electing officers and planning activities for 2011 are up for discussion.
This event is free to the public but please RSVP to kzeman@kmwb.net or (507) 664-9446 by Jan. 26.
Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on January 7, 2011
Trying to find time to blog is promising to be challenging this year already, but I promise I won’t fail all of you who have followed the work of the Rural Enterprise Center for the last three or so year. I will be posting shorter stories of my own and concentrate on linking resources that others are developing or stories that are been written frequently about our work. At the end of the day that is the objective of this blog, so I will try to keep you all informed and engaged as we grow the program, our organization the Main Street Project and the capabilities to tackle some serious challenges we must resolve in designing and launching a new and sustainable food and agriculture system.
Meanwhile, this morning MPR posted an article on immigrant farmers in MN where our work was quoted. This piece I understand either was or will be aired later on mid morning.
Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on December 11, 2010
I mean farming the landscape of opportunity and the possibility of “redefining the role of Latino families in the food and agriculture system”. Our vision is that through a different arrangement of assets, resources, support infrastructure, the processes that define the current ecology (both the natural and artificial components) of food and agriculture, and by strategically overcoming a handful of critical barriers (access to land, financing, technical assistance and training) we can transform the role of Latino families and their participation in our agriculture and food system. Currently, although there are many Latino-led businesses in this sector, for the most part the vast majority of Latino families’ role in this sector is limited to providing unskilled cheap labor in the fields and factories. We are in the business of seeing this changed to a new role at the core of a new system that is socially responsible, economically viable and ecologically sustainable in the larger context of our market place and society.
We measure success as we structurally and systematically affect the role of Latinos from one of laborers who go home poor after generating millions of dollars for our regional and national economies, to one as players in partnership with the millions of farmers, consumers, farm organizations, government programs, and businesses who want to have a more secure country where our food does not depend on non-renewable resources and unsustainable practices. The Latino population in this country together with the millions of established farmers who they can partner with are positioned to make one of the greatest contributions to this nation from this point of view. We just need to realize it at a large scale, and to engage at the right levels, building capacity, re-directing resources and changing the systems and infrastructure that make our current systems un-sustainable in the long run.
Winter is the best time for farmers to plan and re-sharpen their saws, this is also true for our organization as we revisit and evaluate our plans and strategies and make the changes necessary to be more effective and aggressive about achieving our institutional mission and goals. This process goes a lot faster and a long way farther when there are partners, allies and supporters as well as whole communities willing to do their part to bring about the resources and support infrastructure to make things happen. The United States Department of Agriculture’s is a key supporter of our work. A recent Small Socially Disadvantaged Producers Grant is allowing us to build the foundation for a regional network of farmers organized under the Hillside Farmers Cooperative. Read more about this at the USDA Know Your Farmer Know your Food Program blog.
Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on December 9, 2010
All That We Share, by Jay Walljasper is a book about the things we share/own/control in common in our society in the U.S. and around the world. Jay also wrote another piece in the fall for Yes Magazine, called 51 Ways to Spark a Commons Revolution. We are on page 105 and 105 of All That We Share.
