Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on September 3, 2009
During August, Hillside Farmers Cooperative was organized to create the coordinating infrastructure for the SE MN free range poultry farming and distribution system. This is an strategic step aim at establishing a support and coordinating infrastructure to launch farming operations and distribution partnerships in the region.
As usual, we are looking for ways to engage the larger regional population in building this regional food system. If you are a farmer, write to us through our contact form and let us know if you grow grains or have land (4 acres or more) that you would like to commit to free range production in partnership with a new immigrant family.
If you live in any of the communities within the outlined region please sign up to any of the established mailing list and start purchasing poultry from the established farms or contact us if you are from a different city and would like to help us build a support network to launch a free range poultry operation in your area.
As the poultry operations grow, we will add vegetable production to fully utilize the composted manure that the poultry generates, will add grain processing and distribution to supply the feed for the poultry farms and other value added components.
Here are the cities where we are currently developing a support infrastructure, please click and sign up if you want to receive updates on the activities in your area and to purchase poultry at a local farm or through one of our local drop-sites.
Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on August 31, 2009
The easiest way to stay connected and purchase poultry from Hillside Farmers Cooperative members is to sign-up to either of the two targeted mailing lists. As a subscriber you will receive information pertaining to especial events, open hours, weekly reminders with instructions to the farms and other information.
All communications are concentrated on making sure that we bring as many families to the farm as possible not only to purchase products, but because building a local food systems requires engagement, knowing the farmers, sharing knowledge, and creating connectedness, especially for the children. A visit to one of our farms is an experience by itself for the children, so if you have children, bring them along and walk around and show them where food really comes from.
Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on August 22, 2009
I joined a group of bikers today as we toured Finca Mirasol Farm, a member of Hillside Farmers Cooperative, launched in 2009, Open Hands Farm, Faith Community Gardens, Greenvale Community Gardens, and Stogrow. Below is a slide show 30 pictures from the tour, it is amazing what a group of dedicated people can do to feed a town. At Faith Gardens over 50 families grow garden plots and two families grow extra produce for the food shelve and to sell at local stores.
The tour in numbers:
Finca Mirasol supplies 150 families with fresh free range poultry, Open Hands serves 80 members under their Community Supported Agriculture operation model (CSA), Greenvale Park Community Garden has 40 plots and Stogrow grows thousands of pounds of produce for St. Olaf cafeteria that is served fresh to students.
The Tour in Perspective:
Northfield is surrounded by great productive lands where we could easily grow most of the food for this town right here, and reduce the carbon footprint derived from transporting food across the country. What we saw today is just an example of what is going on in our area, it is clear that we have the knowledge, talent and resources right here to feed our small towns. All we need now is leadership, an increased community awareness, and transformation of corn and soybean fields into food production.
Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on August 20, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Kat Vann, Main Street Project, (612) 879-7578
Innovative Free-Range Poultry Operation Launches in Cannon Falls Media is invited to tour Prink’s Farm on Saturday, Aug. 22, 10 a.m. 11055 – 317 St., Cannon Falls
CANNON FALLS, Minn. – The Rural Enterprise Center, a program of Main Street Project, is pleased to announce the launch of a unique, new free-range poultry operation in Cannon Falls. Prink’s Farm is the second member of the new Hillside Farmers Cooperative to deploy the Rural Enterprise Center model for raising free-range poultry and other products using sustainable farming practices. The innovative model builds on the experiences, culture and knowledge in intensive farming systems that new immigrants bring to the southern Minnesota region, while incorporating the resources of established farmers looking for ways to diversify their farms and support the community.
Todd Prink, owner of Prink’s Farm, is an investment manager and life-long Cannon Falls farmer who began raising organic products in 1985. The new poultry operation is a partnership between Prink and Eladio Evan-de Carpio and family – another member of the co-op. “As a long-time farmer, it’s very exciting to be part of something with this much potential,” says Prink. “We’re working together to raise happy, healthy and great-tasting chickens, and actually improving the environment in the process.”
The first poultry operation, called Finca Mirasol (“Sunflower Farm”), began a year ago and is located in Northfield. The co-op has a distribution partnership with Thousand Hills Cattle Company, also of Cannon Falls. Both co-op locations also sell whole chickens direct to the public.
“This is an important step in building out what we call an ‘economic unit’ in the development system,” explained Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, Rural Enterprise Center Director and model’s creator. “We’ll continue to improve the system’s efficiency while also offering a superior product to local and regional customers.”
The public can purchase Hillside Farmers Cooperative free-range chickens or tour Prink’s Farm operations on Saturdays, 8 a.m. – noon, beginning Aug. 22 through Oct. 31. Prink’s Farm is located at 11055 – 317 St., Cannon Falls, and will sell Finca Mirasol poultry until their own flock matures.
The Rural Enterprise Center is a program of Main Street Project that focuses on economic development. Our mission is to strengthen communities by bringing together the support infrastructure, resources and projects that rural Latino entrepreneurs need to succeed. For more information, visit ruralEC.com or MainStreetProject.org.
The Rural Enterprise Center is a program of Main Street Project that focuses on economic development. Our mission is to strengthen communities by bringing together the support infrastructure, systems, resources and programs that rural entrepreneurs need to succeed. More...
Farmers connected with the Agripreneur Training Center may become members of the Hillside Farmers Cooperative. Co-op members produce free-range poultry and other naturally grown farm products in southeastern Minnesota. The co-op connects Latino immigrants with established farmers, helping families and the whole community thrive.
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