Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on January 22, 2010
An article by the Star Tribune that has been on the works for about a month coming out in print, meanwhile, here is the on-line version. Although we do our best to explain what we do, articles can never cover the whole story. I am very impressed with the way Kristin Tillotson wove in humor, facts and story telling. This is serious work and I hope you reading it will start asking more questions about our food system and how food and agriculture affects the social, economic and political fabric of our communities. We are here to build something that will last and that will not deny people living in poverty the opportunity to do something for themselves while providing consumers with top quality healthy products. Feel free to contact us if you feel like you would like more information.
Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on January 19, 2010
The Center for Rural Entrepreneurship just released a report on our efforts to incorporate Latino families into the Southern Minnesota economy. The system is based on engaging existing farmers, local resources, and national and regional support networks. The system aims to provide families with a path out of poverty through a replicable and scalable system that follows a step-by-step approach. This approach is designed to build capacity, long-term engagement, is compatible with the rural economic landscape and the realities of struggling small farms, and on the engagement immigrant Latino families as net contributors to strong partnerships for broad-based community success. To read the whole report, click here.
Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on January 15, 2010
I will be presenting at a regional conference and at a workshop in the coming weeks, here is the general information in case you are interested in attending.
Monday, February 22nd
3rd Crops: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
1:00 PM Free Range Poultry and Perennial 3rd Crops
Organized by Rural Advantage, a non profit organization in Southern MN.
The Home Grown Economy 2010
Equipping You to Build Community-Based Food Systems
Local Food Conference
Tuesday, February 16, 2010 8am–4pm Southwest Minnesota State University, Marshall
With Interactive Video Sessions at:
University of Minnesota Crookston
University of Minnesota Morris
Bemidji State University
MN State Community & Technical College, Fergus Falls
Sponsored by: Collin C. Peterson – Chair, U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee
Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on January 7, 2010
Listen to a panel by some of our expert friends from the national scene interviewed by Maria Hinojosa on for Latino U.S.A.
Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on January 4, 2010
In 2010, there will be many things that will be fundamentally different for the Rural Enterprise Center. One of those areas that will change is that instead of trying to bring in new families to start new farming operations, we will concentrate on improving on the 2008 and 2009 projects that were used to develop the protocols, systems and relationships between a network of enterprises that working together in a symbiotic relationship can build solid, strong, profitable, sustainable, and fair food and agriculture systems.
2010 will be the year when one or two pilot families take off in a serious way, we will continue to build the support infrastructure, systems and programs needed to ensure their success, but with the idea of also paving the way for other families to join and build the grassroots networks of farmers needed to strengthen the regional food and agriculture systems that can systematically re-build the local infrastructure needed to make our food and agriculture sustainable.
The conditions that affect the systems and resources engaged in food and agriculture (farmers, workers, the land, water, ecosystems, etc.) also directly impact the quality of the final products available to consumers, consequently reducing consumer’s ability to choose local, wholesome, healthy foods.
As we plan our work for 2010, I have been doing some more digging of information and examples of what others have accomplished. One thing that attracted my interest were these videos and slide shows about fair trade in our domestic food and agriculture system.
Posted by Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin on December 30, 2009
I have read many articles about the sources and quality of the food that our children are served at our schools, or at least the vast majority. ?Although there is a growing movement of farm to school programs all across the country, the food industry is still using unfair competition to push out of the system small farmers that deliver top quality products, are competitive, support the local economy and are a far better and healthier choice as a source of food for schools. Food Democracy Now is a grassroots coalition working to make food systems more transparent and has posted some interesting facts and actions to take regarding these issues.
And here is a direct action you can take to respond to this, but hurry, the public comment deadline is tomorrow:
End the corporate stranglehold on our food and America’s farmers.
