Ward 1 October Urban Ag Forum Recap

The urban farm at the California Building An enthusiastic group gathered at Eastside Food Co-op for October's Ward 1 Community Forum on the topic of urban agriculture. The evening offered attendees the opportunity to meet some of our local farmers and gardeners, as well as share ideas, concerns and resources. Mike Smieja of Buchanan Street Farms and Jim Bovino and Jillia Pessenda of California Street Farm shared their experiences with their first year of urban farming. Much discussion centered on ways in which the City of Minneapolis’ agriculture-related zoning legislation in 2011 has supported an expansion of urban agriculture activities, as well as areas in which that legislation could use a second look. Some of the resources that attendees shared included: Homegrown Minneapolis (resource for information about zoning regulations, permits, etc.) www.minneapolismn.gov/sustainability/homegrown/index.htm. Gardening Matters (resource for information about community gardens, gardening hubs, supplies, etc.) http://www.gardeningmatters.org. Yards to Gardens (clearinghouse of land availability) http://www.y2g.org. Community Kitchens (there are 6 in Ward 1): Click HERE for locations and information. One of the highlights of the forum was the introduction of Karen O’Connor and Paige Pellini, owners of Mother Earth Gardens, an urban garden center specializing in organic gardening. They have purchased property at the corner of Stinson Parkway and Lowry Avenue in order to open a second Mother Earth Gardens location in Northeast Minneapolis.