Farms.com Home   News

Farm Innovations in MN Seen as Tool in Ending Racial Hunger Divide

An emerging initiative aims to connect BIPOC communities with healthier and culturally appropriate foods, and it starts by elevating the people growing those items. Unemployment remains low in the U.S., but hunger relief networks report record demand.

Marcus Carpenter founded Minnesota's Route 1 organization and said struggles run deep in communities of color. His team focuses on providing technical assistance to Black, brown and Indigenous farmers who can grow more food and distribute it to these populations.

A new grant allows Route 1 to try out different approaches, such as partnering with a company on "freight farms."

"They refurbish old shipping containers; they totally gut these shipping containers out," Carpenter explained. "They implement hydroponic technology that allows urban farmers and other farmers who don't have access to land outside to be able to grow fresh produce inside these shipping containers."

And it is not just the typical fresh produce most Americans are accustomed to. Carpenter pointed out emerging farmers can grow items closely aligned with their cultural heritage. He acknowledged addressing gaps within the nation's food system can be very complex, but added local solutions go a long way in creating efficiencies in the pursuit of equality.

Route 1 is boosting access through a $250,000 grant from the American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact.

Click here to see more...

Trending Video

We’re gonna build a new barn to start producing vaccines in Canada

Video: We’re gonna build a new barn to start producing vaccines in Canada

We are a family farm in Ontario showing you what we do on our farm to produce eggs and what goes on day to day. Every day we do chores, gather eggs and make feed. On our farm we plant the crops and harvest them to feed the chickens, also we start our laying hens from day old chicks and raise them to be the best birds they can be to give you a grade A quality egg. After we are finished looking after our chickens, anything could happen from washing, waxing, fixing, welding, working on engines, working on classic cars, and more. I hope everyone enjoys cheers.

So since Covid, we have not had a way to produce any vaccines in Canada until now….. Valo has reached out to us to start start the process .