Posted June 19, 2020
Dear Friends of Minnesota Food Association & Big River Farms,
The Food Group stands in solidarity with our Twin Cities communities in our commitment to equity as, together, we process and rebuild from the compounding effects and unrest following the killing of George Floyd and COVID-19. As our community faces a public health crisis from the pandemic and systemic racism, we must address the roots of inequity so everyone in our community has the opportunity to live their best life.
The community response of generosity and support surrounding us has been incredible – allowing us to grow and provide food for the community and those most impacted.
Although we’ve transitioned to the name Big River Farms for all of our programs and work, we continue our same focus to build a more sustainable and just food system.
In addition to operating our largest ever CSA season with 260 members, we’re growing produce for food shelves and affordable retail programs. With grocery stores closed and public transit limited, many of our community members have no access to the food they need. We are working with community-led efforts on the ground to meet immediate needs and start planning for longer term food access solutions.
We’ve launched a new website with a fresh new look. Our new design highlights this year’s farmers, information about how to support our local food system, and a pre-order option for farmers market. Our new website is www.bigriverfarms.org.
We want everyone to know that farming is at the forefront of what we do. Our goal in transitioning to Big River Farms is to simplify our identity after years of using both the names Minnesota Food Association (MFA) and Big River Farms.
We are proud of the history of Minnesota Food Association and Big River Farms. Since our establishment in 1983, we have provided education on sustainable agriculture to hundreds of farmers through our Farmer Education Program and the Emerging Farmers Conference. We founded one of the first incubator farms in the country, and one of the only ones that serves farmers of all backgrounds and cultures. We have built a reputation in our community as a reliable source of high quality, organic produce, as well as a source for knowledge on issues that affect our food and farming system. We want to take this opportunity to thank all the long-time supporters of this organization as well as its founders, current and previous staff, farmers, and volunteers for building our programs into what they are today.
We’re so grateful to partners like you who share in our work.
Warmly,
Laura Mirafuentes
Big River Farms Program Manager
The Food Group
