Renewing the Countryside

Thank you for supporting Renewing the Countryside!

Your donation:

*helps preserve farmland;

*improves access to farmland & finances for emerging farmers (i.e. historically underserved--BIPOC, women, LGBTQ, veterans--and beginning farmers);

*supports small food & farm businesses to strengthen local economies in rural communities;

*helps children access fresh, nutritious local food through farm to school and farm to early care programs;

*encourages sustainable agricultural practices and land stewardship;

*connects local eaters with local food producers to improve food sovereignty, justice and access for all!

Farmland Access & Transitions: Did you know the average age of a farmland owner is over 70? And the average age of the farmer on that land is nearly 60? In the next decade we will need 100,000 new farmers just to replace the ones we have now who intend to retire. At the same time, a growing number of beginning farmers want to farm, but access to land and capital are major barriers to success. Farmland ownership is undergoing a huge shift. And what happens to that land holds the key to our ability to feed ourselves in the very near future. That's why we are working with family farmers to ensure that farms get into the hands of beginning farmers in a way that balances future success and maximum profit.

We're in the midst of a multi-year project to connect all of those working on this issue in the Upper Midwest, and to help beginning farmers navigate the web of barriers and opportunities. We've reached hundreds of beginning farmers with our farmland access trainings already, and have assisted many more with finding secure farmland. To learn more about this work, visit the new Farmland Access Hub website.

Local Foods: With your support, RTC continues to work with communities across Minnesota on innovative, farmers-market based aggregation methods to connect farmers with schools, early care centers, hospitals, and other institutions looking to purchase local products. These aggregation methods also ensure farmers’ markets have the resources needed to provide food access programs with a vital public service, supporting both food security and nutrition for at-risk households and addressing issues of public health. To learn more about how Food Hubs support a community, read "The Hubbub about Foods Hubs" in the nonprofit publication Local FEAST magazine, vol 6, pg 15 produced and co-founded by RTC.  

And don't miss our 10th annual  FEAST! Tradeshow & Marketplace  on Saturday, November 4 highlighting food makers using local ingredients! Over the last decade, RTC has connected thousands of consumers with nearly 400 small, independent farm and food businesses, strengthening social and economic ties in communities across Minnesota.

Events & Public Education: We've had the pleasure of meeting you for over a decade now at the Healthy Local Food exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair. Our Farm to Early Care & Education programming supports local food access through Community-Supported Agriculture boxes and gardens for early care providers. Our team also supports a Farm to Early Care training for early care providers, "Pint Size Produce," and other resources. 

And our wealth of programs for women farmers connecting about conservation practices. 

And so much more! 

Learn more & stay in touch with our monthly newsletter! 

Your Help: Contributions from donors like you help us remain effective in our work. Foundations and government grants help us do important work, but individual donors are critical to our organizational sustainability.

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Thank you,

Jan Joannides, Executive Director

Staff and Board of Directors of Renewing the Countryside