Homegrown Minneapolis:

Building a Healthy, Local Food System for
All Minneapolis Residents

Homegrown Minneapolis is an initiative of the City of Minneapolis to improve the growth, sales, distribution, and consumption of healthy, locally grown foods within the city and the surrounding region. Under the leadership of Mayor R.T. Rybak and the Minneapolis Department of Health and Family Support, Homegrown Minneapolis is bringing together key partners from local government, area businesses, community organizations, non-profits, and residents to build a healthy, local food system.

Why support Homegrown Minneapolis?

Homegrown Minneapolis is about creating a local, healthy, and sustainable food supply that will positively impact the City and region’s:

• Economy: A local food system supports small farms and local jobs, creates new business opportunities, and encourages the re-circulation of financial capital within the city.
• Health: Increasing consumption of healthy foods contributes to improved nutrition and reduced levels of obesity and other chronic diseases.
• Food Security: The ability for residents to grow, sell, or easily obtain a consistent, adequate supply of fresh, local foods can empower families and communities to be more self-sufficient and enhance community cohesion.
• Environment: Producing and buying local food can improve air quality and pollution by reducing the amount of transportation and packaging required to bring our food from farm to table. Local foods grown in a sustainable manner can also reduce chemical and water usage.
• Food Security: A local food system is typically less vulnerable to disruptions due to its smaller scale and decentralized setup. A local food system encourages individuals to share resources in order to provide for the collective needs of their neighbors and the community as a whole.
• Food Safety: Food grown locally can be processed and distributed by small- and mid-size operations where careful attention can be paid to food quality and safety measures.