High Noon Highlight #6 Minnesota GreenStep Cities

About

Become a GreenStep City! Learn more at http://mngreenstep.org/

Description

Minnesota GreenStep Cities is a voluntary challenge, assistance and recognition program to help cities achieve their sustainability goals through implementation of 28 best practices. Each best practice can be implemented by completing one or more specific actions from a list of four to eight actions. These actions are tailored to all Minnesota cities, focus on cost savings and energy use reduction, and encourage innovation.

General Information

During fall 2007, Minnesota's Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTS) held regional listening sessions around the state to discuss community-based energy opportunities and the state's Next Generation Energy Act of 2007. The idea was raised of creating a sustainable cities program that would challenge, assist and recognize cities that were "green stars." This idea was taken up by the 2008 Legislature, which directed the MPCA, the Office of Energy Security and CERTS to recommend actions cities could take on a voluntary basis.

Those recommendations are contained in the report Minnesota GreenStep Cities. Representatives from dozens of cities, non-profit organizations, businesses and state government agencies provided the outline for what has been developed as the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program, which began in June 2010.

Check out their Website

Find them on Facebook

What are High Noon Highlights?

We believe it takes a community to build community. One way We Can Grow does this is with our new series High Noon Highlights. Everyday at 12:00pm we will highlight a new organization that we believe is trying to make the world a better place. We want to make this information easy for you to get so we'll post here on our blog, on our Facebook page, on our Google+ page and we'll send out a Tweet as well.


We believe that supporting other organizations and their efforts to make a change will help in the efforts in our community. So set your watches, phones and alarm clocks and keep checking in at noon everyday!

High Noon Highlight #5 Urban Edibles

About

Grow good food!

Description

Helping fellow urbanites grow food in their front or back yards through DIY start-up consultations, periodic support and on-going garden/soil maintenance and harvesting. Also growing food for self & market in three Minneapolis yards (more next year!).

General Information

Vegetable gardening consultation
Lawn-to-garden conversion
Market Garden in peek season (contact us for more information on how to sign up for notifications)

Organic, sustainable practices used and encouraged.

Find them on Facebook
Phone (612) 889-4571
Email drivebydesign@gmail.com

What are High Noon Highlights?

We believe it takes a community to build community. One way We Can Grow does this is with our new series High Noon Highlights. Everyday at 12:00pm we will highlight a new organization that we believe is trying to make the world a better place. We want to make this information easy for you to get so we'll post here on our blog, on our Facebook page, on our Google+ page and we'll send out a Tweet as well.


We believe that supporting other organizations and their efforts to make a change will help in the efforts in our community. So set your watches, phones and alarm clocks and keep checking in at noon everyday!

High Noon Highlight #4 Loaves and Fishes

About

Loaves and Fishes is a nonprofit serving a basic need by providing well-balanced, nutritious meals to anyone in need.

Mission

The mission of Loaves & Fishes is to provide nutritious meals to the hungry of the Twin City Metro area in an atmosphere of hospitality at site locations where the need is greatest and develops joint ventures/partnerships with like-minded organizations to assist guests with additional basic needs and to becoming self-sufficient.

Everyone is entitled to a meal with dignity. Respect for others and self is the only requisite at our sites. We connect people who want to serve with people needing service.
Company Overview
Founded in 1982 as a soup kitchen model for mostly homeless, single men, Loaves and Fishes has seen many changes. Today's typical guest is the working poor, families in transition, seniors on fixed incomes, and children. Well-balanced, nutritious meals are prepared and served by over 4,000 volunteers from local businesses, corporations, community groups, schools, families, and faith-based organizations. There are now nine different dining site locations throughout the Twin Cities Metro area. Each year, the organization provides approximately 350,000 nutritious well-balanced meals to those in need. In addition to providing meals, Loaves and Fishes partners with different agencies in order to provide advocacy and referrals to much needed social services such as medical care, clothing distribution, job placement assistance, parenting skills, food shelves, and access to educational opportunities, among others.

Description

Loaves and Fishes serves a basic need by providing well-balanced, nutritious meals to anyone in need. Our no-questions-asked approach helps provide a welcoming, hospitable environment that protects the dignity of our guests. There are ten different dining sites located through the Twin Cities Metro area including Bloomington, Coon Rapids, Minneapolis, Richfield, St. Paul, and Shakopee. The site locations were chosen based on where the need was greatest. Each dining site has solid relationships and agreements with agencies in the area in order to coordinate services and better serve our guests.
General InformationNutrition is a big part of what we do. A nutritious diet is critical for healthy child development. A hungry child may have trouble concentrating in school and may have behavior problems. A child with a diet high in fat and sugar is in danger of developing childhood obesity as well as behavior problems. Providing nutritious, well-balanced meals is a critical building block for helping vulnerable children succeed.

For many of our guests, eating a Loaves and Fishes meal is the only meal they'll eat all day. Providing a nutritious, well-balanced meal is critical to supporting their long-term health.Loaves and Fishes is a nonprofit serving a basic need by providing well-balanced, nutritious meals to anyone in need.

Website

Facebook 

What are High Noon Highlights? 

We believe it takes a community to build community. One way We Can Grow does this is with our new series High Noon Highlights. Everyday at 12:00pm we will highlight a new organization that we believe is trying to make the world a better place. We want to make this information easy for you to get so we'll post here on our blog, on our Facebook page, on our Google+ page and we'll send out a Tweet as well.


We believe that supporting other organizations and their efforts to make a change will help in the efforts in our community. So set your watches, phones and alarm clocks and keep checking in at noon everyday!

High Noon Highlight #3 Eggplant Urban farm Supply

Eggplant Urban Farm Supply 

About

Egg|Plant Urban Farm Supply sells seeds, plants and supplies for your urban homestead.

General Information

Pickup and short term parking always available right next to the Egg|Plant building  Parking is available in the entire parking lot on Saturday and Sunday only.

Hours

Tue - Wed: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Thu: 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Fri - Sat: 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Sun: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm, 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Like them on Facebook 

High Noon Highlight #2 First Kitchen.

Whether you are a novice cook or experienced chef, First Kitchen has some great ideas for you.

About

Step-by-step techniques and simple, tasty and nutritious recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, First Kitchen will help you make great, healthy meals that will save you time and money.

What are High Noon Highlights? 

We believe it takes a community to build community. One way We Can Grow does this is with our new series High Noon Highlights. Everyday at 12:00pm we will highlight a new organization that we believe is trying to make the world a better place. We want to make this information easy for you to get so we'll post here on our blog, on our Facebook page, on our Google+ page and we'll send out a Tweet as well.


We believe that supporting other organizations and their efforts to make a change will help in the efforts in our community. So set your watches, phones and alarm clocks and keep checking in at noon everyday!

High Noon Highlight #1 Gardening Matters.

Gardening Matters is a great resource for anyone that has a garden in the Twin Cities.

About

Working to promote and preserve community gardens across the Twin Cities and Minnesota by connecting them to each other and the communities in which they reside. Helping people connect to land for gardening and the resources to be successful.

Mission

Gardening Matters grows the success and sustainability of community gardens by supporting the gardeners that make them happen. We connect gardeners with resources, training, and networking opportunities, provide public education, advocate for supportive community garden policies, and build community and regional collaboration for the Good Food movement, embracing home gardening and community gardening as a vital part of a diverse, community-based food system.

Company Overview

Gardening Matters helps people join or start a community garden, connects gardeners from across the Twin Cities Metro and Minnesota, and connects gardeners with resources to help them be successful and their community gardens sustainable.

What is a High Noon Highlight?

We believe it takes a community to build community. One way We Can Grow does this is with our new series High Noon Highlights. Everyday at 12:00pm we will highlight a new organization that we believe is trying to make the world a better place. We want to make this information easy for you to get so we'll post here on our blog, on our Facebook page, on our Google+ page and we'll send out a Tweet as well.


We believe that supporting other organizations and their efforts to make a change will help in the efforts in our community. So set your watches, phones and alarm clocks and keep checking in at noon everyday!

High Noon Highlights

We believe it takes a community to build community. One way We Can Grow does this is with our new series High Noon Highlights. Everyday at 12:00pm we will highlight a new organization that we believe is trying to make the world a better place. We want to make this information easy for you to get so we'll post here on our blog, on our Facebook page, on our Google+ page and we'll send out a Tweet as well.

We believe that supporting other organizations and their efforts to make a change will help in the efforts in our community. So set your watches, phones and alarm clocks and keep checking in at noon everyday!  

Announcements and Asks

Good afternoon We Can Grow followers!


We’re starting to get really fired up here at We Can Grow.  Spring and the up-coming planting season are soon to start. We have a couple of announcements. First, we have teamed up with Gardening Matters and their Local Resource Hubs to provide our clients with the seeds and seedlings they’ll need to succeed. Using the Local Resource Hubs was a no brainer for us. Our clients will conveniently access their seeds and plants as well as any additional resources such as classes and their tool lending library. We’re very excited to be working with such an awesome collaborator and feel that together we can advance local food and food security for everyone citywide.

 You may have seen our Fund Razr or other fund raising tools we’re using, but right now Mike and I have been brain-storming strategies for funding the We Can Grow program. Up until now everything we’ve done has been pro bono as a labor of love because this is something we both believe will better our community. However, it is time to get serious about funding and making this initiative happen in a big way. We estimate $10,000-12,000 dollars will be needed to build the 150+ raised bed gardens we intend to install in the community this spring.  That being said, we’ll probably have to make a couple shameless asks  for donations over the next couple months and we apologize for that now. Yet, we wouldn’t do this if wouldn't do this unless it was absolutely necessary. So please,  give what you can to get us to our goals, and we will do our best to return the favor to the community.


Thanks everyone,

The We Can Grow Team

Class Scheduling

After just having graduated I was glad to leave behind the worries of scheduling my classes each semester. Making sure I had all the appropriate classes, locations, and times and could definitely be an unwelcome stress. Yet here I find myself again trying to schedule our classes for We Can Grow. I had been having issues this past week finding community kitchens big enough to host our grand aspirations but this a few days ago we made some real headway. With a little help we came to the obvious conclusion that churches would be the perfect place to hold our classes and we immediately thought of River of Life Lutheran up in North Minneapolis. Centrally located, well known and not to mention very welcoming the church had everything we could’ve hoped for. We sat down on Tuesday with Robert, a warm and optimistic staff person who helped us finalize our plans. We will be teaching our classes Tuesday and Wednesday nights in April at the River of Life Lutheran Church!
With this success fresh our minds and our morale high we decided to lock down our April schedule by reaching out to another great church, the Northeast Methodist Church. I spoke to Pastor Sarah last night who was a bright, energetic character and loved the plans we were cooking up for the community. She told me about the church’s large kitchen and seating space as well as their commitment to urban agriculture which she backed by telling me of the large garden they tend on the property. Convinced that this would be a perfect fit for us I swung by this morning and penciled us in for Thursdays in April.
With our first round of classes on the books we now turn our sights toward finding eager participants in these communities that could really benefit for our program. We are planning to have conversations with the churches and neighborhood associations in these areas but we would love to hear for you all if you have any suggestions on where to look. Remember, it takes a community to build a community, and we can’t do this without the help of followers like you. Thanks for your continuing support everyone!

Showing We Can Grow the Love

  With Valentines Day quickly approaching there seems seems to be lots of talk about love and, what a great thing to talk about while Minnesota gets 4-12 inches of freshly fallen snow, temperatures don't seem to be getting higher and the sky is that lovely shade of grey that you can use to accent any room. Well growing season is coming soon I assure you. Our community here at We Can Grow seems to be growing despite the less than perfect weather we have been having.

  This weekend we had some great people step up to the plate and offer to help us with an array of different things.  My friend Tim called me out of the blue and said "Mike, I know your website is a temporary thing, and I'm not saying that it looks that bad, but can I take a shot of creating a new one for your foe free?"  Our friend Dan reached out and said "I'm going to school for graphic design now, and I need to create some materials. Do you guys have anything I can do for you for free?" I met with a couple of film producers that have a film that have offered to us to use for fundraising purposes, we can't say what it is or we'll spoil the surprise.  Then, I was out to dinner with my parents on Saturday nigh and ran into a friend I went to school with and he said "I love the work you're doing with We Can Grow. I have a vacant lot in North Minneapolis that I would love to donate to the cause"

  I have always said that it takes a community to build community. We are starting to believe the phrase "if you build it, they will come". We have more and more people reaching out to help. We have more and more people that want to get involved and do what they can. Donations of time and materials keep us smiling. But most importantly the people that simply let us know that they believe in what we are doing makes us continue to smile and work harder to accomplish what we have set out to do.

 I am completing my last semester at the U of M and working part time, all while trying to get We Can Grow growing. I find myself going to bed every night smiling. This is because the people I have in my life, past, present and future. Without their support I may have given up a long time ago. This is also a good time to show a little love to Martin Gordon, We Can Grow's Program Manager. Martin has put in a countless number of hours the last few months. He has not received a single penny. I know, without his energy and support We Can Grow would be a little more than an idea. He keeps me motivated to work harder and longer. So if you get a chance to meet Martin please thank him for all the hard work he has put forward without receiving any financial compensation. To everyone in the We Can Grow community, I thank you for your continued support, without it we would not be what we are today.

Much Love,

Mike   

This is What's Cooking

First Kitchen and We Can Grow 

 We're really excited to have partnered with Mollie Shields and First Kitchen for our cooking classes. First Kitchen is dedicated to developing not just recipes but shows people how to develop their kitchen in to a efficient, functional place to create meals for the whole family. Since 2006 they have been creating a useful program for the everyday consumer. We are proud to have them on board and look forward to seeing this beneficial relationship grow.

For more information visit their website