Welcome to a Story-Sharing Revolution |
|
Ecolution is a story-sharing revolution for people who care about:
1) food,
2) collective efforts,
3) ecosystem resilience,
4) and regeneration
If you are not interested in this conversation, opt out below with the unsubscribe option.
If you want to be part of the Ecolution community, join the story team by taking this survey:
|
Pandemic & Food
Production Safety
23 states reported
16,233 cases of coronavirus infection
in 239 meat processing facilities; 900 workers at one plant
Workplace Equity
Of ethnicities affected:
- 56% Hispanic
- 19% Black
- 13% White
- 12% Asian
|
|
The Big Picture
The pandemic has closed restaurants. It also has opened a door to learning how systems might be recreated to replace unhealthy processes. Appetite for Change, for example, has been collaborating with a consortium of local food partners to feed thousands of people each week (photo above).
Why Are You On This New Mailing List?
The new Ecolution Collective series points out issues of equity and sustainability alongside “what if” and “look at this” solutions. It is designed to solidify Minnesotans around innovations in collective economies and resilient ecosystems. We look at a topic in small bits for a few weeks, culminating in a long-form piece with resources and next steps suggested by Ecolution subscribers. Then we adjust our lens to a related issue.
Ecolutionaries (and yes, we made that word up ) are not passive readers who simply “like” stories. They have ideas, resources, and storytellers to share — and are consumers who want to put their dollar where their values are. We will ask Collective members in ongoing surveys: What do you think people should do? Who should we learn from next? What related issue do you care about? Can you be part of the Ecolution?
|
|
Business Model:
Appetite for Change (AFC)
|
North Minneapolis-based AFC operates a youth program that runs an urban farm on seven sites, grows and harvests food, and distributes meals through fresh grocery boxes and recipe kits. It works largely with small local farms and farmers who are immigrants, Black, Indigenous, and people of color. Its weekly meal kits are free and include two recipes and local produce for 12 meals that are delivered to families.
AFC makes 1,000 meals on weekdays out of its Breaking Bread kitchen in North Minneapolis and Station 81 in St. Paul’s Union Depot. The pandemic has prohibited some of AFC’s other work, yet its central mission remains intact: to break down systemic barriers to healthy food.
Learn more, including AFC youth music videos, and a recipe for Mediterranean Brown Rice Bowl with Chickpeas & Feta
|
|
Join Us in Conversation
Pre-COVID, Appetite for Change youth were selling hand-crafted salads at Twins games. Others have met legislators at the Capitol to talk about hunger. A recent program graduate started her own organic lip gloss and trendy eyelash company.
Taronda Richardson (above), Youth Training & Opportunities Program Manager, will talk about AFC's work at
|
|
|
|
|
|
Problem
COVID = dozens of closed restaurants in the Twin Cities
Solution
Partner underemployed chefs and caterers with unused ingredients and local distributors
Result
Thousands of healthy meal kits for families impacted by food insecurity
|
|
|
1 in 8 Minnesotans
will experience food insecurity this month, including 112,000 children
— data from McKinsey & Co, collected on behalf of Second Harvest Heartland
|
|
What solutions have you seen around the state that are improving supply lines between healthy foods and those who need access?
Do you work with data or research that illuminates this issue?
|
|
Next Step: Grow the Ecolution |
|
1) Subscribe to this newsletter.
If you received it from a friend, please add yourself to the mailing list.
2) Forward it to others who might be interested in the conversations.
3) Take our survey so we can plan stories of the future.
|
|
|
|
|
Upcoming Ecolution Topics |
-
October: Collective Economies & 40 Acre Co-op
-
November: The Air We Breathe
-
December: Regenerating Habitat
|
|
|
From Our Ecolution Library |
|
Ecolution (ee-koh-LOO-shun) is a new word for a new community-based approach to story-sharing. It is about the connections we make, learning we share, diversification that makes us resilient, and action steps we take together.
Collaborative, collective partnerships generate community-based wealth and health.
People of all ages and identities engaged in equity, ecology, and economies should be part of the Ecolution Collective team — sharing ideas about the people, science, challenges, solutions, and consumer choices we can amplify together.
With your input, each month we will look at a topic from different angles:
- Week #1: Overview of the topic and its questions
- Week #2: Profile about people centered on the issue
- Week #3: Data, research, science, and global picture
- Week #4: Action to further work and discussion
Ecolution Collective is created by Minnesota Women's Press, a pioneer in storytelling since 1985.
|
|
Be a Seed Donor
To be part of our Ecolution community
Can you help expand
and market the library
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
