Cornucopia Institute

www.cornucopia.org

The Cornucopia Institute is fighting to protect organic farmers and the authenticity of organic food — uniting family farmers with consumers and cooperatives.

Cornucopia is spotlighting factory-farms using questionable production shortcuts — and threatening local organic farmers. Our national scorecard rates 110 organic dairy brands separating factory-farm (1,500—7,000 cows) from family-farm brands, helping consumers and cooperatives support ethical producers in the marketplace (www.cornucopia.org).

Cornucopia's new soy-foods scorecard provides similar guidance for those soy products produced by domestic farmers with the organic integrity, rather than Chinese imports, and processed without toxic hexane.

Do you want "organic" eggs from 1,000,000-bird hen houses? Our newest investigation will soon identify the heroes/bad actors. Our next investigation: organic beef — feedlot or grazing out on the prairie?

Cornucopia is challenging the USDA's almond chemical pasteurization mandate and the inclusion of harmful additives in organic infant formula.

Help us win this struggle for the heart and soul of organics!

Emergency Foodshelf Network

www.emergencyfoodshelf.org

The Emergency Foodshelf Network (EFN) is a local, independent, non profit food bank that collects and distributes high quality food and provides essential support services to Minnesota hunger relief organizations. EFN's programs help make sure local families facing hunger can access nutritious, quality, and culturally specific food. The WedgeShare grant will support Harvest for the Hungry— a partnership between EFN, community donors, and local growers that brings fresh, locally grown produce to our neighbors struggling with hunger. Harvest for the Hungry uses donations to purchase shares of produce from local CSA's and to purchase reduced cost produce in bulk from growers. Produce acquired through Harvest for the Hungry is distributed for free to EFN's member programs— increasing foodshelves' ability to provide nutritious food packages to their clients. Harvest for the Hungry supports local growers, local hunger relief efforts, and forms strong and sustainable partnerships to fight hunger.

Eureka Recycling

www.eurekarecycling.org

Eureka Recycling, in partnership with composting businesses, event planners, and community groups, will strengthen grassroots community involvement in composting programs that already exist and create new tools for the community to help them get involved in Making Dirt, Not Waste. Eureka Recycling will use grassroots communications strategies and online social networking tools to engage new and seasoned composters.

By increasing Eureka Recycling's electronic social networking capacity, it can reach the ever-growing community that seeks and receives information online. This project connects people to resources and opportunities that already exist, introduces new people to composting and its environmental benefits, and motivates people to take action in these ways: education reducing the amount of food that needs to be composted in the first place, training for community members to teach backyard and worm composting workshops to friends and neighbors, and promoting the local businesses that offer composting at their restaurants and events.

Farmers' Legal Action Group, Inc.

www.flaginc.org

Farmers' Legal Action Group (FLAG), a 23-year-old nonprofit law center in St.Paul, has helped thousands of family farmers succeed in their struggle to stay on the land. We seek Wedge members' support to provide Minnesota and Wisconsin organic dairy farmers in crisis with counsel and education on legal contracts with processors that threaten the farmers' ability to stay in business. Organic dairy farmers invested heavily in certification and production. They now struggle through recession, high production costs, and regulations that make production unprofitable. Processors tell some farmers to accept lower payments or not to expect new contracts. Some processors are ignoring contracts—slashing prices, buying less milk, or not showing up to get milk. FLAG will provide organic farmers with legal support on contracts and, where possible, pursue policy solutions. This work can benefit all the region's organic farmers, fortifying their ability to operate profitably and produce good food.

Gardening Matters

www.gardeningmatters.org

Gardening Matters promotes community gardening in the Twin Cities by being an information clearinghouse, helping people join or start a community garden, and organizing events to promote community gardening.

Demand for our services has increased. More people want to garden, while community gardens have longer wait lists. People are looking for information to help them start and become successful gardeners and garden organizers.

This year, we will work with community organizations to develop neighborhood-based support systems for community and home-based gardeners alike. Gardeners can be more successful when they have the tools, knowledge and peer-support to grow their own. In this way, we make our local food system more equitable.

With your partnership, fresh produce will be accessible to more people, and gardeners will continue to network, share resources and lessons learned, and brainstorm ideas that will increase the capacity while enhancing garden's role within the community.

HourCar

www.hourcar.org

HOURCAR, a program of the local environmental nonprofit the Neighborhood Energy Connection, seeks a WedgeShare grant to bring a second HOURCAR to the Wedge Co-op neighborhood. The grant would bring a brand-new, fuel-efficient vehicle to the Wedge community, making it easier for people to enjoy convenience, freedom, and savings without sacrificing mobility.

HOURCAR has operated a car-sharing hub at the Wedge Co-op since 2005. Co-op members, shoppers, employees, and neighbors use the Wedge car to carry groceries, run errands, and have fun. The Wedge hub is HOURCAR's most successful location!

HOURCAR is a revolution in city living. Car-sharing participants rely on walking, biking, and transit for the majority of their transportation needs, and reserve an HOURCAR for occasional car trips. By decreasing their reliance on privately owned cars, HOURCAR members can save thousands of dollars each year. Plus, they help protect the environment by reducing their fossil-fuel use.

In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre

www.hobt.org

In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre requests a grant to support MayDay Goes Green, a campaign to eliminate litter, minimize waste, and increase recycling at the 2010 MayDay Parade and Festival.

Celebrating its 36th anniversary in 2010, the annual MayDay Parade and Festival is a widely recognized community arts event. Giant 3-pole puppets, children wearing masks, costumed artists playing musical instruments, and adults carrying banners are all part of the event's storytelling parade that conveys messages of environmental stewardship. MayDay Goes Green is intended to reduce the amount of garbage that is generated by the thousands of people who participate in and attend this massive annual event.

HOBT is a professional puppet and mask theater that is acclaimed for its artistic excellence, commitment to building community and dedication to social justice. The company creates mainstage and touring productions, public ceremonial works, and education activities.

Minnesota Food Association

www.mnfoodassociation.org

Minnesota Food Association's Big River Farms is a comprehensive production, training, education and distribution program promoting building a more sustainable food system. The purpose of this project request is to provide skills, knowledge and experience through training and experiential learning to immigrant and other socially-disadvantaged/limited resource farmers in assisting them towards their goal of developing and operating their own viable, sustainable farming enterprises in the future. MFA will conduct a series of classroom and in-field, practical workshops, organize the Annual Immigrant Farming Conference, farmers forums, and one-on-one assistance sessions with 10 "farms" (about 30 people) from Hmong, Latino, Kenyan, Cambodian and other immigrant communities. Each farm will operate its own organic certified "farm", with business plans, production, marketing and local distribution. This is the only program of its kind in MN, focusing on immigrants, sustainable and organic production, individualized and group training, and on-site experiential learning.

Open Arms of Minnesota

www.openarmsmn.org

Open Arms of Minnesota is the only nonprofit organization in the state that prepares and delivers free meals specifically tailored to meet the nutrition needs of individuals living with serious and life-threatening diseases including HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), breast cancer and other chronic and progressive diseases. Our ability to provide organic and local foods for our clients has been enhanced by the generous monthly donations of dry organic goods from the Wedge. We currently provide 100% organic entrées for our clients with cancer and plan to expand this menu to all clients when funding is available.

A grant from the WedgeShare will support construction of a new building that will enable us to serve more people who are sick and need nutritious food. In 2009, Open Arms will deliver 310,000 delicious and healthy meals to 1,300 clients. When we move into our new facility in early 2010, we will be able to double the number of clients that we are currently able to assist in leading dignified and independent lives. The heart of our building, a state-of-the-art kitchen, will create a welcoming environment where anyone can see our mission unfold: With open arms we nourish body, mind, and soul. Any grant amount received will be matched 100% by another foundation.

Sisters' Camelot

www.sisterscamelot.org

Sisters' Camelot is a locally funded 501(c)3 organization. Since 1997, volunteers have rescued millions of dollars worth of fresh, organic, surplus produce from local warehouses and farmers' markets, which is then shared, for free, in low-income neighborhoods around the Twin Cities.

Sisters' Camelot is currently building a health code compliant, mobile, commercial kitchen on a 1987 Bluebird bus to be used in conjunction with our current Food Share program. Volunteers will be preparing and serving free, hot, nutritious meals in communities in need around the Twin Cities. The mobile kitchen is a wonderful opportunity for the entire community to teach and learn from one another the many different ways to prepare the wide variety of produce we share, while at the same time providing free, healthy meals in our community.

Sisters' Camelot is seeking a WedgeShare grant to purchase new restaurant equipment and a propane generator.

Southeast Como Improvement Association (SECIA)

www.comogreenvillage.org

www.secomo.org

The goal of the Southeast Como Grow Box Pilot Project is to provide the residents of the Como neighborhood the means to produce a portion of their own food, targeting those with limited green space and/or those renting. The "Grow Box" is a portable, reusable, affordable, self-contained means of growing vegetables that will include the actual box, plants, growing medium, instructions and support. It is ideal for locations where space is at a premium and where the opportunity for a long-term garden is not feasible. These conditions are prevalent in the Southeast Como neighborhood (by the U of M), especially for rental properties. Access to fresh, organic, locally grown produce is limited in this geographic area, and the Southeast Como Grow Box Project intends to provide an option for those seeking a healthy food choice, a decreased carbon footprint for their food supply, and increased food security.

Windustry

www.windustry.org

Windustry is a Minnesota-based nonprofit that works in the state, the Midwest and nationally to promote Community Wind as a triple strategy of increasing production of clean, renewable energy, enhancing local energy security and stimulating sustainable, robust rural economic development. We apply to WedgeShare for a grant to support a Community Wind Energy Conference in Minneapolis in January/February 2010, the first in a series of six regional conferences over 2010-2011, also supported by the US Department of Energy. This Conference will bring farmers, ranchers, rural landowners, wind energy experts and others together to share information, education and training around Community Wind and Small Wind. Our proposal to WedgeShare seeks funds for a scholarship/fellowship to insure that local farmers, ranchers and community members who need economic assistance to attend the Conference, are provided for so that the information and networking opportunities at this regional conference are as accessible as possible.

Youth Farm & Market Project

www.youthfarm.net

The Youth Farm and Market Project (YFMP) will use any WedgeShare funds we receive in support of our mission, GROWING FOOD TO DEVELOP YOUTH. Support from the Wedge Coop has been integral in our organizations 15 year history. Guided by our mission, YFMP provides year-round, youth development programming for youths ages 9 — 18, utilizing experiential education and training, urban agriculture, gardens and greenhouses. We build youth leadership through planting, growing, preparing, and selling food. YFMP currently works in 3 neighborhoods in the Twin Cities, Lyndale and Powderhorn in Minneapolis, and the West Side of St. Paul.

YFMP employs a unique progressive programming model, where the outcomes of each program build upon the outcomes of the previous set. Our goals are consistent through each program:

1. Build Young Leaders;
2. Promote Healthy Lifestyles;
3. Create Neighborhood Connectedness and Opportunities for Contribution; and
4. Develop & Nurture Healthy Relationships.