Progress 11/01/23 to 10/31/24
Outputs
Target Audience:During this reporting period, we focused on serving the Lincoln Park community, especially traditionally marginalized residents experiencing negative health indicators. Lincoln Park is Duluth's highest priority food access area and a USDA food desert with low vehicle ownership and high rates of disability. A health assessment survey found that 41% of residents feel no sense of belonging or social connectedness and 20% often or always feel isolation and loneliness (2020 Bridging Health Duluth). For a neighborhood that has experienced historic disinvestment and redlining, addressing food access and social connectedness requires an integrated approach that builds upon existing programmatic and physical infrastructure. This was accomplished through the transformation of an underutilized urban farm into a working farm providing free food and educational opportunities to all community members.The Eco3 Urban Farm worked with local age-friendly and disability organizations to expand desired intergenerational and accessible opportunities for community members. Changes/Problems:2024 brought many challenges to the Eco3 Farm and farm team. Every challenge was taken as an opportunity to improve the farm and build up more resilient systems. Each of the challenges below to production were used as educational opportunities for community members and local small farmers. Although they impeded production, they did not affect overall grant performance and active management of the challenges are setting the Eco3 Farm up to serve the broader goal of production as the Lincoln Park Grocery is opened in 2025. Soil: Depleted alkaline soil presented one of the greatest hurdles to production in 2024. The site was built on a compacted clay base and all materials were shipped in to build the growing areas. The materials shipped in were not of the highest growing quality and there are many challenges in turning that dirt into healthy living fertile soil. The soil pH was much higher than acceptable in many plant ranges in all areas of the farm. That high pH locks out key nutrients for healthy plant growth. The soil also has very little organic matter resulting in low ability to hold nutrients or water. Poor quality soil is where weeds thrive, and due to the fields being left fallow and unmanaged from 2020 to 2022 the weed seed loads are also above acceptable levels. Much of the 2024 season was spent trying to address these issues so 2025 can be significantly more productive. Many soil amendments were brought into the fields to add nutrients and balance the pH. Worm castings, sulfur, compost (total of 14 cubic yards), alpaca manure (16 cubic yards) and ammonium sulfate were all added at different points in the season to Fields #1, #2 & #3. To further build the soil we also grew an abundance of cover crops, or plants grown for soil health rather than consumption by people. Plants like oats, buckwheat and clover are grown to build up soil organic matter, shield the soil from sun and erosion, hold moisture, and fix nitrogen from the air into a usable form in the soil. All these efforts combined should result in healthy living soil for next year's crops and a bountiful 2025 harvest. Pests: Rodent pests were a signi?cant hurdle to production in the 2024 season. The pest load of the site claimed many early season crop plantings. Pests included a family of woodchucks, racoons, skunks and multiple rabbit family units. Many of these pests have been relocated during the 2024 season. To address pest pressure in the future the farm team will seed signi?cantly more starts than needed for the season, anticipating many will be lost to pests. Farm staff will also remain vigilant to see if future pest trapping and removal is necessary. Water: The site initially did not have a water system. Hoses were connected to spigots from the neighboring college building and used to fill a IBC tote in HT1 or hand-water directly. The lack of water system infrastructure demanded many extra labor hours in hand-watering and often led to underwatering by over-extended staff. In 2024 an upgraded irrigation system was installed. This system includes a large main line for pressure regulation and a zoned drip irrigation layout. Starts in HT1 and the raised beds still require hand watering. The ten tamarack raised beds will be fitted with drip irrigation in spring 2025 to reduce the staff watering time and ensure human error does not lead to under watering. Low organic matter in the ?elds also contributed to under-watered crops, because the soil would not hold moisture. The soil amendments and cover crops previously described should result in more effective watering in future seasons as the soil's water holding capacity increases. Drainage: Field #2 had drainage issues that caused crop failures and heavy weed pressure. The ?eld was resculpted to address the drainage issues. The paths between the beds were trenched, beds built up, and a drainage pipe was dug into the lowest corner of the field. Soil amendments and improvements should help with water retention and drainage as well. Plastic waste: During the site's Eco-Entrepreneurship Program era, it was first set up with heavy plastic landscaping fabric along the perimeter of much of the area. Over the years, that landscape fabric became entangled with many weeds and invasive trees. In 2024 over 10 cubic yards of plastic was removed with the aid of a tractor and multiple tractor implements. Removing this plastic was a significant step in reducing pollution on the site. Plastic row covering was also heavily used in previous years without burning the ends causing loose unraveling plastic pieces to enter the environment. Plastic was also used as a weed block and to solarize the soil, but was left on the ground for too long causing many loose pieces of plastic to enter the environment as the plastic degraded. Farm staff picks up plastic and disposes of it whenever possible. This is a valuable learning opportunity as plastic mulch is often used in sustainable farming, but Eco3 farm staff are seeing first hand how mis-management does more harm to the environment than good. High Tunnels: The high tunnel structures are an excellent asset but also a significant challenge to manage correctly. The high tunnels were difficult to keep in an acceptable temperature range for seedling production. The high tunnels were vented with roll up sides that had to be manually cranked open and closed at the appropriate times of the day. This resulted in demanding labor scheduling requirements that did not coexist well with a 9-5 work day. Temperature controlled ventilation was added to HT1. Both high tunnels are having automated roll-up sides installed to save labor and mileage. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Eco3 is working to integrate the farm into the community and make it a resource for the average person in Lincoln Park. Farm staff has been working with multiple inner-city youth agencies, one with special educational needs, to bring their kids to the farm for hands-on learning opportunities. These activities included potting up strawberry and rosemary starts; planting tomatoes in high tunnel 2 (HT2) and onions in ?eld #3; painting informational farm signs to provide self-guided farm and food tours, and more. These activities empower the youth to take ownership of the farm site and see themselves as growers. These activities also bene?ted future visitors. The youth were also encouraged to taste and take available produce at each visit. The farm also hosted the Duluth ISD 709 FACS (family and consumer science) class from Lincoln Park Middle School Fall for a class of mushroom log inoculation and planting garlic. The Farm engages some groups with activities on the farm, while it connects with others by providing produce. On numerous occasions the farm's extra produce, including but not limited to corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots and winter squash, was distributed to Community Action Duluth's Mobile Market. Less frequently the Farm distributed produce to Chum and Duluth ISD 709 FACS classes. The farm seeks to strengthen these relationships in 2025. Many community members have sought out more opportunities to be on the farm. Volunteers have been signing up and sending general group requests in numbers more than what the farm needed in the 2024 season. All potential volunteers were directed to the Farm's "Saturday on the Farm" weekly open houses. Farm staff are looking into ways to incorporate more volunteer opportunities for individuals with varied skills and abilities without draining staff's capacities or creating unnecessary busy work. A volunteer recruitment and management plan will be part of our winter strategic planning. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Project staff are consistently developing networks to keep informed about the community's needs and wants and ?nd new partnership connections. Staff have joined the Duluth Youth Agency Coalition to stay connected and collaborate with other local youth organizations. Farm staff have also been organizing members of the Duluth Food Web group, a loose coalition of nonpro?ts and organizations working for local food access. The Duluth Food Web includes the University of Minnesota- Duluth Land Lab, Community Action Duluth and University Extension Regional Sustainable Development Program among others. This group hosted a "Summer Shindig" at Lincoln Park (in the Lincoln Park neighborhood) in August 2024. This meal was provided free to the public and featured farm fresh produce. It gathered community members in celebration and conversation around local accessible food and the Eco3 NIFA project. Community members have also been informed about project progress through ongoing newsletters and blog posts. In 2025, the Lincoln Park Grocery will serve as an additional location for project dissemination. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period, the constructionof the Lincoln Park Grocery and community hub (under other funding sources) will be complete and the spaces will be open. Eco3 is connecting the Eco3 Urban Farm with the Lincoln Park Grocery by creating a Pay-It-Forward Produce program. This will take produce from the Eco3 Urban Farm and allow SNAP eligible families to augment their benefits with additional produce. The revenue from any produce that is purchased by non-SNAP eligible households will be used to further provide produce matching benefits to SNAP-eligible households. In addition, the reopening of the hub will provide the space for a series of healthy food preparation courses that not only teach whole food preparation skills, but provide necessary equipment to participants. The Eco3 Urban Farm will build upon this years production and community education successes by expanding and enhancing on-the-farm training and community engagement. As regenerative agriculture stations are set up, the Eco3 team will be expanding beginning and small farmer technical assistance sessions.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Eco3's goals to increase understanding of quality, healthy foods and increase resident resilience were accomplished this past reporting period primarily through the development of the Eco3 Urban Farm, which offers age and mobility-diverse opportunities for underserved residents to build social connectedness and local food system resiliency. Prioritizing community collaboration, Eco3 and partner organizations provide hands-on experiences and equip community members with the skills to grow local, nourishing food. The farm champions age-friendly gardening, healthy living, and demonstrates best practices in sustainable urban agriculture through programs such as Farm Saturdays, free educational workshops, and dedicated youth programming. In its second year, the farm expanded partnerships with the following organizations: Lake Superior College, Duluth's local community college and location of the Eco3 Urban Farm. LSC offers 90+ certi?cate, diploma and associate degree programs in career/technical ?elds and pre-baccalaureate majors for students interested in transferring to a 4-year college or university. The Eco3 Urban Farm served as a site for student groups and participated in multiple school-year events, including farm tours and job exploration sessions. Community Action Duluth's Seeds of Success program runs two local weekday farmers markets and the CAD Mobile Market. The Mobile Market is a refrigerated van which visits Duluth neighborhoods to provide produce, dairy, canned and dried goods, and some household products at affordable prices. Locally produced goods are also featured. The Mobile Market was the main destination for extra produce from the Eco3 Farm. Mobile Market SNAP participants were able to enhance their purchases with vegetables from the farm, furthering other options like a Double Up Food Bucks program. Duluth Farm to School, a program funded through Essentia Health's community bene?t dollars that works with schools to support and develop school gardens, incorporate local food procurement into school menus, and develop robust nutrition education initiatives, received technical assistance from Eco3 Farm staff, transplants, and staff support for Farm to School Day at the Lincoln Park Middle School. Transplants for school gardens and compost generated from the farm was distributed to different school gardens. Duluth Independent School District (ISD) 709 Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) classes from Lincoln Park Middle School visited the farm for a class on gourmet mushroom cultivation and garlic planting. This was a first-year partnership that is being extended in 2025 to build further farm to fork agricultural education. The FACS partnership was in addition to Eco3's support of the Tomato Man project that provides seeds and growing support for every kindergartener to grow tomatoes. The Eco3 farm "fostered" half of the plants for students that did not have personal space to grow the plants. Neighborhood Youth Services' (NYS) mission is to engage the community through various programs, events, and services as they build meaningful and long-lasting relationships with all they come in contact with. NYS provides summer educational programming for low-income youth during the summer, and brought youth groups to the farm for activities on a roughly weekly basis. Northwood Children's Services from Laura Mac School ISD709 brought 12 students to the Eco3 farm weekly throughout the summer. Northwood Children's Services provides professional care, education, & treatment for children with severe emotional, behavioral, and learning disabilities. The Farm further supported these students and ongoing education by having farmer visits and technical assistance for their school-based garden. Chum a non-pro?t in Duluth that provides basic necessities through their food shelf and emergency shelter to foster stable lives for those in need in Duluth, was provided cucumbers and zucchini for distribution through their programs. We hope to extend this partnership in 2025 as production increases. Duluth Community Garden Program (DCGP), a non-pro?t organization that has been working to bring the people of Duluth together on the land; growing and sharing good food at urban gardens throughout the city for over 45 years, and offers programming to make gardening as ?nancially and physically accessible as possible, struggled ?nancially in 2024 and had to lay off all of their staff. Eco3 began conversations with DCGP about how it can support the organization and keep the over 20 community gardens DCGP manages as food access assets to the community. Provided over 1,837 free plant seedlings to partner organizations and local individuals and families including supporting the school district's Tomato Man project. Sustainably grew and donated over fresh produce to six local distribution outlets and numerous individual community members. Organized 20 free, on-site educational workshops and hosted over 900 visitors on the farm. Expanded the skillsets of over 350 volunteers and extended on-the-job training to an AmeriCorps member who enthusiastically received sustainable farming training, contributed to event success and worked to create a functioning, accessible, and community-driven farm. The Eco3 Urban Farm has demonstrated the potential to build social connectedness by continuing to bridge residents, students, farmers, and food entrepreneurs, and ultimately develop resilience and adaptation in Lincoln Park. Site improvements are improving accessibility to all residents, regardless of age and body mobility, and to better accommodating farm visitors and staff. Ecolibrium3 also increased access to community support through the creation and distribution of the Duluth Food Resources Guide. This directory easily shares Duluth's food access programs and services with a one-stop-shop brochure. Listed in the guide are the names, locations, and hours for community food shelves, grocery pick-ups, farmers markets, meal drop-offs, hot meals, and take-out meal opportunities. Also included is a quick-read calendar that displays a weekly overview of food resources categorized by their relevance to seniors, youth, and SNAP card holders. We strive to provide the most up-to-date information possible so residents can easily and accurately obtain access to food in the community.
Publications
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Progress 11/01/22 to 10/31/23
Outputs
Target Audience:During this reporting period, we focused on serving the Lincoln Park community, especially traditionally marginalized residents experiencing negative health indicators. Lincoln Park is Duluth's highest priority food access area and a USDA food desert with low vehicle ownership and high rates of disability. A health assessment survey found that 41% of residents feel no sense of belonging or social connectedness and 20% often or always feel isolation and loneliness (2020 Bridging Health Duluth). For a neighborhood that has experienced historic disinvestment and redlining, addressing food access and social connectedness requires an integrated approach that builds upon existing programmatic and physical infrastructure. This was accomplished through the transformation of an underutilized urban farm into a working farm providing free food and educational opportunities to all community members. This summer, the Eco3 Urban Farm worked with local age-friendly and disability organizations to expand desired intergenerational and accessible opportunities for community members. Additionally, the farm worked to support local BIPOC partners including St. Mark's Giving Garden and Family Freedom Farms by providing hundreds of free seedlings and over 100 lbs of fresh produce. Field space was provided to youth participants of the Giinawind program (American Indian Community Housing Organization) to expand their traditional food systems and learn-to-grow programming. Changes/Problems:There have been two issues during this first year of performance. First of all, although the USDA funds do not support construction activities, some expenses anticipated in the first budget year are dependent upon construction funding provided by the State of Minnesota. There has been a delay in the release of the state funds which will move expenses into the second budget period. First of all, the state sent back the grant program paying for commercial kitchen construction and grocery store construction back for legislative review (the entire grant program). After legislative review, two additional issues arose before contracting for construction funding with Ecolibrium3. The first additional delay occurred becaue Ecolibrium3's grant application included funding for another organization that had indicated to Ecolibrium3 prior to grant submission that they had match dollars available. When the state required proof of existing match (bank statements) it was determined that the other organization did not have the funds available but had "projected" funding. This resulted in elimination of that part of the project from the overall grant. The second delay occurred because the state has required that Ecolibrium3 secure a lease for the community center where the commercial kitchen would be located that is 125% the useful life of the building. This required a lengthly process to extend Ecolibrium3's lease with the Duluth Housing and Redevelopment Authority. Ecolibrium3 secured a 40 year lease for 2014 W. 3rd Street, Duluth, MN 55806 by a vote of the Duluth HRA Board on 9-26-2023. The state has confirmed that all required elements have been submitted to proceed with a grant contract in the amount of $843,250 for the construction work on the grocery and commercial kitchen.Construction completion will then facilitate purchase of equipment, etc. under USDA NIFA funds. The second issue is the resignation of co-project director and key personnel Dr. Teresa Bertossi. Her final day of work was 10-13-2023. Ecolibrium3 will be posting for this position and will notify USDA-NIFA as soon as replacement staff is hired. Dr. Bertossi has been hired by the Federation of American Scientists to work with USDA food access programming throughout Minnesota and the Dakotas. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The Eco3 Urban Farm is committed to providing a safe and accessible place for emerging farmers to develop and share agricultural skills with no financial investment. Spaces like this are important for building an equitable food system. In 2023, the farm provided training and professional development to over 350 volunteers, 2 spring interns, and offered summer employment to 9 AmeriCorps members who received sustainable farming training, contributed to event success and worked to create a functioning, accessible, and community-driven farm. Eco3 also supports 2 year-round AmeriCorps VISTA members who serve as the farm leadership team and 1 VISTA dedicated to advancing the grocery store. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Results from farm events and programs have been disseminated via Eco3's blog, social media, email subscribers, and in conversation during community tabling events. For events that used evaluation tools requiring confidentiality, such as Farm to School Field Day, an event that drew 200 local middle school students to the farm for a day of experiential learning, results went directly to the participants. In the case of Farm to School which used photovoice, an effective evaluation tool that allows students to capture and share their own visual interpretations of what they are learning and experiencing, teachers were given access to photos and student quotes post-event to disseminate to students and their families. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?During the next reporting period we will: Continue to sustainably grow and donate farm fresh produce to local distribution outlets and individual community members and families in the 2024 growing season. Continue to provide food growing and nutrition educational programming at the Eco3 Urban Farm. Continue to provide free community events at the Eco3 Urban Farm designed to expand social connectedness for traditionally underserved residents experiencing negative health indicators. Form a Local Foods Advisory Council to assist with ensuring the development, promotion, and participation in building an accessible farming space for urban agriculture programming that is age and skill-appropriate. Implement the HGA designs on the Eco3 Urban Farm to increase access to program and event offerings for all residents in Lincoln Park, regardless of ability or mobility. Continue to provide skills training and job opportunities at the Eco3 Urban Farm for emerging farmers in the AmeriCorps VISTA program, volunteers, and interns. Engage and survey Lincoln Park residents regarding the development of the grocery store. Share results with the community at future events and on Eco3's website. Continue to update and distribute the Duluth Food Resources Guide.?
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Eco3's goals to increase understanding of quality, healthy foods and increase resident resilience were accomplished this past reporting period primarily through the development of the Eco3 Urban Farm, which offers age and mobility-diverse opportunities for underserved residents to build social connectedness and local food system resiliency. Prioritizing community collaboration, Eco3 and partner organizations provide hands-on experiences and equip community members with the skills to grow local, nourishing food. The farm champions age-friendly gardening, healthy living, and demonstrates best practices in sustainable urban agriculture through programs such as Garden in a Bucket and free educational workshops. In its first year, the farm: Provided over 750 free plant seedlings to partner organizations and local individuals and families, including 75 portable gardens to community members via the Garden in a Bucket program. Sustainably grew and donated over 2,600 lbs of fresh produce to six local distribution outlets and numerous individual community members (a $3,300 market value). Organized 15 free, on-site educational workshops and hosted over 900 visitors on the farm. Expanded the skillsets of over 350 volunteers and offered summer employment to nine AmeriCorps members who enthusiastically received sustainable farming training, contributed to event success and worked to create a functioning, accessible, and community-driven farm. Shared farm space with four partner organizations and provided two rows of field space to a group of six community members who communally grew their farming skills via our Opportunity Garden program. The Eco3 Urban Farm has high potential to build social connectedness by continuing to bridge residents, students, farmers, and food entrepreneurs, and ultimately developing climate resilience and adaptation in Lincoln Park. However, site improvements must be made to improve accessibility to all residents, regardless of age and body mobility, and to better accommodate farm visitors and staff. This fall, the Eco3 Farm team worked with architects from the Hammel, Green, and Abrahamson Architecture Company (HGA) to perform pro-bono mapping analyses and to design a welcoming and productive farm. In 2024, farm staff and community members will use the HGA plans to implement necessary infrastructure improvements to build site longevity and help support best practices in accessible design for urban agriculture. Ecolibrium3 also increases access to community support through the creation and distribution of the Duluth Food Resources Guide. This directory easily shares Duluth's food access programs and services with a one-stop-shop brochure. Listed in the guide are the names, locations, and hours for community food shelves, grocery pick ups, farmers markets, meal drop-offs, hot meals, and take-out meal opportunities. Also included is a quick-read calendar that displays a weekly overview of food resources categorized by their relevance to seniors, youth, and SNAP card holders. We strive to provide the most up-to-date information possible so residents can easily and accurately obtain access to food in the community. Additionally, we are working to develop a small footprint grocery store in the Lincoln Park neighborhood which historically has lacked proper food access for decades. For years, residents have indicated through surveys, focus groups, door-to-door canvasses, and public meetings that the number one need in the Lincoln Park neighborhood is a grocery store. To meet the needs of our neighborhood and increase food accessibility, we plan to implement a grocery store where residents can stock up on a variety of quality items such as fresh produce, meat, eggs and dairy, grains, pantry staples and more. Thanks to the dedication of community members and the support of our food systems team, we are one step closer to making this dream a reality. While the grocery store is still in its infancy, we have secured funding, a location centrally located in the Lincoln Park area, and have asked the community for their input. We created a survey to receive resident feedback to ensure that the future grocery store truly meets the needs and expectations of the community. As of November 2023, we received over 115 responses and the responses have been overwhelmingly positive and informative. By asking the public for their input, we were able to better understand the needs of the neighborhood and increase resilience and cohesion.
Publications
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