West Central Minnesota Regional Food Assessment

Clifford J. Benson Center for Community Partnerships

Funding: Center for Urban and Regional Affairs

 

This project investigated food access, barriers, production, and suggestions for improving the regional food system in West-Central Minnesota's five-county region (Douglas, Grant, Pope, Stevens, and Traverse).

Research Approach: surveys, interviews, and focus groups, along with secondary and historical data from sources including the US Census and USDA Census of Agriculture

Key Findings:

  • Nearly half of surveyed households (N=283) expressed concerns about inadequate funds for food.
  • Approximately 6% of the 71,000 residents received SNAP benefits.
  • Emergency food provider visits surged by over 50% in the last two years.
  • The region experienced a 50% decline in the number of grocery stores since 1990, leaving most communities without a grocery store.
  • Walmart, Aldi, Cub Foods, and Target were the primary grocery shopping destinations for over 75% of respondents.

Local Food Production: 

  • Recent growth in large-scale vegetable production included carrots, dried beans, lettuces, and herbs.
  • Despite significant livestock and milk production, there's a shortage of meat and dairy processors in the area.

Community Initiatives

  • The Growing Grant County project is training youth in Ashby and West Central School districts to cultivate vegetables in greenhouses and process meat.

Barriers and Recommendations: 

Top barriers identified included:  

  • Food prices
  • Transportation challenges
  • Time of year (season)

Community suggestions for improvement included: 

  • Enhance SNAP benefits
  • Boost local food production and processing, 
  • Improve transit options
  • Ensure emergency food providers offer essential non-perishable items for individuals facing food and housing insecurities

Recommended Action Steps

Local: 

  • Increase and support local food production and processing, connect with local retail outlets
  • Establish more community gardens
  • Increase resources for and improve coordination among emergency food providers,
  • Evaluate food waste as a potential resource 

Region/State: 

  • Prepare an updated and comprehensive regional food producers directory/guide
  • Establish food hubs or other ways of aggregating locally grown produce

Federal: 

  • Work with legislators to build momentum for basic income
  • Increase SNAP and related benefits, 
  • Increase Farm Bill support for edible food production