December EPNI Update: Public Surveys, Community Meeting, Outdoor Farm
Welcome to our new monthly update series with the latest EPNI news and events. We’d love to see you at the upcoming Community Meeting on January 20th. Check out updates below and feel free to reach out to info@epnifarm.org with questions.
project updates
Nexus Community Partners and EPNI will distribute a public survey in January as a step toward developing the community ownership model for this project. It will ask what types of decisions community members want to have a voice in, how community members want to share ideas and feedback, and more.
If you’d like to help gather survey responses in the East Phillips/Phillips neighborhoods, email info@epnifarm.org with the subject line “Public Survey”
Thanks to everyone at Nexus for their knowledge and to the legal consultants who are working for free to help develop creative governing models for this complex project.
EPNI is in negotiations with the city of Minneapolis and Hennepin County to install collaborative outdoor farm landscaping on the county-owned land that borders the Greenway bike path, along the south-east side of the Roof Depot building.
This would be in addition to indoor urban farm infrastructure planned for the inside of the Roof Depot building.
EPNI hired Kieran Morris as Outdoor Farm Coordinator to help organize this effort. Kieran is a food justice organizer passionate about making urban farming more accessible, generating support for BIPOC gardeners to practice heritage growing, and restoring common land for the people to freely steward and enjoy. After working with groups like Twin Cities Community Land Trust and Midwest Farmers of Color, he’s excited to build a platform for East Phillips neighbors to create a hub around fresh food, community education, artistic expression and remediation of this historically neglected space.
EPNI and Hennepin County recently did soil testing on the site. Those results will help determine how to approach outdoor growing on this land.
EPNI wants to loop local partners and urban farmers into this project, especially BIPOC growers. Contact Kieran at thekieranmorris@gmail.com to learn more and get involved!
It’s time for a new name for the "Roof Depot" as we start a new chapter of healing and community building at the site. Submit your ideas through this online form by January 31st!
You can find upcoming community events and weekly meeting times through our new online calendar.
upcoming events
January 20, 2024: Community Meeting
1-4pm, 2307 17th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN
Come discuss community ownership and input for this project. We will be in the gym at East Phillips Community Center on January 20th. Free lunch provided, and please wear a mask. More details to come!
get involved
EPNI is in a really exciting and important phase of this project, so more help and input is always appreciated.
Find information about how to join EPNI volunteer teams - including fundraising, communications and community outreach - through this online volunteer form.
Tune in to EPNI’s weekly online coalition meeting, Wednesdays at 5pm on Zoom, to hear updates about the project and other solidarity efforts, such as supporting our unhoused neighbors at Camp Nenookaasi. This is a place to bring your ideas and get to know each other a bit better!
Questions? email info@epnifarm.org and we’ll do our best to connect you to answers.