Food With Dignity, Saving Our Environment
MISSION
SCMNFR accepts large quantities of quality fresh produce and meats destined for the landfill, by creating fresh and minimally processed foods and ready-made meals. We serve people facing barriers to getting nutritious food because of a lack of resources or transportation. The focus is to work with community partners who will distribute to people who are low-income and/or Black, Indigenous, or people of color.
VOLUNTEER
SCMNFR’s volunteers help process recovered produce and meats and assemble ready-made meals for distribution by community partners. This is a great way to catch up with friends while making a BIG difference for our community, and no experience is necessary. We have projects for volunteers ages 12 years and older. Volunteers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
DONATE
SCMNFR relies on cash donations to keep our small operation going. We have to purchase containers for the ready-made meals, spices and grains to mix in with the donated produce and protein, and other supplies to make sure we capture as much food as we can. We are lucky to have generous individuals who dedicate their time and their resources to ensuring fresh produce and frozen ready-made meals are available every week.
WOODEN SPOON
We could not do our work without the continued support of the amazing crew at Wooden Spoon. Wooden Spoon owner Natasha Frost and Chef Brigette Rasmussen founded the food recovery effort in 2019. SCMNFR now contracts with Wooden Spoon to ensure we have people power to receive food donations, a variety of ready-made meals, and volunteer supervision to process produce and package food.
IMPACT
Our commitment to food and environmental justice is unwavering. From 2021 to 2023, we have distributed nearly 97,000 servings of food for free across south central Minnesota. We have recovered nearly 110 tons of food, which is equal to the greenhouse gases produced by 144 ½ gasoline-powered passenger vehicles in the U.S. driven for a year or the greenhouse gases produced by 83 U.S. homes’ energy use in a year.
DISTRIBUTION
SCMNFR partners with community organizations, coalitions, and individuals to distribute recovered food and ready-made meals to people who are low income and/or Black, Indigenous, or people of color. Our partners pick up the food at our location and distribute it to their networks. Becoming a distribution partner is easy. We are so lucky to have distribution partners throughout south central Minnesota.