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Working together to make Aitkin County a healthier place to live, work, and play!
Supported by the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP), Minnesota Department of Health
Aitkin Farmers' Market Hub was Awarded The Good Food Access Equipment Grant from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture!
12/22/22 by Aitkin County SHIP Coordinator
Local growers in Aitkin County were looking for an inexpensive way to cool their produce and was awarded funding to help purchase 17 foot trailer that will be renovated into a mobile walk-in cooler for the Aitkin Farmers' Market Hub.
The mobile walk-in cooler is called "Pack 'N Cool" designed to keep vegetables, fruits and flowers at ideal temperatures they are harvested in fields and will be location to store produce until they are delivered to wholesale buyers. The Pack 'N Cool" unit combines the mobility of trailer with the refrigeration capabilities of commercial walk-in cooler.
To follow the Aitkin Farmers' Market check out their Facebook Page!
Additional Project Funders:
Aitkin Farmers' Market Hub and SHIP Make a Partnership with Wholesale Buyers to Expand Local Food into Intuitions!
12/22/22 by Aitkin County SHIP Coordinator
More customers! More farmers! Aitkin Farmers' Market Hub Manager, Allison Rian, delivered more fresh local produce to more Aitkin area institutions including Aitkin School District, Aicota Health Care Center, Community Food Shelf at First Lutheran! In the photo gallery above is Bev with Buck Hills Farm posing with her cabbage at the food shelf.
Also shown in the picture gallery is Allison Rian showing her excitement of local produce being delivered to The Joint which is located south of Aitkin located on Highway 169. Allison and her family went to the restaurant and found some great signs and great food! The picture above shows her Chicken BLT salad made from fresh greens from the following local farms: AlliCat Farm, Buck Hills Farm and Maple Ridge Farm. These farms participate as local vendors on the online platform (Open Food Network) the Hub has to make purchasing local food easy for wholesale buyers!
Please support The Joint and other local businesses that support local! A dollar spent locally circulates many more times in the community and benefits many people and families.
The Aitkin Farmers' Market Hub is additionally being supported by the Building Resilient Inclusive Communities (BRIC) grant from Aitkin County CARE who was awarded funds by the Minnesota Department of Health. The goal is to increase food and nutrition security in Aitkin County!
This story was also shared on the Minnesota Farmers' Market Association website! Nice work Allison Rian and Team!