Growers, eaters, creatives, and economic developers came together in 2012 to establish Minnesota Grown member Sprout, a food hub dedicated to promoting the health, economy, and self-reliance of Central Minnesota by facilitating the availability of fresh, locally produced food in the region. Upon becoming a federally recognized 501c3 non-profit organization, Sprout’s mission expanded to include providing educational opportunities and coordination of technical assistance to growers, makers, and artists, as entrepreneurial economic drivers of their rural region.
As a multi-farm Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) provider, Sprout has the pleasure of working with numerous growers from a myriad of backgrounds, connected by common threads and a love for growing. As an aggregator and distributor, they build the capacity of growers to meet local demands while giving consumers the benefit of a one-stop-shop with larger, more consistent orders!
Today, Sprout is run by a small but mighty team of five passionate and hard-working women from various backgrounds. Arlene Jones is the Executive Director along with Jessie Bavelli (Assistant Director), Sena Bergerud (Facility Systems Manager), Cynthia Jonson (Food Systems Program and Outreach Coordinator), and Taran Skwira (Culinary Program & Food Systems Coordinator).
Members of Sprout’s multi-farm Summer CSA will receive a share consisting of six to ten items, heavy on the produce with herbs and eggs when available. The shares will vary in weight and size depending on the season: mid-June through September. Members will also receive weekly newsletters offering recipes and tips on how to prepare and store items found in the shares to help get the most out of the experience. Sprout offers two share sizes: Half Shares receive a share once every other week for 8 weeks, and Full Shares receive a share once every week for 16 weeks.
In addition to Summer and Winter CSA programs, Sprout offers an online market filled with locally grown/produced foods. This online shopping experience is one of a kind in their region, representing the various growers and makers who supply their fresh produce, meats, grains, and pantry goods directly to Sprout. This is a great opportunity for folks who may not be ready to jump into a CSA share but would still like to shop local products in an easy and convenient way.
Minnesota Grown is participating in National CSA Week from February 20-26. It's the most popular week of the year to sign up for a Community Supported Agriculture membership! During this week, we will feature in-depth profiles of local CSA farmers here and on our social media accounts, along with information about different types of CSAs available to Minnesotans.
National CSA Week is hosted by the CSA Innovation Network, a national network for local CSA farms. Read More.