Wholesome Minnesota (WM) Director, Jodi Gruhn presented at the Minnesota Public Health Association’s state conference in May 2022. The theme was, “Together, for Planet and Community.” This opportunity allowed her to highlight WM’s vision with an influential audience. The audience included representatives from state, county and city public health departments, the health plans, University of Minnesota and other colleges’ students, instructors and administrators, elected officials, and stakeholders from the fields of nutrition, economics, environmental health, to name a few.

Jodi’s talk focused on eating plant-based as an environmental justice strategy. She shared how diet choices impact the most vulnerable. Her point was that a shift toward a plant-rich diet can support environmental justice.

She shared key facts to support this view:
–Minority communities are located closer to factory farms and slaughterhouses.
–As a result they are most affected by harmful agricultural chemicals.
–Animal slaughtering and processing employees are disproportionately people of color.
–These workers have high rates of occupational injury and illness

Jodi urged support for organizations that offer an alternative approach to supporting environmental and food justice. In particular she highlighted organizations that offer an alternative to how food is made and produced and that are committed to environmental justice.

Some examples she shared include:

• Project Sweetie Pie—Michael Chaney’s Project Sweetie Pie teaches north Minneapolis youth about gardening. The project also brings people together to help revitalize neighborhoods and provide healthy food for low-income communities. Empowering communities on practices of urban agriculture, healthy eating and the necessity of fresh foods in “food deserts.”
• Wholesome Minnesota—school meals as a way to support health and well being of children and youth, introducing benefits of plant-based 
• Compassionate Action for Animals—often works in partnerships with Appetite for Change, Cookie Cart, and the Link
• Brightside delivers fresh produce to homes and make it available in convenience stores to people in Minneapolis—free for those without money. For those who are able, one can support them by being paying members.
• ACE in the City in partnership with Rooted Green Wellness—provides a plant-based food shelf in Minneapolis called Flourish which is open Wednesday afternoons.
• Edible Boulevards program—growing food on Minneapolis boulevards.
• Plant Based Pop Up—supports emerging entrepreneurs in the plant-based space.
• ZenBin—a holistic healing space that hosts many plant based food events.

Plant-Forward (emphasize vegan options but still have some meat and/or dairy options) organizations:

• Soup for You—provides free, healthy, organic meals to all members of our community. Soup for You Café started just over four years ago and has served nearly 70,000 bowls of soup that are nutritious, freshly prepared, globally inspired, locally sourced, vegan and vegetarian.
• Sisters Camelot—a collectively-run nonprofit founded in 1997 that is focused on food justice, waste reduction, sustainable living, community building, and youth education. We rescue primarily organic produce that would otherwise be discarded and share that along with other organic groceries and free organic meals with anyone who has a need.Appetite for Change.
• Appetite For Change—They believe food is the key ingredient to nourishing wellbeing. Systemic barriers make accessing fresh food in North Minneapolis a challenge for many. Through youth and workforce development programs, social enterprises, and policy initiatives, they build community capacity to engage with the food system in a fresh and sustainable way.