Local Foods Initiative for the Upper MN River Valley
Pride of the Prairie is the collaboration of stakeholders working towards a more resilient food system in the Upper Minnesota River Valley.
Stakeholders:
- Land Stewardship Project (LSP)
- Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP)
- The University of Minnesota Extension Southwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (Southwest RSDP)
- Upper Minnesota Valley Regional Development Commission (UMVRDC)
Current initiatives include farm-to-school, producer-buyer matchmaking, and local food promotion.
Why local foods?
Promoting local foods results in connecting local farmers with local residents to provide healthful foods raised much closer to home than the 1,500 to 2,000 miles most food travels to U.S. dinner plates. Local foods systems invest in local farms through a shorted supply chain and support farmers more directly with a greater portion of the food dollar.
Farm to School 
Through engagement initiatives from 2022 – 2023 by LSP, Farm to School was identified as a key opportunity.
Overall Goal: Increase the long-term viability of local food production and purchasing in 5 counties in West Central MN through Farm to School.
Benchmark: By the end of 2025 school districts will increase their purchase of locally produced foods by 50%.
Over the next 6 months we will be working to:
- Understand barriers for all school districts procuring local foods.
- Get a baseline of what local foods are being purchased now and at what price.
- Identify and promote 10 local food items for school food service.
- Connect producers and schools.
Each of our agencies are working towards our own goals. Farm to School can advance each of these:
History of Pride of the Prairie
Pride of the Prairie began as an initiative in Spring 2001 with a new vision for the prairie. The original collaborators included Land Stewardship Project (LSP), Sustainable Farming Association (SFA), Morris Prairie Renaissance, Pomme de Terre Food Coop, Prairie Renaissance Cultural Alliance, University of Minnesota (the Morris campus, West Central Regional Sustainable Development Partnership (RSDP), West Central Research and Outreach Center, and University of Minnesota Extension), Sodexho Campus Services, area farmers and the Upper Minnesota River Valley community.
The name Pride of the Prairie was first used in 1997. Pride of the Prairie (via Land Stewardship Project) was one of the founding members of a national “Buy Fresh, Buy Local” campaign led by a non-profit organization, Food Routes.
