Co-op Partners
Midwest Food Connection (MFC) had its beginnings in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis and Saint Paul, MN) when two natural food co-ops, the Mississippi Market and the Wedge Co-op, started a community outreach initiative in 1993 to send an educator into surrounding schools with fresh produce to teach about local, healthy foods. Four years later a group of committed educators founded our non-profit to bring natural foods education to a broad range of area schools.
Since our founding, natural food co-ops have played a pivotal role in supporting our work. By sponsoring lessons for the schools in their neighborhood, these co-ops enable us to bring food education to children around the Twin Cities free of charge. These students get the opportunity to taste fresh foods and discover their local co-op as a place where good food flourishes.
Midwest Food Connection shares the same values that guide all co-ops, aligning our mission “to bring educational adventures in food, cooking, and gardening to children and their families” with their seven principles:
- Voluntary and open membership
- Democratic member control
- Member economic participation
- Autonomy and independence
- Education, training and information
- Cooperation among cooperatives
- Concern for community
Currently, we are funded by three sponsoring co-ops. Click on the logos at the top of this page to learn more about each of these co-ops!