Dirty Hands Healthy City
Summary:
Saint Paul is rightfully recognized as a leader in the local food movement. The Dirty Hands Healthy Cities initiative builds on this reputation, experience, and knowledge by creating a financially viable, vertically integrated, community owned local food production, education, and distribution system in the city limits.
Many of the pieces for such a concept exist today; the innovation is in tying them together in a cohesive way.
The Dirty Hands Healthy City initiative will:
-Turn the hundreds of acres of vacant and underutilized land in Saint Paul into productive agriculture;
-Provide job-training and employment for dozens of Saint Paul high schoolers and young adults as growers, processors, salespeople, and distributors;
-Activate numerous underutilized community centers to serve as venues for food and nutrition training and food preparation and preservation;
-Give many more families access to fresh, healthy foods and the skills and knowledge to use them;
-Build intercultural relationships through the exchange of food and related recipes;
-Transform the spirit and feel of neighborhoods across Saint Paul as they become dotted with gardens, human activity, and micro-farmers markets.
About You
About You
First Name
Patrick
Last Name
Seeb
City
Saint Paul
County
Ramsey County
Country
United States, MN, Ramsey County
Website (if you have one)
Names of others who helped contribute to my idea
How did you hear about the Forever Saint Paul Challenge?
Everywhere
About Your Organization (if applicable)
Organization Name (if applicable)
Saint Paul Riverfront Corporation
Organization Website
Organization Phone
651.293.6861
Organization Address
25 West 6th Street
City
Saint Paul
Organization Country
United States, MN, Ramsey County
Your idea
Title of your idea
Dirty Hands Healthy City
Give us the highlights of your idea for making Saint Paul great (2,000 characters maximum or approx. 250 words)
Saint Paul is rightfully recognized as a leader in the local food movement. The Dirty Hands Healthy Cities initiative builds on this reputation, experience, and knowledge by creating a financially viable, vertically integrated, community owned local food production, education, and distribution system in the city limits.
Many of the pieces for such a concept exist today; the innovation is in tying them together in a cohesive way.
The Dirty Hands Healthy City initiative will:
-Turn the hundreds of acres of vacant and underutilized land in Saint Paul into productive agriculture;
-Provide job-training and employment for dozens of Saint Paul high schoolers and young adults as growers, processors, salespeople, and distributors;
-Activate numerous underutilized community centers to serve as venues for food and nutrition training and food preparation and preservation;
-Give many more families access to fresh, healthy foods and the skills and knowledge to use them;
-Build intercultural relationships through the exchange of food and related recipes;
-Transform the spirit and feel of neighborhoods across Saint Paul as they become dotted with gardens, human activity, and micro-farmers markets.
Website address (if applicable)
Innovation
What makes your idea different or unexpected? (4000 characters maximum or approx. 500 words)
The Dirty Hands Healthy City initiative builds on Saint Paul's culture and experience surrounding the local food movement but takes it to a new level. The innovation is in tying together many otherwise disconnected pieces and creating long term community ownership.
Through the Dirty Hands Healthy City initiative, Saint Paul will distinguish itself for its understanding of how food can be a simple, readily accessible tool for reenergizing neighborhoods, developing intercultural relationships, generating social capital, and building healthier families.
Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
How will your idea make a difference in Saint Paul? (4000 characters maximum or approx. 500 words)
Close your eyes and:
Imagine productive gardens replacing vacant lots.
Imagine kids, instead of having time on their hands, having their hands in the dirt.
Imagine the spontaneous cultural exchange that will occur when Hmong, Somali, and third generation Italian families are trading fresh herbs and recipes with each other street corners.
Imagine underutilized church basements activated as training centers for cooking and preserving foods.
Imagine families' diets improving once they have ready access to fresh food and the knowledge of how to prepare and preserve it.
Imagine the improvement to the local economy when restaurants are buying products from local producers.
Imagine the air of the city when micro-farmers markets dot each and every neighborhood.
Sustainability
Why do you think people will recognize or remember your idea after it comes to life? How might it inspire others to do something similar in their community? (4000 characters maximum or approx. 500 words)
Dirty Hands Healthy City is both economically and environmentally sustainable. It will be based on a business model that ensures it earns revenues and project-based support sufficient to carry its operating costs.
The concept is especially timely as cities today compete to attract young people. It will appeal to the Millennial generation which, more than any other, is concerned about the environment, access to safe foods, and interested in living in urban centers. Millennials are likely to choose where they live in advance of searching for a job. The Dirty Hands Healthy City initiative and the culture it helps advance will distinguish Saint Paul.
Minnesota, home to Cargill, the world's largest international food company, will be home to the most successful model for local food.
 | kyleandrei2013 kyleandrei2013 said: The health of the people is very much important than anything else. - Integrity Spas about this Competition Entry. - 2615 days ago read more > |
 | Patrick Seeb updated this Competition Entry. - 2847 days ago |
 | Patrick Seeb submitted this idea. - 2847 days ago |
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