What Is the Heartland Food Network?

The Heartland Food Network is a collaboration of Minnesota dining establishments, catering companies, local family farmers and food distributors whose mission is to encourage and facilitate the increased consumption of local foods as a way to build stronger communities, healthier lives and a cleaner environment.

Enjoy delicious local and seasonal flavors and feel good about it! Choose cafes, restaurants and catering companies that use local ingredients.

Some of our 2007 successes include:

• Increased membership of diverse restaurants, catering companies,
  and food distributors who have made a commitment to purchase ingredients grown and produced by our local family farmers.

• Development of new website connects dining establishments, distributors and farmers to one another and to their local products.

• Third Thursday, the monthly local food celebration that showcased and promoted HFN member efforts and increased public awareness about local food opportunities.

• Quarterly Roundtable Meetings to enhance communication and connections between chefs, farmers and distributors.

• Participation and leadership in several statewide events and conferences such as the MN Grown Marketing Conference, the Twin Cities Food and Wine Experience, the Living Green Expo, the MN State Fair’s Eco Experience and the weekly Mill City Farmers Market’s Saturday morning cooking series.

• Development of a new area of the Minnesota Living Green Expo called the Homegrown Heartland Stage; a 2-day educational stage featuring local chefs, artisan food makers, food educators and farmers.

We look forward to working, learning, eating and creating positive change together in 2008. The Heartland Food Network. Local Food. Local Good.