The Minnesota Project is pleased to announce its new Local Food Program Manager, Jennifer Blecha. Jennifer will coordinate the Heartland Food Network, a collaborative network of farmers, distributors and restaurants. She will also be expanding research on distribution systems and tackling inequities in access to local foods. Her expertise includes local food systems, sustainable agriculture, municipal composting and urban livestock. She has most recently come from San Francisco State University where she was on the faculty of the geography department, teaching courses on food, agriculture, waste reduction and recycling.

As the price of oil rises and concerns about global warming increase, more and more people agree that reducing the transportation of the average American meal from 1,500 “food miles” to 100 or fewer is more sustainable. Interest in local food is skyrocketing nationwide, not only because it lowers our carbon footprint. Increasingly, Americans are learning about the health benefits of local, seasonal foods, as well as how buying food locally and directly supports small farmers and rural economies.

Jennifer is glad to be joining The Minnesota Project as it re-examines how our three main programs – agriculture, energy and food – are all working toward interrelated goals. “Food is really a lynchpin for so many issues.” According to Jennifer, “if we strengthen our local food systems, we can reduce obesity and improve health, reduce use of fossil fuels, and help local farmers. And amazingly, we don’t even have to suffer for these health, environmental, and economic benefits. They come along with an increase in the pleasures and joys of eating! Processed ‘food products’ can’t compare with the colors, tastes and smells of fresh, healthful, seasonal foods.”

Jennifer brings an international perspective to this work, as well as a background in social research. She has been involved with issues of food, international development, gender, the environment, and human rights for twenty years. During this time, she has traveled in more than a dozen countries and has intensively studied three foreign languages. Jennifer will bring this rich experience to her work at the Minnesota Project. She is currently planning a research trip to Argentina in January to examine their national-scale urban agriculture program. Jennifer’s wide scope of experiences will broaden and enrich the vision and programs of the Minnesota Project.

The work of the Local Food Program will also benefit from Jennifer’s skills in research and analysis. She has a Ph.D. in geography from the University of Minnesota and an M.A. in cultural anthropology from the University of Oregon. Among other honors, she was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in the Interdisciplinary Program on Global Change, Sustainability and Justice at UMN. She is the author of research on urban agriculture, human-animal relations, and alternative economics. She has been interviewed for numerous radio programs and newspaper articles on urban agriculture.

Jennifer’s travels and awards are balanced by down-home enjoyment of growing and eating food. She was a lead cook at a retreat center that baked fresh bread and served vegetarian meals three times a day to nearly 500 visitors. She is also a lifelong organic gardener and promises to introduce the Minnesota Project lunchroom to the wonders of worm composting.

“Jennifer brings a wide range of knowledge and expertise. She will be a valuable asset to the leadership team, and we are all looking forward to the new topics that she will bring to the lunchroom discussions,” said executive director Rebecca Baumann. “Her new ideas and diverse background will help move us creatively into our thirtieth year.”

You may contact Jennifer at jblecha@mnproject.org or 651-645-6159. ext 3330.