Month: April 2025

The Positive Impact of Community Gardening Programs

As the ground begins to thaw, many of us are pulling out our gardening gloves, including those behind area nonprofits who are working to connect community members to the land. Whole Foods Co-op is proud to support several initiatives that are helping to bring people of all ages to area gardens, which are building access, important skills, as well as community, around fresh food. Two of these organizations include Eco3 Urban Farm and Duluth Farm to School.  

Eco3 Urban Farm 

Located above Lake Superior College, Eco3 Urban Farm boasts two acres of high tunnels, perennial fruit and flower gardens, raised beds, and developed fields. Eco3 Urban Farm is part of Ecolibrium3’s food access initiative that creates opportunities for residents, students, growers, and food entrepreneurs.  

The urban farm not only produces fresh food, but has become a community hub, hosting classes, field trips, and other educational events. The high tunnels are filled with seedlings that will be distributed to community gardens and partner organizations throughout Duluth. It also provides volunteer opportunities for individuals to participate in hands-on gardening. And, perhaps most importantly, the site fosters community building and intergenerational social connections through gardening.  

Duluth Farm to School 

Duluth Farm to School began in 2012 and has expanded to include multiple gardens hosted at schools throughout Duluth. The primary goal is to encourage youth to eat more fruits and vegetables by engaging them in the food-growing process.  

Duluth Farm to School embodies the three Cs: Cafeterias, Classrooms, and Community Collaborations. This approach teaches children about health, nutrition, agriculture, and food access. The knowledge gained through the Farm to School program empowers students and their families to make positive nutritional choices and emphasizes the importance of working with local farmers and food producers. 

Duluth Farm to School was selected by Whole Foods Co-op Owners as one of our 2025 GIVE! Community Support Program recipients. This past February, shoppers raised $5,067, which was given directly to Duluth Farm to School to repair their school garden beds and provide other gardening lessons and activities.

Stronger Together 

Eco3 Urban Farm and Duluth Farm to School also work together on various projects for school-aged children, including a 7th grade farm field trip, where Lincoln Park Middle School students investigate the science of farming and learn about food access initiatives in our community.  

These programs are helping to not only cultivate gardens but also stronger, more connected communities. By providing access to fresh food, education, and opportunities for growth, they are shaping a more sustainable future for the communities they serve.

By Sarah Hannigan, General Manager of Whole Foods Co-op. Originally published in the Spring 2025 Garbanzo Gazette.

Every now and again, Whole Foods gains prominence in the national news cycle; and whenever this happens, confusion arises about our history, our stores, and our motivations as a business. Whole Foods Co-op is markedly different than the other Whole Foods (Market) owned by Amazon. We’re a different business, with a different ownership model, and different objectives. We’re independent, cooperatively owned, and driven to maximize positive impact in our community. While I’ve shared some of these details in past issues of the Garbanzo Gazette, it seems timely to share them again. 

Whole Foods Co-op is local in a way that Whole Foods Market can’t ever be. When I say local, I mean much more than the wide array of local products we purchase directly from over 170 independent growers, producers, and vendors. At Whole Foods Co-op, local transcends product offerings.    

Whole Foods Co-op is of our community.

Today we are cooperatively owned by over 14,000 of you. Each Owner is literally invested in our grocery stores, in our business, and in our collective success. Owners have a say in our business objectives and direction by electing the Board of Directors who set high level policy for our business operations. The board also articulates what long-term success looks like for our Co-op and the impact we have as we serve our community.  

Whole Foods Co-op is by our community.

Our cooperative is what it is today due to the hard work of an intertwined network of individuals and businesses. The purchases you make support wages and benefits for our talented and dedicated staff. During the last fiscal year, almost 36% of the inventory we purchased to offer on our shelves came from independent Minnesota and Wisconsin businesses. We also rely on countless local service providers to keep our operations humming.   

Whole Foods Co-op is for our community.

We support local agencies working to address hunger and poverty in our neighborhoods, to support youth and environmental programming, and to grow and expand the capacity of local farmers. Every day we’re also working to ensure that shopping at and participating as an Owner of our Co-op is accessible to all, so that our patrons reflect our whole community.    

I’m proud to say we aren’t Whole Foods Market, and we won’t ever be. Whole Foods Co-op is where local truly matters. Thank you for joining us!