Route 1’s Next Chapter
Three years ago, LocalTies shared the story of Route 1, our Hamel-based organization working to increase food access by supporting local farmers. At the time, we were a young organization with a simple but powerful belief: when local farmers succeed, entire communities benefit.
Today, that belief has grown into a movement.
Since launching in 2020, Route 1 has helped support more than 200 “emerging farmers” by delivering over 600,000 pounds of fresh food, creating dozens of agricultural and conservation education opportunities, and connected healthy food to families across Minnesota.
What is an Emerging Farmer?
Emerging farmers are broadly defined as any farmer or aspiring farmer who faces systemic barriers to agricultural resources. This inclusive designation encompasses historically underserved communities including women, veterans, persons with disabilities, Native Americans including Alaskan Natives, communities of color, young and beginning farmers, immigrants and LGBTQ+ farmers. But while they’ve celebrated important successes, they’ve also seen firsthand the challenges facing our local food system.
Food Insecurity in Minnesota
More than 500,000 Minnesotans experience food insecurity. Food shelf visits continue to rise. At the same time, millions of pounds of food are wasted each year, much of it at the farm level. Many emerging farmers struggle not because they lack talent or determination, but because they lack access to transportation, refrigeration, storage, and reliable markets.
Roots to Resiliency
That’s why Route 1 has launched Roots to Resiliency, an ambitious initiative designed to strengthen Minnesota’s local food ecosystem from the ground up.
Roots to Resiliency is more than a food program. It is a comprehensive strategy focused on three critical drivers: farmer economic mobility, healthy food access for families, and infrastructure equity. Through a network of Agriculture and Conservation Micro-Campuses (ACMCs), aggregation facilities, youth leadership programs, and technology-driven food rescue solutions, Route 1 is creating a system that helps farmers thrive while ensuring fresh, healthy food reaches the communities that need it most. And they are doing all of this from our backyard right here in Hamel, Minnesota.
Their vision is bold. Over the next phase of this work, they aim to support more than 250 farmers, provide $20,000 market development opportunities for 100 Minnesota farm businesses, rescue nearly one million pounds of food this year that would otherwise go to waste, and deliver fresh produce to hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans.
But they cannot do it alone.
Transforming a food system requires all of us—farmers, businesses, schools, foundations, community organizations, and residents—to work together. Whether through financial support, partnerships, volunteerism, or advocacy, every contribution helps build a stronger, healthier, and more resilient Minnesota.
At Route 1, we’re not simply helping farmers grow food. We’re helping them build sustainable economic futures while ensuring healthy food reaches every Minnesota family.
If you believe that every family deserves access to healthy food and every farmer deserves a fair opportunity to succeed, we invite you to join Route 1.
Learn more and support the Roots to Resiliency campaign at: https://fnd.us/32fuQf?ref=sh_6EYLI9
Together, we can grow more than food—we can grow opportunity, health, and resilience for generations to come.
