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| Field trippers from Incarnation Lutheran, Shoreview |
By Vernita Kennen, co-chair of the Saint Paul Area Synod Hunger Work Group
The end of the school year always seems to bring field trips for classes. Our hunger group at Incarnation Lutheran Church in Shoreview is no exception. We visit sites that have something to do with hunger, poverty, development, and/or sustainability. We also invite others in the congregation to join us in learning more about those things which matter deeply to us—and to God’s world.
This year our group ventured to Cedar Summit Dairy near New Prague to learn from the farmers themselves about their farming methods, their personal lifestyle, and their commitment to good food, sustainability, and community. Dave and Florence Minar were gracious hosts, showing and explaining to us their animals, milking parlor operation, grass and organic feed and pastures, and sales showroom. We learned about agriculture, about health concerns and inspections, and about dealing with county requirements for their operation. We also learned how they, too, act as advocates for themselves and others in agriculture in a semi-suburban/rural area. (This is the extended family who celebrates Thanksgiving with a self-sufficient, do-it-yourself meal, purchasing nothing! Search the Pioneer Press archives for the article from November 24, 2010).
Learning to appreciate dinner Consider a field trip for your hunger group—or just your hungry family. You will be warmly welcomed by your hosts and learn more about the food on your plate as well as on the plates of others in our world. You don’t have to travel far to find a site; check with local Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs) programs, smaller dairy operations like Autumnwood Farm near Forest Lake, or research a bit on the web. Plan for a picnic lunch or dine locally at a small town restaurant as we did. Maybe you will come home wearing an "I met a farmer today" sticker and appreciating your dinner a bit more.
