Growing Culturally Relevant Food to Feed the Community of East Phillips

Volunteer

Without access to the Roof Depot site, EPNI has been keeping the vision alive since 2024, farming on land lent to us by our partner organizations.

What we do

We have the funding, we have the drive, now all we need is the land!

 FAQs

  • Since 2024, we have tended land at the EPIC Community Garden, the Little Earth Urban Farm, and the Tamales y Bicicletas farm.

  • Everything that we grow has been directly requested to us from community members in East Phillips. We had a general survey in 2025 and we have utilized that list for the 2026 growing season. We grow culturally relevant produce, herbs, and medicine that can’t always be accessed at an affordable price.

  • We distribute our produce throughout the growing season to local free produce distribution sites in East Phillips:

    • Pillsbury United Communities at Waite House Community Center (2323 11th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN, 55404). Every 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month from 10am-1pm.

    • 24hr Cake at Bici Xicas (3012 E Lake St, Minneapolis, MN, 55406). Every Thursday at 2pm.

    • Produce Distribution at Little Earth Urban Farm. Specific to Little Earth Residents and not open to the public.

  • We receive a lot of concern about growing food at a location that is well known for its arsenic contamination. We want to reassure everyone that all food grown at the Roof Depot site will be grown above ground or on remediated soil. We plan on utilizing the Swedish Hugelkultur mounded raised bed style, which requires very little building and allows us to form large raised beds with reclaimed unprocessed lumber from around the Twin Cities metro. All of our food will be grown sustainably, just as we’ve been doing at our sister sites for the last two years!