Reflecting on 8 Years of Food of the North
In an effort to bring awareness to the issue of food waste and an appreciation for ugly (cosmetically imperfect) produce, myself and two friends (Gia Rassier & Jeff Knight) embarked on a journey eight years ago.
Our goal: to host a one time event in conjunction with the Red River Market to encourage people to love, buy and enjoy ugly food, and to celebrate the bounty at a community potluck at Drekker Brewing.
We weren't sure what to expect, but the Fargo Forum covered our event with a front page story (yes, a physical newspaper was a thing back then!), and over 100 people showed up and wanted to know more. We saw a need for continued conversation around food waste and sustainability, and essentially, kept hosting events. This was how Ugly Food of the North was born.
Ugly Food Team at tedx fargo
Gia Rassier, Megan Myrdal & Jeff Knight
Photo Credit: J. Alan Paul Photography
Over the past 8 years, we have launched many projects and initiatives with the goal of engaging new people in our mission and conversations, and (hopefully) sparking positive change in our food community and beyond. A few highlights include the Little Free Garden project established in 2016, a community-wide Earth Day celebration, Terra Madre, hosted in 2017, and First Fridays began in 2018. After the creation of these aforementioned highlights, our team rebranded to Food of the North to further our mission of celebrating, connecting, and empowering our local food community. We partnered with Drekker Brewing to create Brewed of the North, a small-batch Ancient Grain IPA, and hosted various events, potlucks, farmers markets, and conversations throughout - most in partnership with our favorite local establishments.
As we approach our 8th birthday, we find ourselves reflecting on the remarkable journey we've undertaken and the impact Food of the North has made. When this started in 2015, we truly had no intention of becoming a non-profit. We simply wanted to bring attention to important topics like food waste, composting, urban agriculture and pollinator health, to build a community who shared our passion, and have fun in the process.
In our early days, you could find our team regularly working at Junkyard Brewing, with laptops and IPAs in hand, planning our next event.
Ugly Food of the North Team 2015
Left to Right: Jeff Knight, Megan Myrdal, Jodi Regan, Gia Rassier & Cathryn Erbele
Today, you’re more likely to see us (at least me) with a diaper bag than IPA in hand - or let’s be honest, probably both. ;)
As we look at our community food system today, it is also quite different than it was 8 years ago and much of that is positive. We always said that we wanted to do work that was meaningful, impactful, quality and fun, and we feel it is time for us to step back, allow space for others to lead conversations on what our local food community needs, and celebrate the food community we helped support.
This year will be the final year of Food of the North. We plan to host three First Fridays at 701 Eateries (September 8, October 6 and November 3) and a farewell celebration on Friday, December 1 from 4:30-6pm at Drekker’s Brewhalla.
We hope you will join us at one or all of these events as we celebrate the past 8 years, hang up our veggie costumes with pride, and thank you for being part of our mission and community.
We still and always will believe that food can change the world, and that there is much to celebrate, connect, and empower in our local food community and beyond.
Cheers!
Megan Myrdal, Co-Founder, Food of the North
Current Food of the North Team
From Left to Right: On Computer: Gia Rassier, Co-Founder, Amanda Booher, Communications Coordinator, Megan Myrdal, Co-Founder & Annie Wood, Community Engagement Director
Past Food of the North Members:
Jeff Knight, Co-Founder
Cathryn Erbele
Jodi Regan
Caroline McGuire
Jon Walters