The Deep Roots Festival was held on Saturday, September 14, 2024, and was a local foods celebration for the community.
The Deep Roots Festival in Northwest Minnesota was a community celebration focused on deepening the connections people feel to local foods and the farmers and growers responsible for those foods in the Lake Agassiz Region. With four years’ worth of festivals under their belts, Deep Roots has become a much-anticipated on-farm celebration, this event featured farm tours, hands-on workshops, kids’ activities, live music, locally sourced meals and beverages and a farmers’ market.
Casey Brodsho, the digital marketer for the Deep Roots Festival, explains, “The festival brings people together to celebrate local foods and the hard work of our farmers. It’s a valuable platform to highlight the importance of sustainable practices and strengthen the connection between consumers and the people growing their food.”
Kelsey Wulf of West Mill Farm, farmer and co-leader of the Deep Roots Festival, comments on the value of agritourism, enthusing, “It is beneficial for both farmers and producers and the community. It is a great way for the farmers to diversify their income streams and build connections and community surrounding their product and local agriculture. If someone is able to visit a farm and see the care, love, and attention that goes into the food they are eating, it creates more of a commitment on their part to support those local producers. You can't help but understand the higher value of a product once you've experienced first-hand how much dedication it truly takes to bring food to your table.” She adds, “I think, too, it helps combat issues of waste and overuse. As a consumer, if you understand that food item better, you are less likely to waste any part of it.”
Casey says, “In our community, I see a growing awareness and support for local foods. However, there’s always more that can be done. People can support local food systems by purchasing from farmers markets, joining community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs, or simply being mindful of where their food comes from. Every choice we make helps build a stronger, more resilient local food network.” Kelsey feels that farmers’ markets and many restaurants in her area are doing a great job of uplifting local foods. She concludes, “I think the addition of a festival like ours is one of the missing pieces to really make our area local food friendly. Having community-wide celebrations are great ways to bring people together around local food.”
Farm tours at the Deep Roots Festival included: Chickadee Coffee Roasters, Bucks Mill Brewing, True Blue Flower Co. and Doughing Crazy. Visit the https://sfa-mn.org/deep-roots-festival/ to learn more.
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