Sharing Stories, Strengthening Connections: Aitkin County’s Community Food Assessment

Good food brings people together! That’s exactly what Aitkin County Public Health and the Find Food Aitkin County Network are hoping to do through a new Community Food Assessment. We are proud to be one of only two counties in Minnesota selected to receive technical assistance from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Health, to help guide this important work.

This project is all about listening to our neighbors, learning from their experiences, and finding ways to make healthy food more accessible for everyone in our county. We know that each person’s story matters, whether it’s about growing food, shopping locally, or simply putting dinner on the table.

One of the most exciting parts of this effort is our “100 Cups of Coffee” project. Over a cup of coffee (or tea!), community members share their real-life experiences with food, what’s working well and what feels hard. These conversations help us see the bigger picture of food in Aitkin County, one story at a time.

The insights we gather will help guide how we spend our time and resources, build new partnerships, or grow stronger ones, and even support grant writing to fund projects that make a real difference in our community. This could include initiatives like supporting local farmers, strengthening food shelves and meal programs, or perhaps creating school food pantries to ensure kids have access to nutritious meals both at school and at home.

Most importantly, this project is about building stronger connections - between neighbors, organizations, and the many people who care deeply about nourishing our community. By listening to each other and working together, we all gain a better understanding of how our food system affects our health, our local economy, and the well-being of everyone in Aitkin County. Even if we aren’t struggling to put food on the table, these insights help us all think about the food we eat, where it comes from, and how we can support each other in creating a stronger, healthier community.

Together, we can build a stronger, healthier, more connected Aitkin County—one conversation, one cup of coffee, and one shared story at a time.