Increasing Healthy Food Access

The purpose of United Acres is to increase the availability, access and affordability of fresh fruit and vegetables to the people of Renville County and the surrounding area. According to the County Healthy Rankings 2015, Renville County ranks 85 out of 87 in Overall Health Outcomes. This includes being tied for the 5th worst in “limited access to healthy foods.” United Acres is a community garden of 3 acres in the City of Olivia that will grow fresh produce for sale to local institutions and businesses and sell CSA shares to Renville county residents. A student research assistant is needed to develop a business plan and analyze alternative finance and organizational structure scenarios for the garden. The results will be used to assess the feasibility of various garden to market connections and be key to informing the development of the organization.Prepared in partnership with United Acres by the Community Assistantship Program (CAP), which is administered by the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) at the University of Minnesota