Womens Environmental Institute At Amador Hill

"THE WOMEN'S ENVIRONMENTAL INSTITUTE (WEI) IS A PLACE FOR WOMEN AND ALLIES TO RENEW, LEARN AND ORGANIZE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE." WEI AT AMADOR HILL IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH, RENEWAL AND RETREAT CENTER DESIGNED TO DEVELOP AND PROVIDE EDUCATION AND TRAINING ON FARMING, FOOD AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND POLICIES RELEVANT TO WOMEN, CHILDREN AND IDENTIFIED COMMUNITIES ESPECIALLY IMPACTED BY ECONOMIC, RACIAL, AND GENDER DISPARITIES - BOTH URBAN AND RURAL.

WEI'S 2021 FARM PROGRAM MAINTAINED ITS ANNUAL FARM GOAL OF PROVIDING ORGANICALLY CERTIFIED PRODUCE (CERTIFIED BY MOSA) FOR OUR THREE SEASON CSA PROGRAM AND FOR FARMER'S MARKETS AND COOPS, CLINICS AND FOOD SHELVES. MANY PARTICIPANTS BENEFITED FROM WEI'S ORGANICALLY CERTIFIED FARM, WHICH ASIDE FROM PRODUCTION OF HEALTHY FOOD, PROVIDED INFORMAL VISITOR EDUCATION FOR VOLUNTEERS, WORK-SHARE PARTICIPANTS, PRACTICUM OPPORTUNITIES, FARM CREW TRAINING, AND FARM TOURS. CONTINUING FROM 2019, WEI FURTHER DEVELOPED AND ADMINISTERED A VEGGIE RX PROGRAM THAT DELIVERS PRESCRIPTION VEGETABLES WHICH WAS ENLARGED TO INCLUDE THREE CLINICS IN OUR AREA. THESE VEGETABLES AND FRUITS ARE DISTRIBUTED TO CLIENTS AND PATIENTS IN NEED AT THESE NUTRIENTS. IN THE INTEREST IN PROVIDING HEALTHY FOOD FOR HEALTHY COMMUNITY, WEI ALSO CONTINUED TO DEVELOP ITS REGIONAL FOOD SYSTEM, NORTH CIRCLE ON-LINE FARMERS MARKET, WHICH SUPPORTS LOCAL PRODUCE FROM SMALL FARMS COMMITTED TO ORGANIC AND SUSTAINABLE GROWING PRACTICES. NORTH CIRCLE ONLINE FARMERS MARKET, IS LARGELY A CHARITY PROJECT, ENTERED ITS 7TH YEAR OF WEI ADMINISTRATION THE ANNUAL DANZA DE LA LUNA AYOTLMEZTLI WAS AGAIN CANCELLED DUE TO COVID, AS WAS OUR ANNUAL WILL ALLEN FARMER TRAINING WEEKEND AT THE FARM. WEI IS GAINING RECOGNITION AS A COMMUNITY EVENT SPACE AND A TEACHING FARM FOR FOUR-SEASON SUSTAINABLE REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE. WITH THE HELP OF A VOLUNTEER FARM MANAGER AND FARM CREW, REVENUE FROM THE FARM WAS INVESTED IN COVERING THE COSTS OF FARM PRODUCTION, FARM CREW WAGES AND SUPPORT FOR OUR FARM-RELATED EDUCATION PROGRAM.

WEI'S 2021 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM INTRODUCED A LARGE ARRAY OF NEW CLASSES, INCLUDING CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS, AND WORKSHOPS WHICH WERE AIMED AT DEVELOPING FARMING SKILLS AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY PRACTICES. OUR COURSE OFFERINGS INCLUDED YEAR-ROUND EDUCATION ON ORGANIC FARMING, FARM TOOL OPERATIONS, PRUNING AND GRAFTING, AQUAPONICS, HEMP AND HOPS FARMING, HERBALISM AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND PRACTICAL SUSTAINABILITY ARTS AND CRAFTS. THESE CLASSES, ALONG WITH FARMER TRAINING ON SITE, WERE SUPPORTED IN PART BY SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS PROVIDED LARGELY BY DONATIONS AND SPONSORS. SIMILAR TO LAST YEAR, WE HAD TO CANCEL OUR ANNUAL GROWING POWER FARMER-TRAINING WEEKEND DUE TO COVID PRECAUTIONS AT THE TIME. IN 2021 WE WERE ABLE TO OFFER SEVERAL MEDIUM SIZE OFFERINGS, INCLUDING GATHERINGS FOR SEVERAL VISITING COLLEGE CLASSES. WEI ALSO PROVIDED A PRACTICAL TRAINING PROGRAM FOR OUR 2021 FARM CREW AND AN ON-SITE ADVISOR FOR STUDENTS WORKING ON GRADUATE-LEVEL PRACTICUM REQUIREMENTS AT THEIR LOCAL COLLEGES. VOLUNTEERS AND VISITORS, WHO LOGGED IN HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEER HOURS AT WEI, ALSO ENJOYED EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AND GUIDED TRAINING IN FARM SKILLS AND OPERATING PROCEDURES ON OUR FARM AN ONGOING HANDS-ON TRAINING AS PART OF OUR EDUCATION MISSION. ALL OF THESE ACTIVITIES WERE AGAIN CHALLENGED BY THE PANDEMIC WHICH CUT OUR ENROLLMENTS. WEI CAREFULLY MONITORED EVERYONE WHO CAME TO THE INSTITUTE WITH OUR STRICT COVID POLICY AND REGULATIONS. MOSTLY GATHERING OUTDOORS FOR OUR CLASSES, HEALTH CHECKS, MASKS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING WERE REQUIRED, VACCINATIONS RECOMMENDED.

THROUGHOUT 2021 WEI CONTINUED OUR ADVOCACY WORK AS PART OF THE EAST PHILLIPS NEIGHBORHOOD INSTITUTE'S (EPNI) COALITION CHALLENGING THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS' DETERMINED PLAN TO CONSOLIDATE THE MINNEAPOLIS PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT'S WATER, SEWER, VEHICLE AND EQUIPMENT STORAGE FACILITIES AT THE FORMER ROOF DEPOT SITE IN EAST PHILLIPS NEIGHBORHOOD. THE CITY'S PLAN IS IN OPPOSITION TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S OWN PLANS TO DEVELOP THAT SITE AS A COMMUNITY-BASED, COMMUNITY-OWNED EAST PHILLIPS INDOOR URBAN FARM PROJECT WITH INVESTORS IN AQUAPONICS FARMING, GREEN JOBS AND JOB-TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, CULTURAL MARKETS, SMALL BUSINESS INCUBATORS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING. EPNI HAS OPPOSED THE CITY'S PLAN ON THE BASIS THAT IT WOULD ADD MORE TOXIC AIR POLLUTION INTO THIS ALREADY POLLUTION OVER-BURDENED LOW-INCOME, MAJORITY PEOPLE-OF COLOR AND NATIVE AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOOD. THIS ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE STRUGGLE IS CENTERED IN MINNEAPOLIS' SOUTH SIDE GREEN ZONE, AND IS ADJACENT TO LITTLE EARTH OF UNITED TRIBES HOUSING COMMUNITY WHICH HAS HELPED LEAD THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S EFFORTS. WEI PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS RALLIES AND SUPPORTED THE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS AND THE MN POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY BECAUSE OF THEIR FAILURE TO ENFORCE THE STATE LAW REQUIRING MINNEAPOLIS AND MPCA TO DO A "CUMULATIVE IMPACT ANALYSIS" OF THE ADDITIONAL, RACIALLY DISPROPORTIONATE, ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH BURDEN THAT THE CITY'S INDUSTRIAL POLLUTANTS WOULD CREATE FOR EAST PHILLIPS NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS. WE ATTENDED WEEKLY MEETINGS OF THE EPNI BOARD; HELPED ORGANIZE GRASS-ROOTS COMMUNITY MEETINGS; JOINED MEETINGS WITH POLICY MAKERS AT THE CITY, COUNTY AND STATE LEGISLATIVE LEVELS; WORKED WITH ALLIED RACIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP EDUCATE, INFORM AND MOBILIZE THEIR SUPPORT OF THIS EAST PHILLIPS NEIGHBORHOOD ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE STRUGGLE; MET WITH LEGAL ADVISORS; SPOKE WITH MEDIA; AND HELPED TO RESEARCH BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC INVESTORS. WHILE THE CITY CONTINUED TO OPPOSE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD-BASED PROJECT, EPNI CONTINUED TO DEVELOP STRONG SUPPORT FOR THE COMMUNITY'S PLAN TO USE ITS STATE FUNDING FROM THE MN DEPARTMENT OF JOBS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (MN DEED) TO PLAN AND ORGANIZE FOR THE "GREEN JOBS/JOB-TRAINING" THAT WOULD PRODUCE LIVING WAGE JOBS FOR RESIDENTS BY GROWING FRESH AFFORDABLE ORGANIC VEGETABLES ALONG WITH AQUAPONIC-RAISED FISH, CULTURAL MARKET PLACES, A YOUTH-LED CAFE, SMALL BUSINESS INCUBATORS, AND RECOVERY SPACE FOR NEARBY BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS.WEI APPLIED FOR AND RECEIVED A SOUTHSIDE GREEN ZONE GRANT TO HELP SUPPORT EPNI'S COMMUNITY ORGANIZER AND TO DEVELOP MULTI-LINGUAL SIGNAGE IDENTIFYING THE SOUTHSIDE GREEN ZONE. THE SIGNAGE WILL HELP PROMOTE VISIBILITY, COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND POLICY MAKER'S ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE SSGZ'S PURPOSE TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH OF LOW-INCOME BIPOC COMMUNITIES AND TO INCREASE THEIR PUBLIC RESOURCES. WEI CONTINUED ITS REPRESENTATION ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF SEVERAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING WICOIE NANDAGIKENDEN, AND LITTLE EARTH OF UNITED TRIBE'S HOUSING BOARD AND CONTINUED ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP IN THE INDIGENOUS FOOD NETWORK. WEI ALSO CONTINUED TO OFFER SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS FOR WEI CLASSES TO URBAN RESIDENTS WHO "LIVE, WORK, PLAY OR PRAY IN PHILLIPS NEIGHBORHOOD" THROUGH FUNDING GRANTED THROUGH EAST PHILLIPS IMPROVEMENT COALITION.

WEI'S "AMADOR HILL FARM STAY" PROGRAM PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GUESTS TO STAY OVERNIGHT AT OUR ECORETREAT CENTER ON THE FARM CAMPUS AND MEET OR WORK WITH OUR FARM CREW AND STAFF AS AN OPTION. GUEST STAY OVERS ARE ALLOWED WHILE THE FARM IS IN FULL SWING AND ALSO DURING THE OFF-SEASON. SLEEPING ROOMS, A MODERN AND LARGE KITCHEN, FIREPLACE ROOM AND INTERNET SERVICE ARE AVAILABLE TO GUESTS AS WELL AS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT OUR REGENERATIVE ORGANIC FARM PRACTICES, OTHER WEI PROGRAMS AND OUR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE MISSION AND HISTORY OF WEI. ACCESS TO OUR SURROUNDING FOREST ALSO PROVIDES WALKING AREAS AND NATURE HIKES FOR OUR GUESTS AND VISITORS, ALONG WITH OUR GUIDED FARM TOURS. CAMPSITES ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST AND WILL BE DEVELOPED IN THE NEAR FUTURE.