Connect and learn wherever you are.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, we are no longer hosting in-person cooking classes but we are excited to gather with you virtually! Click here to be notified when we release new food business-focused workshops.
Without classes, our kitchen continues to play a vital role in building a strong local food system. It’s currently used by over a dozen local food makers and is home to our new VoCul program.
Thanks to our pantry sponsors!
March 2021
Creating a One-Page Business Plan & Licensing 101
You’ve got your why, now where do you go from there? Building your business starts with a clear blueprint. Knowing who you are and where you want to go will help you stay on course as you navigate the next steps. In this virtual workshop, we’ll take the fear out of business plan writing by helping you to create a one-page plan designed to be a tool that you’ll actually use and come back to as you grow. The second…
Find out more »Discover: The Perennial Kitchen with Beth Dooley
Join us for a virtual gathering in celebration of The Perennial Kitchen Simple Recipes for a Healthy Future, the newest book from James Beard Award-winning author, and TGA Board Member, Beth Dooley! From Beth's own kitchen, she'll walk you through one of her favorite recipes from the new book, while discussing tips for sourcing various regenerative crops - crops that help to improve soil health, increase crop yields, and build water resilience - all crucial elements of farming in our…
Find out more »April 2021
Discover: Gardening 101
Celebrate the start of the gardening season in a power-packed hour! Local farmer, educator, activist, Tiffany LaShae, will share her basic tips for starting a vegetable garden and navigating common gardening solutions. Topics she'll cover include: how to start a garden in 5 easy steps, sourcing garden materials, seed starting, basics of sun, soil, and water, plant selection, garden bed preparation, planting, harvesting, and seed saving. This workshop will primarily be a demonstration with time at the end for Q&A.…
Find out more »May 2021
VoCul Virtual Open House
If you are interested in joining the ranks of skilled culinary professionals working in area public school kitchens, look no further than our Vocational Culinary Training Program, VoCul! Join us Thursday, May 6th at 5 pm for a Zoom webinar all about this paid training program intended to teach you everything you need to know for a career in a school kitchen. The 14-week program begins in July and ends with an internship in a partnering kitchen in the fall. During the…
Find out more »2021 Season Preview
Join us for our second annual season preview, a virtual event that will give you an inside look at the climate and conditions local growers are facing this growing season. Our featured speakers include UMN Climatologist Mark Seeley, and The Good Acre’s Farm Program Director, David Van Eeckhout. Mark will kick things off with an in-depth look at current climate and weather trends and will share his farm-focused forecast for the growing season ahead. Next, David will talk about how…
Find out more »Spring Volunteer Orientation
It's time for us to recruit some new volunteers to help out with box packing, farm share pick up, and more! Join us for our upcoming virtual orientation training on Monday, May 17th at 5:30 pm. We'll give you some information about what we do, show you around the warehouse, and then we'll review a few safety techniques that you'll need to know before signing up for a shift. Fill out this form to RSVP.
Find out more »Summer Maker Workshop – Finding Your Value Proposition
Knowing your why is the foundation to any successful business. This virtual workshop will help you find your why, and will get you asking the right questions; not can you make this product, but should you? Through virtual interactive group discussion, real-world examples, and focused writing prompts you will create and define your unique value proposition. You’ll leave this workshop with the confidence to pitch your business, develop your product, and know your why. Click here to register. This event is…
Find out more »June 2021
Summer Maker Workshop – Creating a One-Page Business Plan & Licensing 101
You’ve got your why, now where do you go from there? Building your business starts with a clear blueprint. Knowing who you are and where you want to go will help you stay on course as you navigate the next steps. In this virtual workshop, we’ll take the fear out of business plan writing by helping you to create a one-page plan designed to be a tool that you’ll actually use and come back to as you grow. The second…
Find out more »July 2021
Understanding Pricing and Optimizing Costs
Welcome to another virtual workshop in our So You Want to Start a Food Business series! This time, we're talking all about the almighty dollar. As a new, small producer the first step you take into the marketplace is setting your price. Too high and your new product is dead on arrival, too low and you may spend years losing money until you can increase it to where it should have been from the start. Starting a CPG food business…
Find out more »November 2021
Social Media for Food Businesses 101
If you are a local food maker looking to up your game on social media before the holidays, don't miss this hour-long virtual workshop on Wednesday, November 10th at 10 am. The Good Acre's Communications Director, Nikki Warner, begins the workshop with a discussion on how to develop your social media strategy, how to put that strategy into action, and how to make sure it's working for you. You'll also hear from Kristen Olson, owner of Quincy Street Kitchen, a…
Find out more »December 2021
VoCul Virtual Open House – Cohort 3
If you are interested in joining the ranks of skilled culinary professionals working in area public school kitchens, look no further than our Vocational Culinary Training Program, VoCul! Join us Thursday, December 15th at 5 pm for a free Zoom webinar all about this paid training program intended to teach you everything you need to know for a career in a school kitchen. The 14-week program begins in February and ends with an internship in a partnering kitchen in the…
Find out more »February 2022
Dead of Winter Virtual Luncheon
You're invited to join us for our Dead of Winter Virtual Luncheon on Friday, February 25th! This event is a fundraiser that helps to support our mission-driven programs. Select between a program-only ticket or the program with a 3-course cozy meal delivered right to you so you can dine in the comfort of your home. Leading our virtual program is Chef Yia Vang, who will host a conversation about local food and introduce our new Executive Director. Yia Vang is…
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