Minnesota welcomes state’s first Black-owned commercial farm

According to .

Freight Farms is a Boston-based agricultural technology company that was the first to provide and sell “container farms,” ​​or hydroponic growing systems that fit inside freight containers.

Run by farmer Marcus Carpenter and his Route 1 organization arrival of the Minnesota freight farm signals a big milestone in fighting hunger and disparities in access to food. “Today is an exciting day,” Carpenter noted because the semi accomplished its journey from Massachusetts to Medina in rural Hennepin County. “We are getting our first commercial farm. The crane will remove the freight farm from the back of the truck.

Boston-based Freight Farms supplies farmers world wide with recycled shipping containers that enable them to efficiently grow food in a controlled environment. For Carpenter and Route 1, this revolutionary approach not only provides fresh produce, but additionally provides youth engagement and education opportunities.

“Not only does this commodity farm allow us to grow over 200 pounds of fresh produce per week, but it also allows us to employ young people who may not have had the opportunity to experience farming,” Carpenter explained.

Route 1’s commitment goes beyond agriculture; their MN Seeds to Success Youth Academy offers hands-on agricultural and leadership education, overcoming systemic barriers which have historically limited Black participation in agriculture.

The importance of this endeavor underscores the broader context of inequality in agriculture. Carpenter highlights the historic denial of presidency support to Black farmers, which has contributed to underrepresentation within the agricultural sector and exacerbated food insecurity in Black communities.

“The modern method of commercial breeding is intended to change this,” Carpenter emphasized. “It gives us the opportunity to get good, clean, culturally relevant and nutritious food and put it in the middle of some of the food deserts in low- and moderate-income areas.”

With support from American Family Insurance’s community initiative, the Route 1 Freight Farm is a step toward eliminating equity gaps and promoting community sustainability.

Nyra Jordan, director of social investment on the AmFam Institute, emphasized the importance of Route 1’s multi-generational approach to agriculture and its potential to support positive change in Minnesota. “We have concerns about hunger in America,” Jordan told the Journal. “But at this local level and at the level of the work that Route 1 is doing, there is a solution… We believe that supporting markets and Route 1 is an innovative business model that will provide farmers with the land and resources that everyone needs to have a thriving farming operation. So we hope that we can support economic opportunities and address hunger.”