CUSTOMER FEATURE: Appetite for Change. This Minneapolis-based non-profit is one of our newest partners. Its mission is to use food as a tool to build health, wealth, and social change in North Minneapolis. The organization brings people together to learn, cook, eat and grow food, creating change that lasts.
 
Access to fresh food has been a longtime challenge for North Minneapolis. At one time there were many grocery stores in the community, now there are mostly fast-food places.  The one grocery store remaining was shut down for several months due to damage from the George Floyd protests. 
 
Appetite for Change co-founders Princess Haley and LaTasha Powell recognized chronic health conditions are often linked to a poor diet. If a community has limited access to fresh food, it makes it more challenging for folks to heal and overcome these health concerns.
 
“If health is linked to how we eat, and people in [our] community have little access to fresh food, they cannot be well in other ways,” said Haley in a recent Minnesota Public Radio story.
 
Since the pandemic, Appetite for Change has been partnering with Minnesota Central Kitchen and Loaves and Fishes to provide free community meats for North Minneapolis and the Twin Cities at large, producing 7,500 meats a week. 
 
In addition to its own farm plots, Appetite for Change also sources ingredients from other regional farms. Appetite for Change kitchen manager and chef Jim Pfeffer recently used our goat meat with several recent community meals: dirty rice featuring goat offal and goat curry served with corn on the cob and coconut rice (see in photos). 
 
Appetite for Change offers a variety of programs, including

• 7 farm plots across North Minneapolis, which the fresh fruits + veggies are distributed to the community
• Community Cooks: workshops on preparing and enjoying new ingredients and recipes; 400+ homes receive Community Cooks Meal Boxes that go along with the workshops
• Training: Programs focused on leadership, urban farming, culinary, advocacy, job skills 
• Northside Fresh: Network of community members, organizations, and businesses working together for food justice in North Minneapolis

The organization also has several food ventures: Breaking Bread Catering + Café, Station 82 Drink + Eatery, and the West Broadway Farmers Market. 
 
To learn more about Appetite for Change and the compelling stories of its founders Haley and Powell, visit my profile link to read or listen to the feature MPR article, A garden is the frontline in the fight against racial inequality and disease by Yuki Noguchi. 

Learn more about Appetite for Change:

• Website
• MPR Story: A garden is the frontline in the fight against racial inequality and disease

Article source: MPR: A garden is the frontline in the fight against racial inequality and disease, by Yuki Noguchi, November 2020. www.mprnews.org/story/2020/11/27/npr-a-garden-is-the-frontline-in-the-fight-against-racial-inequality-and-disease

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 6-8 hours
Cuisine: Indian
 
Ingredients:

• 1.5 Tbsp garam masala (I use Ancient Indian Spice)
• ½ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp smoked paprika 
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 2 lbs. goat stew meat or goat shanks or goat leg/roast cubed (Cylon Rolling Acres)
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 Tbsp. minced garlic (I use the refrigerated jar)
• 2 tsp. ginger
• 1 15 oz. can of tomato sauce
• 1/3-1/2 cup of coconut cream (I like Thai kitchen) more to mellow the heat
• Cayenne pepper as desired, for more heat

 
Serve with rice and naan (my bread machine flat bread/naan recipe here). 
 
Instructions: 

1. If using a leg of goat or goat roast, cut to 1-2 inch cubes. The recipe will take longer to cook if it’s not cut up.
2. Mix garam masala, cumin, turmeric, smoked paprika, sea salt, pepper and cayenne pepper (if desired for more heat). Rub the mix on the goat meat. Any remaining seasoning can be put into the slow cooker.
3. Heat the butter in a pan over medium heat. Sear most of the sides of the goat meat in the pan. As meat finishes, place pieces into the slow cooker. Depending on how much meat is used and the size of your pan, you may need to cook in two batches. 
4. Once the goat meat is seared, place the onion and garlic in the same pan. Cook until translucent and the ends are slightly brown.
5. Add ¼ cup of water in the pan with the onions. Scrape the pan to loosen any remaining seasoning or meat. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker. 
6. In the slow cooker, add the ginger and tomato sauce. Stir until well mixed.
7. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. More time may be needed for larger cuts of meat (up to 8 hours). If possible, stir 1-2 times during the cooking time. Cook until tender and the meat easily shreds with a fork. 
8. If your cuts of meat had bones, take out the bones as you separate any meat from the bones. 
9. Add the coconut cream. Use more cream for a mellower, less spicy flavor.
10. Serve over rice with a side of naan.

 
Adapted from www.thekitchn.com

​You may not believe it, but our goats do pretty well in the winter. In fact, our goats seem to do better with cold over heat and humidity. 

So how are we keeping them cozy with our current cold snap?

1: Keep the barn + shelters bedded down with straw. Keep layering it over the old stuff. It acts as insulation and as it breaks down it also gives off heat. 

2: Keep access to hay 24/7 to help keep their rumens (tummies) warmer. 

3: Keep up decent airflow in the barn/shelter. It can be tempting to try to keep the cold air out, but it can potentially do more harm. It can cause condensation and even lead to respiratory issues, which can be hard for goats to fully recover from. Keep them dry + away from drafts, then you're good