Our Impact
The Northeast Farmers Market enhances neighborhood livability by offering a welcoming, accessible community market and gathering place. We support the success of local growers and producers while fostering sustainability in the Northeast community.
Zero Waste Program
The Northeast Minneapolis Farmers Market (NEFM) aims to be a Zero Waste market. Zero Waste means materials are reused, recycled, or composted—creating little to no waste sent to landfills or incinerators. The market asks vendors and visitors to help support this goal. NEFM bans Styrofoam and encourages everyone to reduce, reuse, recycle, and compost.
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In 2019, we composted 3,100 pounds, recycled 590 pounds, and sent just 340 pounds to the landfill.
We partner with a Master Recycler/Composter to provide outreach and education at the market.
All market events are promoted as successfully run zero waste events
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Waste stations are located throughout the market, each with three bins: Recycling, Compost/Organics, and a small Trash bin.
Large banners at each station clearly explain what belongs in each bin.
All on-site staff are trained in recycling and composting practices and are available throughout market days to monitor bins, greatly reducing contamination.
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Recycling is transported to a Materials Recovery Facility, where items are sorted, baled, and shipped for reprocessing into new products.
Compost/Organics are taken to an industrial composting facility, where materials break down into nutrient-rich soil.
Power of Produce (PoP) Club Program
We are excited to continue the free kids program at the Northeast Farmers Market: Power of Produce (PoP) Club!
Each child between the ages of 4 through 12 participating in the program will receive a $2 market token to be spent (by kids) on fresh produce. Kids will receive their token once per market. They can choose to spend it on their own locally grown produce, or save their token for a future market day.
The program offers a chance for children to explore the farmers market and learn about the different varieties of fruits and vegetables, while also learning about how food is grown, by connecting them with local farmers. We hope to see you there!
Volunteer today!
Food Rescue Program
TCFJ connects donors with surplus produce to hunger relief organizations, ensuring food is shared rather than discarded.
They partner with nearby hunger relief organizations to coordinate weekly produce drop-offs and organize volunteers to collect, sort, and deliver food by bike or car.
TCFJ prioritizes serving smaller grocers and hunger relief organizations that are often excluded from larger-scale food rescue programs. By delivering food the same or next day, TCFJ maximizes freshness, quality, and the likelihood that the food will be consumed. All deliveries are provided at no cost to donor or recipient organizations.
The Northeast Minneapolis Farmers Market has proudly partnered with TCFJ since 2017. In 2025 alone, this partnership helped collect and redistribute 2,818 pounds of fresh produce, supporting local hunger relief efforts and reducing food waste in our community.