The Mill City Times Interview: Emily Organ, Founder of Tiny Fields Project

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided by Tiny Fields Project

Do you think you might want to try some gardening, but have little to no space? Are you looking for ways to meet your neighbors? The Tiny Fields Project might just be the answer to your unmet needs. Emily Organ, Founder, spoke to us about the innovative way her group is helping feed peoples’ hunger for vegetables and sense of community.

Q:  Tell us about the Tiny Fields Project.

A:  The Tiny Fields Project uses boulevard and alley space to teach families to grow vegetables. Each participant receives a kit with enough seed and seedlings to fill about a 5' x 11' space. The seed kit includes vegetables like cucumbers, beets, pole beans, summer squash, cabbage and basil. The project uses volunteers to till fields and participants follow along on social media to receive prompts, tips and recipes. They can ask questions as they go and share stories about interactions they've had. The goal of the project is to teach people about agriculture, get fresh food on families plates, and foster a sense of community and self-sufficiency. Food is a uniter. Everybody eats.

Emily Organ

Q:  How did you become involved with the project?

A:  I founded the project in 2013 after spending a couple years growing vegetables on my boulevard. The first year I planted a tiny field of barley - just enough to make one batch of beer. I noticed people going out of their way to brush their hands across the barley, or check on its progress. I met more people that year than the previous three years I lived in my home. That experience, and watching a TED Talk by Ron Finley, inspired me to start Tiny Fields. I got help from the Victory Neighborhood Association to start a pilot project of five Tiny Fields. This year there are 129 Tiny Fields in six North Minneapolis neighborhoods! I used my background in agricultural education to grow the teaching aspect of the project. 

One of the things I love about Tiny Fields is hearing all the stories people tell me after participating. There are fantastic pictures of smiling bearded guys holding cucumbers and stories about all the kids on the block running to harvest potatoes. There are dozens of them. Here are some statistics from our last survey that I believe illustrate our success: 

• 70% of participants reported their family ate more veggies when they could harvest them from their Tiny Field.
• 44% reported they changed their shopping habits to include more fresh veggies.  
• 53% reported an increase in knowledge about growing and agriculture and would like to know more. 
• 62% had between 3 and 5 regular conversations a week with someone in their neighborhood while working on their Tiny Field.
• 50% met a new neighbor for the first time while working on their Tiny Field
• 31% grew a new bond with someone they met while working on their Tiny Field. 

Q:  Do you have sponsors?

A:  Currently, we are run through grants, crowdfunding and funding from neighborhood associations. We partner with The Victory Neighborhood Association, the Shingle Creek Neighborhood Association, The Cleveland Neighborhood Association, Folwell Neighborhood Association, and the NRRC. Dancing Bear Chocolates has a current fundraiser for us – we planted a Tiny Field beside their new store in the Victory neighborhood. We hope to grow our list of partnerships!

Q:  Do you help new gardeners throughout the growing season?

A:  We help gardeners through the growing season with social media prompts and posts. Like, "It's time to hill your potatoes - here's how you do it." and "Here are recipes for radishes." New participants have opportunities to ask questions and get help. We assemble volunteer weeding crews for people who get behind.

Q:  How does someone request a Tiny Fields garden?

A:  To start a Tiny Fields Project in your neighborhood, you first need a sponsor organization. That could be a block group, neighborhood organization, garden club or any inclusive organization that could facilitate and organize volunteers. If you know of an organization or would like help finding one, contact us through the website.

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  - 

About Becky Fillinger

I’ve been a resident of the Mill District only since July 2019, but have visited the Guthrie, the Farmers Market, restaurants and friends in the area for many years prior to making the leap to Minneapolis. I’ve lived in many places (and climates) in the US and can testify that our cultural events, bicycle and hiking trails, parks and green spaces, museums, diverse neighborhoods and wonderful restaurants put Minnesota and Minneapolis high on my best places list. I’m a member of the Mill City Singers and look forward to our choir practices and performances.

One of my main interests is community - a very broad concept. For me it means bringing people together with common interests to form meaningful relationships. I look forward to reporting on businesses and individuals in our neighborhoods. Feel free to drop me an email at becky_fillinger@hotmail.com with your thoughts and ideas for stories.