2025 Come & Get It: A Season of On-Farm Food Events
- maeve176
- Oct 23
- 3 min read
The Come & Get It (C&GI) program through Renewing the Countryside (RTC) was back and better than ever in 2025. Seven regional teams put in the work all year to show up for their communities through on-farm food events, and this season was one to remember.
Come & Get It builds resilient communities by getting people to the farm, strengthening their local food access, and expanding market opportunities for farmers. These seven teams went above and beyond, showcasing events they’ve refined over the past three years, each reflecting the distinct character of their region.
From Moorhead to Cannon Falls, Minnesotans came out from May to September to slow down, be together, and explore local food with cooking demos, farm-to-table dinners, and lively celebrations. In May, the Aitkin Food as Medicine Festival brought people from across the county to learn about the importance of local food to human health and wellbeing. “Our festival featured panel discussions and cooking demos to highlight the importance of healthy food choices,” said Kelly Rajala, the organizer of the festival.
While in Western Minnesota in early fall, Candace Anderson, the organizer of Chef’s Taste of the Valley, described the one-of-a-kind event as “a fun-filled day on the farm, where everyone is relaxed, and there are activities for all ages” Candace stated “we wanted more engagement with the farmers and the food they grow, building deeper connections between farmers & community members.”
Check out the highlights from this incredible season
Aitkin Food as Medicine Festival
Aitkin County residents enjoyed panel discussions and cooking demonstrations from local experts to learn more about the importance of fresh, local, seasonal food to personal health and wellbeing. At the festival, Clear Lake Garden introduced a new version of the Aitkin Farm Trail map to help people easily find local food.
Clover Valley Farm Fest
In celebration of the Clover Valley Farm Trail’s long history of family farms, the North Shore community came together to spend a summer afternoon surrounded by local artisans, food producers, good food, and live music.
Deep Roots Festival
With Amy Thielen as the keynote speaker, this festival invited guests to explore local foods through cooking demonstrations and learning sessions designed to deepen understanding of food systems.
Butcher’s Dinner & Barn Dance
A peaceful evening at Medicine Creek Farm immersed guests in the full experience; a farm tour, cocktail hour, farmers market, community dinner, and old-fashioned barn dance. The event was a genuine celebration of how food can bring people together.
Homegrown Harvest Dinner
Guests were treated to the full dining experience featuring a multi-course, farm-fresh meal in support of the Farmer-to-Farmer Fund, which aids farmers through disaster relief. The event also invited guests to source their own local ingredients from the Ferndale market.
Chef’s Taste of the Valley
Chef Candace Stock presented a tasting menu featuring locally sourced ingredients from farmers market vendors, offering guests a hands-on lesson in sourcing and cooking with local foods.
Harvest Festival
An artistic celebration of the Autumn Equinox, the Harvest Festival brought the New London community together with the food co-op, a vibrant parade, and a burst of creative expression.
Incredible work is happening on farms across Minnesota. This year showcased each team’s ability to independently organize and sustain events that help their communities thrive. A big thanks to our partners at the Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) and the Sustainable Farming Association (SFA) for their support in the development of these seven unique events and thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate and support local food this season. We can’t wait to see you next year as communities continue to show up for one another.
Come & Get It is a statewide project in its third year. This year’s events are supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number 2023-38640-39573 through the North Central Region SARE program under project number H011171408.
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