Minneapolis Metblogs » minn_evelyn

Why super-sized farms don’t work

minn_evelyn — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 21:39:00 +0000

I just read an article in Grist magazine online called “Bread Basket Case” that details the paradox affecting big midwestern farms: as rural midwesterners rely on the supermarket rather than the farms that make up their landscape for sustenance, the corn that may be growing in their backyard comes back to them highly processed.

While this might sound lucrative for farms, it is in fact the opposite. Midwestern farms are going bankrupt, as the research of U of M professor Ken Meter shows:
“Meter’s work shows that commodity farming, rather than building wealth, extracts money from rural communities. In a seven-county region of southeastern Minnesota in 1997, farmers brought in an impressive $866 million selling their wares. However, amazingly, they incurred $947 million in costs to do so — a loss of a cool $80 million. Federal subsidies covered just half of that loss; the rest had to be made up by non-farming activities. Moreover, nearly half of the $947 million in incurred expenses left the area, as payments to distant suppliers of seeds, fertilizer, and pesticides, or to banks in the form of interest.”

The author of the article suggests we rethink these super-sized farms in favor of local markets.
(Tom Philpott for Grist)

Found in Minneapolis

minn_evelyn — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 21:31:04 +0000

The creators of Found, the magazine devoted to found objects–misplaced hate notes, trashed love notes, kids’ drawings–will be in Minneapolis on Thursday, Oct. 18th at Creative Electric (2201 NE 2nd St., 612-706-7879). Some of their recent finds will be on display. If you want more information, you can check out MNspeak.com.

The Grease Pit: Closed for now

minn_evelyn — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 00:44:57 +0000

About two weeks ago, my bike started to sound like a saw through steel: squeaking, whining, crunching–and for a week I pretended not to hear it. I deluded myself with complex It’ll-go-away-on-its-own scenarios because, living in an apartment on a student’s budget, I have neither space nor resources for most of my DIY bike projects. In the past, I’d always been able to go to the Grease Pit, a wonderful, volunteer-run bike shop on the West Bank stocked with all the tools and bike parts a biker needs, and all for whatever you’re able to donate. But just before my bike started what seemed like its broken finale, I heard that the Grease Pit was closed.

They’d been booted from their building (the same building as Palmer’s bar) along with the Bedlam Theater because the building’s owner (incidentally, a mosque that a volunteer at the Grease Pit said had been a great co-tenant and very friendly) needed more space. So, knowing I couldn’t take my broke-down bike to the Pit and not prepared to pay a mechanic way more than I would’ve spent fixing it myself, I stalled until I heard that the Hub’s Minnehaha store has a DIY bike stand where, for five bucks an hour, you can use tools, chain oil, and grease. So I went, and after an hour of very friendly service (and some help) from the staff, I left with a bike that’s now singing a new (silent) tune. Thanks, Hub!

Graffiti

minn_evelyn — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 19:59:39 +0000

This weekend, the Star Tribune ran two articles about graffiti in Minneapolis. This one focuses on Shock, a Minneapolis graffiti artist, and the art vs. nuisance dilemma that’s followed graffiti like a dark cloud. According to this article, Minneapolis spends about 2.5 million annually on graffiti cleanup. And of course, it isn’t like these millions buy a final solution–they’re spent with the expectation that the cleaned-up areas will likely be tagged right up again. The article also mentions Juxtaposition Arts, an art studio in north Minneapolis where students can take classes in aerosol art. This mainstreaming of the culture surrounding graffiti is, depending on your perspective, either making for some excellent public art or creating a public nuisance that costs millions to combat.

The other article details what’s generally seen as the more sinister side of graffiti, the gang tag. What isn’t addressed in either article is the often fine line between gang graffiti and graffiti “art,” and really, the city isn’t too interested in the distinction. All graffiti is subject to the same policy: removal.

I’ve seen graffiti handled well in other cities. In Barcelona, shop owners hire aerosol artists to paint the large doors that cover their shop windows during off hours–siesta and late at night. Too, graffiti covers crumbling churches and, where it isn’t removed by owners, buildings’ sides. Because graffiti isn’t targeted as stringently by police, artists have time to create amazing murals, making for a vivid city that attracts photographers and graffiti enthusiasts. In Seattle, there are areas designated for “graffiti” murals, but in keeping with the American attitude toward graffiti, content is censored.

The Subconscious Art of Graffiti Removal, a 2002 film, takes a satirical look at the culture graffiti removal creates, calling attention to the fact that the absence of graffiti can define a culture, too.

So, my question for readers is, what do you think: are we better off with or without graffiti? And, where have you seen a policy toward graffiti that seems to be working?

New Kid on the Blog

minn_evelyn — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 19:32:17 +0000

Hello! I’m Evelyn, and I’m new around here. Since this is my first post, I thought I’d introduce myself. You can find some biographical info. under “Authors” to your right.

I’ve got to say, I’m excited to be here!