At Common Roots Café in Minneapolis, owner Danny Schwartzman has created a socially and environmentally responsible restaurant, meeting place, and educational center. The number of sustainable initiatives at Common Roots is astounding: an inner city garden behind the café; about 90% of their food sourced locally, organically, and fair trade; composting with Eureka Recycling; and an energy efficient restaurant design. All the while, Danny's creative chefs are committed to offering a delicious, from-scratch menu that changes regularly.
Danny has been sourcing produce from Greg Reynolds of Riverbend Farm since Common Roots opened two years ago and Greg also assisted Common Roots with the establishment of their garden. Danny especially notes Riverbend's "awesome polenta," made by Greg himself, who shucks the corn by hand using a tool his grandfather gave him. Danny visited Riverbend for his monthly "Meet the Farmer" section of his website and says, "Like so many producers, Greg has a great story."
Greg, who operates Riverbend on 30 acres just west of Delano, acquired a degree in physics and later, being deeply influenced by the back-to-the-land movement following the Vietnam War, embarked on growing food in an environmentally sustainable manner with as little oil consumption as possible and a long term vision. He keeps it local by selling all of his produce within 50 miles of his farm and raises greens, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes, winter squash, onions, and a variety of other produce. "Our focus is on high-quality, great-tasting produce," says Greg. Now, he delivers to Common Roots twice a week and enthuses, "Danny and Common Roots came out of nowhere to become one of our best customers."
