Spring Home & Garden
Michel Smith Boyd. Photo courtesy of Darrius Mitchell 22: Photo courtesy of Brianna Stahlmann,
Photo courtesy of
Acre Eatery,
Photo by MarEssence Photography,
Photo courtesy of Sayge Carroll
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Volume 30, Issue 776 • February 20-March 5, 2025
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BY NOAH MITCHELL
An Ode to Exhibitions
Welcome to Lavender’s 2025 Spring Home & Garden issue! This issue contains, among other Home + Garden stories, two articles related to the Minneapolis Home + Garden Show — one profiling celebrity guest Michel Smith Boyd of HGTV and the other covering the convention more broadly.
Reading about the Home + Garden Show got me thinking about exhibitions of years past and, unfortunately, how far in the past they are. After taking an interest in London’s Crystal Palace FC due to the incredible surname of their young fullback Tyrick Mitchell, I was devastated to hear that their namesake, the Crystal Palace, built for the Great Exhibition of 1851, was destroyed by a fire in 1936. I can only imagine what a shining light the Chicago World’s Fair must have been to a nation still suffering the worst of the Great Depression. They just don’t make ‘em like they used to.
As a child and a massive fan of video games, I dreamed of one day attending the Electronic Entertainment Expo, a.k.a. E3. Even that event, a far cry from a World’s Fair, was finally put out of its misery in 2020 after years of slow decline, with COVID-19 dealing the final blow.
Despite the extinction of exhibitions as once-in-a-lifetime, can’t-miss global events and
the evolution of social media as a place where one can find inspiration without having to drive downtown and put on a lanyard, the exhibition remains alive. Despite those most minor of inconveniences, I think they’re well worth checking out.
Whether you’re looking for connections, inspiration or branded pens, they’re all easier and more natural to find in person. As useful as Pinterest is, you can’t shake hands with a username or smell the flower emojis.
If you’re looking for home or garden inspiration in particular, you’re in luck this issue. And if you’re looking for something else, just keep your eyes peeled — while we might not be naming sports teams after convention halls anymore, they’re still around and full of wonderful things for you to discover.
Concert in Crystal Palace, London. Photo courtesy of BigStock/marzolino
Houses and Homes, Continued
Places where one can go to be one’s self — I touched on two such recently, and a third came to mind. But, with its different vibe and different clientele, it deserved its own space.
I was born and raised in New England, and while my folks predictably subscribed to the Hartford Times and Courant, we also took the New York Daily News, tabloid-sized, offering a more spirited, if you will, brand of journalism. A better fit for a kid’s hands, it sported a thick, color Sunday funnies section (“Smokey Stover” and others long gone) and snide columns by Walter Winchell and others of his ilk. It covered the Big Apple’s crime scene from hardened professionals to zip-gun-wielding juvenile delinquent gangs. Gossip, innuendo, blood-andthunder; free goosebumps at a safe remove from pedestrian West Hartford.
I’d take note of books and quirky people featured in the Daily News, then check titles in Kottenhoff’s drugstore paperback rack, and from first though ninth grade, I read pretty much whatever came to hand or what I could reach on my parents’ book shelves. Parents gifted Robert Lawson’s “Rabbit Hill” and E.B. White’s “Stuart Little”; the drugstore’s circular rack introduced me to Ray
Bradbury’s “Martian Chronicles,” Radclyffe Hall’s “The Well of Loneliness,” and, via NY Daily News articles, for 35 cents, Polly Adler’s “A House Is Not a Home.”
Adler was a madam, and men came to her house(s) to play. I would have been around 13 when I read it and found it fascinating then. Detailed, though not prurient, and while I don’t remember my exact take on her saga, it was compelling enough for me to keep the paperback for 60-ish years, until it was swept away with much of my library during my last move.
The current furor over what children can or cannot read prompted me to search online, where I found Adler’s 35-cent paperback now fetches $25 or $30 or more. I also noted the University of Massachusetts Press reissued the original in 2006 with an introduction by Rachel Rubin, author of “Jewish Gangsters of Modern Literature.”
I’m not sure where a banning parent would start. But reading Polly’s story, then and now, was more uplifting than titillating. “Madam” and “house of ill repute” hardly embody an entire life, and just as how although Jonathan Evison’s 2018 “Lawn Boy” used 4-letter words and the character had sex on oc-
casion, it is, in fact, the story of a determined young man’s search for worthy work and a life companion. So does Adler present her saga, her survival, ever wielding a trenchant wit.
Consider little Pearl Adler, 13, oldest of nine siblings, born in the White Russian village of Yakow, near the Polish border, in 1900. Her father has announced she’s being shipped to America to make her way. She sets off, accompanied by a cousin, her few belongings stuffed in a potato sack. The cousin, terrified, refuses to leave; Pearl sails. The rest makes for fascinating reading. She was in her profession twenty-five years; found it wasn’t easy to retire; went back to school; wrote this book. Herself. No ghosts.
Before banning, let a parent — or any reader — consider; just how many jobs, other than grinding piece-work or factory drudge were available to a 13-year-old, Yiddish-speaking Jewish girl in 1913? “Madam” was not her first choice, but … rather than poverty, Pearl, now Polly, took a different path, with the guiding thought: “Whatever you’re going to be, be the best at it.” She hit the mark: a worthy read.
BY CARLA WALDEMAR
Phoenix – Antidote To Winter
The good news: winter is half over. The bad news: winter is only half over. Just when we think we’ll make it, along comes March.
To smite the weather gods, let me offer you a plan: escape to Phoenix. Here, the Arizona sun warms a landscape lush with sand spiked with outcroppings of palms and cactus. A relentlessly blue sky forms the backdrop for mountains of blush-pink stone, like the landmark peak called Camelback.
It serves as my compass when wandering the streets of Phoenix’s twin town, upscale Scottsdale, where my resort/hotel, Senna, offers an outdoor pool and signature café, Mara, with a Mediterranean thrust. Grab a bike or hike to nearby Fifth Avenue, packed with elite shops selling sportswear, handmade jewelry (including dog collars), a sock shop to end all sock shops, huaraches in pastel colors, Native antiques and a criminal defense lawyer (you never know).
Scottsdale’s Old Town (“the West-est of the Old West”) overflows with art, starting with the Contemporary Art Gallery, starring a Poetic Dissonance exhibit saluting anti-establishment activists.
Check out Old Town’s old-time Little Red Schoolhouse, its petite Mission Church watched over by a dark-haired Virgin, or a Rodeo Museum as small and crowded as your average garage where you can score a photo op atop its “bucking bull.” (Tickets to the town’s actual rodeo, held every March, sell out fast.)
Old Town’s Western Spirit Museum sets the stage by showcasing a cache of saddles, a wall of ropes and an 1896 stagecoach (step right in). Its “What’s in a Saddlebag?” exhibit includes a pocket knife, bandana, tobacco and harmonica, while the second floor displays Native blankets, beadwork, tomahawk and arrows.
Amble onward to the don’t-miss Heard Museum, dedicated to Native art, both historic and contemporary: gorgeous blankets, baskets, belts, jewelry — plus the vital, if heartbreaking, story of the displacement of Native kids to boarding schools. Excellent gift shop, too.
Then turn your attention to Phoenix itself — the fifth-largest (and growing) city in the land. My hotel here, the FOUND: RE, is uber-hip and lots of fun. The tone for its prestige artwork throughout (for sale, natch) is set by a mural above the front desk featuring a lounging bare-nekkid Burt Reynolds in a curly blonde Britney wig. My eighth-floor suite showcased a concrete floor, double showers and a majestic balcony capturing the cityscape, where I lingered with my Old Fashioned from the bar-cum-café March, overlooking Portland Park and its parade of dog walkers.
It’s mere steps to Roosevelt Row, lined with hipster shops, bars, galleries and scores of forward murals: eye candy for your stroll. From here, it’s a short Uber to the Phoenix Art Museum — the largest in the Southwest, they say — with endless reasons to linger. Provocatively, it pairs diverse
paintings, such as a Renaissance Italian Virgin next to a black-maned Virgin from Peru. Examples of boldname painters exist (Picasso, Calder, Roethke, O’Keeffe), but even better: the bold names of tomorrow and their avant works.
The museum’s Fashion section salutes the gowns of icons Versace, YSL, Tom Ford, Marimekko, Halston and Karl Lagerfeld, while the Photography gallery salutes the high-society portraits of Richard Avedon. A fascinating Asian wing celebrates works, both old and new, by emerging subcontinent Indians and more.
Art of an earthier nature flourishes in the city’s Melrose District, a gayborhood along Seventh Avenue of retro and vintage wear (great boots, hats) found in retail hideouts like Modern Manor, Vamp Rodeo, Noiseland Merch and Retro Ranch. Look for the rainbow crosswalk, too.
Hang around to embark on the dining scene. But first, one more museum you’d be sorry to miss, and the most-visited of all: the Musical Instruments Museum, where a vast (I mean it!) collection of everything/anything strum-able, pound-able and blow-able is displayed, along with videos and audios, from virtually every country in the world.
Following a room saluting guitars of every breed, the space is divided by continent, then by country. Your headphone automatically starts playing as you wander up to each exhibit, augmented by instruments, costumes and artifacts. The United
Fry Bread House. Photos by Carla Waldemar
States space, for instance, moves from pow-wow drums to hip-hop and styles from Memphis to Philadelphia, L.A. and beyond. You’ll spot the piano of Thelonius Monk and the baritone of Gerry Mulligan and hear polka and bluegrass, zydeco and ragtime. Revel in the sounds of Scottish bagpipes, German oom-pah bands and mariachi music.
I promised you eats. Here they come! For breakfast, Scottsdale’s Prep & Pastry draws locals into its white, airy setting (sidewalk tables, too), where I sipped a foamy latte while devouring a Poblano Beni, starring carnitas, sweet peppers and poached eggs in goat cheese hollandaise over cheddar biscuits.
Another morning, another atmosphere. The back patio at super-casual Little O’s Arcadia provides maybe the best glimpse of Camelback Mountain to mesmerize you while digging into a combo of short ribs and eggs. Or choose a breakfast pizza, chicken and waffles, or avo toast, along with a complimentary mimosa. Could be (bad) habit-forming.
Lunch choices careen from a must-stop at James Beard winner and woman-owned Fry Bread Café, a tiny, super-popular niche for its namesake puffedbread tacos, plump with beans and cheese.
SWITCH UP YOUR SCENE,
The Mission, back in Old Town, has long served as a shadowy, buzzy speakeasy, sought out by folks like me for its Peruvian clam stew and a snappy chipotle Caesar. Primo margaritas, too. To add to the fun, guac is prepared tableside.
The Gladly, however, is as crisp and cosmo as you can get, justly famous for its chopped salad, tossed tableside, and margaritas. Here’s where The Suits and Ladies Who Lunch convene.
For a romantic dinner, step back in time to softly atmospheric LON’s at the Hermosa Inn, whose tunnels and turrets did duty during Speakeasy days. These evenings, its romantic dining room offers a standout parsnip ravioli with elk shank ragout or pan-seared fois gras among the starters, followed by a pairing of a butter-basted scallop and prawns, abetted by chorizo and red curry-coconut milk broth. The bison NY strip, the Berkshire pork ribeye and the pan-roasted sablefish also boast dedicated fans.
Valentine, back in mellow Melrose, is as sweet as it sounds, luring foodies with a long, long list of tapas to big plates, including a sweet burrata and Parmesan salad, a white Sonoran wheat pretzel with guinea hen butter and honeycomb, and the standout pork ribs, moist and meaty. Plus the elote pasta. Plus the yuca and potato pave with a tomatillo pico.
A final dinner proved the most adventurous. At the Larder & The Delta, where the staff outnumbers the guests (reserve your table, for sure), a 12-plate set menu (mini portions, thank goodness) shows off what the talented kitchen crew is up to with their tweezers — treats ranging from tuna tartare to killed lettuces (yes, I had to ask; you can, too), from Tennessee country ham to hoppin’ john, from Hokkaido scallop to smothered oxtail and more, more, more — each more intricate and unusual than the last. Ringside seats allow guests to watch these food scientists at work.
Okay, Minnesota, I’ve had my escape from frostbite in ever-sunny Arizona, and I’m ready for whatever blows in next. To plan your own escape, check out www.visitphoenix.com and climb aboard a Delta nonstop.
“Wow!” Says It All for Wise Acre Eatery
Sophisticated comfort food in a converted garage — of course.
You walk in the door and know something unique and fun is about to happen. Wise Acre Eatery’s converted garage space houses an intimate, rustic 55-seat dining room (it expands to 95 seats in warmer months, taking in patio seating), and what happens here is synergistic and magical.
Head Chef Dan Schmit explains the three facets of the Wise Acre enterprise: the restaurant which we experienced, the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program which brings subscribers fresh produce from the company’s Tangletown Gardens Farm, and the on-site deli case filled with soups, sauces and “staples” like Chicken Wild Rice, Korean Curry and Jambalaya. In addition, freezers and coolers filled with proteins also raised on the organization’s farm facility (such as thick-cut bacon) line the walls. In-house chicken stock? Sure. On-site baked cookies? You bet. You name it, it’s here.
This bountiful, efficient space is owned by Scott Endres and Dean Engelmann who became business partners after meeting in a U of M agriculture program. Both farm boys by heritage, they respect the land and they respect the food it provides. Endres explains the Wise Acre philosophy of providing “everyday food for everyone, served in an absolutely authentic way with the best quality possible.” Endres notes that 80-90% of the food served at Wise Acre is sourced from the company’s farm. Wise Acre’s dedicated team of 18-20 employees brings it all together.
When the business partners founded the adjacent Tangletown Gardens garden center 22 years ago, Endres says, there were initially no plans to acquire the “under-loved, under-appreciated” auto repair shop next door that eventually changed hands to become Liberty Frozen Custard before it evolved into Wise Acre in 2010. But, Endres recalls, “We wanted to produce something that was complimentary to what our garden center was doing, and that also had some connection to our farm.” The rest is delicious history.
Schmit, by contrast, didn’t start out on a farm: he started with machines in a mechanical engineering program which occupied him for three years until he found himself in an unhappy internship designing widgets on a computer. “I decided on another field where I got to be hands-on — I like making things,” he says.
Schmit garnered the beginnings of his culinary expertise at Minneapolis Community Technical College and became acquainted with the farmdirect initiative via his first job at another restaurant. “I got interested in serving food that could be sourced locally,” he says.
Schmit then bounced around from one restaurant to another for several years, and finally landed at farm-to-table Birchwood Cafe in Minneapolis, where a 10-year tenure ended when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and “things sort of fell apart there,” he says. Personal connections led Schmit to Wise Acre in October 2020, and he was glad to be able to continue working with the farm-to-table philosophy “even more.”
Endres also recalls the pandemic and its effects, as Wise Acre entered “a survival mode” that fueled the evolution of the establishment. “The pandemic actually gave us license to try new things — to try new models,” Endres says, such as incorporating farm-direct grocery items into the cozy but limited space Wise Acre inhabits.
“People weren’t going out to dinner anymore,” Endres notes, so the food had to find its way to customers via other avenues: “We expanded our deli offerings and [created] meal kits and the sort of thing.” The daytimeonly facet of Wise Acre was also formulated in the winter of 2020.
Endres explains that eliminating dinner service allowed Wise Acre’s team to more sustainably create and serve the breakfast, brunch and lunch favorites for which the venue had become known. Focus and efficiency are watch-words at Wise Acre, and the establishment’s “bandwidth,” Schmit notes, allows for events such as a Valentine’s Brunch and a Winter Dinner series which showcases the “creative vision” of Wise Acre’s talented staff. The August Farm Supper offers a feast for the senses served in a field, while a September Harvest Dinner brings a cornucopia of food grown on the company’s farm to a fine dining experience served in the parking lot.
Over an acre of greenhouse space means salad greens and some other ingredients in Wise Acre’s food are “day-of” harvested year-round, Schmit says. He is careful to point out that Wise Acre’s evolving menu includes a daily soup special, sandwich special and veggie scramble special. You won’t get bored eating at Wise Acre: “There’s always something new,” Schmit notes, and “the menu changes based on what we have.”
And what they have, child, is great food!
Wise Acre Eatery
5401 Nicollet Ave. S., Minneapolis (612) 354-2577
www.wiseacreeatery.com
The Chana Masala Curry Bowl: chickpeas, onion, tomato, masala spice, jasmine rice and cilantro. Available carnitas, Korean beef, ham, grilled chicken or egg. This curry dish has spice, but is not overwhelming — it didn’t kick my butt with heat, but rather foreshadowed the freshness of the ingredients with a curry prelude, all in accordance with Wise Acre’s overall philosophy of fresh-tasting food. Nicely prepared rice and very bright cilantro. Don’t forget the thoughtful garnish of an edible flower.
Smoky Pepper Chicken Sandwich: “This is one of our signature items,” Schmit notes. It’s a chicken thigh, cabbage slaw, pickles, smoky pepper sauce and mayo on a bun from local bakery Baker’s Field. The smoky pepper sauce (which incorporates honey and vinegar with peppers) is available in Wise Acre’s deli case, and you’ll want to pick up about a gallon of the savory stuff. We had the grilled version of this sandwich, as served most of the year — currently, the chicken is fried. But it doesn’t matter, as the creamy ingredients and the hearty whole wheat bun compliment the chicken-tasting chicken that’s the point of this nosh. The base of this great “sando” shouldn’t be concealed, and it’s not.
The Breakfast Sandwich we had is one of several variations on the comestible served throughout the year. Sausage, bacon or carnitas, fried egg, microgreens, a pimento cheese spread and — uniquely — kimchi, all served on an English muffin. We had sausage: flavorful and a bit peppery. Like many of Wise Acre’s offerings, the overall experience of this dish brings together international influences in what Endres aptly describes as an “approachable” way. You’re not eating exotic food; you’re eating fun food that includes exotically rendered ingredients, and it’s just plain tasty. The pimento cheese component really gives this sandwich a kick.
“Brunch Bowl is our most popular dish,” Schmit says. Homefries, cheesy scrambled eggs, seasonal vegetables (we had sweet and sour cabbage, but sometimes it’s grilled zucchini or fresh tomato), pickled vegetables, rosemary garlic aioli, and an available meat add-on of carnitas, Korean beef or grilled chicken (we had carnitas — no regrets). There’s no denying it: the components of this hearty fave brunch bowl make it a complete brunch in a bowl (did I just write that?), and you don’t need to look any further for a mid-morning meal that satisfies.
Rum, cinnamon and brown sugar go into an outstanding bread pudding that’s then transformed into an improbably delicious French toast, topped with squash maple syrup, whipped cream and toasted walnuts. This dish made my taste buds happy with discretion. It doesn’t attack with harsh, fake maple syrup or toomuch sweetness — this French toast is civilized. My only wish: more toasted walnuts to eagerly gather up from the side of the plate. Just wonderful.
These are just some of the high points of Wise Acre’s menu, to say nothing of the deli case and grocery offerings on hand. Check it out!
Endres concludes better than I can: “Our food is the closest distance from the earth to the hand and the mouth. It’s the best food that can be grown.”
A bold statement.
And true.
Lt. Sunnie’s
‘Who She Think She Is?’:
A One-of-a-Kind EP Release Party
“This performance is a culmination of my artistic journey and a testament to the power of bold individuality!” Lt. Sunnie says.
We are talking about her upcoming EP release show, “Who She Think She Is?” The show, which is scheduled for Saturday, April 12 at 7 p.m., will be held at the Capri Theater in North Minneapolis. Lt. Sunnie is excited to be bringing “Who She Think She Is?” to this historic, Black-owned venue.
“I hope ‘Who She Think She Is?’ will inspire and uplift our community by creating a space where everyone feels seen, heard and valued,” Lt. Sunnie says.
The night promises to be a fun one. Instead of only featuring musical acts, Lt. Sunnie will preface her headlining set with a comedy improv act called Mid-Husbands and a Double Dutch experience (yes, it is interactive) by Rondo Double Dutch.
The acts that Lt. Sunnie chose to be at this event were carefully selected. They reflect the same values and sensibilities of her own music.
“I will be joined by talented acts as we amplify the message of empowerment,” Lt. Sunnie says. “I am so excited to collaborate with local artists that will join me for the night, adding richness and diversity to the event. The core message encourages women to embark on self-discovery, embrace their true selves and challenge societal norms.”
She continues, “I also seek out hidden gems in the city that honor these identities, as well. These experiences have deeply influenced my music and performances, allowing me to explore themes of identity, love and resilience. Being part of this artistic scene has opened doors for collaboration with other talented artists and contributing to a growing movement of inclusivity and representation in the arts.”
In the past, Lt. Sunnie has expressed surprise that she found her way to music, having prioritized dancing as her main creative outlet when she was young. Over the years, though, Lt. Sunnie has found many creative outlets, including spending three years on her “Big Feelings” podcast.
All that to say, Lt. Sunnie has been building her career as an artist in the Twin Cities for quite some time now — a journey that she describes as “entrepreneurial and vibrant.” Although music has always been the undercurrent of her craft, it is now her main focus.
This Rondo-native is a singer, rapper and Krump dancer with a penchant for making art with an impact. “My goal is to spark conversations about identity, acceptance and empowerment that lead to
tangible action and change in policies, wealth distribution and industries,” she says.
“Who She Think She Is?” is the eagerly-awaited follow-up to Lt. Sunnie’s 2023 album “Big Feelings,” which featured several other favorite local acts like Nur-D, Herb Johnson III and Mpls Drew. She is an alumna of FairPlay Entertainment and was the opening act on a recent Nur-D tour.
The EP release show for “Who She Think She Is?” is an exciting step forward in Lt. Sunnie’s career. “I will debut my new 6-track EP ‘Who She Think She Is?’ with a live band, offering a raw artistic experience through rap, monologue, singing and dance,” Lt. Sunnie says. “[You] can expect a powerful mix of laughter, tears, cheers and dancing!”
The upcoming EP sounds inspiring. “My music is rooted in bold self-expression and authenticity. Facing challenges in the arts community, I leaned on self-belief, consistency and a supportive circle to succeed,” Lt. Sunnie explains. “This perseverance led to releasing over three original works, becoming lead vocalist for an 11-piece band and completing my first national tour.”
She pauses for a moment before continuing: “Each milestone highlights the importance of staying true to oneself. I embrace my intersectional identities as a queer, Black, woman and big-bodied artist. Navigating the Twin Cities, I celebrate these layers and create spaces like ‘Who She Think She Is?’ when they aren’t readily available.”
Tickets can be found through Lt. Sunnie’s website, listed below. You can also search for her show directly on Eventbrite. For keeping up to date on all other things Lt. Sunnie (and to catch some fun behind-the-scenes content), make sure you follow her on Instagram or TikTok, both of which are also listed below.
Lt. Sunnie’s enthusiasm for this show is catching — she has clearly put her heart and soul into it. “This event is more than a performance; it is an invitation to unite, celebrate diversity and drive meaningful change in big spaces, especially as it relates to the current political climate!” she says.
This evening of multimedia entertainment will be a great way to celebrate Lt. Sunnie’s new EP. “I invite everyone to join me on this journey, promising an evening of music, inspiration and community connection,” Lt. Sunnie says. “Whether you are a long-time supporter or new to my music, ‘Who She Think She Is?’ offers something special for everyone.”
Lt. Sunnie
www.ellteesunnie.com
Instagram: @ellteesunnie
From 10 Minute Play to 13 Part Podcast: The Journey of Deanna StandingCloud’s ‘Blood
Quantum Physics’
Late last year, New Native Theatre hosted several live recording sessions of a soon-to-be-released narrative podcast: “Blood Quantum Physics.” This exciting new project came to fruition when Rhiana Yazzie, New Native Theatre’s Artistic Director, encouraged Playwright Deanna StandingCloud to further explore the storytelling she began with a submission to a 10-minute play festival in 2017.
The project has grown exponentially since then. Last year’s recording at Gremlin Theatre in St. Paul offered an up close and personal introduction to the audio play wherein interested audience members could hear the stories in an early stage. There were six total nights of performances, which will be released in podcast form as a 13-episode audio drama.
I had the chance to catch up with Playwright Deanna StandingCloud, actor Fawn Sampson and one of the two directors (Julia Rosa Sosa Chaparro, who directed Part One) to discuss their thoughts on “Blood Quantum Physics.”
“Blood Quantum Physics” started small — as mentioned above, the seed of the story was planted in one 10-minute play. “After the success of
the 10-minute play ‘Blood Quantum Physics,’ I wrote another 10-minute play entitled ‘Virtual Medicine Man,’” StandingCloud says. “I realized that there are so many stories to be told from a Native woman’s perspective … [A]fter the momentum of those two plays, I was approached by Rhiana Yazzie to develop more stories and ultimately create an audio production.”
This encouragement was invaluable, though StandingCloud had to take the process slowly. “It took many years. After many personal and professional challenges, I was finally able to complete the full series,” StandingCloud says. “I’m so proud that I followed through and was able to experience the production for myself this winter, thanks to New Native Theatre.”
The stories that make up this podcast reflect several painful, life-altering circumstances in StandingCloud’s own life. “The past five years have been some of the most challenging in my life. After escaping an abusive relationship, I lost my mother to COVID-19, and my brother to a fentanyl overdose, and I became the matriarch of the family after my grandmother recently passed away,” StandingCloud says. “All those experiences were reflected in the stories.”
Perhaps one of the primary examples of that is the following. “In the story ‘The Sound of the Universe,’ Tina’s grandmother is hospitalized, and she invites a jingle dress dancer to visit her grandmother to help her heal,” StandingCloud explains, “The visceral feeling of sitting in a hospital watching the life slip away from some of the most important people in my life is alive and well when I watch that story.”
Every episode in “Blood Quantum Physics” is a standalone story, but they take place in the same world, so the characters overlap. “Blood Quantum Physics [is] about a group of friends navigating life’s ups and downs while discovering the beauty within themselves and their journey,” Chaparro says. “This story resonates deeply with me, as it captures the essence of friendship, resilience and the simple joys of truly living.”
Fawn Sampson plays Tina, a role that has been hers since that original 10-minute play back in 2017. “Tina was more relatable now than in 2017, because I am a mother of two and most of how she interacts with her child, Cedar, is how I would interact with my own children,” Sampson muses. “Tina is dedicated to providing her daughter with experiences of language and culture but also moves through the stories with intention, meaning she always is on that mission to give the best to her daughter.”
Part of Sampson’s sense of connection to her character can be attributed to the directors of the show: the aforementioned Chaparro and Kaili Turner, who directed Part Two. “Our directors were really good about allowing us to get into the space of finding those connections in our lives to relate to our characters,” Sampson says. “There were so many places to draw from because of the relatability of the characters.”
Sampson felt a profound connection to StandingCloud’s storytelling as a whole and Tina in particular because she was able to connect some of her own life experiences to what her character goes through. “Being Tina has allowed me to bring so much of my own essence as an Anishinaabe woman to the stage,” Sampson says. “I was able to draw from my own experiences, utilize my traditional language, utilize the knowledge I have about culture and bring it into such a contemporary space.”
This sense of connection was not limited to the cast or creative team. “Watching the play, I saw people in the audience identifying the characters on stage as reflections of their own lives, perhaps their best friend, their aunty or their grandma,” Chaparro says. “It was heartwarming to see them celebrate and embrace seeing themselves in the stage.”
This sentiment was seconded by StandingCloud. “I was surprised during the talk-back sessions by how moved people were in their own way by some pieces of each story,” StandingCloud says. “My hope for those who hear the stories is to find something that helps them heal from all the hardships we often experience as Native people. I also want to invite everyone to claim humor as one of their most potent medicines to bring joy into their lives.”
The comedic tone of “Blood Quantum Physics” was mentioned by everyone I spoke to. “I love working on comedy, especially about girls!” Chaparro exclaims, “Seeing [StandingCloud’s] creative process and the love she pours into her characters is always a joy to witness.”
There was an overall sense that this podcast is for Indigenous folks first combined with the hope that the story will also appeal to a wider audience.
“I hope they are able to hear our stories as Indigenous peoples but also how we navigate hard things as a community and as individuals,” Sampson says. “I hope audiences find similarities in the characters and that they can humanize our people in ways the media hasn’t but most of all be able to laugh with us.”
For updates on the podcast or just more information on New Native Theatre’s current projects, check out their website, listed below. They can also be found on Facebook or Instagram.
“[The] ‘Blood Quantum Physics’ universe has proved to me that there is much more work to be done,” StandingCloud says. “This series is just the beginning.”
New Native Theatre
www.newnativetheatre.org
Instagram: @newnativetheatre
GET INSPIRED!
HGTV’s Michel Smith Boyd will appear at The Minneapolis Home + Garden Show for a Q&A
BY NATASHA DELION
Designing a home can be a daunting task, especially with constantly changing trends, never-ending options and, of course, the prices. While interior design may not come easily to everyone, it sure does for Michel Smith Boyd, an interior designer and star of multiple HGTV shows.
Boyd found that interior design combined all of his interests: architecture, fashion, painting and entertaining guests. He says it allowed him to make a difference in people’s lives at home, introduce families who don’t entertain that much to that lifestyle and take it to the next level for those who do.
Each designer’s experiences shape and show up in each home. For Boyd, his experiences living in culturally rich cities like New Orleans, where he is from, New York City and Atlanta inspired and evolved his design style. New Orleans was about entertaining, jazz and rhythm, but when moving to New York, he saw the difference in the purpose of the space and needing organization and efficiency.
“If there’s a stamp on my passport, it somehow influenced my design point of view and it shows up in different ways,” Boyd says. “The more I learn about the world, about cultures outside of my own and evolve as a person, the better designer I become.”
Boyd will attend the Minneapolis Home + Garden Show for a Q&A on March 7 and 8. The Home & Garden Show will return to the Convention Center March 5-9.
Boyd has starred in HGTV shows “Luxe for Less,” “Rock the Block,” “Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge” and “100 Days Hotel Challenge.” His unique approach to creating luxury in its expanded definition shines through as he was recognized as one of the Top 10 African American Designers in the country.
Some of his new projects include his MSB Bespoke Rug Collection, MSB X Crate & Barrel and MSB How to Luxury e-commerce. He’ll also compete in the “Veterans vs. Rookies” edition of HGTV’s “Rock the Block,” which he was a previous champion of. Some of his competitors include Chelsea and Cole DeBoer, who will also be at the Minneapolis Home & Garden Show in March.
Photo courtesy of Darrius Mitchell
With all these successes under his belt, Boyd says he’s recently been recognizing how impactful they actually are after working hard for a very long time. It not only helps share design with people who can’t do it themselves but also has visibility and creates representation.
“I don’t know if I truly understood how important the representation is and how much of a difference it made in our [design] space as well as in every other space,” he says. “It’s a really big deal that I’m in those spaces. I don’t take it for granted, and I wear that proudly.”
Even though Boyd never expected to end up where he is now, he knew he wanted to build a brand, similar to influences like Tom Ford and Martha Stewart, when he was in design school. His main goal was to use his natural talents to contribute and affect culture in some way.
“My brother sings and my mother cooks, but I design. We all contribute in some way and use our natural talent to create and add value wherever we are,” Boyd says.
One of Boyd’s personal goals is making design accessible and bringing it to groups that may feel left out of the luxury conversation. He expands the definition of luxury to represent what each person feels is their personal luxury. For some, that may mean an expensive piece of furniture, but for others, it may mean a quality mattress.
“How you define your luxury is up to you,” he says. “We create hacks to save money in your budget to make more room for your indulgences, for the things that you love.”
Approaching design in this way allows Boyd to merge the small-town Louisiana kid with the modern influences in his adult life, having lived in New York City and now Atlanta. He also loves how romantic design is, being a romance lover himself.
“I think it’s one of the last romantic professions; design is incredibly romantic,” he says. “The idea of taking a thing that you need and making an
enjoyable experience, I think it’s pretty special, and being able to customize it specifically to the bodies that dwell there, that’s a cool job to have.”
Aside from the personal customization of homes, trends play a huge role in the designs people may choose for their space. At the moment, Boyd says the ‘70s are making a comeback. Colors like avocado, maize yellow, gold and burnt oranges are showing up in kitchens, even his own.
“It’s really nice to see it because it’s very warm as opposed to the white kitchen and the green and white marble that everybody’s had for such a long time,” he says. “It’s a lot more character and, of course, since I love fashion so much, it’s fashion-forward and an opportunity to play.”
Boyd says he’s excited to explore the Minneapolis design scene and connect with local designers, which he hasn’t experienced before. For him, seeing what kind of design a city embraces tells him a lot about the city in itself.
“I only visited once, and I love passion, and local vendors are full of it because typically it’s handmade or its family involved. That kind of lineage is a real character and a great way to get our clients involved in discovering new things too,” he says.
The show offers him a chance to help new clients, open a window to service his own clients better, and get a perspective from people who don’t use designers while also being able to interact with the community at the Home & Garden show.
“Everybody has the same issues, it doesn’t matter the price point, designing is always hard and making decisions and budgeting is hard, but we’re all excited to do it and it starts to feel like a community in the Q&A,” Boyd says.
MINNEAPOLIS Home + Garden Show,
“You know, this year we even have a full-size pool in one of them, and it really offers the first sign of spring.”
Evans says that over the years, when it comes to exhibitor quality, it has only increased in terms of booth quality and customer experience. He is expecting to see over 50,000 people attend this year, with Friday and Saturday predicted to be the busiest.
“A lot of exhibitors do this as their only marketing initiative for the year because they meet so many people and get so many sales and leads through it,” Evans says. “For me personally, it’s about seeing the exhibitors meet with consumers, seeing the consumers enjoying the day out and getting the expert advice they need.”
Though Wednesday, March 5, typically produces the lowest attendance, promotional deals, such as free admission for seniors and events — namely the pet fashion show — are just the start of what the weekdays have to offer.
The ‘State Fair’ of the Winter
A vibrant marketplace filled with over 600 booths, seven feature gardens, a Fresh Ideas Stage filled with presentations from local experts and the Green Thumb Theater — the Minneapolis Home + Garden Show is an immersive experience.
The show, a five-day event, is set to run March 5-9 at the Minneapolis Convention Center and offers inspiration for future home projects, connections with experts in the industry and educational presentations from professionals.
Show manager Bruce Evans started working with the Home + Garden Show back in 2006 and has been able to see the event evolve over the years, with this year being its 91st birthday as one of the largest home and garden shows in the country.
One thing has always remained — the feature gardens, partnering with master landscapers from Stone Wall Inc., Holm and Olson Landscape Design & Construction, OFLORA gardens, Tracer Pool and Landscape, Sculptured Earth, Mickman Brothers and Arvold Landscaping & Design.
“It’s a big task and a big investment, but we know that the consumers love our feature gardens”, Evans says.
According to Evans, the LGBTQ+ community is represented among the show’s attendees, with the show staff excited to host one of Lavender’s First Thursdays on March 6.
What to Expect: Home and Garden ‘25
According to Evans, this year the Green Thumb Theater, sponsored by the Minnesota State Horticultural Society, will have stage sessions on wool mulching, seeds, climate-resilient gardening, planting for pollinators and more.
The show will also have hands-on plant workshops that attendees can pre-register for. This year includes making a succulent plant to then take home, according to Evans.
Evans says the show has everything from realtors for potential homeowners and financial advisors for planning to windows, roofing, doors and gifts.
Even a portion of the walls of the convention center are filled with greenery, with The Living Wall featuring a wide variety of over 1,000 houseplants on display, accompanied by helpful advice on what plant is right for your home and living style.
Venturing into the backyard lounge, attendees can see innovations in decking while meeting with experts and enjoying beverages and yard games.
This year, celebrity guests will include Michel Smith Boyd of HGTV’s “Rock the Block 4” and “Luxe for Less” on Friday and Saturday, as well as Chelsea and Cole DeBoer from the HGTV series “Down Home Fab” on Saturday and Sunday at the Fresh Ideas Stage.
Even if your home isn’t already filled with decor, the Art Walk gives blank spaces the opportunity to be filled with pieces from local artists. Featured this year are painter and user experience designer Sander Kolodziej, painter Thaddeus L’Heureux, and fine artist and illustrator Barret Lee.
For attendees who have a furry friend at home, the Pet Zone provides a shopping spree for products and services along with featured dog houses.
Three food trucks will also be headlining when you get hungry from all the show has to offer: Foodtastic, Rollin Nolen’s BBQ and Pizza Karma, the newest edition to the lineup.
“You don’t know what you need for your home until you come to the Home and Garden Show,” Evans says.
Minneapolis Home + Garden Show March 5-9, 2025
Minneapolis Convention Center 1301 2nd Ave. S., Minneapolis www.homeandgardenshow.com
4330 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55409
Explore the Art Scene of Minneapolis with Mudluk Pottery Studio!
In the art scene of Minneapolis, Mudluk Pottery Studio stands as a center of creativity, inclusion and artistic expression. A grassroots, Black-, queer-, women-owned business, Mudluk is a space where artists of all backgrounds and skill levels can come together to create beautiful works of art. The studio founders Sayge Carroll, Keegan Xavi and Katrina Knutson are dedicated to serving the creative needs of the Minneapolis community while providing a safe space for artists to explore their creativity and connect with like-minded people.
Mudluk Pottery Studio is more than just a pottery studio — it’s a vibrant community that fosters artistic growth and collaboration. The studio offers a variety of programs designed to enhance an artist’s creative journey. Mudluk provides classes in wheel throwing, glaze application, kids summer camps and much more! They welcome people of all skill levels to explore their artistic potential.
“Mudluk prides itself on being a safe space for artists to explore their creative selves while connecting to other artists in their communities,” says Carroll, one of Mudluk’s founding members. “Art is not an isolated activity, art is created when it interacts with its community, and Mudluk knows and understands this value.”
One of the most exciting features of Mudluk Pottery Studio is its commitment to showcasing various art forms beyond pottery. The studio houses an in-house gallery that highlights di-
verse artistic mediums, giving space to local artists to exhibit their work. This dedication to supporting artists from all disciplines re flects Mudluk’s belief that art is not a solitary activity but rather something that thrives
with people who seek to preserve and honor their own familial histories and legacies.
Mudluk Pottery Studio is more than just a place to create art — it’s a space for those who identify as queer, trans, Black, Indig enous and members of other marginalized communities. The studio’s founders under stand the importance of creating a safe and inclusive space where individuals from di verse backgrounds can come together and share in the joy of artistic creation.
EXPRESS YOUR AUTHENTIC SELF
“[We’re] also working on doing commu nity work where, you know, we are queer, we are trans, we are Black, we are Indigenous,” Caroll explains. “We are creating this safe space for us and drawing from what we want to be able to see offered.”
Mudluk partners with various organiza tions around Minneapolis to offer special ized art classes tailored to the unique needs of specific groups. For example, they col laborate with organizations such as Equi nox Crew, SPYS, PRI, ThinkSelf, Survivors of Boarding Schools and The Indian Health Board to ensure that these communities
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have the space they need to create. Mudluk works with diverse groups, including adults with disabilities, deaf and hard-of-hearing people, and Native and Black communities. Their goal is to empower each community to use art as a means of connection, utilizing tactile mediums like clay to nurture a deeper connection to oneself and the world around them.
By offering space for both artistic exploration and community building, Mudluk continues to play an integral role in shaping Minneapolis’s cultural landscape, proving that art is not just something to be admired — it’s something that unites us all.
To explore Mudluk’s wide range of classes and events and to meet the artistic founders making a meaningful impact on the Minneapolis art scene, visit: www.mudlukpottery.com
Community Connection brings visibility to local LGBTQ-friendly non-profit organizations. To reserve your listing in Community Connection, email advertising@lavendermagazine. com.
ANIMAL RESCUE
Second Chance Animal Rescue
Dedicated to rescuing, fostering, caring for, and adopting out dogs and cats into forever homes.
P.O. Box 10533 White Bear Lake, MN 55110 (651) 771-5662 www.secondchancerescue.org
BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS
Quorum
Minnesota's LGBTQ+ and Allied Chamber of Commerce working to build, connect, and strengthen for a diverse business community.
2446 University Ave. W., Ste 112 St. Paul, MN 55114 (612) 460-8153 www.twincitiesquorum.com
ENVIRONMENT
The Nature Conservancy
TNC is an environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature thrive. 1101 W. River Pkwy., Ste. 200 Minneapolis, MN 55415-1291 (612) 331-0700 minnesota@tnc.org www.nature.org/minnesota
EVENT VENUES
Landmark Center
A classic venue, with a grand cortile and beautiful courtrooms, accommodates celebrations of all sizes. 75 W. 5th St. St. Paul, MN 55102 (651) 292-3228 www.landmarkcenter.org
GRANTMAKERS/FUNDERS
PFund Foundation
PFund is the LGBTQ+ community foundation that provides grants to students and grants to non-profits. PO Box 3640 Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 870-1806 www.pfundfoundation.org
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Aliveness Project
Community Center for individuals living with HIV/AIDS – on-site meals, food shelf, and supportive service. 3808 Nicollet Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55102 (612) 824-LIFE (5433) www.aliveness.org
Family Tree Clinic
We're a sliding fee sexual health clinic and education center, now in Minneapolis. 1919 Nicollet Ave. Minneapolis MN 55403 (612) 473-0800 www.familytreeclinic.org
COMMUNITY CONNECTION
NAMI Minnesota
(National Alliance on Mental Illness) Providing free classes and peer support groups for people affected by mental illnesses.
1919 University Ave. W., Ste. 400 St. Paul, MN 55104 (651) 645-2948 www.namimn.org
Red Door Clinic
HIV and STI screening, treatment, education, and referrals. Doxy PEP, nPEP, PrEP, and Reproductive Health. 525 Portland Ave., 4th Fl. Minneapolis, MN 55415 (612) 543-5555 reddoor@hennepin.us www.reddoorclinic.org
LIBRARIES
Quatrefoil Library
Your LGBTQ+ library and community center. Free membership, events, and e-books/audiobooks. Check us out!
1220 E. Lake St. Minneapolis, MN 55407 (612) 729-2543 www.qlibrary.org
MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS
Radio K
Radio K is the award-winning studentrun radio station of the University of Minnesota.
330 21st. Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55455 (612) 625-3500 www.radiok.org
MUSEUM
Minnesota Historical Society
Create your own adventure at MNHS historic sites and museums around Minnesota. www.mnhs.org
Minneapolis Institute of Art Enjoy masterpieces from all over the world & every period of human history.
Free admission daily!
2400 3rd Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55404 (612) 870-3000 www.artsmia.org
PERFORMING ARTS
Chanhassen Dinner Theatres
The nation's largest professional dinner theater and Minnesota's own entertainment destination.
501 W. 78th St. Chanhassen, MN 55317 (952) 934-1525 www.ChanhassenDT.com
Children’s Theatre Company
Children’s Theatre Company excites the imagination with world-class family-friendly theatre for kids, teens, and adults.
2400 3rd Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55404 (612) 874-0400 www.childrenstheatre.org
Guthrie Theater
Open to the public year-round, the Guthrie produces classic and contemporary plays on three stages. 818 S. 2nd St. Minneapolis, MN 55415 (612) 377-2224 www.guthrietheater.org
Minnesota Opera
World-class opera draws you into a synthesis of beauty; breathtaking music, stunning costumes & extraordinary sets. Performances at the Ordway Music Theater - 345 Washington St. St. Paul, MN 55102 (612) 333-6669 www.mnopera.org
Minnesota Orchestra
Led by Music Director Designate Thomas Søndergård, the Minnesota Orchestra, one of America’s leading symphony orchestras. 1111 Nicollet Mall Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 371-5656, (800) 292-4141 www.minnesotaorchestra.org
Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
Leading performing arts center with two stages presenting Broadway musicals, concerts & educational programs that enrich diverse audiences. 345 Washington St. St. Paul, MN 55102 (651) 224-4222 info@ordway.org www.ordway.org
Twin Cities Gay Men’s Chorus
An award-winning chorus building community through music and offers entertainment worth coming out for! 1430 W. 28th St., Ste. B Minneapolis, MN 55408 (612) 339-SONG (7664) chorus@tcgmc.org www.tcgmc.org
RELIGIOUS & SPIRITUAL
All God’s Children Metropolitan Community Church
A welcoming, inclusive, safe place to explore and discover God’s love for ALL God’s children. 3100 Park Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55407 (612) 824-2673 www.agcmcc.org
Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church
Everyone is welcome at Hennepin Church! Vibrant Worship. Authentic Community. Bold Outreach. 511 Groveland Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 871-5303 www.hennepinchurch.org
Plymouth Congregational Church
Many Hearts, One Song; Many Hands, One Church. Find us on Facebook and Twitter. 1900 Nicollet Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 871-7400 www.plymouth.org
St. Philip's Lutheran Church
We invite and welcome those of every spiritual background, ethnicity, gender orientation, or economic situation. 6180 Hwy 65 Fridley, MN 55432 (763) 571-1500 www.splcmn.org
University Baptist Church
Creating safe and inclusive spaces for 175 years, UBC stands proudly with our LGBTQ+ family. 1219 University Ave. SE Minneapolis, MN 55414 (612) 331-1768 www.ubcmn.org
Westminster Presbyterian Church
An open and affirming congregation, welcoming persons of all sexual orientations, gender expressions and identities. 1200 Marquette Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 332-3421 www.westminstermpls.org
SENIOR LIVING
Lyngblomsten Community Services
Empowering older adults to live well at home through caregiver support, memory-loss enrichment, & wellness education. 1415 Almond Ave. St. Paul, MN 55108 (651) 632-5330 www.Lyngblomsten.org/CServices
Senior Community Services
Providing non-medical services that meet the changing needs of older adults & support their caregivers. 10201 Wayzata Blvd., Ste. 335 Minnetonka, MN 55305 (952) 541-1019 www.seniorcommunity.org/lav
SOCIAL SERVICES
Friends & Co
Fostering meaningful connections for older adults for 50+ years. Offering quick drop-in chat line, phone & visiting companionship services.
2550 University Ave. W., Ste. 260-S St. Paul, MN 55114 (612) 721-1400 www.friendsco.org
Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota Serving all Minnesotans with personcentered services that promote full and abundant lives.
lssmn.org | (651) 642-5990 | (800) 582-5260 Employment Opportunities | lssmn.org/careers PICS (Partners in Community Supports) | picsmn.org
Pooled Trust | (888) 806-6844
Supported Decision-Making | (888) 806-6844
TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
Westopolis Minnesota’s Sweet Spot! St. Louis Park & Golden Valley offer exceptional dining, attractions, shopping, hotels and event space.
1660 Hwy 100 S., Ste. 501 St. Louis Park, MN 55416 (952) 426-4047
www.westopolis.org
Locally
Estimates 7am-4:30pm
Account Executive: Lavender Media, Minnesota’s LGBTQ Media Company, is seeking to add a Twin Cities based full-time Account Executive to our sales team. We are seeking an outgoing, organized, self- driven & motivated professional with excellent phone, writing and presentation skills. Candidates must be local and should enjoy working direc tly with clients who are interested in growing their business through adver tising and event sponsorships with Lavender. Compensation: $1,500 base + commission ever y issue (two weeks) and an employee bene ts package that includes group health, dental, life insurance and LTD
Please send your cover letter and resume to stephen.rocheford@lavendermagazine.com.
A Look Into the Ag for All Conference
This spring has a lot in store for Minnesota’s farmers and agriculturalists. For the first time, the University of Minnesota Extension and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture is holding the annual Ag for All Conference in St. Cloud. Set on dismantling barriers and bringing people together through education, the conference has been thoughtfully constructed and organized so that people can be sure to have an enjoyable and illuminating experience.
The University of Minnesota Extension is a department that creates a bridge between education and the needs of the community. They are dedicated to utilizing education to its fullest advantages, attempting to shape a better future. Each branch within the department focuses on specific areas of need within particular communities. Joe Rand has worked for the University of Minnesota Extension for 13 years in a variety of different roles. He has been working on bringing the event to life since last April when discussion of it first started.
“I wanted to get to know the other queer farmers and agriculturists around the state because I know there are a lot but there isn’t a network … It kind of is the first one, but we are not creating something completely unique, we have taken some cues from other events, and looked to other folks for advice and support,” Rand says.
While other similar events exist, this specific event is different in that it is limited to Minnesota. The goal is to familiarize people with others in the industry. From this, farmers, producers and agriculturalists can share their knowledge and experiences.
The conference runs 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 8 in St. Cloud. During these hours, there will be plenty of events going on. Branch workshops will be open to participants to be able to learn from extension experts on subjects such as soil and the land. There will be a mental health session, an important aspect for those in the “ag-world,” according to Rand. In
addition to this, there will be a keynote panel moderated by Assistant Professor Courtney Cuthbertson that will feature voices within the industry. Even more, there will be a moment where people are encouraged to break out into different regions so people can meet up and get to know one another.
Though the conference is open for anyone to attend, it does focus on the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in the agricultural industry. As such, there is time dedicated to breaking out into spaces for allies to connect with other allies and LGBTQ+ people to connect with other LGBTQ+ people. Bringing to life the theme of the conference, “Transforming Barriers into Breakthroughs,” the conference is set on uniting everyone and allowing people to build a specific community that they can feel safe and comfortable within.
“We need a network to be able to support each other, support each other’s business … a space where queer folks can feel like they can participate authentically without stress,” Rand says.
The Ag for All Conference is ready to bring LGBTQ+ farmers and agriculturalists and allies together. It is an opportunity for people to network and get to know one another on a personal and informative level. Rand shares that participants can look forward to gaining “research-based education” during the numerous events as well as the thrill of meeting new and friendly people.
“It really is about cultivating space for queer folks in the agricultural industry. …How are people navigating and how are they being successful? As queer folks, there are extra barriers but we know that there is success. … There will be some fun swag, and people will have handouts. Just show up and be ready to meet people, have a good time and learn,” Rand says.
From the first whispers of the conference and throughout its construction, excitement for knowledge and community has been clear. Each step of the conference has been planned according to the mission of the University of Minnesota Extension in connecting the community through education and experiences to pave the way to a better future.
Join the University of Minnesota Extension on March 8 in St. Cloud to get a chance to experience the first annual Ag for All Conference. To register, become a sponsor or learn more, visit their website at www.sites.google. com/umn.edu/agforall/home.
