[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6389800,"mediaKeyId","2113065-f18cce2e2f7673791c88baa0a19cf3a8","parentId",2113065,"title","Dilworth‑Glyndon‑Felton schools honored for student ‘share cart’ to reduce cafeteria waste","audioSeconds",301,"startMs",4054000,"endMs",4355000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2113065-f18cce2e2f7673791c88baa0a19cf3a8&start=4054&end=4355","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2113065-f18cce2e2f7673791c88baa0a19cf3a8/thumbnail_4054000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6389800/Fargo/Cass-County/North-Dakota/DilworthGlyndonFelton-schools-honored-for-student-share-cart-to-reduce-cafeteria-waste","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6389800-5398c98a30d29a7158359f59d1e73900/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193058&Signature=P8sZRo0EPB1MFLAc6o2JgKmnfU1LTMwGSCeA4cMTGr1HYDJDbvmrSnK6TIzw3LbZUAvoult0GVBqMT~F8ij6uVTp2eJptOQXcftsZ6jBvNQNvMllNtbBhWDlle8C3JYN1A2x2wBC6EAIJwi74qhd3Caer0IUWC3kIgznQyN-HfEah5e0hNrbTGM3qYLfW1YNp4DfRJ~L7-b9-0clP7rU1umJ0RVbo0WamK9t92G3VX6w90srdjAx35K6bTnQtVMk8xw7VGV~KmGRZqUAQnPI6yCIb-GQivBS8syiMCrE2X5yfqBpeNcXDRONEqa3rCu3CJzFt1U7SO0Ax9D1FxEOzQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Fargo, ND","date","2025-01-08T00:00:00Z","article","The Cass Clay Food Commission recognized Dilworth‑Glyndon‑Felton School District’s Share Cart program for reducing cafeteria food waste and helping students access extra food. Shannon Nowak, director of nutrition services for DGF, described the program and said it operates at the district’s elementary and middle/high sites.

Nowak described the Share Cart as a simple, cold receptacle where students place unopened prepackaged items or intact fruit they won’t eat; other students may take those items. “I am so glad I came early today,” Nowak told the commission, and she described the program as one tool in a district effort to reduce food waste and support students in need.

The district also packages meals to send home with students in need and partners with counselors to distribute food. The commission applauded the program as an example of school‑level innovation in food access and waste reduction.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Fargo City Cass Clay Food Commission - 01.08.2025","oneSentenceSummary","The commission recognized the Dilworth‑Glyndon‑Felton School District’s Share Cart program, which allows students to leave unopened prepackaged and intact produce items for other students. Nutrition director Shannon Nowak described the simple process and how the district redirects surplus meals to families.","taxTitle","Fargo , Cass County, North Dakota","taxId",2742,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6389804,"Hydroponic grower Great Plains Greens outlines local sales, school partnerships and operating model",422,3043000,3465000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2113065-f18cce2e2f7673791c88baa0a19cf3a8&start=3043&end=3465","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2113065-f18cce2e2f7673791c88baa0a19cf3a8/thumbnail_3043000.jpg","/articles/6389804/Fargo/Cass-County/North-Dakota/Hydroponic-grower-Great-Plains-Greens-outlines-local-sales-school-partnerships-and-operating-model","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6389804-a478b3c1905f75e3790aa3ea90d8bc42/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193058&Signature=oOLfHfOqmxAhnS3QqAqmoRYpZN6kWmJpOyCtfLzoVzmSr1cS4ZFP2YtfWZ37Z~sxao8q-JlkM03iCAcOq33SZy-JysQP3mA~KZ-4ICy6aVRnqMI-U9~Gj2q0kVoKcPvu55LGdNU~R2l9HEeoRtabdPX1lhBWYmwlqsERx9e34VxTWYy4cZadfV4x1fXrKA91aFe9ulNbk6HnHVf6vKOMrv7s0XLWmVTYqKfYhRjNU0x1wMLSBcpOuz-ik607bVge71yICwcANeP7yNoorXLNtd-0FGJDv3uW4UAUIy2jEBUkFGWys-JxnPR~go4~MjYcrVdQTlUJwXCIoQrXFnDP2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dylan, founder of Great Plains Greens, told the commission the company grows leafy greens hydroponically in a shipping container in West Fargo and sells to restaurants, two school districts and through an online cooperative marketplace.

“We grow lettuce hydroponically in a shipping container over in West Fargo,” Dylan said, describing a year‑round production model that relies on LED lighting and small, monthly water use (he said the operation uses under about 150 gallons per month). The business supplies specialty salad greens and herbs to local chefs and to Dilworth‑Glyndon‑Felton and other school districts for farm‑to‑school programs.

Dylan said the startup received an initial round of funding (a reported $200,000 grant package that included grant, debt and equity components) and that fixed upfront costs for container installs are high, while operating costs (land rent, utilities, seeds, substrate) are modest enough that the unit can be run profitably once the capital cost is absorbed. He said the company is not yet at full production capacity but aims to expand sales as the market grows.

Commissioners asked about water usage, heat/ventilation and crop cycles. Dylan said the container is connected to city water and power, that LED lighting produces heat requiring cooling, and that a lettuce crop typically reaches maturity in about 45–49 days with options for cut‑and‑regrow harvesting.

Dylan invited commission members and steering‑committee members to tour the container and discussed interest in partnerships with universities and local education programs for workforce and demonstration purposes.

","Great Plains Greens, a hydroponic shipping‑container grower in West Fargo, told the commission it supplies restaurants and two school districts and is exploring educational partnerships with colleges. Company founder described modest water use, startup funding and product lines.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6389809,"Commission opens backyard‑chicken review; sends recommendations to steering committee",1276,1732000,3008000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2113065-f18cce2e2f7673791c88baa0a19cf3a8&start=1732&end=3008","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2113065-f18cce2e2f7673791c88baa0a19cf3a8/thumbnail_1732000.jpg","/articles/6389809/Fargo/Cass-County/North-Dakota/Commission-opens-backyardchicken-review-sends-recommendations-to-steering-committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6389809-b3ee370b31ae84bdb863410fb418de8d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193058&Signature=ZpXuTKuYUxlhPu9-TTg-TsZ1kY-zjjsu6h-1kGS5c4cgendRU9Iecb7yfiOuNX3H-0rxrt-lh15jFUpIJS~1pI357QX2gRPLdRsEG~-E5gzdwl8HI3Lp-DScdvX1tQARiXxB0U2ntdn17r7w8IMYP99T7aIHQAaBGhreCSCCHd~spkLQhOnjm61-hbzbbh3a95XseVdui38v8lgblsEQ0~lJLtLWfEnVSFnSRJNTE~1-As87ZEb0mLB0~z4bkmdq4WQcD9L827-PjyW6t4aSYBUez7hbEEPtkp~l5R4yYJ4YZo7dcmUTeGalY2f6FpdRITpA9A4LK7dXyrPGNEvz7Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Cass Clay Food Commission discussed a request to increase the number of backyard chickens allowed in Fargo from four to six and voted to send a formal review to the commission’s steering committee for recommendations.

Commissioner John Strand raised the issue at the request of local residents and asked the commission to consider whether Fargo should align with nearby jurisdictions that allow more birds. Adam Altenberg, representing the Fargo‑Moorhead Metropolitan Council of Governments, summarized local practice: Fargo currently allows four chickens in residential zoning; Moorhead permits up to six (and up to 12 on lots of 1 acre or more); West Fargo allows six; Dilworth does not allow chickens; Horace allows animals in certain large‑lot zones.

Altenberg noted that Fargo briefly allowed six chickens during a temporary COVID‑era ordinance from May to September 2020 but the allowance later expired. He also noted coop‑size standards in Fargo’s ordinance (4 sq. ft. per bird inside a coop; 10 sq. ft. per bird in an enclosed run) and said that upsizing from four to six could require some existing coop owners to expand and request reinspection.

Commissioners from Moorhead and West Fargo described their recent ordinance updates and said those cities included measures such as grandfathering existing permits and adjusting coop/run specifications to improve health and safety while maintaining accessibility. Commissioners and steering‑committee members raised common concerns: whether increased density increases disease risk, nuisance complaints (escaped birds, roosters and crowing), and whether coop specifications create a barrier for residents who lack carpentry skills.

After discussion, Commissioner Strand moved to send the backyard‑chicken topic and related blueprint questions to the steering committee with the request that the steering committee return a recommendation to the commission at the March 12 meeting; Commissioner Miller seconded. The commission approved the referral by voice vote.

What the steering committee was asked to assess: whether to recommend that Fargo modify its numeric limits, whether coop and run specifications should be revised (including grandfathering existing permit holders), and whether education/outreach or permit adjustments would lower complaint rates.

","Following months of neighborhood requests and examples from nearby cities, the commission discussed allowing more backyard chickens in Fargo and voted to send the issue to the steering committee for a recommendation to return at the March meeting.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6389815,"Cass Clay Food Commission adopts urban agriculture framework; chair highlights equity focus",690,1020000,1710000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2113065-f18cce2e2f7673791c88baa0a19cf3a8&start=1020&end=1710","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2113065-f18cce2e2f7673791c88baa0a19cf3a8/thumbnail_1020000.jpg","/articles/6389815/Fargo/Cass-County/North-Dakota/Cass-Clay-Food-Commission-adopts-urban-agriculture-framework-chair-highlights-equity-focus","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6389815-ca3dd663316d3d55ef5246fd8ac640da/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193058&Signature=AZEisS1S-awDDoOZUMd8azNLg1CdfS42Ni1LLY0Gm4pLOGrw9wSckruNcBh3~pNDO7EwM9fu~mreIw~UlNB0q0ycqpbFsONORMVwvF~feCFdutSt5pJqUszEOibuc5r~qijBdAvkAt37GE2E4s4Oernek~IqFf3-0ZPcDC5VWPEwXy10pzj8czQsXgvkb9l399yshYF-ZuOn4eO3ZaGgctWwrWT8Ojgw8vm0FLjUk0TxLnjlMJydPnJPptlp819zCMYSi2zYTuPiRtPFlqvQEd2gtpOsG4WoXy6Jjo5RCKVbLMOxQipPLqZKZSi9r9IQ4kqePuNA6rF1-zfKf69Gjw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Cass Clay Food Commission on Jan. 10 approved an Urban Agricultural Framework presented by Anna Johnson, an at‑large member and graduate student in nutrition. The commission adopted the framework to inform future work on zoning, blueprints and policy documents that relate to urban agriculture across the metro area.

The framework will be used by the commission and the Cass Clay Food Partners to put urban agriculture topics on a consistent knowledge base, evaluate existing policy blueprints and identify gaps that need updating, Anna Johnson said. “Equity is a big focus of the framework document,” Johnson said, adding the paper aims to present benefits and challenges so resources are allocated appropriately.

Commissioners described the framework as a launching point for more detailed blueprints and for engaging community members and external partners in future document updates. Chair Heather Niesemeyer said the framework ties into the commission’s recently adopted strategic plan and will help prioritize which blueprints to update in 2025.

A roll-call vote followed the presentation. Commissioner Kremenoff moved approval; the motion was seconded and discussion then closed. The motion passed with commissioners recorded as voting in favor and one abstention. The commission directed staff and partners to use the framework when prioritizing blueprint updates and onboarding work groups tied to the strategic plan.

Commissioners and staff noted the framework’s audience is primarily food‑partner members and steering‑committee members rather than municipal code writers, and said subsequent work would translate the framework into more policy‑oriented blueprints when needed.

What’s next: Commissioners expect the framework to be used to guide short‑term work groups (on bylaws, onboarding and document updates) and to set an annual cadence for reviewing existing policy blueprints and snapshots.

","The Cass Clay Food Commission voted to adopt a new Urban Agricultural Framework presented by Anna Johnson. Commissioners said the document will guide the commission’s review of existing “blueprints” and support future policy updates. The motion passed in a roll-call vote with one abstention.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Dilworth‑Glyndon‑Felton schools honored for student ‘share cart’ to reduce cafeteria waste

Hydroponic grower Great Plains Greens outlines local sales, school partnerships and operating model

Commission opens backyard‑chicken review; sends recommendations to steering committee

Cass Clay Food Commission adopts urban agriculture framework; chair highlights equity focus