October 19th, 2025
Gift/Skill Exchange & Felt Charm Making @ the Local Love Market
Gifting Grove at the Local Love Market celebrated connection, creativity, and community through a free Gift Exchange. Guests filled out a sheet sharing what they could offer—such as skills, services, or handmade goods—and what they hoped to receive in return, along with their contact information and social links. The goal was to help individuals recognize their unique gifts and connect with others for mutual support, rather than relying on traditional consumer exchange. This activity served as an engaging introduction to the concept of a gift economy, sparking curiosity and conversation among attendees unfamiliar with the idea.
Alongside the exchange, textile artist and educator Lily offered personalized felt charms, crafted through one-on-one conversations that explored each guest’s energy, intentions, and relationship to textiles—an example of a gift share in action.
September 28th, 2025
Natural Pigments & Poetry: Farm-to-Table Breakfast
This Farm-to-Table breakfast was hosted in partnership with Greener Pastures and California Street Farm. The morning gathering invited guests to connect over a locally sourced breakfast, learn about sustainable farming practices, and create poetry using natural pigments made from food scraps—transforming what might be wasted into art. Every ingredient shared at the table was sourced locally, whether fresh produce from California Street Farm, eggs from a neighbor, or goods from a local co-op.
Through guided storytelling with Cory, one of the farmers behind California Street Farm, participants reflected on gratitude, the interconnectedness of soil and community, and the unseen gifts that bring food to our tables. The gathering embodied the spirit of the gift economy, fostering mindfulness, reciprocity, and appreciation for the land and those who tend it.
September 12th, 2025
Paper Making at the Autumn Equinox Susty (Sustainable) Social
Susty Social Hour at Bang Brewing featured a Gifting Grove booth where Vern guided guests in making handmade paper from recycled materials. By transforming paper waste into something new, participants celebrated creativity and the practice of honoring what already exists. Seeds were incorporated into the papermaking process, turning each sheet into a living gift that could later be planted. Guests also created gratitude cards, reflecting on what they were thankful for in nature and offering their appreciation back to the earth through seeded paper embedded with native species.
This night was a community-centered gathering to honor the changing seasons, reconnect with the land, and share stories of care and climate action. The evening also featured seed collection with the MN Seed Project in Bang Brewing’s native prairie garden and an opportunity to record personal reflections in the Story Stream Trailer by Minnesota Upstream.
August 26th, 2025
Sustainable Shades: Dyeing Wool with Food Waste
Sustainable Shades: Dyeing Wool with Food Waste invited guests to explore the natural artistry of color through mindful making. Hosted at LAB MPLS and led by fiber artist Natalie Shekey, participants used food waste to create sustainable dyes and hand-dyed skeins of locally sourced wool from Prairie Folk Farm and Grumpelstiltskin Mill. The workshop celebrated the full gift of the Earth—from the grass and sheep to the farmers, dyers, and makers—emphasizing gratitude, patience, and creativity in harmony with nature.
Working without harsh chemicals or plastics, guests experienced the beauty of slow processes and circular making, transforming what might otherwise be discarded into vibrant, living color. The event embodied the spirit of the gift economy, highlighting connection, care, and the joy that emerges when nothing is wasted.
July 26th, 2025
Book Club Discussion: Reflecting on The Serviceberry
For a book discussion, we gathered community members at Curioso Coffee Bar in Uptown Minneapolis for a morning of reflection, creativity, and conversation. Centered around The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer, the discussion explored themes of reciprocity, gratitude, and the gift economy—the very principles that inspire Gifting Grove. Guests enjoyed locally roasted coffee while engaging in guided conversation and creative reflection using espresso waste pigments to paint or write poetry.
A small book exchange invited participants to share and pass along stories they loved, reinforcing the spirit of giving and connection. The event provided a welcoming space for both readers and creatives to connect over ideas of mutual care and our relationships with one another and the natural world, while introducing the concepts and themes that form the foundation of Gifting Grove.
May 20th, 2025
Creating Watercolor Pigments from Food Waste
Creating Watercolor Pigments from Food Waste invited community members to explore the transformation of food waste into art. Hosted at LAB Studio with catering by Chowgirls, guests enjoyed a selection of locally sourced bites while artist Lara Cornell guided them in creating watercolor pigments from meal scraps, demonstrating how to turn everyday waste into beautiful, sustainable materials.
The workshop introduced participants to the principles of the gift economy, encouraging mindfulness, gratitude, and creative reciprocity by recognizing the value in what we take, make, and share. Guests experimented with pigments to create color grids, paint, and play, leaving with a hands-on understanding of how food, creativity, and sustainability intersect in a community-centered practice.
