Coming from five generations of crop farmers, I know firsthand how a family comes together to produce food for others.

Every year from late summer through fall, my younger brother, my dad and I planted tomatoes, pumpkins, cucumbers, squash, cabbage, peppers, and corn at our farm in Chisago County, Minnesota. Through October, we would harvest the vegetables and give the food to our neighbors.

My job would be to go door-to-door and offer my neighbors first grab at our yearly picks. Then, my mom would help all of us set up a “free veggies” stand in our front yard for anyone who passed by our house to pick up. We’d set out a donation jar, and once all the produce was gone, give its proceeds to cancer research charities to honor my grandmother.

For this year’s Lunchies, I chose to highlight family-owned businesses — families who come together every day to make up Temple’s campus platter. From a restaurant run by a family of eight to an engaged couple managing a chain of food trucks, each story in this issue features a different type of relationship and how these families work to produce and serve meals that have a special meaning to them.

In addition, we compiled a list of go-to food items on Main Campus that are under $5. We also created a video showing different ways to use students’ weekly points to make meals at the Cherry Pantry, Temple’s on-campus food pantry. College isn’t affordable for a large majority of students, and food insecurity continues to affect many students, so it’s important to know where to find and access affordable food options on campus.

As a Midwestern transplant in a large city, and as a fellow college student, I encourage readers to recognize the importance of supporting family-owned businesses. These are not only stimulants of a diverse local economy but they are also symbols of hard-working community relationships, and most importantly, neighbors helping feed neighbors.

Sincerely,

Madison Karas

Features Editor