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We make podcasts and newsletters that connect people with the cities they love.

City Cast Twin Cities

Roseanne Pereira

It may seem like the Twin Cities’ dynamic farmers market scene is over — but that’s not the case! 

 takes place on the first and third Saturdays of each month, starting with this Saturday, Nov. 7, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The market 

prioritizes regional farmers and producers

 whose products at the market are 100% grown and harvested on land they own and/or operate.

Here’s a look at some of the vendors you’ll find at the market, and what we recommend you try (plus some recipes, too!).

My favorite cheese vendor at the Mill City Farmers Market is 

. The cheeses are made in small batches by hand from 100% grass-fed Jersey cows. (If this means nothing to you, know that Jersey cow milk is richer than milk from other breeds and contains more protein. It also can make for really yellow butter!)

Cosmic Wheel is owned by Josh Bryceson and Rama Hoffpauir and is a micro-dairy that’s part of 

 in Wisconsin. They typically bring a mix of aged and fresh cheeses to the market. If you’re looking for a place to start, I love their First Snow, a soft-ripened cheese. Here’s a 

Stephen Horner’s maple tree tapping operation is located about 8 miles north of Boyceville, Wisconsin. Did you know that temperature fluctuation is critical to the flow of sap in maple trees? Horner does; he’s been making maple syrup for over 25 years.

 sells dark and very dark maple syrup, maple cream, and fruit-infused syrups in flavors like wild plum and grenadine (made with pomegranate). Recently, Horner showed me a bottle of his vanilla maple syrup, which includes a whole vanilla bean. Try these recipes to 

discover more ways to cook with maple syrup

If you haven’t incorporated dried beans in your diet yet, now is a great time to start. Beans make for tasty, nutritious winter stews and chilis, easy add-ins for salads, and as mentioned in our 

, are a breakfast staple in many parts of the world.

Husband and wife Tongsee Xiong and Xai Lor grew up in farming communities in Laos and began their family farm in Minnesota in 1996. As owners of 

, they sell crops like peppers, cabbage, parsnips, carrots, and sweet potatoes using time-tested traditional farming methods. They never use pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, and their heirloom dried beans are available year-round. Their one-pound bags of dried beans make about 6 cups of cooked beans, depending on the type.

I’ve tried their black-eyed peas and was delighted; here’s an easy and delicious 

recipe featuring coconut milk and black-eyed peas

. (If you don’t have tamarind paste, you can substitute equal parts lime juice and brown sugar.)

Next on my list to try are their red or mixed corn kernels. I can already see myself making a big bowl of popcorn with their kernels to eat while I tune into the next episode of “The Traitors.”

Did you know that beeswax is a natural byproduct of making honey? Made from 100% locally sourced beeswax and organic cotton wicking, 

 are individually hand poured by owner Sara Wait of St. Paul. Slow Burn’s candles don’t include the synthetic chemicals sometimes found in soy and paraffin candles. The beeswax candles emit a subtle, honeyed fragrance and produce a warm glow.

The Northeast Farmers Market holds one market each month throughout the winter, on the first Saturday of the month from November through April. Their 

Check out the Winter Market at Bachman’s from 

, the organization that runs Nokomis, Kingfield, and Southwest farmers markets. 

Their next market will be held on Nov. 14.

The weekend St. Paul market (both outdoor and indoor) is still going strong — 

The indoor Mill City Farmers Market in Minneapolis returns Nov. 7. Shop local cheese, maple syrup, heirloom beans, and beeswax candles this winter.

What to Buy at the Mill City Indoor Winter Farmers Market

Keep It Local

Sign up for Keep It Local from City Cast Twin Cities

Sean McPherson

Molly Chase

Tiffany Bui

Adam Sage

Holiday Shop Now (Before It’s Too Late)

File this under “easier said than done,” but you’ll be happier if you knock out a bunch of your holiday shopping long before Thanksgiving hits. We asked an unscientific collection of 10 of our friends where they get the majority of their gifts and there were some clear winners named by nearly every person, plus a couple sleeper hits worthy of checking out. –

Go to a museum you’re a member of and get a discount on your gift shopping: 

Crafting enthusiast here with an important message: Making art is good for your well-being. Even the 

. If you struggle with perfectionism, try crafting with actual garbage, as I did through an amazing alternative fiber arts class offered through 

. I had a blast, came home with a respectable basket, and now see fresh possibilities in every discarded plastic bag. Feeling like crafts are a waste of time? I cannot relate, but Seed Stitch Studio has you covered with classes that extend the life of your clothes, including the intriguing 

 workshop through St. Paul Public Schools, and 

 from Ingebretsen's Scandinavian Gifts & Foods. I wanted to recommend a felting class, where you create beautiful effects while you stab the hell out of some wool. But I didn’t find any online. It’s always the stabbiest classes that sell out the fastest. I’m no Mayo Clinic, but I suspect we could all use some crafting for stress relief and fun. 

Need indoor plans? Dress up in your finest and browse 

 on display at the Mia. Explore design through a spiritual lens at the 

. View the archives of local creative force 

 at the Minnesota Museum of American Art. See 

 that document a changing Minnesota at the Minnesota History Center. Marvel at intricately 

 at The Museum of Russian Art. If you want to make your own art, check out 

Some people might say it's already too cold, but at City Cast Twin Cities, we're not some people. The website 

 does a phenomenal job rounding up cycling events in the Twin Cities, and here are a few that you should check out if you're interested in meeting more two-wheeled friends this month:

: Meet at the Sibley Historic Site near Fort Snelling State Park at 11 a.m. for a 10-mile ride full of donuts, cider, and candy. It's on dirt and gravel trails so a road bike won't be your best bet.

 at 10 a.m. for a social ramble through the river bottoms of the Minneapolis area. This one also has a lot of riding on dirt and gravel, so bring something with fatter tires than a road bike!

Saturday, Nov. 14 - Schlöpptoberween Vol. 7

: Meet at Behind Bars Bicycle Shop for a costumed bike ride that raises money for Pedal Power MN to introduce biking to school-age children in underserved communities and across Minneapolis. They have a different costume theme every year, and if their 

 are any indication, we're going to see some awesome 90s and early 2000s cartoon-themed costumes on the streets of NE this year.

Friday, Nov. 27 - Joyfulton Leftovers Roll/Stroll

: Meet at the Fulton Beer Taproom in North Loop at 6 p.m. for a leisurely family-friendly bike ride or walk along the Mississippi River on the day after Thanksgiving. All riders and walkers get a free beverage when they get back to the taproom. 

File this under “easier said than done,” but you’ll be happier if you knock out a bunch of your holiday shopping long before Thanksgiving hits.

Your Guide to November 2026 in the Twin Cities

Twin City Guides

Ahead of Thanksgiving, now is the time to practice making pies! This crossword features pie flavors from 

, a popular vendor at Mill City’s indoor winter farmers market.

✏️ Find past crossword puzzles below: 

September 24, 2026 - How About Them Apples

Try out this crossword puzzle based on relaxing activities and local spots to de-stress.

Can You Solve This Twin Cities Crossword?

Anna Weggel

We holiday hard here in the Twin Cities theater scene. We holiday so hard that I’m going to make another list in our December guide, but let’s dive into part 1 now – featuring holiday shows that are running in November! 

Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

This show is a must-see for my family. We’re huge fans of the cast, and especially Reed Sigmund who plays The Grinch, so I reached out to him to ask him my two burning questions. I was curious, after all these years of playing The Grinch, how he finds ways to keep it fresh. He said, “I think it just comes down to remaining present. Present onstage, present to the audience, present to the other actors (especially new cast members and the impulses they bring), and present to the world around us. Theatre is alive! My role, and our story, should be a reflection of where we exist currently. By embracing that, instead of clinging to the familiar (as cozy and comfortable as it may be) we can add relevance to a story that’s proven to be timeless.” I also asked him what, in 2026, kids can learn from The Grinch. He said, “This story will always be about empathy and what happens when we step outside our familiar habits and beliefs, to see ourselves and each other through a fresh lens. Empathy is empowering! And more necessary at this moment of time than any other.” 

I don’t see this show every year, but I make sure to see it whenever I have a theater lover in my life that I really want to impress with a big budget, super spectacular experience. It does feel like something new and extra special is added each year, and this is just such a timeless story that I truly don’t get sick of hearing it in its many iterations on stage. 

This is my official and shameless plea to get on the press list for Theater Latté Da because I am telling you – these people cannot miss. Some of my favorite shows that I’ve ever seen in the Twin Cities have been in the lovely Ritz Theater in NE Minneapolis, which is why I feel confident recommending a show to you that I’ve never even seen. Here’s how the company describes this show: “On a cold Christmas Eve along the Western Front, as soldiers sat on opposite sides of the battlefield, something extraordinary happened. The guns fell silent. Emerging into no-man’s-land, enemies met not with violence, but with song. Drawn from letters, diaries and firsthand accounts, this profoundly moving piece is told through stirring a cappella harmonies that illuminate a fleeting moment of shared humanity in the midst of war.” I’m in! 

Kung Fu Zombies vs Southeast Asian Girl Scouts

From Theater Mu, the story is inspired by a real Southeast Asian Girl Scout troop in St. Paul and uses “humor and sci-fi to examine how communities deal with conflict, harm, instability, and moral codes that change constantly if you want to survive.” You had me at martial arts, hip hop, and Asian heritage. We are so excited to interview the playwright next week! 

Did you know that you’re living/walking/shopping/driving around the Twin Cities which are home to the literal oldest ongoing satirical sketch and improv comedy theater in the United States? The Brave New Workshop has put on more than 400 (do you hear me?!) productions in the last 60 years. And listen to me very closely when I tell you there’s nothing harder to do than sketch comedy. The writing - the timing - the memorization - the precision. These folks are some of the most talented sketch performers in the world, and this show is always their top seller. Why would you miss it? How could you?

We holiday so hard that I’m going to make another list in our December guide, but let’s dive into part 1 now – featuring holiday shows running in November!

Twin Cities Holiday Shows Worth Seeing (pt. 1)

Holiday Shows Worth Seeing (pt. 1)

Tane Danger

Minneapolis Public Schools Board, District 1: Candidate Forum

 Today we have the two candidates for the District 1 seat on the Minneapolis Public Schools board. The voters of District 1, which is in the northeastern section of Minneapolis, will vote on Nov. 3. I’d like to note there’s also an at-large seat open on the school board, and we hosted a forum with those candidates on our Oct. 22 episode.

Today, this forum is going to give ample time for the two candidates from District 1 to share their positions. Our guests today are incumbent school board member and board treasurer Abdul Abdi and challenger Ben Lattimore. Abdul and Ben, thank you so much for being here.

 Thank you both so much for being here. For a lot of folks, top of mind with the Minneapolis school board is the transformation plan that proposed closing 16 schools. That plan has now been taken off the table. But just to start with a simple yes or no: Would either of you have voted for any of the three proposals that were part of that plan if they had come up for a vote and you were on the school board? I’ll start with you, Mr. Abdi.

 That’s fair. We’re going to get into it more, so I’ll give you more time, but just to get it on the record: Mr. Lattimore, would you have voted for any of the three proposals if they’d come up and you were there?

 I would not have voted for any of the three proposals. I wrote about it at length on my website. But like you said, we can get into it more.

 Let me ask this as a follow-up. Do either of you believe that the status quo, in terms of the district’s financial situation, is sustainable? MPS has had to close budget gaps the last three years, ranging from $40 million to $110 million. The first budget you’d work on if you were elected would be 2027–2028. So if you don’t believe the pathway we’ve been on is sustainable, what is the first thing you would push for to get MPS toward a more sustainable financial future? Ben Lattimore?

 The first thing I would do, within the governance of the body, is try to find a replacement cabinet member for the finance role that was left vacant. There really needs to be someone to fill that role, and there clearly needs to be more staffing in finance and accounting in the district. There’s clearly not enough bandwidth there for people to do the accounts receivable and the accounts payable.

It was miraculous that they were able to get $10 million back in special ed reimbursements from the state. It took the deficit from around $50 million to $39 million. And when you see something like that, it’s like, well, what else is there? I don’t want to be conspiratorial, but I would venture to guess that if we missed this, maybe we missed something else. It’s probably not to the tune of $10 million, but who’s to say something isn’t being missed here or there?

I’m not trying to criticize. These people are working in public service, and they’re working very hard. I’m not trying to take anything away from them. But we need to have more financial governance in the district. And from a K–12 funding standpoint, there needs to be more funding from the state. We currently rank around 30th among states in K–12 per-pupil funding, and that needs to move up.

 Thank you very much. I want to give Abdul Abdi a chance to respond to the same question. If you were reelected and moving into the 2027–2028 school year budget, what is the first thing you would push for to put MPS on a more sustainable financial path?

 As I have done for the last three years: those findings happened under my watch. I requested an audit of the department. I brought in an outside agency to make sure the three areas of finance, HR and special education work together, because we had a revolving door in MPS that kept us from looking at what is out there.

So what I would do, and I would do it again, is make sure the classroom sees the fewest cuts. We have to make sure we can keep the student-teacher ratio, because at the end of the day, we have to really teach those students.

I also want to make sure we advocate for more funding for our schools, because if we have the same number of students and our contracts and expenses are growing, that is something we have to address as a state by investing in those students. As Ben Lattimore said, we’re 30th in school funding, and we should not be. This state should invest more in these kids, and I’m going to be publicly seeking that school funding from our Legislature as well.

 I want to follow on to underutilization, which is certainly connected to the budget but is not exclusively about the budget. More than half the district’s buildings are underutilized, which is defined as being at less than 70% capacity. It seems like that’s going to be something the next school board has to talk about.

I’ll start with Ben Lattimore. Even though you said you would not have voted for any of the three scenarios initially proposed in the transformation plan, are school consolidations and closures off the table for you? If so, what are other realistic options? And if you say, “Yes, school consolidation is on the table,” what are you talking about? What do you want to consolidate?

 I would say school closures have to be on the table. If a building is at 10% capacity, financially, there has to come a point where you can close a building.

But the issue with this plan is that there was no quantitative backing for how it was going to help enrollment or even save costs. You have to have a plan for how it’s going to drive enrollment and a plan for how it’s going to drive cost savings.

When you look at Tuttle School in Southeast Como, when you look at Putnam Community School that became Yinghua Academy, when you look at Holland Community School that became New City School, we’re selling off these buildings to charter schools that then become our competition. And then it becomes a cyclical feedback loop where we’re losing several hundred students a year to Yinghua Academy. They’re a great school over in Northeast and they’re doing a great job, but we laid it out for them on a silver platter.

So if you’re going to close a building, there needs to be some contractual stipulation that you’re not going to sell it to a charter school, because that’s just going to make it worse.

As far as other avenues go, we’ve talked about this previously: There’s been too much focus on cutting costs and not enough focus on increasing revenues. I firmly believe that if we do things like reducing the emphasis on tech in schools and driving up reading and math scores, we’re going to bring families back to the district. MPS right now is about 10 percentage points below the state average in reading and math proficiency, and I don’t think that’s something we can turn a blind eye to. I think it’s something we really need to focus on, and there really needs to be a look at increasing revenues.

 Let me pass that to Abdul Abdi, and I’ll give you the same level of runway. We started with underutilization, but Ben Lattimore also went to how to recruit more students. So, Abdul, feel free to use the same space, and share whether consolidation is on the table for you and what other options you might use.

 Nothing is off the table. I can’t sit here and say something will be off the table. But I think the number one issue for me is that families in Northeast and Southeast have been asking me for access to early kindergarten, and we don’t offer that universally.

I’ve been advocating for that at Waite Park for the last two years. We added a new kindergarten class. Families wanted to come back, but we have to give them that access back to our schools. In Northeast, I’m trying to expand Las Estrellas to K–8, because those families are asking me. So the demand is there, but MPS hasn’t really gone out there.

What I’ve been doing for the last three or four years: The place where MPS loses the most kids is from fifth to sixth grade. So I’ve been going to listening sessions with fourth-grade parents and saying, “Here is your Northeast Middle School. What do you want me to advocate for so you can stay?” Most of the elementary schools have the capacity. It’s in middle school where we lose students, and then in some high schools.

I’ve been growing Northeast Middle School. It’s now close to 600 students, up from 400-something. If you listen to those parents, what they’ve been asking for is band. I made sure every elementary school has a fifth-grade band, and that’s what attracts those families and makes them want to stay. I took those needs of Northeast to the board.

 Can I do one follow-up on this? I know we’re spending a lot of time on the budget, but we’re getting into the recruitment piece. I hear what both of you are saying about attracting new families, or attracting back families who might have considered leaving or actually left the district.

But on the budget side, can the schools do that without consolidating? And if they can, how? Where do the financial resources for bands in schools, or for some of the things you’re talking about, Ben Lattimore, come from? Abdul Abdi, I’m just trying to do a reality check. We can talk about all these things, but how does it actually work financially?

 You’re right. We have expenses growing faster than the revenue coming in for students. That’s no secret, and every year we need to adjust to that.

But in the meantime, Tane, I want to point out that of all the students who could attend public schools in Minneapolis, only 50% are attending. If we can get maybe 10% more, a lot of these issues will almost be resolved, because the district gets paid based on the total number of students.

The families told me, “We’re getting more electives in the public schools. We like the music, we like the gyms, we like the sports, we like everything, but you don’t listen to what we really need: safety.” We spent a lot of money to create double doors and fix all those issues.

So with these budget issues, I want to make sure the classroom sees the minimum in cuts, and that we address all the other areas. I’m open to looking at the contracts we give out.

 That’s fair. Ben Lattimore, same question to you. How do we do those things to attract new families with the current budget? Is that even possible without consolidation?

 I think it is possible. If we’re talking about the current resources the district has, I think the focus has to be on things we can improve academically. Removing tech from the classroom, or reducing the emphasis on it, which we know is harming student learning, literacy and test scores rather than helping, is a huge piece. Driving reading and math scores is really what’s going to attract parents back to the district.

But if we’re trying to expand the pie a little bit, and maybe it’s a little naive of me given what the state Legislature has been doing recently, a majority of a school district’s funding comes from the state. If Minnesota moves from 24th in per-pupil funding up to 15th, which is not a crazy jump, that represents a $3,100 increase per pupil, which is roughly $80 million to $90 million for a 30,000-student district.

I think that’s where you’re going to see the biggest change in resources. The school board obviously doesn’t have direct control over that, but we can advocate, we can pound the gavel for it. Besides getting better financial and accounting governance, there aren’t a lot of revenue streams at your disposal.

 I want to jump back into this conversation with a little urgency, because Election Day is less than a week away, on Nov. 3. Frankly, Ben Lattimore and Abdul Abdi, you’ve both shared compelling, positive, forward-looking ideas for the district. But residents of the northeastern section of Minneapolis have a binary choice to make on Tuesday. So Abdul Abdi, where do you see a real difference between your positions and policies and those of your opponent, Ben Lattimore?

 I’m also a parent, so I have skin in the game. I have three kids who graduated from MPS, and two are still enrolled: one is an eighth grader at Northeast, and one is a junior at Edison High School. So I see things through the eyes of a parent as well. I’m a big advocate of collaborating with other board members to make sure we address what our students need.

I’m a big advocate that every school should be safe, should be improving academically and should have access to high-dosage tutoring where it’s needed. At the end of the day, those students should not fall behind, because academics are number one. I’m proud to say that Edison’s graduation rate increased by almost 10 percentage points last year.

That’s what I’m advocating for: making sure that not only my district, but every corner of the city has access to me, so I can advocate for them and look at things through the eyes of a father. I’m blessed to have this chance again to serve my community.

 Ben Lattimore, same question to you: the differences between you and your opponent, Abdul Abdi.

 Something I think separates me, and it’s not just from Abdul, it’s from some of the other candidates I’ve heard for at-large and other districts: I like to think I’m a little more quantitative with my research, my proposals and my ideas.

I don’t know if all of my ideas are going to work. Maybe they’re naive when it comes to things like advocacy at the state level. But as someone with a business background as well as a teaching background, I think I can look at things from both perspectives. I have the business perspective, so I can be realistic with the numbers, and I have a teaching background, so I know what teachers need and what students need.

It’s also about drilling into the numbers and the details. For example, MPS actually had 3% growth in enrollment from two years ago to last year, when all the discourse around here makes it sound like we’re still hemorrhaging students left and right. It’s leveled off a little bit. What separates me from what I’ve noticed with some of the other candidates is really looking at the numbers, because I think that’s what voters are looking for.

 I appreciate both of those answers. We’ve been talking a lot about issues that affect the entire district. Both of you have named things that are specific to District 1 to some degree, but this is a District 1 race, so I want to hone in on that for at least one question. Are there issues specific to District 1 that you’re focused on, or that you’re hearing about as you go through the community, that you would carry with you if you’re elected or reelected? Ben Lattimore, I’ll start with you.

 Specific to District 1, I know we’re losing a lot of students to Columbia Heights and St. Anthony Village. Roughly 1,000 students a year are leaving to go to Columbia Heights and St. Anthony Village combined.

Today we'll talk to the two candidates for the District 1 seat on the Minneapolis Public Schools board, Abdul Abdi and Ben Lattimore.

Forest bathing is the English translation of the Japanese “

.” It’s a practice of slowing down and mindfully experiencing nature with all your senses. It was developed in 1982 by the Japanese government as a preventative healthcare initiative in response to high rates of stress and depression.

Now shinrin-yoku is practiced all over the world — including here! Here are some offerings around the Twin Cities to get you started on your forest bathing journey.

David M. Motzenbecker was a landscape architect for over twenty years before starting 

. Now he leads guided forest experiences throughout the metro, including 

November and December sessions at the arboretum

During walks, Motzenbecker notices people’s shoulders drop, and their body postures relax. “A calm washes over them, and they open up. It's amazing,” he says. Those interested in learning more can read 

. “Walking is a practice like yoga, or meditation, or playing the piano,” Motzenbecker says. “The more you do it, the better you get, and the more you get out of it.”

Want to avoid the Halloween chaos and enjoy autumn? Motz Studios is hosting a 

forest bathing walk at Long Lake on Halloween

Want to try forest bathing right now? Last week, a friend and I went to 

Silverwood Park’s designated forest bathing trail

. It’s just a quarter-mile and includes periodic signage with instructions on how to engage your senses more deeply. One example is a sign that says “Listen to a Tree,” which invites you to find a tree you’re drawn to, sit or stand near it undisturbed, then listen to your heartbeat once there. The signs include suggested amounts of time to spend in a particular spot. I plan on going back!

When Mel Schneider first heard of forest bathing, she admits she laughed it off because she already spent time outdoors. But years later, her perspective shifted. “Guiding groups in forest bathing sessions truly feeds my soul,” she says. “Connecting people to themselves, each other, and especially the more-than-human world is why I do this work.”

, she’s led college student groups, birthday celebration groups, and even a book club. She remembers a walk where a NICU worker said she wished this experience could be offered to every family with a baby in the NICU.

 will be on Saturday, Nov. 28, 1-3 p.m. at Reservoir Woods Park in Roseville.

I first experienced forest bathing through 

 in the warmer months, typically around the full moon. At the session’s close, my group sat in a circle, reconnecting with snacks and tea. Silvae Spiritus also regularly offers 

 on their 30 acres in Finlayson (about 90 minutes north of the cities), as well as retreats centered around a forest therapy modality.

Kristen Mastel of Nourished Through Nature

 often starts her forest bathing sessions by asking participants to rate their stress level on a scale of 1 to 10. At the end of the walk, “many participants report a significant reduction in stress after just one to two hours,” she says. Mastel leads forest bathing sessions through 

, as well as programs through community education, grief support groups, and retreat centers. She also leads “Forest Bathing with Dogs” as private one-on-one or small-group experiences. Email her at 

There are even more ways to immerse yourself in forest bathing. 

Association of Nature and Forest Therapies to find a guide near you

New to shinrin-yoku? These Twin Cities forest bathing guides, trails, and groups can help you de-stress, connect with nature, and unplug.

How to Start Forest Bathing in the Twin Cities

Time to Start Forest Bathing

Sam Choo

Marion Greene for Hennepin County Commissioner District 3

 We’ve been interviewing as many candidates for Hennepin County commissioner as possible to spotlight this impactful, often under-discussed position. Today we’re talking to Marion Greene, the incumbent Hennepin County commissioner for District 3, who is seeking reelection in November. We spoke to her challenger, Abdi Ibrahim, on our Sept. 18 episode. Greene began her tenure on the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners in 2014. Before serving on the county board, Greene served in the Legislature, where she was chief author of legislation to fully fund all-day kindergarten and co-author of legislation to establish the health insurance exchange that is now MNsure. Before running for public office, Greene was active in the community and worked in the private sector in policy and marketing. I know you have a busy schedule. Commissioner Greene, thank you so much for joining us today.

 Commissioner Greene, I get to ask you this question in both the past and future tense. How has your work as an elected official most tangibly impacted the community you live in? And going forward, how do you want your work to impact that community in the coming years?

 That’s such a great way of putting it. A lot of the county’s work requires that longer-term point of view. The principal thing that has impacted the community is the pandemic, and being chair of the board during that time. Together with my colleagues, I helped make sure all of the federal and state dollars coming through counties were intelligently allocated and really responded to the moment.

One of the themes we tried to take up at that time was: Are there ways to do this work that also create long-term impact? For example, something I really championed, as one of the first in the nation, was buying hotels to serve as emergency shelter and then transitioning them after the pandemic into deeply affordable housing. That’s work I’m really proud of that, knock on wood, is a little bit in the rearview mirror.

Work I did in the past that I’ve been so glad of lately is on immigration and how Hennepin County interacts with and supports more recent immigrants in our community. About 10 years ago, I established an immigrant legal defense fund to help people ensnared in deportation proceedings by our local version of Trump: the sheriff at the time. Thank goodness he’s not the sheriff any longer. That work expanded into more in-house work. We had contracted it out, but we saw how much trust we were able to build in the community, so we brought more immigration support in-house. We provide that for residents seeking services who may have an immigration-related barrier, like documentation, that just needs to get over the finish line so they can access services. We were so glad to have that in-house expertise during the ICE occupation and Operation Metro Surge, because we could call on it immediately.

Looking ahead, housing affordability in our region is of course an ongoing issue. Other work I’m proud of that’s ongoing is being a champion for transit. We’re poised to finish the Green Line extension and are now looking at the Blue Line extension. In the meantime, we’ve secured Minnesota’s first consistent transit funding, in the form of a three-quarter-cent sales tax that goes to the Met Council. I’m really excited about where that’s going to take our region. And I spearheaded the development of our first-ever climate action plan, and we’re now executing on it. So that’s exciting, continued work.

 In your opinion, what can elected officials do to help build stronger, more resilient communities?

 Oh gosh, that’s a really massive question, Sam. I think we need to focus on basics like housing affordability, in terms of policymaking and funding. But we also need to be out there as forces for connection in the community. I’ve been working to attend every annual meeting of the neighborhoods in my district, or show up at a potluck that might be a community event. Being out there and being known, and not just known as a person.

Sean mentioned at the top that Hennepin County is such a low-profile layer of government. I often tell people that if you don’t know about Hennepin County, that means things are going well in your life, because you don’t need our safety net services. But nonetheless, I want people to think of us when they’re looking for resources. For example, I have somebody in my district who’s building a film club and trying to connect with arts funding. I can facilitate that. So I guess I’d describe both tangible and intangible elements.

 I want to ask about what’s at the top of your priority list if you continue to serve. But I also want to challenge you on something. There’s the idea that if you don’t hear about Hennepin County, it’s because things are going well. But we also hear the counterpoint that folks don’t hear enough from people at the county level. They play a significant role in our lives, but people don’t know how to reach them, how to be heard by them, or how they can respond. So I’m hoping you can talk about your priorities, but also address that idea: If we don’t know about Hennepin County officials, maybe it’s because they aren’t doing the right outreach. They should be finding their constituents and making a deeper connection.

 That’s certainly a point of view that I think reflects some reality. There’s been a shift in politics, in America and on the county board. I would say a generational change. When I was first elected, my platform was all about bringing eyeballs to Hennepin County. I’m not saying the county was doing bad things, but we spend a fair amount of property tax dollars on residents’ behalf, and I want to make sure I’m responsive and connected and that people feel like they’re getting something for their money.

A lot of great work used to happen more in isolation from the community. Now there’s more expectation that elected officials will connect with the community. I wish I had statistics on this, but I notice it in the increased number of emails I get as an elected official. That’s great. It tells me we’re getting the word out about who Hennepin County is. It also tells me people are more activated. So I need to make sure I’m not taking credit at Hennepin County for what I think is a societal change. I still need to get out there and continue to elevate our work.

One of the challenges the county has is that we don’t have a single executive. Unlike a city, which has a council and a mayor, and the mayor is often viewed, for good or for evil, as the person who speaks for the city, we are a board of seven equal people. We each get one vote, and even the chair gets one vote. I think that makes coverage of us a challenge, because it’s like, well, who do you listen to?

Another challenge we need to own and overcome is the Twin Cities media market. The media market isn’t just Hennepin County, it’s really the Twin Cities, and a lot of Twin Cities media is consumed by the entire state. Think of the Star Tribune changing its name to the Minnesota Star Tribune. These are all things we need to navigate. But I do think there’s been a change in expectations, and the county board and I as an elected official need to get ahead of that, be responsive and rise to the new level of engagement.

 One thing that came up with your challenger, Mr. Ibrahim, was the HERC, and it seems like everybody wants it closed. Is that your position as well? And if so, what is your preferred timeline for closing it?

 That is definitely my position. I think we should close the HERC, and the county board has voted unanimously on that, so I can say with confidence that’s my colleagues’ point of view as well. The devil’s in the details, of course. We’ve set a timeline of sometime before 2040.

I’d like to highlight that we’re the one layer of government that, besides saying we want to close the HERC, is actually doing something about it. We’re working hard to figure out ways to get recyclables and organics out of our waste stream, so we don’t have as much waste as the HERC currently deals with. Some folks say, “Let’s just close the HERC and figure it out later.” But I am not a proponent of landfilling. I think landfilling is figuratively, not physically, the lowest place we want to put waste. We also don’t want trash to pile up in the streets. I don’t mean that as some overdramatic threat. But I do want to say to the city of Minneapolis, for example, which has voted that it wants Hennepin County to close the HERC: OK, that’s great, but what’s your plan to manage your waste? Where are you going to put it?

The way I and others phrase it is: I want to close the HERC, and I want to do it responsibly, so we have somewhere to put waste. The underlying issue with the HERC, and waste in general, is consumption and the habits we have as Americans. We need to work on that cultural change, and the county is doing this in many ways: trying to get folks to recycle, to compost, to reuse and to reduce. The reusing and reducing parts of the triangle are underemphasized in current consumer choices, and that’s really where we need to see wholesale change.

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