Ren Olive

Sustainable Ag and Food Systems Program Associate

UMN Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships

3851 Penn Ave N
Minneapolis, MN 55412
United States

(w) (612) 701-3256

About

Ren Olive spends their time at work to support farmers and rural grocery stores as the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Program Associate for the University of Minnesota Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP), working throughout greater Minnesota. Ren has a background rooted in sustainable food systems, grown from time spent on the prairie studying Political Science and Environmental Studies at the University of Minnesota - Morris to more recently rescuing millions of pounds of nutritious food from retail stores with the food bank Second Harvest Heartland. Ren managed the Farm to Rural Grocery to Wholesale “Backhaul Project,” worked with the MN Dept of Agriculture on outreach for the Produce Safety Rule, and started masters of science program in Natural Resource Science Management at the University of MN - College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences. Currently, Ren is working on Farm to Rural Grocery projects and research. When not interacting and learning from farmers/grocery stores, Ren dreams about becoming a farmer in a welcoming rural town. Ren brings the perspective of an energized queer millennial, filled with a passion for process and a love for painting, farming, biking, reading, traveling, social justice, and video games. Ren spends time with wife Grace and home zoo in North Minneapolis.