Local Food is Essential

07/12/2023

Visit local farms in western Wisconsin this weekend!

Our moos are eager to see you July 15, 10AM-4PM. We're one of nine regenerative farms in the Apple River Farm Tour. Bring a sunhat and your cooler! Get ready for fun, walks, conversation and activities.

04/01/2022

Tune in tonight at 7pm on your local Minnesota PBS station or stream it live at tpt.org/almanac !!

TONIGHT at 7pm CDT on TPT - Twin Cities PBS !!

Tune in to see the latest coverage of the farm transition from Singing Hills Goat Dairy to American Farmland Trust - Midwest to, ultimately, the Lor Family. Watch it on your local Minnesota PBS station or stream Almanac live at tpt.org/almanac

Minnesota has more than 25 million acres of farmland. But for an immigrant or new farmer, high land costs mean owning their own farm is often just a pipe dream. One Greater Minnesota Reporter Kaomi Lee found a farmer who is making that dream reality, and an innovative program that's helping him do it.

Learn more about the fundraising progress at https://gotfarmland.org/

02/28/2022

Did you know you can find locally grown lettuces, psinach and other greens year round in Minnesota and Wisconsin? Find a winter farmers market near you with the resources link in our bio 🥗

Photo from Women's Environmental Institute's certified organic farm in North Branch, MN. WEI is now offering it's spring CSA share for 6 weeks of greens starting in April. Learn more at: https://amadorhillfarm.org/

02/25/2022

Weekend recipe from our friends at Mill City Farmers Market in Minneapolis and Cherry Tree House Mushrooms in Clayton, WI. Find local eggs, cheese, pie crust and mushrooms for this easy meal at Mill City's indoor winter market this Saturday (2/26) or look for local ingredients at a market or co-op near you!

Recipe from Jeremy McAdams farmer owner of Northwood Mushrooms Note: If working with dried mushrooms, rehydrating is as easy as boiling…

02/25/2022

Winter on the farm ❄ Cattle at Sunshine Harvest Farm in southeastern Minnesota

02/12/2022

You’re invited to join Renewing the Countryside , American Farmland Trust and organizational partners from around the region for BRIDGING DREAMS: a virtual community fundraiser benefiting emerging farmer land access, on 2/22/22!

Attendees will get to hear from the farmers involved, learn more about efforts to bridge farmland sellers with emerging and BIPOC farmers looking for farmland, and enjoy music, art and stories. Proceeds from the event will help raise the funds to cross the finish line and ensure the Northfield area land transition from the Singing Hills Goat Dairy to the Lor Family Farm is successful.

Register and learn more at https://gotfarmland.org/

Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES)
Mill City Farmers Market
Cannon River Sustainable Farming Association
Cannon Valley Grown

02/11/2022

“When we support our local shops, local food growers and local food makers, we are helping our neighbors succeed.”
~ Katie Ruff, owner of By The Spoonful, McGregor IA

For local foods to get on grocery and co-op shelves, warehousing and distribution can be tricky hurdles, and there's often more work for retail stores to do compared to stocking national brands. The FEAST! Local Food Marketplace tradeshow for wholesale buyers and manufacturers on Thursday, March 17 is all about strengthening relationships between local foods businesses and the wholesale buyers that get them onto store shelves—an important part of increasing access to local foods.

Regional food makers can learn more and register online at https://www.local-feast.org/tradeshow2022.


📸: Scott Boylen Photography

02/05/2022

Support local farmers and growers, even on the coldest winter days! Find locally grown greens year-round from and and 🌱 microgreens from . New to microgreens? They're the seedlings of edible veggies like broccoli, kale, radish, and peas. Since plants need a lot of energy in their early days, microgreens are packed with potassium, iron, zinc, and other beneficial vitamins and nutrients. Use them as a base for a salad, either alone or mixed with mature greens, or add to scrambled eggs, toss into soups, or mix into noodle dishes. 🍜😋

02/02/2022

Show your love for local by cooking with local ingredients year-round! Like wild rice: perfect for cold, wintry days. From hot dish to nourishing soups or hearty sides, make your favorite comfort food with local, sustainably grown and harvested wild rice.

01/28/2022

It's so rare these days to be able to say you actually know the farmer who produced the food you're buying—but crucial if we're to truly know how our food is produced, and to give due credit to the tremendous effort the farmers put into their work.

If you haven't had a chance yet, check out the story on pastured meat in the FEAST Local Foods Network magazine that features O'Neill Family Farm along with Niman Ranch and the Forest County Potawatomi Community :
https://www.omagdigital.com/publication/?i=727603&ver=html5&p=18

Photo by Tiffany Alexandria / Choochoo-ca-Chew

01/20/2022

It’s cold out there but we are are gaining nearly two minutes of daylight each passing day. With the spring equinox just over 8 weeks away, we’ve got more winter behind us than ahead. Savor the season, spring will be here before you know it! ❄️🌱

01/15/2022

You can turn pretty much any vegetable into a satisfying winter soup when paired with the delicious cured pork belly, pancetta. Find locally grown winter squash, root veggies and our favorite local pancetta from Red Table Meat Co. at a grocery store or food co-op near you for the ingredients in this soup.

Recipe comes from our friends at Mill City Farmers Market:

In a medium pot, cook pancetta over medium heat until fat is rendered. Remove pieces of cooked pancetta and set aside (or melt butter, if substituting). Add onion and garlic. Stir to coat with fat. Add salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened but not brown, about 3 minutes.