Twin Cities Veg Fest is for Vegans, Vegetarians, and Omnivores

The first ever Twin Cities Veg Fest will take place from 10am to 5pm at Coffman Memorial Union on the Minneapolis campus of the University of Minnesota on July 14, 2012. 


From the event planners:
"Twin Cities Veg Fest is for anyone and everyone – from vegetarians and vegans to omnivores! If you’ve ever thought about becoming vegetarian or are interested in reducing animal suffering, you’ll love Twin Cities Veg Fest.


Learn where your food comes from, how to be a healthy vegetarian or vegan, and why being compassionate benefits everyone. Plus you’ll enjoy tons of free vegan food samples and delicious vegan cuisine."

[where: Sustainable Food, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Minnesota]

New Sausages Coming Your Way from Shepherd's Way Farm

Shepherd’s Way Farms makes some of my favorite sheep’s milk cheeses. It’s no secret that their cheese is good—they’ve received scores of accolades for their popular black wax coated Friesago, soft and creamy Hidden Falls, light and tangy Shepherd’s Hope, and spicy Big Woods Blue cheeses. Imagine my surprise, then, when I headed to Mill City Market and found a freezer full of unfamiliar sausages at the Shepherd’s Way market stand.

That’s right, three weeks ago, Steven and Jodi Ohlsen Read of Shepherd’s Way introduced several new varieties of specialty sausages, and they’re made with pasture-raised lamb and pork from their farm in Nerstrand, Minn.

In addition to the existing Merguez, Westlund, and Barlage sausages, the Reads are now selling a sausage made with orange peel and red wine called Sogn Harvest, a Sage and Ginger breakfast sausage, a Big Woods Blue traditional bratwurst made with blue cheese, smoked snack sticks called Birr Sticks, and a hard-to-find smoked sausage link (which is rumored to have notes of coriander and mustard) called Woodsman.

“I’ve always been interested in specialty meats,” said Steven Read. “Charcuterie is an emerging trend, and it’s been fun developing new ideas and seeing them become final products. It’s gratifying and exciting to see people responding.”

The small-scale Sage and Ginger sausage, with just a slight essence of ginger, makes a good breakfast sausage, but could very well be served any time of the day, and a pack of Birr Sticks tucked in with your camping gear will make the great outdoors all the greater this summer. According to Read, the Woodsman links seem to be flying off the shelves faster than they can make them.

Read grew up Swedish in Minnesota, and says making cased sausages and meat sticks simply reflect his upbringing.

Although the Reads raised the animals on their farm and developed the recipes for their new line of specialty meats, they didn’t have the ability to make their own sausages on-site, so they teamed up with sausage maker Dean Anderson at Geneva Meats in Geneva, Minn. Read explained that processing off-site was less expensive than having on-site facilities and licensing, although he acknowledged that it would be fun to have their own processing facility someday. The work they do on their small, family-based farm demonstrates their support of local, sustainable, slow food—they’ve hosted thousands of visitors to the farm, educating and promoting sustainable agriculture, land stewardship, and local foods.

Shepherd’s Way Farms' new line of sausages can purchased at the Mill City Farmers' Market, or you can send them an email and they’ll bring them to the St. Paul Farmers’ Market for you. They hope to start selling the new sausages at local co-ops this summer.

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Cross posted from TC Taste: http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/media/Blogs/Twin-Cities-Taste/May-2012/Orange-Peel-and-Red-Wine-Sausage-Comin-Your-Way/

Celebrate Cedar Summit's 10th Anniversary at Milkapalooza

Cedar Summit is spreading the word about their 10th anniversary Milkapalooza party. Details about the event are posted below.

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Make plans to help celebrate ten years of on-farm milk bottling at the farm in New Prague at Milkapalooza on June 23, 2012, 10am – 3pm. Come help celebrate, it will be a great day for certified organic, 100% grass-fed family fun on the farm.

Lunch will be available for purchase. Food will be provided by Valley Natural Foods, and options will include Cedar Summit hamburgers, vegan vegie burgers, creamy organic coleslaw, kids plates, and cookies and milk for dessert.

You will be able to sample local cheeses and tour the farm with family members. They will have calves for petting and ponies for riding. Local beekeepers will also be showing off their bees – not for petting!

First MN Cheese Festival Coming to State Fair Grounds on Sunday

Check it out! The first ever Minnesota Cheese Festival will be taking place at the State Fair Grounds this Sunday. The following release was sent out from the Minnesota Cheese Festival organizers, and will give you the basic information about the event.

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MINNEAPOLIS - April 9, 2012 - On Sunday, June 3 at the Minnesota State Fair Grounds' International Bazaar, foodies can unleash their inner caseophile (cheese lover) at the first Minnesota Cheese Festival. Minnesota's artisan cheesemakers will be joined by Wisconsin cheesemakers for an event celebrating all things cheese. 

Open to the public from noon - 6 p.m. (with a private media and industry event from 11 a.m. -noon), the event aims to raise awareness for Minnesota's growing cheesemaking community while allowing cheese lovers to sample and purchase artisan, farmstead and specialty cheeses. While its neighbor Wisconsin is best known for a thriving cheesemaking industry, Minnesota is in fact the NO.6 cheese producing state in the US. In recent years, the state's processed cheese giants have been joined by world-class artisan cheese producers - such as Caves of Faribault, Alemar Cheese Co. and Shepherd's Way Farms. All three cheese producers will be in attendance at the Festival, alongside numerous Wisconsin cheesemakers. 

"Wisconsin has incredible, state-run programs that support the cheesemaking community, but the resources for Minnesota cheesemakers are limited," said festival organizer Whitney McChane. "These are hard-working small business owners who are responsible for everything from herd management to product distribution - and marketing often falls to the end of the 'must do' list. This event is hopefully the first of many designed to support and empower the local cheesemaking community while fostering a sense of pride among Minnesota residents." 

Timed to coincide with prime milking season and National Dairy Month in June, the festival is expected to draw sizeable crowds, given America's specialty, artisanal and farmstead cheese consumption is at an all-time high. This can be attributed to a combination of factors including more U.S. citizens traveling abroad and trying unique varieties of cheese; more U.S. restaurants offering a cheese course; and an increased interest in ethnic food (Source: Agriculture Marketing Resource Center). 

"Minnesota has a long and rich history of dairy farming, and while our output can't compete with our Eastern neighbor Wisconsin, our milk quality certainly can," said Keith Adams, Alemar Cheese Company's founder and head cheesemaker. "And, if it isn't immediately apparent, great cheese can only be made from great milk." 

MAIN STAGE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
(Schedule is subject to change)
Noon: Meet the Chef & Recipe Demonstrations - Gastrotruck
12:30 p.m.: Beer & Cheese Pairing Demonstration - Michael Agnew
1 :00 p.m.: Meet the Cheesemaker - Caves of Faribault
1 :30 p.m.: Wine & Cheese Pairing Demonstration - Leslee Miller
2:00 p.m.: Meet the Cheesemaker - Shepherd's Way Farms
2:30 p.m.: Beer & Cheese Pairing Demonstration - Michael Agnew
3:00 p.m.: Meet the Cheesemaker - Ellsworth Creamery
3:30 p.m.: Wine & Cheese Pairing Demonstration - Leslee Miller
4:00 p.m.: Meet the Cheesemaker - Alemar Cheese Co.
4:30 p.m.: Beer & Cheese Pairing Demonstration - Michael Agnew
5:00 p.m.: Meet the Chef & Recipe Demonstration - Chef Shack
5:30 p.m.: Wine & Cheese Pairing Demonstration - Leslee Miller
6:00 p.m.: Event ends 

REAR DEMONSTRATION AREA
Cheesemaking demonstrations will be hosted by experts from Midwest Supplies, which offers a full line of home cheese making supplies and kits: http://www.midwestsupplies.com/other-products/cheese-making.html

[where: Sustainable Food, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Minnesota]

New Index Ranks Minnesota 17th in Locally Grown Food Consumption

The 2012 "Locavore Index" has ranked Minnesota as 17th in the nation in our commitment to raising and eating locally grown food. Our neighbors, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Iowa, all came ahead of Minnesota in the Index. Eight of the 12 states in the North Central region made the top 20. 

According to Strolling of the Heifers, "using data exclusively from government sources (principally USDA and US Census data) dating from 2010 and 2011, the Locavore Index measures the commitment of states to locally-sourced foods by measuring the per-capita presence of Community-Supported Agricultural enterprises and Farmers Markets, each of which is an indication of both the availability and demand for locally-produced food." 

The 2012 Locavore Index Ranking of States 
(Click here for a PDF chart including the underlying data and sources used to develop the Index):

1. Vermont

2. Iowa

3. Montana

4. Maine

5. Hawaii

6. Kentucky

7. North Dakota

8. South Dakota

9. Wyoming

10. Idaho

11. West Virginia

12. Nebraska

13. New Hampshire

14. Oregon

15. Wisconsin

16. New Mexico

17. Minnesota

18. Missouri

19. Kansas

20. Oklahoma

21. Arkansas

22. Washington

23. Mississippi

24. Rhode Island

25. Michigan

26. Alabama

27. Alaska

28. Massachusetts

29. Connecticut

30. Indiana

31. Colorado

32. North Carolina

33. South Carolina

34. Virginia

35. Ohio

36. Tennessee

37. Utah

38. Pennsylvania

39. Maryland

40. Illinois

41. California

42. New York

43. Texas

44. Georgia

45. Delaware

46. Louisiana

47. Nevada

48. New Jersey

49. Arizona

50. Florida

[where: Sustainable Food, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Minnesota]

California Street Farm to Host Weekly Farm Stand in Nordeast

Views of California Street Farm, by Greg and Marie Flanagan

Amidst throngs of curious Art-A-Whirlers on Saturday, a new urban farm in Minneapolis, California Street Farm, was hosting a small gathering commemorating Minneapolis chef, artist, and community and sustainable agriculture leader Tom Taylor. A sculpture by Minneapolis artist Aldo Moroni was unveiled in his honor. Shortly after the ceremony, farmers Jillia Pessenda Bovino, her husband Jim Bovino, and their dog, Romeo, gave me a quick tour of California Street Farm, which will be available to serve your tables very soon. 

The Bovinos hail from Minnesota, but honed their farming skills on a small farm in Washington State. As they planned a move back to Minnesota, they decided to get involved in urban agriculture, and when the opportunity to farm the ¾ acre vacant parcel of land presented itself, they seized it. California Street Farm is located in the heart of the Arts District in Northeast Minneapolis. With a view of downtown Minneapolis, the farm is nestled on a former vacant lot between the railroad tracks and NE California Street on 22nd Ave NE, a stone’s throw from the California Arts Building. 

The Bovinos feel fortunate that they are able to use this urban lot to grow food, and are glad that their soil tests have come through clean, despite being located in the middle of the city. “One thing that many are probably wondering about is soil health, in particular toxicity,” Jillia wrote in an email to CSA members. “We are happy to report that we have been very fortunate to inherit an unusually clean plot of ground. There has never been a structure on the site.  This has saved us from many of the ambient chemicals, metals, and other debris that are often the result of a decaying structure.” (I wrote about soil testing in March, if you want to learn more.) 

Although they’re busy with their jobs at Lucia’s, where Jim is a server and Jillia works in the bakery, they take the time to treat their soil with organic compost, mulch to control weeds and retain soil moisture, and use efficient drip irrigation—practices that help them be better stewards of the land, while boosting their yields. As we toured the farm, Jim cheerfully pointed out seedlings of onions, radishes, arugula, kale, squash, three varieties of beets, broccoli, sugar snap peas, and carrots. He pointed to a tub full of raspberry shoots and explained that, eventually, they hope to incorporate fruits and berries. 

Starting in mid-June, California Street Farm will be fulfilling CSA shares to members, and because new zoning rules from the Minneapolis City Council allow farmers to sell their harvest on site 15 days per year, they will be hosting an onsite farm stand open to the public on Tuesday afternoons, from 4:30-7:30 p.m. CSA members (including yours truly) will pick up their shares at the farm, and with a weekly market at the farm’s front door, the California Street Farm hopes to create a feeling of community among their members and neighbors, and give city dwellers the chance to connect with a farm.  

“We want to feed families in the neighborhood. Picking up directly from the farm, we hope, will allow our members the opportunity to connect to the land each week and watch the farm grow,” said Jillia.

Cross-posted from the TC Taste blog: New Urban Farm Ready to Serve Minneapolis - Twin Cities Taste - May 2012 - Minnesota

[where: Sustainable Food, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Twin Cities, Minnesota]

City of Saint Paul Launches Website for Sustainable, Local Food Production

The City of St Paul is increasing its effort to promote and support the production of healthy, sustainable, locally-grown food, according to the press release below from the City of St Paul.

Katie Godfrey,MN Living GreenCorps Member with Saint Paul Parks and Recreation said, "[...]the website is a work in progress--if there is information you think should be included on the site, please let me know and I will see what I can do. One thing to note is that under 'Community Connections' there is an inventory of the community kitchens in St. Paul."

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SAINT PAUL – The City of Saint Paul launched a Healthy and Local Food website today to advance the city’s efforts in supporting and encouraging production of healthy, sustainable, locally-grown food. The website covers topics from urban food production and proposed zoning changes to information on permits and an inventory of community kitchens and more. The website was revealed on the same day the Saint Paul City Council accepted a report from the Saint Paul-Ramsey County Food and Nutrition Commission, recommending the expansion of economic and infrastructure development of urban agriculture.

“Saint Paul is a national leader in sustainable living, and access to locally-grown food is an important part of that. By supporting local food production, we support the health of our economy, the health of our environment, and the health of our residents,” Mayor Chris Coleman said.

“There are a growing number of community organizations and individuals doing important work on local food issues – from food security and access to urban farming and backyard gardening. Saint Paul is pleased to be a partner in these efforts and expects that the new website will serve as an easy entry point for residents and businesses interested in healthy local food,” Saint Paul City Councilmember Russ Stark added.

Saint Paul has made great strides in recent years to support local food initiatives as part of broader efforts to create a sustainable community. A 2010 study of some Saint Paul neighborhoods identified price, as well as access, as two of the major barriers to families eating fruits or vegetables every day. Since then, Saint Paul and Ramsey County have worked to open additional community gardens and worked to make it possible to use EBT cards at Saint Paul farmers markets, ensuring that those essential local fruits and vegetable are available to all.

The commission’s report draws connections between food access, public health, economic development and equity. Its recommendations include expanding urban farming, enhancing local food quality, and integrating the promotion of healthy, local food systems into Saint Paul’s government policies and practices.

The new website can be found at http://www.stpaul.gov/indexu.aspx?NID=4811