A New PastureLand

Remember PastureLand’s award-winning gourmet butter and artisanal cheeses produced from the milk of family operated, organically certified, grass-based dairy farms in Minnesota? They had been a Flanagan household favorite for years. But the PastureLand we knew—the organic, Minnesota-based grass dairy cooperative—is no more. 

As reported in May 2011, PastureLand was having some problems, and their butter and cheese began disappearing from market shelves. In winter 2012, Edelweiss Graziers Cooperative purchased the naming and brand rights to PastureLand, which means the PastureLand brand (previously made in Minn.) will now be used to market dairy products made by five Wisconsin farm families. 

Bert Paris has been dairy farming in Wisconsin since 1983, and started grazing his herd on pasture in 1993. Today, his family is one of the five families that make up the new PastureLand cooperative. 

“We really liked the name, and we wanted to carry on some of the beliefs about grass-based dairies, family farms, and sustainability,” said Paris. “We are so proud to carry on the PastureLand name to continue to promote grass-based dairy products.” 

So what are the differences between the old PastureLand and the new PastureLand? Well, the product line will be totally different, for starters. Whereas the former PastureLand label was organic, the new PastureLand is not. And the former PastureLand products were 100% grass-based dairy products, but the new PastureLand products will be at least 60% grass-based. 

 

In addition to working on a grass-based gouda cheese with the new PastureLand label, called “Peace of Pasture,” they’re developing a Greek-style yogurt with the help of Bert’s brother, Ron Paris, ofWisconsin’s Sugar River Dairy yogurt fame. As Bert puts it, he and his brother were sharing a beer one evening, and decided they’d like to try making a grass-fed based Greek-style yogurt. After experimenting for about three months, the PastureLand cooperative has just about finalized their new non-homogenized, Greek-style yogurt. PastureLand hopes its yogurt will be available starting next April during the grazing season in select natural food co-ops and grocery stores, along with the gouda cheese.

Cross-posted from: A New PastureLand - Twin Cities Taste - November 2012 - Minnesota

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

You can Help Shape the Future of Urban Ag in Minneapolis

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board is developing a plan for urban ag in Minneapolis, and they want your input. If you're interested and/or engaged in urban ag in Minneapolis, consider attending one of these public meetings. You can also share your thoughts about urban ag in Minneapolis using an online form.
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From the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board website...

The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) has begun a process to develop a plan to support urban agriculture. This plan will guide the MPRB in defining and prioritizing community needs, recommending service delivery goals, and guiding allocation of funds to support urban agriculture within the park system.
                              
Increasing numbers of Minneapolis residents are actively engaged in various urban agriculture activities, and interest in community gardens, farmers markets, community supported agriculture (CSA), and local food production has steadily increased in this decade.  The Board of Commissioners recognizes the many benefits of a sustainable, local food system and has supported community gardens since 2002 by resolution. 

Supporting urban agriculture aligns with the MPRB’s mission, values, and vision for the future.  The MRPB Comprehensive Plan states that park facility renewal and development is to respect history and focus on sustainability, accessibility, flexibility, and beauty.  Sustainability is a core value of the MPRB, and supporting urban agriculture is one component of improved sustainability.  The MPRB seeks to develop a plan that explores opportunities to partner with others, efficiently utilize MPRB resources, and align service delivery of services with the needs of Minneapolis residents and park users.

Share your thoughts at an upcoming public meeting:

            

November 13, 3-4:30 pm	Logan Rec Center	690 13th Ave. NE, Minneapolis
November 15, 6-7:30 pm	Linden Hills Rec Center	3100 43rd St. W., Minneapolis
November 17, 10-11:30 am	MPRB Headquarters	2117 W. River Road, Minneapolis
December 3, 6-7:30 pm	Farview Rec Center	621 29th Ave. N, Minneapolis
December 4, 6-7:30 pm	Nokomis Rec Center	2401 E. Minnehaha Pkwy., Minneapolis

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

Wisconsin Rush Creek Reserve From Uplands Cheese Released

SLEEPYNEKO

Cheese lovers, the time is nigh. This week, Uplands Cheese
released their first batches of Rush Creek Reserve for the 2012 season.

You might know Upland’s for their award-winning Pleasant Ridge Reserve (it won “best in class” from the American Cheese Society for the past three years, and won the Best Cheese in America in 2010). Uplands makes Pleasant Ridge Reserve on their farm in Wisconsin from spring until fall using fresh, grass-fed milk. This aged, Beaufort-style cheese is pale gold with a firm texture (Beaufort is an Alpine cheese produced in the French Alps). Like a Beaufort, Pleasant Ridge Reserve is rich, smooth, and melts beautifully.

But now autumn is upon us, and as the cows’ diets rotate from fresh summer pasture to drier winter hay, Uplands makes their seasonal Rush Creek Reserve. Whereas Pleasant Ridge is an aged, hard cheese, Rush Creek is a soft, young cheese in the style of Vacherin Mont d'Or (a washed-rind soft cheese made in Switzerland and France). Made from September - November, the 12-ounce wheels of hand-made cheese are wrapped in boiled spruce bark and are aged just two months. Rush Creek is best served slightly warm with the top of the wheel sliced off to expose the luscious, slightly pungent cheese in the center of the wheel. Spoon the creamy cheese onto a bit of baguette, take a bite, and smile. Rush Creek is just hitting the markets, so watch for it to start popping up at local cheese markets—Surdyks has it now.

If you have the time, consider checking out this episode of Wisconsin Foodie, which features Uplands Cheesemaker Andy Hatch as he makes Rush Creek Reserve. Hatch shows you how he makes it, and demonstrates his recommended serving technique.

Cross-posted from TC Taste: Wisconsin Rush Creek Reserve From Uplands Cheese Released - Twin Cities Taste - October 2012 - Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minnesota

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

Hennepin County High Tunnel Workshop

I just received this information, and I wanted to share it right away for all my urban and rural farming friends. FYI, a polytunnel (also known as a polyhouse, hoop greenhouse or hoophouse, or high tunnel) is an above ground tunnel made of polyethylene, usually semi-circular, square or elongated in shape. Farmers use these to extend their growing seasons. Air warmed by the heat from hot interior surfaces is retained in the building by the roof and wall, so farmers can plant earlier in spring and grow later into fall.

Hybrid hazelnut plants grow in this high tunnel in Nebraska. - Photo by Marie Flanagan

Save the Date for the Hennepin High Tunnel Workshop October 2nd

By Betsy Wieland, Agriculture Extension Educator in Hennepin County, U of M Extension

Minneapolis, Minn. (September 7, 2012) — High tunnel or hoop house fruit and vegetable production is a rapidly growing farming technique in Minnesota.  Thanks to increased consumer demand for local food and financial assistance from the USDA’s NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) EQIP program, new high tunnels are being installed across the state and country.  The workshop will take place October 2, 2012 from 9am to 4pm in Greenfield, MN at Knapton’s Rasberries, Pumpkins, and Orchard and will give new growers a solid foundation and provide helpful information to current high tunnel growers. The workshop is being offered by the  U of M Extension Hennepin County in partnership with the USDA-NRCS in Hennepin County. 

The day will be split into two parts, with the morning session focusing on getting started with high tunnels.  Topics will include: selecting the right structure and location, crop and variety selection, production techniques and tips, and understanding the EQIP program and how to get funding.  The afternoon session will focus on keeping your Seasonal High Tunnel productive over time covering topics of: soil fertility management, pest management, crop rotation, and structure maintenance.  Speakers for both sessions will include University specialists, industry representatives, USDA NRCS staff, and high tunnel growers. 

People can choose to attend the morning session, the afternoon session, or stay all day.  The cost is $15 for the morning or afternoon session, and $20 to stay all day.  Lunch and tour of the farm from 12:15-1pm is included in all options.

Registration information will follow soon.  For more information, contact Betsy Wieland at 612-596-1175 or eliza003@umn.edu.

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

Fall for Minnesota Mushrooms

WILD CHANTERELLES AND LOBSTER
MUSHROOMS TO DOUG FLICKER
AT PICCOLO. BY MIKE KEMPENICH.

As harbingers of spring, Minnesotans revel in the flavor and season of morel mushrooms. But fall’s mushrooms make a brilliant contribution to seasonal cuisine as well, and definitely deserve a Twin Cities Taste spotlight. Minneapolis local Mike Kempenich agrees; he’s the chief “fun guy” and owner of The Mikeology Store, a Minneapolis-based cultivator of exotic edible mushrooms, and he says “now is the perfect time” to savor the flavor of seasonal mushrooms. 

As one of 52 exotic mushroom cultivators in the U.S., Kempenich is kept busy cultivating about 2,000 pounds per week of exotic mushrooms such as oyster, king oyster, maitake, and chicken of the woods. Kempenich is a savvy forager, always hunting for the perfect specimen. He harvests ideal wild specimens at the peak of their season, and then brings them into the lab so that he can clone and cultivate them in a somewhat surprising environment—a 3,000 square-foot warehouse in Brooklyn Park.

MIKE WITH CHICKEN OF THE WOODS

“You have to maintain an environment that the mushroom is used to in the wild,” said Kempenich. “You can imagine that it’s complicated and challenging.”

Chicken of the woods (or sulfur shelf mushrooms) are attention-grabbing with their bright orange and yellow shelves. Mild in flavor, meaty in texture, chicken of the woods are as versatile as their namesake, so they’re flawless in pasta sauces and soup. As a case in point, Kempenich says one of the best bowls of mushroom soup he ever ate was a chicken of the woods mushroom soup at Café Levain.

MIKE WITH HEN OF THE WOODS

Maitake (or hen of the woods mushrooms) are also popping up on market shelves and menus. Maitakes have a fairly pronounced umami flavor and a texture that pairs well with beef. Valued for heartiness and rich in vitamins B1, B2, D, as well as vegetable fiber, Kempenich says hen of the woods mushrooms are great on the grill (or roasted with a bit of olive oil and garlic over a bonfire).

As for his location in Brooklyn Park, Kempenich says he wants to be as close to the market as possible to ensure the best quality and freshness. Mikeology mushrooms markets include Seward Co-op, Mississippi Market, Eastside co-op, and The Wedge, and you’ll see them popping up on seasonal menus at more than two-dozen local restaurants like Piccolo, Saffron, Sea Change, Vincent, Café Levain, the Sample Room, and Travail.

If you can’t get enough of this mushroom stuff, check out this charming video Kempenich produced last fall about foraging for hen of the woods and chicken of the woods mushrooms in the early autumn.

Pictured: These dangling logs of pressed wood shavings are used to grow cloned oyster mushrooms in the fruiting chamber at the Mikeology mushroom farm in Brooklyn Park. Photo by Mike Kempenich.

Cross post from Fall for Minnesota Mushrooms - Twin Cities Taste - September 2012 - Minnesota

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

Duo Uses Heirloom Grains for MN-Made Cereals

MARIE FLANAGAN

Mill City knows a thing or two about grains and cereals. After all, from 1880 to 1930 Minneapolis was the flour milling capital of the world. So when I spotted a small stand at the Northeast Farmers Market selling handmade cereals made with organic, historic, heirloom grains, I thought maybe, just maybe, I could taste a bit of MN history. 

Liz Talley is a fourth generation Minnesotan. She started a cereal-making company, Minnesota Goodness, in 2010. In 2012, she formed a partnership with Jule Rentz, and together they started a new company called Urban Graze. Now, in a commercial kitchen in Golden Valley, Talley and Rentz are producing signature lines of Minnesota Goodness and Urban Graze cereals. 

The cereal grains they use are grown by three organic farmers in Wisconsin and Minnesota, who are growing old varieties of open-pollinated grains—heirloom grains. In the Urban Graze kitchen, Talley and Rentz combine those grains with ingredients like Minnesota honey and Wisconsin cherries to develop a range of products like triple berry muesli and Caramel Crunch granola (made with homemade caramel sauce). Talley’s passion for Minnesota’s history shows in the ingredients she uses, but it also extends to the product names she helps develop, like “Good Neighbor” cold cereal and “Boundary Waters” hot cereal. 

“As a community, we're preserving the valuable traditions of our rich heritages in local, sustainable, organic farming—and the enjoyment of cooking and sharing good food as we gather with our families and friends,” said Talley. 

As people who “graze” throughout the day, Talley and Rentz wanted to develop products that promoted eating well all day long. Talley says her cereals are a good match for breakfast, but can also be sprinkled on salads for meals later in the day. Although not their most popular item, her favorite cereal is their North Shore muesli—a European-style muesli with berries, nuts, and grains, which she combines with yogurt. 

“The Paul Bunyon Granola with cranberry and blueberries is our most popular,” said Talley. “The Extreme Crunch is made using grains that are gluten-free, by nature. I can’t tell you how many hundreds of bags of Extreme Crunch I sold last year to people who used it on their sweet potatoes and apple crisp.” 

And if you think the name “Extreme Crunch” is superfluous, think again. The tiny whole grain nuggets are reminiscent of Grape-Nuts, but they pack an irrefutable crunch and a complex sweetness (stemming from maple and sorghum). 

Talley’s got the knack for developing award-winning recipes—her berry nut granola bars took a blue ribbon at the Minnesota State Fair in 2011. But while she enjoys developing recipes that compliment the unique grains she uses, it’s the day-to-day connections she makes that motivate her the most. 

“What drives me is that I love connecting and networking. I am so excited on a daily basis about connecting these farmers and their food to people who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to taste these grains. I get a real joy from connecting the consumer to the farmer."

You can find Minnesota Goodness and Urban Graze cereals at Northeast Minneapolis Farmers Market,St. Paul Farmers' Market, Golden’s Deli, Golden Fig, Jack’s Bakery, Ferndale Market, or buy them online. 

Cross posted from: Urban Graze and Minnesota Goodness from Grains - Twin Cities Taste - August 2012 - Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minnesota

Urban Ag Farm Tour Features Urban Farms in St Paul

The University of Minnesota Extension, the Minnesota North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, and the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture havecome together again to host a bus tour of urban agriculture in the Twin Cities area.

The tour begins and ends in rooms 140A and 140B in the Plant Growth Facilities building, 1552 Gortner Avenue, University of Minnesota, St. Paul Campus.  Check in begins at 8:30am.

The selected sites for thisyear’s tour will highlight urban farms that bring communities together through agriculture.  These farms show a varietyof  types of urban farms including :teaching and demonstration in formal and informal settings;  growing to donate; and growing as a mainsource of income. Participants will see and discuss the pros and cons of a variety ofbusiness models from those working individually to collaborations.

This year’s tour will feature the Frogtown neighborhood of St. Paul. Participants will be visiting five farms. First, you will visit one of Stone’s Throw Urban Farm locations.   Participants also visit two farms sponsored by Frogtown Farms: Amir’s Garden and a site previously managed by the Wilder Foundation.  Then, you will visit Page & Flowers/Holistic Health Farm run by Tim Page and Cherry Flowers, and lastly the Cornercopia Student Organic Farm at the U of M St. Paul campus.

To register visit http://www.misa.umn.edu/, then click “Register for Urban Ag Bus Tour.”  A registration fee of $15 dollars will cover the cost of a locally sourced lunch and snacks. Bus space is limited so register early. The registration deadline is August 10th.

Questions?  Contact Betsy Wieland (Eliza003@umn.edu) or Kate Seager (Kseager@umn.edu).



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