A Greener Visit to the MN State Fair

A Greener Visit to the MN State Fair - Dara & Co. - August 2010 - Minnesota

The Minnesota State Fair is almost underway, and once again has a lot to offer in terms edible and educational opportunities in 2010. This year at the fair you can learn more about how we can reduce our impact on the environment by how we maintain our diets, homes, and communities. Below I've put together a list of events and food items that can give your annual fair experience a new, greener twist.

Attend Minnesota Cooks on Tuesday, August 31
Minnesota Cooks is an annual local food event that shares information about local farmers, local food, and local chefs. The program, which runs 9 a.m.-5 p.m., is broken into hour-long segments. Each hour, two local chefs are paired with a local farmer and local ingredients. The chefs create dishes to feed celebrity tasters and provide samples to hungry audience members. They share information and field questions from the audience. I've attended the past three years and have learned a lot about local foods in Minnesota. Stop by Carosel Park and learn more about food made in our state.

Stop by the Eco-Experience
Presented by the Minnesota State Fair and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, the Eco-Experience showcases renewable energy and exhibits on air, water, land, green buildings, organic agriculture, and renewable energy. Check out the Sustainability Stage schedule for daily events.

Visit the Minnesota Grown Booth
The Minnesota Grown booth educates fair-goers about the diversity of Minnesota products and where people can find them. It's located in the ag/hort building.

Sample Locally Produced Food:

• Wild rice burgers, wild rice sausage, waffle fries, and wild rice corndogs at Minnesota Wild Rice Specialties
• Minnesota wild rice sausages with beef or pork and jalapeno cheese at Sausage by Cynthia
• Buffalo kabobs at Minnekabob
• Minnesota wine, ice cream, and sausage made with Minnesota wine at MN Wine Country
• Bison jerky and meat sticks from the MN Buffalo Association
• Elk meat cookbooks, elk jerky, elk snack sticks, and elk summer sausage from MN Elk Breeders
• Minnesota apples, apple cider, apple sauce, and frozen cider pop from MN Apples
• Honey (liquid, spun, creamed, comb, whipped) in glass and plastic containers, honey jams, honey jellies, honey candy, cookies, ice cream, honey nut fudge ice cream, and honey nut frozen yogurt from MN Honey Producers Association

Consider Public Transportation
Free parking with free bus service to the fairgrounds is available at various locations within a short distance of the fairgrounds. Park & Ride operated, 8 a.m.-midnight, daily.

Consider Biking
This bike map shows the location of the State Fair bike corrals and recommends routes.

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

Larry Schultz's Organic Farm of Owatonna

Crosspost from Dara& Co of my weekly blog entry:

Harvest has begun, and our consumption of eggs has increased. Why a sudden increase in our egg intake? Frittata. It’s one of our favorite methods for enjoying the fresh, local produce we’re bringing into the kitchen. And if we’re buying eggs, we’re buying our favorite Larry Schultz eggs.

The Larry Schultz Organic Farm of Owatonna, MN supplies free-range, cage-free, certified organic eggs to vendors throughout the Twin Cities. He delivers them fresh, usually within a week of being laid.

Larry Schultz hens’ feed contains organic flax seed. Adding flax seed to poultry diets increases their Omega3 concentration, giving you a more nutritious egg, and more bang for your buck. The large eggs are hefty and have a large yolk that stands high. The golden-orange hue of the yolk indicates a good level of the antioxidant lutein.

If this sounds good to you, here’s the recipe we’ve been using to make frittata with our fresh, local produce and eggs:

• Dice your produce into equally sized pieces. You’ll need about 3 cups of veggies.
• In medium size bowl, whisk Larry Schultz eggs together (about 2 eggs per person).
• Season egg mixture with grated Shepherd’s Way Friesago or Parmesan, pepper, and salt.
• Heat a 12-inch oven safe sauté pan over medium high heat.
• Add Tbsp butter to the pan and melt.
• Sauté your veggies in the butter—onions first, greens last.
• Pour your egg mixture into the pan, over the veggies. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until the eggs set.
• Place pan into oven and broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly browned and fluffy.

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

A Home for Your Wayward Apples

Crosspost of my post at Dara&Co:

Do you have an apple tree in your backyard that’s producing more than you can handle? Would you rather share your excess apples than rake them? You and your apples can bring excess fresh produce to Twin Cities residents in need.

Fruits of the City is a program of The Minnesota Project, which is a nonprofit group that works to ensure equitable distribution of energy and food in communities across Minnesota. They want to harvest, or “glean,” fresh fruit that would otherwise go to waste. In 2009, they partnered with Second Harvest Heartland and volunteers to collect more than 15,000 pounds of fruit. In addition to apples, they also collect pears and plums.

Ways to get involved:

* Volunteer to pick fruit at one of their gleaning events
* Donate unwanted fruit from your trees
* Volunteer to transport fruit from front yards to food shelves
* Donate cash

Read more about the program online. To register now as a volunteer gleaner or tree owner, visit their volunteer hub online.

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

Sustainable Food: Earthen Path Organic Farm in Oak Center, MN

Source: Cooking Up a Story

Oak Center, Minnesota. You might say organic farmer Steven Schwen plows a different path through life; one built of a strong connection to the land, without many of the trappings we normally would associate as necessities of modern living.



It was a deliberate choice that he made. Schwen believes that we, as a society, have been lured down the path of consumerism, and profit, at the expense of the environment and of our souls. “I think it’s important for people to understand that we are all connected to land and labor… When I started out, I thought I’m going to change the world. And all of those people who went back to the land who are still doing this, we are going to do something to change this world. And you know, we are helping shape people’s thinking but I think there has been a lot of resistance because of the comfort levels that material security has been providing people. People have been saying, yeah, I want to do that someday. But circumstances are becoming such that people will not have those choices anymore, and people realize that.”

Steven Schwen was not born into farming, and in fact, first went to medical school before realizing it was living a more sustainable existence that he needed to pursue.

…”I guess I grew up in the country, and my family lived a mile and a half out of town. I spent my childhood looking under logs to see what lived there and running around in the woods, and just animals and nature were my life.”

His parents recognized his early love of nature, especially of bugs, and suggested it could lead to a career in science, and so they encouraged him to become a doctor. But Schwen later discovered that the concept of general practitioner that he had growing up, the country doctor that paid house visits, was quickly becoming a thing of the past.

Upon graduating college in the early 1970’s, Schwen developed a vision of a sustainable world based upon the model of an agrarian society: small towns, local economies, and more people on the land. It was the only vision he could imagine that presented a lifestyle without the need for oil. During our interview, Schwen asks, “You know what one family can do with a team of horses, or with their own labor”?

As you can see in this, and the other related videos, Schwen shows us his answer— a lot!

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

Why I Love Cooking With Dog

Crosspost from Reetsyburger's Refuge:

When I was a kid, I watched the Frugal Gourmet and Yan Can Cook on Saturday mornings instead of cartoons. (I actually wrote a letter to Jeff Smith asking him why he used granite instead of marble for his pastry board - I'll find it and post it).

I wasn't allowed to cook much, but I was always underfoot in the kitchen observing. As my mom and dad lugged their instruments out of the house to head to band practice, I plotted and raided the kitchen, fixing silly recipes based on what my mom had in the pantry and refrigerator.

When my best friend's mom married a chef I was so pumped...until I learned that by the time he got home, he was burned out, and kept to cooking simple recipes. Still, I learned a lot from him about the magic of tomato paste.

Finally, in 2nd grade, I decided I was going to be a chef.

This decision was firm until my junior year of high school, when I met a chef who gave me some advice, "If you want a family, and you want to live a normal life, save cooking for a hobby. I work every night, every weekend, every holiday. I never see my kid." My stomach knotted. Yes, I loved cooking, but was I willing to sacrifice my other dreams to become a chef?

I talked it over with my mom, and we agreed that I would pursue my other interest - writing. That worked out, in the long run. I write for a living, and most of what I write about is related to agriculture and food. I consider that a win.

My enthusiasm for cooking remains. My kitchen is my other refuge, and I have a real passion for learning about ingredients, from who grew this tomato to how a handle bone-in short rib.

And while I watch cooking programs, I still mainly watch the PBS programs - America's Test Kitchen, Mexico - One Plate at a Time, and Avec Eric are among my favorites.

I was recently introduced to this YouTube cooking program, which reminds me of the shows I watched as a kid on PBS. It's simple, straight-forward, and focuses on showing a home cook how to prepare something special.

Plus, the dog is hilarious.



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

Land Stewardship Project Hog Roast

Crosspost of my weekly post on Dara&Co:

The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) has its family friendly summer gathering and fundraising event this month on Sunday, August 15. The potluck hog roast will be hosted by Heaven’s Valley/Turtle Farms at Jim and Cheri Crigler’s farm in Winona, MN. Keeping food, family, and cultural diversity in mind, guests are encouraged to bring a dish that reflects their own cultural heritage. Lunch begins at noon, with farm tours, a silent auction, and workshops following until 4:30 p.m.

For sustainability sake, remember to bring your own plates and silverware—plus blankets if you’d like, though some tables and chair will be available.

Tickets are $10 per person or $30 per family for LSP members ($20 per person and $50 per family for non-members). Kids 6-12 are $5; 5 and under are free. To reserve a spot, call 507-523-3366 or e-mail lspse@landstewardshipproject.org. Visit landstewardshipproject.com for more information.

The farm is located on Wildwood Drive, south of St. Mary’s University in Winona: travel 0.8 mile west of Highways 14 & 61 in Winona, turn south on Gilmore Valley Rd., and follow the Land Stewardship Project signs.

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

Swiss Valley Farms acquires Faribault Dairy Co., Inc.

Davenport, IA - Swiss Valley Farms Cooperative has acquired Faribault Dairy Co., Inc., located in Faribault, MN. The sale includes the ownership of Faribault’s Blue cheese manufacturing facility as well as Faribault’s line of branded cheeses, the most popular of which is Amablu. Amablu, along with its premium version, Amablu St. Pete’s Select, is a cave-aged Blue cheese with a strong retail presence in the U.S.

“This acquisition marks a significant step in our efforts to grow in the Blue cheese category,” said Don Boelens, CEO of Swiss Valley Farms. The opportunity will provide Swiss Valley with yet another safe and secure market for its members’ milk supply while simultaneously increasing Blue cheese manufacturing capacity. Boelens says the Faribault facility will allow for an immediate increase in production and serve as an excellent companion operation to Swiss Valley’s other Blue cheese plant in Mindoro, WI.

The sale brings together the history, talent and resources of two of America’s most experienced blue cheesemakers. “It promises to be a good marriage,” said Jeff Jirik, one of the owners of Faribault Dairy Co. Jirik, who will take on his new role as Vice President, Blue Cheese Division, believes becoming part of the Swiss Valley Farms family is the best way to continue the legacy of the Amablu brand, known as America’s First Blue Cheese. “This is great for the Faribault community, our employees and our long-term stability,” said Jirik, noting all former employees will be retained.

Using the resources of Faribault, there are now new opportunities for Swiss Valley to age and distribute cheeses. The first is the use of sandstone caves, currently used by Faribault to age its Amablu brand cheeses. The second is the capability for online orders and shipment of cheeses via cheesecave.net, an online store developed by Faribault to distribute cheeses and cheese gift packages nationwide. The online store also has a brick and mortar retail counterpart in Faribault, MN.

The acquisition is part of a long-term plan to expand the focus on retail branded cheeses, including Swiss Valley’s Mindoro brand. “This decision confirms both organizations’ commitment to the growing artisanal blue cheese market,” said Boelens. Jirik agrees. “Working together to build brand equity in these quality products is the ultimate goal,” he said.

About Faribault Dairy: Faribault Dairy Co., Inc. was founded in 2001 to manufacture and market award-winning artisanal cheese from the Caves of Faribault. The company is best known for its Amablu brand, which has been the recipient of many national and international awards since its creation in 2002. The Cheese Cave, which serves as Faribault’s retail store, has both a physical and online presence and carries over 40 premium cheese labels, as well as non-cheese items including dry goods, meats and spreads. Faribault Dairy Co., Inc. is now a subsidiary of Swiss Valley Farms.

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