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]