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]

Indeed Brewing Company will Open their NE MPLS Taproom on August 10th

I just received word that Indeed Brewing will open their taproom at the Solar Arts Building in NE Minneapolis on August 10th. I've had a chance to take a few preliminary tours during the build-out, and the space is impressive. The taproom seats 70, with a 36' long hand-built bar and 6 recycled tabletops imprinted with signatures from Miller Publishing, among the seating options. 

Hours

Thursday & Friday 3-10 p.m.

Saturdays 11am-10pm

Location

711 15th Ave NE  Minneapolis, MN 55413

Here's more from Indeed:

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Contact:
Rachel Anderson
Co-founder, Indeed Brewing Company
(612) 843-5094
rachel@indeedbrewing.com


Indeed Brewing Company, the much-anticipated Northeast Minneapolis craft brewery start-up announces an August 10 opening of their taproom.
 
Situated in the heart of the Northeast Minneapolis Arts District, the taproom has an interior seating capacity of 70 and also includes a 900-square-foot outdoor patio space with seating for 45. The company will launch with their two flagship beers Midnight Ryder American Black Ale and Day Tripper Pale Ale. Customers will be able to pull up a stool along the 37-foot custom-built bar, or enjoy a pint from the patio as the occasional train passes only a stones throw away.
 
“We want our taproom to be a hub for all things Indeed, like a living room for our brewery,” co-owner Tom Whisenand says, “so we can invite people in to get to know us and our beer.”
 
The taproom will be open Thursday through Friday from 3 to 10 p.m., and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.  An array of local food trucks will be on-site to offer their unique menu selections, and patrons will be able to eat inside or outside on the patio.
 
“After working so long to get to this point, we’re excited to finally be able to share our beer with everyone,” Whisenand says, “and with the taproom, we feel like we have the perfect space to do it.”
 
As the brewery grows, so too will their beer line-up, to include one-time offerings in addition to seasonal and specialty beers.


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

7th Annual Minnesota Garlic Festival to be Held August 11 in Hutchinson

The 7th Annual Minnesota Garlic Festival will take place from 10am-6pm on Saturday, August 11, at the McLeod County Fairgrounds in Hutchinson, MN. Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for kids (free for babies).

The festival features more than 100 varieties of fresh garlic grown in Minnesota, a Fiber and Fabric Arts UPcycled fashion show, music, games, and food prepared by chefs like Tracy Singleton (The Birchwood), Christopher Sipiorski (Common Roots), Lori Valenziano (Lucia's), Bryan Morcom (Alma), Steven Brown (Tilia), and Joe Hatch-Surisook (Sen Yai Sen Lek). As a Zero Waste event, all of the vendors have agreed to use recyclable and compostable plates, flatware, cups and other items.


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

Valetino Pasta: Pasta for your Pantry

QUINN FARETTA

Some long distance relationships are better left 200 miles away; others are worth talking about, especially when good pasta is involved! 

Perfectly made fresh pasta is sublime, but sometimes it just isn’t practical, and for that reason, dried pasta is considered a pantry staple for most of us. A small pasta maker in Roscoe, Ill.has taken a glimpse into our pantries and wants to improve them with his new line of dried, artisan pasta. 

(Full disclosure: It turns out I know his wife. The summer before I moved away to college, I met another gal named Marie. We spent a summer being invincible, and then I moved away. We grew apart. We grew up. Fifteen years later, writing about local and regional food, I stumbled across a new pasta business in Illinois, and discovered that my friend, Marie Valentino, was the wife of the man making that pasta.) 

Jeff Valentino grew up with pasta as the centerpiece of every celebration, and made fresh pasta for his family as an adult. Pasta-making was a meaningful hobby, so when he got laid off from his corporate job, he looked to his hobby for a new career, and started Valentino Pasta with a basic mission: “Make true small batch artisan pasta in America, from American wheat.” 

Valentino found a commercial kitchen incubator, Dream Kitchen, in Elgin, Ill. where he could make his pastas. He secured a few sources for American, organic, high protein semolina duram flour from locations in Montana, Utah, and the Rockies (Valentino says that most of the flour he uses is organic, but he doesn’t advertise it on the package, since some of his sources haven’t completed the organic certification process). He experimented with dozens of recipes and hundreds of batches as he worked to balance flavor, consistency, and aroma. Now, he’s cranking out batches of pastas like high protein semolina lumache and whole wheat fusilli. Along the way, he personalized the craft by incorporating his personal preferences, like pure bronze pasta dyes. 

“Semolina is really hard, and it’s tough on dyes, so many people use Teflon-coated bronze dyes,” explained Valentino. “But when you extrude through pure bronze, you get a texture that can’t be matched. The product texture is better, and it holds the sauce better.” 

I whipped up a batch of Valentino’s duram creste de gallo pasta to see for myself, following the exact instructions on the package; the pasta was al dente, and the porous surface of the pasta held the sauce beautifully. I was pleased, and our dinner guests were impressed. 

             
Throughout my conversation with Valentino, he talked about social commitment and responsibility. In addition to sourcing organic ingredients from other like-minded business owners, Valentino is donating one meal to a hungry child in America for every pound of pasta they sell. They’re working with Feeding America, food banks, and churches in Rockford. 

“I knew I wanted to use awesome flour, organic products as much as possible, and work with other socially responsible businesses,” said Valentino. “Regarding the social mission, however big or small this company is or will be, in my own weird way, I hope to inspire a future entrepreneur about how a business should be run.” 

Valentino pasta is for sale on their website for about $7 per pound, so you can serve it in Minnesota—or of course, pick some up at a few farmers' markets if you're ever in Chicagoland. One of the greatest rewards of Valentino's new career takes place at those markets, he says.
“The best part is when somebody comes up to you, and they were skeptical when they bought it, and then they tell you how awesome it was. You can see the sincerity in their face, and they’re coming back week after week. We’ve raised expectations about pasta for some people, and experiencing that has been awesome.”

Cross posted from: Valetino Pantry Pasta Worth the Purchase - Twin Cities Taste - July 2012 - Minneapolis, St. Paul, Minnesota

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

2012 Farm Families of the Year Announced

According to a press release I received from the University of Minnesota Extension, seventy-six families from around the state, one from each participating county, have recently been named a “2012 Farm Family of the Year” by the University of Minnesota.

-----------------

From their news release:


The families will be officially recognized in a ceremony Thursday, Aug. 9 at the annual Farmfest near Redwood Falls, Minn. Profiles of the 2012 honorees and information on the recognition event can be found on the University’s farm family website at http://mnfarmfamilies.cfans.umn.edu.


“Farm families and agriculture are a major driver of Minnesota’s economy and the vitality of Minnesota’s rural communities,” said Bev Durgan, dean of University of Minnesota Extension. “The University of Minnesota is proud to recognize these outstanding families for their contributions to agriculture and their communities.”

Families were selected by their local county Extension committees for having demonstrated a commitment to enhancing and supporting agriculture.

Farmfest runs Aug. 7-9 at the Gilfillan Estate, near Redwood Falls, Minn. Event hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 7 and 8, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 9. Admission is $10 per person, and those 18 and under are admitted free. More information on Farmfest is available atwww.ideaggroup.com/farmfest.

The diversity of Minnesota family farms can be seen by looking at a sample of the 2012 honorees:

Greg Booth and Vickie Kettlewell of Cass County
Sunup Ranch began near Osseo, Minn. in 1950. In 1993, Greg and Vickie Booth began managing the ranch. Today, they have beef cattle, a mare herd, and sell registered Quarter Horses. The family takes the horses to homes all over the world, from the U.S. to Canada to Mexico to Germany to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Great Britain and Panama.

Oberton Honey Farm of Morrison County
Oberton Honey Farm operates 2,500 colonies of honeybees, producing honey and beeswax in central Minnesota. The bees are placed at 85 locations in Morrison, Todd, Stearns and Cass counties.  During the winter months, the bees are used to pollinate almond trees in California. 

Dave and D.J. Roeser of Ramsey County
Garden Fresh Farms of Maplewood has proven that urban agriculture is sustainable in a warehouse environment. Dave and D.J. Roeser focus on family urban farm growing and selling produce to the community, and manufacturing agriculture equipment for growing produce in warehouses. They also contribute fresh produce to the local food shelf weekly. 

Joe and Pat DeGrood Bros. of Rice County
The DeGrood Bros. third-generation farm was established in 1931. Today the DeGrood brothers raise dairy replacement heifers and finish out approximately 2,400 hogs a year. They also manage 1,500 acres growing corn, soybeans, small grains, and alfalfa. 

Lunemann Family’s Twin Eagle Dairy of Todd County
In 1983, Patrick and Jody Lunemann took over the farm started by Patrick’s grandparents. Called Twin Eagle Dairy, the operation now consists of 635 dairy cows and 750 young stock.  The cows are milked in a 24 stall parallel parlor and baby calves are raised in a new computerized feeder facility. 

Gary and Lori Swanson Family of Washington County
The Swanson family farm in Afton, Minn. has been in operation at the present location since 1942. The farm was originally a dairy, but was converted to a feeder cattle and hog operation when Gary took over in 1976.Today Gary is operating a corn and soybean farm along with feeder cattle. The Swansons use GPS yield monitoring and mapping, grid soil sampling for fertilizing, and lime applications. 

Here is a complete listing of the 2012 University of Minnesota Farm Family of the Year honorees, by county:

County: Family/Farm

1. Aitkin: 4R Charolais and Angus Ranch 
2. Anoka: Daniel Johnson, Curtis Johnson, Dave Johnson, Drew Johnson, Aaron Johnson, Lee Johnson
3. Becker: Jay & Anna Brown Family
4. Benton: Jeremy & Barb Larson Family
5. Big Stone: Gerald & Peggy Heck Family
6. Blue Earth: Bradley & Linda Leiding
7. Brown: Greg & Kari Scholtz Family
8. Carlton: Newman Dairy
9. Carver: Heuer Dairy Inc.
10. Cass: Greg Booth& Vickie Kettlewell
11. Chippewa: Tony & Stacie Schuler Family
12. Chisago: Roger & Linda Blazek
13. Clay: Donald Schenck
14. Clearwater: Dale & Lois Miller
15. Cottonwood: Tom & Marilyn Fast Family
16. Dakota: Bremer Farms:  Roy & Karen Bremer and John & Janet Bremer
17. Dodge: The Alberts Family
18. Douglas: Max & Lyla Radil
19. Faribault: Mark & Sharon Obermeyer Family
20. Fillmore: LeRoy & Darleen Johnson’s Rolling Acres
21. Freeborn: Andrew & Jody Bakken
22. Goodhue: Rostad Farms
23. Grant: Reuss Grain Farms:  Randy & Connie Reuss
24. Hennepin: Marvin D. Johnson
25. Houston: Viking Valley Farm:  Gerald, Duron & Darin Bratland
26. Isanti: David & Donna Whitney – Dew Fresh Produce and Jacob Whitney – Jake’s Apple Shack
27. Jackson: Christopher Family
28. Kanabec: Anderson Standing Rock Ranch
29. Kandiyohi: Carlson Dairy, LLP
30. Kittson: Justin & Donna Dagen
31. Lac qui Parle: Duane & Suzi Haugen
32. Lake of the Woods: Lyle & Millie Wiskow
33. Le Sueur: Curt & Joyce Bohlen Family
34. Lincoln: Dwight & Peggy Buller Family
35. Lyon: Bruce & Juanita Bot Family
36. Mahnomen: The Geray Farm
37. Martin: Gary & Dorothy Janssen and Family
38. McLeod: Duane & Mary Nelson
39. Meeker: Dave & Katie Hendrickson Family
40. Mille Lacs: Eller Family Farm
41. Morrison: Oberton Honey Farm
42. Mower: Gene Anderson Dairy Farm
43. Murray: Bill & Merri Post Family and Ben & Connie Post Family
44. Nicollet: Jeff & Natalie Leonard and Doug & Nancy Wenner
45. Nobles: Perkins
46. Norman: Bryan & Theresa Hest Family
47. Olmsted: Kroening Farms
48. Pine: Martin’s Greenhouses
49. Pipestone: Marlin & Donna Berg and Philip & Laurel Berg & Family
50. Polk: Chuck & Barbara Schulstad
51. Pope: Arne E. Stoen Family
52. Ramsey: Dave and D.J. Roeser
53. Red Lake: Roger & Janel Walter Family
54. Redwood: Breitkreutz Family Farm
55. Renville: Agre Farms
56. Rice: Joe & Pat DeGrood Bros.
57. Rock: The Christians Family Farm
58. Roseau: Eugene & Eunice Millner
59. St. Louis: Byrns Erickson Families
60. Scott: Casey Acres, Inc.
61. Sherburne: Edling Farms Inc.
62. Sibley: Neyers
63. Stearns: Dan & Jolene Schlangen
64. Steele: Rodney & Michelle Krell Family        
65. Stevens: Lampert Farms
66. Swift: Kevin Voorhees Family
67. Todd: Lunemann Family’s Twin Eagle Dairy
68. Traverse: Bruce & Joann Conroy Family
69. Wabasha: Hyde Park Holsteins:  Kevin & Kay Siewert Family and Kerwin & Sandy Siewert
70. Wadena: Mertens Family Dairy Farm
71. Waseca: Paul & Marijo Beckstrand
72. Washington: Gary & Lori Swanson Family
73. Watonwan: Anderson Farm
74. Winona: David & Kristi Tveten Family
75. Wright : Valley View Dairy:  Dan & Erica Elsenpeter and Luke & Elizabeth Elsenpeter
76. Yellow Medicine: Paul & Jamie Kvistad Family

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

MDA Assessing Needs and Taking Plant Donations for Flooded Vegetable Growers

I didn't have time to write my own story about this, but I wanted to help spread the word. 


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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, June 22, 2012

CONTACT:
Margaret Hart, Communications Coordinator
651.201.6131, Margaret.Hart@state.mn.us

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is seeking information from fruit and vegetable farmers and established community gardens that lost crops due to recent flooding or storms to determine how widespread these losses are. The agency is also seeking garden centers and nurseries that may be willing to donate annual fruit and vegetable plants to these growers so they can replant some of their crops.

MDA Assistant Commissioner Matthew Wohlman says if the need is great enough, a process will be put in place through the Minnesota Farmer Assistance Network (MFAN) to help connect the affected growers with nurseries and garden centers willing to donate plants that would otherwise be discarded.

“We know that there are losses and we know that many nurseries are ready to discard plants that they haven’t sold this season,” Wohlman said. “It only makes sense that we try to match up the need with the availability of plants and help some of these vegetable farmers replant their crop.”

MDA is asking farmers or community gardens that suffered crop losses due to floods or storms and are in need of annual fruit and vegetable plants to call MFAN at 1-877-898-MFAN (6326). Nurseries or garden centers willing to donate excess fruit and vegetables are asked to call the same number, 1-877-898-MFAN. When calling the number, press zero (0) to leave a message.