Month: May 2017

Laying drip tape and plastic mulch with Farm Manager, Molly Schaus.

Growing Farmers Growing Food

May 26, 2017 / / 1 Comment

Minnesota Food Association + Big River Farms

Just driving to this unique teaching farm makes my mouth water. Admittedly, that doesn’t take much, but the foods grown here are second to none and the farmers have a lot of fun along the way. Food integrity is deeply rooted in every choice made at the Minnesota Food Association and Big River Farms; plus they give one mean tractor ride! Come along and fall in love with this vital and idyllic farm on the outskirts of Marine on the St. Croix.

They grow organic food in a way that honors the land and engages marginalized people. This is truly a one of a kind place. Being a land-based training program focusing on immigrant and minority populations you could meet farmers from many distinct cultures just walking through their fields. The diversity within the program is seen as another strength which drives their mission:

To build a more sustainable food system based on social, economic and environmental justice through education, training and partnerships. 

Women run Big River Farms. From L to R, Danielle Piraino, Laura May Hedeen, Emily Squyres, Lebo Moore, Molly Schaus.

The education piece of their mission is achieved through their Farmer Training Programs . The training is a 3-4 year program starting with the basics in organic production and post-harvest handling moving up to whole farm management where farmers hone their marketing and business development. Classes are held in the evenings and on weekends to accommodate working adults. “There are currently 17 farm teams in the program, 11 of which are land-based at Big River Farms – the others have other land or are taking classes only, without using the land. There are 7 cultures represented in this group,” according to Laura Hedin, MFA program manager.

Interested in taking the next step in growing your inner farmer? Contact Laura at laura@mnfoodassociation.org.

With a deep and solid list of teaching staff like Molly Schaus, Farm Director and May Lee, former student (see my blog post about her farm HERE) the 90 acres of certified organic land is well planted, well rested in between use and always well loved.

Farm Plot Allocation Map. Planning time up front ensures land health in the long run.

The training program has led to several success stories over the years. Farmers like Rodrigo and Juan Carlos of Cala Farms who have found a great market in wholesaling. Or Moses and Rhona of Dawn to Dusk Farm who focus on Farmer’s Market sales. These and other MFA graduate farmers’ stories can be found on their Meet the Farmers page.

CSA Box of Vegetable Heaven.

 

Eat Out Of The Box
With all the care and devotion new farmers give to their crops you know the veggies placed into a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) produce box are going to be top notch! Add in certified organic food and competitive rates with other CSA farms and buying a CSA from Big River Farms is a natural choice. Their CSA program also supports many different farmers simultaneously. They can supply up to 200 shares for the season’s 16 weeks. That will help you eat your veggies and support immigrant farmer education at the same time. They have 12 drop locations around the Twin Cities. You are in luck, because there are still CSA shares available through May 31. Get your Big River CSA here. Continue reading

Ode to Asparagus

May 17, 2017 / / 0 Comments
Fat and happy asparagus spears growing in the ground.
Delicious Asparagus Spears

I’ll admit it, I’ve been obsessing over Asparagus. One of the first veggies to appear in Minnesota each year, these delicacies have a unique flavor that stand alone and plays well with others. These beautiful asparagus  are also packed with powerful nutrition and their season is short, so let’s get right down to business.

Buy or Grow?

The cute little bundles of asparagus hanging out in their wading pools of water in the supermarkets can be hit or miss when it comes to taste and texture.

Tip: Always look for tight buds at the top; once the flowers start unfurling, a chemical to strengthen the plants gets released and makes for woody stalks.

Asparagus Comes from Where?

Recently there’s been a big shift in supermarket asparagus, so it more than likely comes from outside the U.S., namely Mexico and Peru. Between NAFTA and the California drought, it has been tough for U.S. growers. (I am not wading into political waters, just sharing what I’ve been reading.) “It is, you see, a uniquely labor-intensive crop to grow,” according to Cherie Watte, executive director of the California Asparagus Commission, in this interesting article, “75 percent of the production cost of asparagus derives from labor.”

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Dig garden

Three Easy-Peasy Vegetable Plants to Grow

May 12, 2017 / / 0 Comments

It’s that time of year again/finally… Planting Time! I dream of it all winter, impatiently waiting for snow to melt and then bam, it sneaks up on me.

No matter where you are on the gardening continuum, there is always more to learn about the basics. And there is a way for you to grow some of your own food this summer. One potted tomato plant can bring pollinators, joy and flavor to your home. Let’s get started, shall we.

Cold crops, like radish, spinach and cabbage were seeded in weeks ago, but this weekend (OK, officially Monday May 15th) is when us Minnesota Zone 3b/4a gardeners get the green light for planting out our plots with the seeds and seedlings too touchy to handle frost. And Mother’s Day Lines up perfectly with this timing 🙂

Small garden space? You’d never believe how much food can come from a 4X4 foot space until you try!

No garden space? Many vegetables can be grown in pots too!

Here are the 3 most fool-proof plants, with their fabulously funky variations, to get you started eating from your yard, deck, patio or hanging basket all summer long. And the best news, these easy to grow vegetables are still some of my favorites!

Tomatoes

From sweet little cherry poppers to beefsteak whoppers there is a tomato for your every food mood. These fruits are always a garden favorite and for good reason; there’s something deeply satisfying about picking a sun warmed ripe tomato and popping it into your mouth. Home grown tomatoes are so much tastier than their store bought styrofoam copies that it is like eating a different veggie.

To be fair, I just found some Bushel Boy locally grown tomatoes (Southern MN) that were many steps closer to a real tomato.  Go local greenhouses! I agree with Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms, Inc. in his belief that the best use of petroleum products is polyethylene reinforced plastic to cover and make greenhouses to extend the growing season.

Back to the varieties. An online search for tomato seeds at my favorite go to seed company, Jung Seed,  came up with 71 seed varieties. I love how Mother Nature diversifies.

There are varieties best for eating, slicing, canning or salsa. Then there are the colors. With names like Chocolate sprinkles, Lemon Boy and Midnight Snack you can dream for days. But dream time is over people, time to get planting. And sadly, we are now too late for starting tomato seeds. So, if you’re looking to get tomatoes in and enjoy them before September, gotta go buy some plants.

But first, know your options! Continue reading

Grass Rooting for Good Food: Giving Gardens

May 8, 2017 / / 2 Comments

After seeing three different local businesses announcing a ‘Giving Garden flyer’ initiative in three days, 
I figured I better find out what all the excitement was about. If the White Bear Press, Sassafras Health Foods and Lake Country Booksellers all gave this idea space,  I knew it was worth checking out.
Chris Harms has social activism running through his veins. Reading the book ‘Confronting Suburban Poverty in America’ lit a fire that is, thankfully, still burning strong. After reading the book, an existing friendship was a safe harbor for conversations that grew a mutual drive for inspiring community cohesiveness that seeks to discover core community values.  Both he and Rolf Lowenberg-Deboer, he’s the friend who also has the green thumb, have worked in the nonprofit world for most of their careers. Working with the persistently mentally ill and homeless in the Minneapolis & St. Paul areas gave them a ‘street level’ understanding of the needs of our area. “The suburbs are different than the urban core,” says Harms, “ the same poverty is present, but is more camoflauged by societal perceptions of poverty and where it exists in suburban communities.”

And the needs of our neighbors are growing.

The Second Harvest Heartland website states,
“1 in 10 = The number of households in Minnesota affected by hunger. Hunger is an urban, suburban and rural problem.
There is no corner of the state where hunger does not exist.”

Chris was driven to make a social impact that went, “beyond politics, no matter who you voted for in the election; most everybody felt exhausted, beaten down by the campaign process.” This was a chance to empower himself and others.

Chris shared that he, “maintains the belief that people long for an experience in life and interpersonal connection that is genuine and authentic,” and he’s ready to help you dig in.

He researched other examples of giving gardens around the area, and after finding the Bemidji Community Food Shelf Farm, he was inspired to bring the garden to peoples’ homes in the form of raised garden beds. He also wanted to give people the recurring chance to physically touch and feel what they were doing to help others. He thinks it will serve as a good reminder of the issues, and a positive way to impact those issues.

Activism is for Everyone

Once the decision was made, many of the pieces for the Giving Garden dream came together naturally, from long-time friends to chance meetings. He started by garnering the support of a few local companies. Harms has gratefully received lumber commitments from Universal Forestry Products and Structural Wood Corporation, both in White Bear Lake and J.L. Schwieters Building Supply in Hugo.  “In addition to the lumber commitments, Rehbein’s Black Dirt in Hugo will be providing high quality screened topsoil at a greatly reduced cost and no delivery charges,” Harms happily added. Kind of proud of that awesome support from our local companies. He is starting with 50 raised beds this summer.

With a solid agency like the White Bear Lake Emergency Food Shelf in the community, Chris knew where to find that partner. He’s been working with Lee Bailey-Seiler, the White Bear Area Food Shelf coordinator, on learning how to weigh and log the produce grown in the giving gardens.

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Finding Treasure in Foraged Food

May 6, 2017 / / 5 Comments

Finally! Fingers crossed, we are done with the snow. After a MN winter that decided to move back in, we deserve to have our senses overwhelmed with Spring in all its glory.  At the same time, people are getting more into local food. Sounds like a recipe for an explosion in foraging for food.

In case you’re not quite there, hang with me for a minute. Ramps, mushrooms, fiddleheads (the still unfurled fern) and the elusive wild asparagus are all Spring favorites of the Minnesota forager. Berry season is another bountiful blessing. If you want to look at some beautiful ‘found’ eats check out this Pinterest page! Now, that’s the kind of page I could get lost on.

Ground Rules of foraging: respect private land, find out if the public land you’re on allows foraging, sustainable harvesting and to find out what if any chemicals have been sprayed.

For our cozy little time together let’s tackle the savory, short lived ramp; AKA ramsons or wild leek. You know you’re cool when you have three names.

I’ve known about the patch of ramps in my parent’s woods for years, I remember I dug one up decades ago and was utterly confused because they looked like an onion but smelled like garlic and were not so great raw. Turns out they’re the trendy hipster cousin to the onion now in high demand. I usually steer clear of trends (I’ve finally learned my lesson, thank you 1980’s) but these potent little pearls have me jumping on the spring foraging bandwagon. These alliums are taking over the foodie world again this Spring and my kitchen will smell like ramps for the foreseeable future.

What exactly are we talking about here? They are in the allium family, meaning onion. And what they lack in size, they make up for in smell. You can sometimes locate them by smell just as well as sight, but they are some of the earliest greenery popping up from forest floors each Spring. Continue reading

Mhonpaj’s Organic Garden Farm

May 4, 2017 / / 1 Comment

 

These women just had to be my first ‘full on’ farmer interview. They have helped my kids fall deeper in love with many veggies, they’re the only certified organic farmer at our local White Bear Lake Farmer’s Market and they are a great example of giving back and educating their own community.

Let’s back up, shall we so you too can fall head over heels with Mhonpaj’s Garden (pronounced mon-pahs).

May is the head farmer, and Mhonpaj, her daughter is the farm manager; their care and love for each other is mirrored in the farm. “She’s my shining star,” Mhonpaj says of her mother.

When I walked into their greenhouse up in Marine on the St. Croix I was hit by two things; May’s smile and the amazing smell.

May at her greenhouse

May’s smile is positively contagious, and the smell of warm earth was heaven after the cold snap mother nature had thrown at us. ( fingers crossed for no more frost!). If you’ve ever taken a stroll through a commercial vegetable greenhouse, or even a floral greenhouse, you’ll remember the smell of chemical fertilizers clinging to you.

In May’s greenhouse, only rich, pleasant organic soil smells wafted by…

May came to Minnesota in 1981, a refugee from Laos. She spent many years picking produce in the summers and assisting farms. Then she watched her mother, who had picked in fields while pesticides were being sprayed the next row over, lose her battle with cancer. At one point the doctors asked if May’s mother had eaten pesticides the cancer in her intestines was so bad.  Deeply affected by the loss, both May and Mhonpaj were determined to do things differently moving forward.

Mhonpaj’s experiences around food lead her to a degree in Health Education/Health Fitness. It was during a college trip to Thailand where she saw their practices of sustainable agriculture that she became hooked.

Around the same time Mhonpaj’s fiancé (now husband) took a position as the SE Asian coordinator at the Minnesota Food Association (MFA). He suggested her parents look at MFA because of their love of farming. May enrolled and took the 4-year organic farming program. The program included everything you need to know to become a certified organic farmer in Minnesota. They teach hands-on techniques, technical support, record keeping and marketing.

starting a second planting of green onions

10 years later they are organically farming 6 acres and *almost* making their livings from farming. They rent 4 acres at MFA, and feel lucky to have access to that certified organic land with irrigation, deer fencing and available tillage – all the costly infrastructure pieces that constrain many other farmers from getting started. They also rent and farm a 2-acre parcel in Stillwater.

I got a chance to speak with Laura Hedeen, programs manager at MFA about May. “Everyone values her expertise so much, her knowledge is evident when she teaches,” Laura said. May has been mentoring farmers informally for years, and now is in her third season as an official staff member of MFA, teaching organic farming to immigrant farmers.   “She teaches visually, and her techniques are really efficient, we’re lucky to have her help,” Laura added. Then Laura filled me in on a long and impressive list of speaking and teaching engagements ( MOSES Organic Farming Conference speaker, Keynote Speaker at the Immigrant and Minority Farmers Conference, children’s groups, farmers groups etc) that, of course, May didn’t see the need to share.

“Organic farming and gardening, it’s not just a technique, it’s a lifestyle,” was Mhonpaj’s immediate response to my asking if the organic piece was really ‘that’ important to her. Next she said, “what you’re putting into your body matters; what the vegetable comes with, I mean what they put on them, is just as important as the nutrition inside the veggies.”  So yes, people- this family is ‘all in’ on growing organic.

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Farming for a Food Shelf

May 1, 2017 / / 0 Comments

What happens when your real job gets in the way of farming your summers away? You find a way to farm where you are. And that’s just what Anna and Jesse, a young local couple in the Twin Cities are doing with a new venture this summer.

Look at those smiles!

The couple caught my attention because they are farming with the sole purpose of giving all the food to a local food shelf! So, I decided to tag along and lend my mini-muscles to the ‘groundbreaking’ of their newly acquired plot off Marshall and Snelling, nestled up to a parking lot.

My Experience

It was fun, hard work. And I couldn’t stop smiling afterwards. With 5 of us digging in, we prepped about 250 feet row of beds for an early crop of green onions to be followed by collard greens. The other plot will grow radishes, turnips, carrots, baby bok choy and tomatoes with some lettuce stuck into any available holes.

Getting Started

These two have a passion for growing food, and have been figuring out h ow to lend that passion to serve the community. In the spring of 2016, when a call was put out to the Woodland Hills Church community for help planting a garden, the couple answered. During its first season, these two helped build six raised bed gardens outside of the church with the purpose of adding fresh produce to the Merrick Services food shelf housed within the church’s walls.

The gardens produced a small but impactful amount of food that was donated last growing season. “Since we enjoy growing food at a scale that far exceeds what we can consume ourselves, we ended up donating produce from our personal gardens as well. In continued response to what we feel is a calling, we decided to challenge ourselves to dedicate all this year’s growing power and space to produce food for Merrick”, says Anna. Turns out, that’s a lot of growing power!

Digging in, by hand, with big hearts.

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