Vegetable stamping towels is an easy craft project using vegetables (and fruit) to make your very own unique gifts.
Combining my love of vegetables and a homemade gift was a natural. These also make awesome teacher gifts, hostess gifts and are a fun eco-friendly way to wrap up some preserves or pickles!
This is a very simple process which is the only reason I do this!! I am the first person to admit I’m NOT crafty. Basically, if I can eat it, I’ll spend hours making it; but when it comes to a ‘craft’, well- my patience evaporates. But this is a project I keep coming back to, so I figured it was time to share!
Project Prep
Buy Towels
I can often find 100% cotton made in America towels for $1 a
piece at places like Fleet Farm. You can also buy organic cotton towels online
in bulk if you really want to go for it!
Buy Paints
Most craft stores will have a wide variety of fabric Paints,
make sure you do buy FABRIC paint as the others will wash out. Grab some paint
brushes while you’re in the aisle, I ran out of brushes for all the colors and
using sponges got old towards the end 😉
Buy Veggies
You want to buy firm veggies, slightly under-ripe is best.
And think of all the different ways you can slice to get different shapes. I’ve
got lots of examples here, but feel free to play around with other ideas- and
if you come up with a cool print, please share!
I like to get a little funky with the cabbage – making
Christmas tree shapes with the marbled effect is too fun to pass up.
*You can also use a cookie cutter and/or carve out any shaped stamp you’d like out of a potato. I did not highlight making potato stamps here, as I think nature has provided us with enough beautiful designs.
Set Up
You’ll want to do this on a table you can easily wipe down
between each stamping or lay down a plastic tablecloth to wipe down. The paint
will almost always soak through the towel. Get lots of separate paint
containers, and trays on which to set the painted veggies. You’ll also want to consider where you’ll dry
these – I strung a clothesline in our basement to dry overnight.
Get Stamping!
Now for the fun part. Designing your towels – or not! I sometimes wing it, sometimes have a planned pattern or design. The best part is you get to decide! Another fun stamping tutorial is over on the Homestead and Chill website, a great all around website for all things homesteading.
Both turn out fun and whimsical because with vegetables, fruits and paint each piece, each stamp is different. And that, my friends, is what makes these so fun!
So stamp away – and remember to save any unused fruit and veggie halves for later. I also cut off the paint-soaked parts and added the limp bits to our compost.
Not my normal vegetable project – but these sure are fun, and are a craft my kids can join in on too. Playing with your food is fun for everyone! If you’re into a more natural DIY crafty projects, check out my recent Calendula Salve DIY article!
We all have our favorite food from holiday meals. That one most anticipated dish, or the combination of flavors that only happens once a year. For me it was the turkey stuffing and pumpkin spice cake. Although… looking back now, doing dishes with my grandma holds just as special a space in my heart.
I distinctly remember my grandma’s attic stairs around the holidays. They would be lined with all the baked goods she’d made, to keep them cool in what she referred to as her ‘extra ice box’. Each step held its own treasure; pumpkin chiffon, lemon meringue or apple pie, brownies, apricot strudel, lemon bars. But my favorite Thanksgiving dessert was the pumpkin spice cake! My Grandma was quite the baker.
Recipe Updates
I hope Grandma would still be proud of the recipe as I make it today. I’ve swapped and altered (quite) a few things. I make my own pumpkin puree, but there are decent organic canned versions out there now too! I use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil. And I swap half of the regular flour with oat flour, which is simply whole rolled oats that I’ve pulsed in my Nutribullet until flour like. I’ve also doubled the spices- so know that you can make this recipe your own as well.
I’ve tried to get this to an all Gluten Free version, but because my taste buds are locked into all the other things associated with this dessert, half GF is as close as I can get. This is a splurge anyways, and worth every bite!
To make a roll, invert a jelly roll pan of baked recipe on a tea towel and gently roll up and let cool in rolled position. Unroll to frost, re-roll and enjoy!
The recipe is also quite versatile. I’ve made it as bars, bread, muffins, a two-layer cake and most recently even a ‘roll’. Delicious whatever the form takes.
A note on pumpkin puree: Making your own pumpkin puree is not hard, but you do have to plan ahead a bit. The process is easy; cut a pie pumpkin in half and scoop out guts, roast cut side up (some people roast whole and scoop out after baking- I’ve never tried that!) at 350F for 1.5 – 2 hours. Let cool, scoop out chunks, and puree. It tastes AMAZING!
With either homemade or purchased pumpkin puree, I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!
Pumpkin Spice Cake Recipe:
4 eggs
1C Coconut Oil
1.5 C Sugar (I use raw)
2 C Pumpkin Puree
Thoroughly blend
Clockwise: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ginger
In a separate Bowl MIX
1 C Oat Flour (grind/blender whole oats)
1 C White Whole Wheat Flour (or whatever flour you have)
½ tsp Salt
2 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 T Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Cloves
1 tsp Ginger (Or sub all spices with 2 T pumpkin spice blend)
Add flour mixture to wet ingredients, mix well. Pour into
greased pan.
I used to add chopped nuts before my boys outlawed them… Bake at 350F for 20-40 minutes depending on what kind of pan you’re using; muffin tin – loaf pan.
Cream Cheese Frosting!
8 oz pkg of cream cheese 1 T milk 1-2 tsp vanilla 1 C + powdered sugar *We add ground ginger to the frosting as well** adjust milk to make as think or thin as you like.
In case you’re looking for more healthy recipes for your winter squash varieties, I’ve got you covered with my “Holiday Market Meals“.
Can’t wait for you to dig into this recipe with family and friends this season! Just try to save some for the guests 😉 Michelle
This was the first herbal salve I ever made, years ago and it is still one of my all time favorites to use, pretty much daily. this Calendula salve softens, heals, soothes and calms my skin in ways that nothing else can.
Making salve is kind of the gateway herbal bath and body product. Once you realize that you can mix a few natural, quality ingredients and end up with a practical, beautiful and healing product most people feel empowered. I want you to feel that power too!
At a time when more and more of us are becoming aware of what we’re
putting on and into our bodies – along with the carbon footprint the products we
use leave behind… making your own salve is a great place to pivot.
These salves also make great gifts! As I am writing it is prime Holiday Shopping time, yet my gifts are being made from things I am already have in my home. Nothing beats a consumable, homemade gift as far as I’m concerned. Bonus that you can use canisters you already have, furthering your commitment to ‘reduce – reuse – recycle’!
Basic Benefits of Calendula Salve:
Calendula petals contains anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial properties, and is used to soothe a long list of skin ailments. Plus, it’s safe to use on babies (yes, even the finished salve with beeswax)! The oils and beeswax are both sustainable and deeply healing in their own right – so being able to swirl and melt them all together can make just about anyone feel like a healer.
There are
two parts to making salves.
*Infusing
the oil with an herb/flower you’ll be using.
*Adding the thickening + healing agents to that oil.
Flowers First
Like all recipes, it’s important to start with quality ingredients. Growing my own Calendula adds so much to the garden, as both a trap crop for many common garden pests, and as a draw for beneficial insects – plus they’re gorgeous. I prefer Calendula Resina because it has the highest concentration of petal ‘resin’ aka the good stuff. My original seed packet came from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds.
These are also great starter plant to seed save from; more on seed saving here. This is all before I snip off the buds to use their medicine. More in depth info on growing these and other beauties at my Companion Planting Flowers for your Vegetable Garden.
Harvesting Calendula
Summer is in full swing when it is finally time to start
harvesting the flowers. This is both rewarding and a great way to tidy up the
garden. Picking them at their peak, with fully opened petals but not drooping-
and after the morning dew has dried but not in the heat of the afternoon, will yield
the best resin.
So, start with either homegrown calendula or skip that part of the
process and buy your calendula from a trusted source. The only place I’ve been consistently
happy with is Mountain Rose Herbs.
They have an amazing selection and grow things they way I do.
Making Calendula Oil:
Once the flowers are cut, I usually let me calendula (and any other herbs/petals) wilt for a good day or two- or even place in our dehydrator overnight to reduce the water content. This make for a more intense diffusion and reduces the chance of mold in the oil as you let the plants sit and infuse. After they’re wilted/dried a bit cover the petals with enough oil so the petals are fully submerged. This also helps keep any possible mold at bay. I use a mason jar and screw the lid on. I usually write the date I started the infusion on a dissolving label and let it set for at least 4 to 6 weeks – usually more.
Sweet Almond Oil is my go-to carrier oil for infusing. It has the softest
feel, a good shelf life and healing properties of its own. I’ve used a light
Extra Virgin Olive Oil as well, and that works fine too.
Infusing the Oil
Infusion is the process of extracting chemical compounds or flavors from plant material in a solvent such as water, oil or alcohol, by allowing the material to remain suspended in the solvent over time, a process often called steeping.
Herbal academy
Think of this as a cold brewed tea on overdrive. There are quicker methods where you heat the oil. I’ve never tried this, but if you want to check out the Double Boiler Herb-Infused Oil section of the Herbal Academy article, you can make the infusion in a day. It will not be as potent as the slower, lower temperature version.
*You can also slowly add petals to this jar as they bloom- just
make sure they are dried a bit and remember to keep adding oil to cover petals
completely.*
By the time I’m ready to make salve the bulk of my outdoor garden
work has slowed down – and if you don’t have time to make the salve right away,
just try to strain off the oil from the infusion within 8 weeks. This straining
is as easy as leaving it to drip through a sieve, until the very end when you’ll
want to get in there and squeeze out every last drop of goodness. The oil will
be cloudier as you squeeze, this is totally normal.
Alchemy Time
Ingredients:
1 C Calendula Infused Oil (or less if adding other oils)
1 Oz Beeswax
20-40 drops of Essential oil of choice. Here’s a great list of Essential oils for salves and their properties.
Now it’s time to get your other ingredient(s) and containers in order. Mainly, beeswax and any other oils you’ll be adding to the mix. One word about beeswax. If you can buy directly from a beekeeper- the raw goodness, plus the smell of honey will add another layer of healing to your salve. Local beeswax will keep the carbon foot print low as well!
I keep my salve recipes pretty simple and just add a bit of jojoba or emu oil to the pot as I’m warming the ingredients. And topping it off with essential oils just before I pour it off.
So Simple
Melt + Pour.
It really is that simple.
Notice my pyrex measuring cup in lieu of an actual double boiler- means one less dish!
In a double boiler (see my cheater version above) or a heavy pan start warming the infused oil and beeswax. If you want to make a larger or smaller batch a good rule of thumb is 1 ounce of beeswax for every 1 cup of oil. You can play around with these ratios as much as you’d like. Adding more beeswax will give you a harder salve; some like a harder slave for summer so it doesn’t melt.
The only trick is to not let the mixture get above 140- low heat is the trick here! If adding essential oils (I do love this, but unless capped they loose their fragrance quickly) do so right at the end. I usually turn off the burner and add just before I pour in.
I usually opt for Lavender or rosemary – but this time I let my
son choose. I make this as much for his eczema as anything else, so I figured he
could chose the scent…and I love that after smelling over 30 bottles he chose frankincense,
which is an essential oil known for being wonderful for your skin!
Let the containers cool and cap in a few hours.
Congratulations! You’ve just made your first calendula salve.
One cup of oil turned into this much calendula salve.
These are great as gifts, and you’ve solved the dilemma of needing an upstairs + a downstairs + a car + a backpack skin cream without any fake chemicals or plastic packaging. Well done!
My Switch has been flipped and my body is craving hearty soups, roasted veggies and all. the. Kale!
Kale really is the QUEEN of the late Fall garden. It is by far one of the easiest plants to grow and it just keeps giving. Easier to grow than many other superfoods, this stuff was made for Minnesota gardeners.
Growing Kale
Kale can happily grow with only 6 hours of sunlight, and will still produce tender leaves – making it a great option for those of us struggling with the shady side of the garden. Like most leafy things, it likes a healthy dose of Nitrogen, my best practice is to add homegrown compost to the top before planting.
There are quite a few different varieties out there and they are not all created equally.
Kale Variety Role Call
Dwarf Blue
Seed Savers Exchange Dwarf Blue Curled Scotch Kale has consistently tender leaves, and stay roughly one and half feet tall. One of my all time favorites.
The Westlander Kale from High Mowing Organic Seeds was a show stopper this season, producing the ‘Kale Trees’ loved by vegetable gardeners.
Lacinato
I prefer any kind of curly kale to Lacinato (aka Dino) Kale about 1000 : 1. So when I am raving about kale, keep in mind I do NOT mean the stuff pictured above. I mean nothing is 100% perfect, right…
Red Russian
Red Russian is a striking beauty that had a more leathery texture than the others I’ve grown, so I suggest using these in cooked form. Still very much worthy of a spot in the garden.
Scarlet
A single glorious Scarlet Kale from that OVERWINTERED (yes through last years insane polar-vortex temps) and is happily living its best life towards the back of my garden, partly shaded and loving it. I’ve now overwintered plants from the seeds of this kale.
I may have saved the best for last- this is for sure my new favorite for late season harvests and the fact that it is a true perennial in my Zone 4b Minnesota garden.
Homesteader’s Kaleidoscopic Perennial Kale Grex
Not only is this a perennial, but the variety of leaves coming from that single seed packet, from flat to curly, darkest green to purples- but all with the best kale flavor I’ve grown. This is also my go-to variety for blanching and freezing to use all winter long. The only company selling these amazing seeds is Experimental Farm Network.
Cold Hardy
Most kale varieties can easily handle temperatures down to 10F. So even up here in Minnesota we can keep these beauties growing into November. A few years back they lasted until our Christmas meal! Because of their size and ability to take the cold I have never grown these with any season extension covers or hoops.
After the first few frosts you’ll fall even more in love with this veggie. They get sweeter with each passing frost!
HARVESTING TRICK
Snap off those bottom leaves first working your way up the stalk as you go. This is a key to not being stuck with big, tough leaves! This is especially important if you want to keep enjoying all season long.
You can always snap off a few leaves and freeze them rather than having to eat tough leaves a few weeks later! This will also leave you with adorable kale trees at the end of the season.
Meet the Kalettes!
Kalettes are kale’s hipster little sister. They’re a mix of kale and Brussel Sprouts. These are gorgeous to grow, with intense purple stems, and purple coloring into the base of the leaf clusters.
They take up a huge space like Brussel Sprouts, and produce a lot of fluff – but the taste is pretty awesome! I’ll grow two or three plants next year instead of six.
Cooking with Kale
We grow a LOT of kale, so here’s how we use it.
Fresh
Chopped and ‘massaged’ (when you run olive oil into the leaves to tenderize them) salads, Here’s one of my favorite chopped kale salad combos as highlighted on my website‘s recipe page.
Kale Chopped Salad Ingredients 3-4 Cups Kale, torn Drizzles of EVOO, honey, 1/2 Lemon juiced S&P A few Craisins Directions Toss into blender of choice and just barely pulse. Can add fresh berries, parmesan cheese and nuts after blending
Crispy
Kale chips are such a great way to sneak in ALL those Vitamins,
minerals and Protein! We just tear and massage in EVOO, bake on a sheet pan for
5-10 minutes at 350F. You can use whatever seasonings you feel like that day-
chili powder, cumin, onion powder, or go for an Asian taste and add in Aminos
and red pepper flakes. One note; garlic powder tends to burn for me on these.
Steamed + Sautéed
Warm Squash and Crisped Kale Salad!
Have you ever cooked up a pan of kale and red onions? If not, this needs to be one of the next things you try. I’ll add a simple mix of kale greens, onions + garlic with chick peas and roasted squash and boom you’ve got your self a perfect fall salad. This recipe is included in my Market Meals post from last winter. Add kale, onions and tomatoes to your egg scramble in the morning to boost flavors and nutrients.
Preserving Kale
Since we grow so much kale it is one of the veggies we preserve a lot of as well. I used to just wash tear and freeze, but have found that it holds both its flavor and its texture better if I steam blanche it first. Steam blanching is better for greens that regular blanching directly into the boiling water as it helps retain more of the nutrients.
I then pack the blanched kale leaves into muffin tins and freeze overnight. Then remove the ‘pucks’ which equal roughly 2 cups of fresh kale into freezer bags (important to squeeze out as much moisture before freezing). With the air removed from the bag, its also a great space saving way to store kale. We use frozen kale in recipes all winter long. Frozen kale is perfect for adding into soups and stews, you can also eat it just like steamed/creamed spinach – YUM.
If your main use of frozen kale is in smoothies, I’ll suggest you DO NOT blanche it before freezing. There is something magical about the way kale crumbles and loses some of its toughness when frozen raw. If you’ve never liked kale in smoothies, I challenge you try frozen kale and let me know!
So, are there any Kale Nay Sayers left out there? What can I do to convince you of kale’s abundant awesomeness?
Tell me, which recipes are you going to dig into first?
The second annual BearPower Harvest Party will feature FREE small bites crafted by local chefs from local food. We’re pairing delicious food with family activities and eco-friendly information.
Our Local Chefs
This is your chance to celebrate community grown food! Join us 12-3pm on Sunday, September 22, 2019. The event will take place at the White Bear Area YMCA Community Gardens, at 2100 Orchard Lane behind the YMCA building. We’ll be serving food until we run out, so join the party early. We’ll be inside the YMCA if the weather is really bad, so this is a rain or shine event!
Follow the Harvest Party Facebook Event for Updates and Fun!
Last year’s event was a blast!
Local Food
Farmer Butch pulls a Rutabaga!
Much of the produce was grown in local community Gardens. Our own WBL School District (Central, Lakeaires, Matoska and Oneka) the WBL Health Partners Clinic Garden, Tamarack Nature Center Garden and the YMCA Community Gardens are all sharing produce for the event. Local organic farm, All Good Organics, will again be donating lots of organic grown goodness to round out our garden harvests.
Local Chefs
Chef Matt Ellison of Bonfire Restaurants + Chef Peggy of Margaux’s Table
Chefs Matt Ellison of Bonfire Restaurants and Peggy Doran of Margaux’s Table are donating their time and talents to turn the food into tasty meals. They’ere even inviting a few lucky kids to help them prep food before the party starts! Contact me directly if you are interested in helping the chefs too. Local fall veggies will delight your taste buds; think Fall soup + rustic salad… but the exact recipes will have to wait as the chefs see what produce rolls in the day before!
In addition to the
veggies, BearPower has brought more community goodness together. Pine
Tree Apple Orchard and the White
Bear Area Emergency Food Shelf are teaming up again to hand out apples and raise awareness of
local hunger issues and how you can help. Farmers Market favorite, Great
Harvest Bread Company, is donating bread to
use in the small bites that will be served. All Good Organics will be on site
to talk about organic farming and will likely have something delicious to give
away!
Activities
WBL Seed Library
The YMCA will be holding a few Kids’ Fitness classes in the garden. The White Bear Lake Seed Library will be giving seed saving demonstrations and information on their organization, housed in our downtown public library. BearPower is bringing family fun with giant yard games and ways to make healthy eating and activities a part of your routine. Everyone’s favorite carrot, Chomp, will be on site to get kids pumped about living healthy.
Kids with Chomp at last year’s Harvest Party
The WBL schools will have a table about their gardens, and teachers on site to talk about schoolyard gardens. Ramsey County Master Gardeners will be available for your gardening Q&A. Forks in the Dirt will have a table about the impact of eating local, getting kids in the garden and gardening tips. Our local WBL PD will be there as well with ideas for staying safe while out and about.
Event Grew from Love
Dr. Keeler at a previous BearPower event
This event grew from long-time Health Partners physician, Dr. Elsa Keeler, and her commitment to growing healthy families. Dr. Keeler is taking a leave of absence while working hard to fight cancer.
Let’s take some time to celebrate all we’ve grown this season! Hope to see you there… you don’t get to vote unless you sample 😉
Here are my top picks for local Organic Apple Orchards, plus some bonus ‘almost’ organic orchards.
The golden days of fall are that much better when you get to crunch into a crisp apple you just picked off a tree…
But not many of us grow enough apples to eat our fill- let alone make apple sauce, jelly, and baked goods we crave come fall. Enter the family trip to the apple orchard, one of many Minnesotans’ beloved traditions.
Organic orchard options are popping up around the metro as people are becoming more aware of how pesticides and herbicides often used in traditionally run orchards can come home on even those hand picked apples and harm our pollinators.
We’re not the only ones in the apple orchards!
Around the Twin Cities there are now a handful of organic options to fill an ever growing demand for organic produce. Growing organic on a small scale is one thing, but growing a large quantity of fruit trees (monoculture) organically takes a combination of skill, grit and fast action. The movie Biggest Little Farm is a great example of this!
Most of these kinds of farms have CSA (Community Supported
Agriculture) shares for sale plus on site farm stands with other products like
honey, broiler hens and lots of veggies to pick while you pick your apples.
Support the small family farm and pick your apples from an orchard free from any harmful pesticides!
Alternative Roots Farm
Alternative Roots Farm is a certified organic farm and orchard growing over 40 varieties of apples. From Honeycrisp and Haralson, to Golden Russet and Ashmead’s Kernal, we grow new and heirloom favorites – preserving diversity and heritage in South-central Minnesota.
They sell picked apples out of their farm store and do amazing deals with apple shares (like a CSA) and make a LOT of apple sauce! They’ve got a sweet deep winter greenhouse to keep locals in their greens over winter to boot. Follow their Facebook Page for updates.
One of Alternative Roots Orchards – photo credit Brooke Knisley
Carpenter Nature Center
The Carpenter Nature Center cares for a unique orchard started in the 1940’s. As a nature center they work to be as sustainable an entity as possible, but are not certified Organic. I’ve been to the orchard during their wonderful, down home Apple Festival and it is such a great family time. This year’s event is set for Saturday & Sunday, October 12 + 13, from 10-5.
My boys picking apples during last year’s Apple Festival
Sweetland Orchard
Sweetland Orchard is on the West Side of the cities, in Webster and while not certified organic they manage the orchard through minimal intervention. This family operation grows over 30 varieties developed by the University of Minnesota, heirloom varieties, and cider varieties; and they have a passion for cider! They do frequent pop ups at lots of locations around town. Check their Facebook Page for updates.
Applecrest Orchards
Applecrest Orchards is not a certified organic farm but uses IPM, Integrated Pest Management, and common sense in growing great apples. They’ve got over 1,000 trees growing 20 varieties on the Northeast end of town in Hugo. Their IPM program consists of scouting, pest trapping and utilizing the the Cornell University NEWA offerings. This helps them specifically focus any spraying. “We make sure to mow any flowers prior to spraying so we do not contaminate bee forage. The pesticides we use are targeted to specifically mitigate any loss of beneficial insects”. I will say, walking through the orchards in September there is a myriad of insect life between the rows of fruit laden trees!
They sell at local farmers markets and usually have food trucks at the orchard on weekends during the season! They will also be at the WBL Winter Farmers Market again this year.
Applecrest in Autumn
If you’re ready for a day trip, check out Sap Suckers in Mora or Hoch Orchard and Gardens in Southeast Minnesota, two established organic orchards. For other orchard locations you can check out the MN Grown website.
Make the Most of your Apples
And in case you’re wondering what to do with all those amazing apples once you get back home, I’ve got a blog post, An Apple A Day, from last fall all enjoying your apple stash for months to come!
I love learning about new farms and orchards, feel free to pass along any other organic orchards you’ve enjoyed- the more the merrier!
The best perennials to add around (or
in) your Vegetable Garden
Adding a few pollinator perennials to your vegetable garden border can really get your garden buzzing. There are so many reasons these flowers made this list. But lush, easily accessible nectar and pollen sources paired with beauty and easy growth were baseline qualifiers.
A Mix of Annuals + Perennials
These plants bring in pollinators, they add beauty to the garden, and all plants listed here are Minnesota native (unless you ask the DNR then Yarrow is still in the ‘undecided’ category), unless notes so they are quite literally at home in your garden. But really, pollinators are looking to get nectar and anything you plant will help them, there are just a few that do really well here in the Midwest that I want to share.
At this point
in the season we can see where our gardens have some holes. We likely know
where we want to fill in or add another layer of color or texture. This is a
great time to add perennials to your mix!
Milkweeds-
Asclepias syriaca
These plants hold a special place in any pollinator-lovers heart because of their direct symbiotic relationship with Minnesota’s struggling State Insect, the Monarch butterfly! I love the common milkweeds shape and form in my garden, which may explain why I let it compete with my potatoes, and the flowers are spectacular! Weed is part of the name 😉 But, with the milkweed comes the monarchs.
Multiple stages (called Instars) of caterpillars and one chrysalis!
Both hunting for eggs and caterpillars and watching them grow in the garden and bringing them inside to raise is part of our routine. Swamp Milkweed is more often suggested for garden use as it is slightly less invasive and the monarchs love them just as much. Our plants just showed up once I started digging our garden beds- so I figure they’re supposed to be there! Here’s an earlier post all about Raising Monarchs with my kids.
Meadow Blazing Star – Liatris
Ligulistylis
My Meadow Blazing Star creates this magical draw for ALL the butterflies and bumbles in August, but the Monarchs hold rein here! My boys patiently wait for the monarchs to gather so they can walk underneath them and just “BEE” with them. So, you’d have to
“It blooms primarily in August, just when the Monarchs are
preparing for their long migration south; a synchronization that has evolved
over hundreds of years, and a good example of how native plants and pollinators
are deeply dependent on one another.” – From the Prairie Moon Nursery website.
Blue Giant Hyssop- Agastache Foeniculum
Can you spot the happy Bee in flight?
Agastache was such a revelation to me. I’d heard of Anise Hyssop, giant Blue Hyssop, Lavender hyssop, but never seen it ‘doing its thing’ until a walk through a friend’s garden and WOW! This pollinator MAGNET is at home in the perennial border, the herb and veggie garden and the prairie. She’s a true multi-tasker, attracting Bees, Butterflies and Hummingbirds (I’ve had hummingbird moths visit ours as well!) with its long bracts of flowers. Its leaves make a delicious licorice tea that soothes throats- if yo can bare to take away blooms from the insects… A very hardy Minnesota Native its even boasts deer resistance!
Agastache spikes standing out in the pollinator garden
I seeded mine and the plants were off and running first year, I’ve been getting tall flowy stalks of blooms since the second year. The free flowing form and solid later summer nectar make this a natural addition.
Bee Balm – Wild Bergamot – Monarda Fistulosa
With a name like Bee Balm it has to be good 😉 Well, all the pollinators certainly agree this is one of their favorites. I have a large swath of native bee balm next the path leading to my vegetable garden and I dubbed it the pollinator runway (see photo below). All kinds of pollinators are drawn to these beauties- including the hawk moth!
Pollinaotr Runway
These plants will take over an area, so be ready to pull out the babies that will pop up from underground runners- I rarely throw any plants away though, usually just tucking them into a spot a little further away or back, adding to my pollinator radius. They have a shorter bloom time than the hybridized varieties of monarda- but some of the hybrids don’t have viable nectar sources for pollinators, which kind of defeats the purpose, right! I’ve got a list of verified pollinator friendly stores towards the end of this story.
Yarrow- Achillea Millefolium
MN Native and
besides bringing in the bees, it also accumulates nutrients, great for growing
under fruit trees. It also has those special umbel shaped flowers which attract
so many beneficial aphid eating insects (lacewings to parasitoid wasps). You
can also use it as a tea and compress for inflammation. The flowers come in an
array of colors, the most common being white, ranging to bright yellows to
pinks. Blooms June to September.
Comfrey- Symphytum *Non Native*
This may be lesser known perennial but is making a fast and furious come-back do
to its wide-spread use in permaculture gardens. The sweet little umbels of
blue, then purple then fading to white bell-shaped flowers emerge from a large (mine
is over 4 feet tall and three feet wide) plant that attracts bees by the
hoards. The leaves contain a chemical (
) that jump starts composting when added to the compost heap that are
most potent if clipped before the blooms open. It is an easy plant to tend that
grows almost anywhere, with little disease and no pest issues. It is also used
as an anti-inflamatory. Comfrey is toxic if ingested, so even though I have
used it onmyself I can’t recommend it here. 😉
non-native from Europe and asia
What I’m adding this Summer
Smooth Blue / Sky Blue Aster – Symphyotrichum / oolentangiense
Native to dry fields and open woods these aster take over in
the late summer, blooming August through October. I’m adding these to extend my pollinator
season a little further. I got a variety that’s close to this froma frien’d raing garen gone crazy, but I’ll grab
a few of the Sky Blues this summer.
Who’s Missing?
Where’s the Coneflower (echinacea)?? Well, while I do see tons of pollinators on mine, I think of these as more of a bird flower- as the finches go nuts for the seeds every fall. They are a beautiful multi-tasking plant too.
Where’s the Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)? This is also a great perennial pollinator plant, and honestly I just had to draw the line somewhere 😉
Where’s the False Indigo (Baptisia)? This is not often mentioned as a pollinator plant, but with this LARGE plant and all it’s blooms it brings in the bumbles like mad.
Perennial Pollinator Plants WITHOUT Neonicotinoids
Here’s a short list of my favorite places to buy local, chemical free plants for pollinators
There have been tomes written about
pollinators and helping plant habitat. My favorite valuable pollinator sites
are the Xerxes Society and our local Pollinator Friendly Alliance.
If you’re interested in digging deeper into your native
flowers check out our local chapter of Wild Ones native garden club.
As I was collecting
my thoughts on these plants, I kept noticing that many of the perennials that
the pollinators are also loved by humans. I get such a kick thinking about
flowers + bees + humans all evolving together to be mutually beneficial on this
beautiful earth! Let’s see if we can’t be as beneficial as our pollinators someday.
Pollinaotr field in August
What’s your Favorite?
Everyone has their own list of favorites flowers… our tastes grow from of a generous friend giving you a plant, memories of grandma’s garden, or maybe you were inspired by a photo on Instagram or in a magazine… I’d love to know, what are your favorites and why? Are you adding any flowers to your vegetable patch this season?
Summer is short and so sweet in Minnesota (ok, Wisconsin too)! Let’s savor each day with plenty of outside time, fun new experiences, family time and play… for us this mean plenty of farm visits!
I’ve got quite the line-up for you guys! I’ve gathered my favorite farm visits that are also family friendly. These farms will get you feeling one with nature, closer to your roots, and eating farm to table to boot.
These are the real deal. Real crops, real animals, real history, real fun. Grab the sunscreen, pack the picnic basket and buckle up!
Farm to Table Summer Camp: August 5-8 Camp for kids entering 2nd-5th grade that brings them through the Farm to Table process of milk to butter, cheese and ice cream- and making their own bread from farm fresh ingredients! More info HERE.
Bruentrup Heritage Farm is nestled between Maplewood and White Bear Lake and comes with the idyllic big red barn and front porch. Run by the Maplewood Area Historical Society, this is a community hub of family fun activities. The Bruentrup family donated their farm to the society in 1999 and the community has been in love with it ever since. This is also an amazing spot for weddings if you know anyone who’s looking 😉 Their Facebook page is the place to follow for event updates and announcements.
The annual highlight of this little gem of a non-profit nature center is their Apple Fest! Good old down-home fun where kids can pick heirloom varieties of organic apples, get dirty and play in the hay bales- they’ll have to run off all that cider and apple crisp somehow…
The Carpernter St. Croix Valley Nature Center is the best kept secret on the river. They have both MN and WI campuses and miles of glorious trails overlooking the river that divides them. The apple orchard is magical, and be sure to check out the old farm house off of the north loop trail! They hold some sweet Summer Camps, a good selection still have availability, check out the variety of options HERE.
Co-op Farm Tour
July 13th FREE
The Cows of Turnip Rock Farm last Summer’s Farm Tour
Mark your calendars for the ‘Eat Local’ Co-op Farm Tour. This event lets you tour some of the best local farms in the (extended) area. There are a record high 26 farmers participating this summer! Farms include Beef, Dairy, Fish, Flower, Honey, Hops and good old Vegetables. This is kind of the grand-daddy of all farm visits!
Pack a picnic, bring lots of ice cold water and an extra cooler for all the (REALLY) farm fresh food you can find that day! It’s a great way for kids and adults alike to see first-hand where the food they eat starts out. The farms that participate usually have something to entice the little ones out- check each farm’s page link for more info.
Gibbs Farm
General Admissions: $8 adults, $7 seniors 62+, $5 children 4-16
Ice Cream Sunday: Every other Sunday, June 16th to August 25th Make your own sundae and enjoy fresh local dairy!
Prairie Festival: August 3rd
included in General Admissions.
Celebrating
the Dakota people and foodways, past and present with stations to learn about
the seasonal ways like wild ricing.
This is the little farm that could. This well loved historical farm is tucked into the east side of the cities along the edge of U of MN Ag land. Costumed staff provide a glimpse into nineteenth century Pioneer and Dakota daily life.
There are both original and replica buildings, including and one-room schoolhouse (my kids favorite) a log-and-sod home, plus the original Gibbs farmhouse and barn. What sets this place apart is the inclusion of a Dakota summer bark lodge, and a tipi and their almost equal representation of Indigenous history along with European settler history.
photo credit: Gibbs Farm
The historical tours are led by knowledgeable costumed interpreters open most weekends in summer. Pioneer Tours at 10:30am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm. Dakota Tours are 11:30am and 1:30pm.
The staff at Big River Farms provide farmer education and technical assistance in all things sustainable farming. This summer they are doing a few new classes lead by their farmers in training; organic weed management, composting with worms, planting for monarchs and growing your own mushrooms.
The classes are probably more adult friendly than family friendly, but they made it on my list anyway. An adult could go to the class and the rest of the crew could wander and enjoy the beautiful farmland, or is worm composting a perfect start to a romantic date night… 😉 They also go above and beyond welcoming families during the Co-op Farm Tour.
Oliver Kelley Farm
Admission: $12 for adults, $6 ages 5-17 FREE for 4 and under and MNHS Members
This is such a unique experience, and I’m so proud of our MN Historical Society for preserving this one of a-kind-farm for generations to come. Visiting is a way to get up close and personal with farm life from 150 years ago (that’s the 1860’s for anyone else who can’t do math).
The costumed staff are experts in teaching without preaching and making you feel part of the farm. I know that sounds corny, but go see for yourself. There’s always some in-season farm task, skill/job to be done and everyone gets to pitch in. It’s a real working farm, so visitors can meet the animals in the barn, help work in the fields and gardens, and see what’s cooking in the farmhouse.
The Oliver Kelley Farm is a National Historic Landmark which became a way more family friendly farm visit after opening their new visitor center! The addition of a farm lab to the site takes it above and beyond. Yes, I’m gushing but this is one of my happy places! My kids love the BIG oxen, and all the barn cats, and pumping water from the well to water veggies.
OK, this one is more garden than farm, but it’s a comprehensive garden laid out in a way that gives you solid ideas you can take home and make your own. And since my real motive is actually to get you growing more of your own food this fits perfectly 😉
Helping plant beans during a Meet the Gardener Session two years ago
Plus this Ramsey County Nature Center boasts the Discovery Hollow Nature Play Area. It doesn’t get much more family friendly than helping plant in a community garden and then wiggle your bare toes in a stream before hiking to the perfect picnic spot. They rotate topics for “Drop in Discoveries” on Saturdays. I’m super excited for the ‘Meet the Bees/Garden Party’ drop in sessions, on June 22, July 27 and August 24. Tamarack also holds a slew of the most desired summer camps in the metro area. A few spots remain.
White Pine Berry Farm
Strawberry Shortcake Social: June 29
Photo Credits: White Pine Berry Farm
A PYO farm run by The Zwald family, White Pine is a newbie on our list this year because of their Organic Certification! The name sells them a little short, as they also grow; asparagus, beans, ginger, (!!!) plums, tumeric, tomatoes and watermelon, yes my mouth is watering…isn’t yours!?!
They’ve got some fun events planned for this season with “A Day in the Country later this Fall. Check them out as part of the Co-op Farm Tour on July 13th. Follow their Facebook Page to stay in the loop.
Honorable Mentions
These family adventures are too good to miss! While not technically farm visits, they tie in gardening, local food and getting back to Nature. I just had to mention them…
From nettles, to fiddleheads, ramps to cattails and of course mushrooms- foraging is the darling of the foodie world right now, and for good reason. Foraging gives food lovers a chance to go out and pick delicious locally grown food without any of the work of growing it… sounds like a dream, right!
It IS dreamy, but let’s not over-romanticize it.
The food did grow somewhere, seeds were moved about and then nestled into soil. Or underground runners ran and sprouted up at just the right spot. When you find food growing wild, take note- because you are witnessing that plant’s ideal growing conditions. What a gift!
You know I love growing my own good food, but when Mother Nature does it for you, why not join the good food party!
My eldest son ‘responsibly’ harvesting ramps
Forage Responsibly
In order to forage or harvest responsibly from an area and not kill the remaining plants (or yourself) you need to do a little research before you start ripping food from the earth. Thank you internet!
Know Before You Go
Know what variety you’re looking for, where they typically grow and when. Unless you stumble upon a field of ferns or a cattail dell you’ll have to get out, hike around and for your food- which is part of the appeal! But knowing the habitat of the plant you’re after goes a long way!
Also- did you know you can help our local plant communities by pulling up (and then eating) Garlic Mustard! Foraging for nature in new ways.
the native plants thank you!
Thankful for neighbors with nettles!
Know the land you’re harvesting from. Is the land you’re planning to peruse public or private. Do you have permission to be there? Who can you ask you verify there haven’t been any pesticides/herbicides sprayed? Determining how far back you want a clean record is something to figure out before you jump out of the car!
Know how you’ll use the food when you get home! Food waste is food waste whether you bought it at the store, or found it growing in the wild. It helps me to remember that some animal could have eaten what you foraged, or the plant would have been stronger next year- so make use of what the earth grew for you! Search out recipes before you start foraging!
Responsible foragers know: never take more than half of anything you forage for!
Toby, age 9
Local Food Line Up
Ramps:
These are truly the first of the first to emerge in my neck of the woods. Their mild garlic taste screams spring to me. From eggs to soups and breads, these add a depth to whatever dish they’re in.
Please gather these sustainably, as Minnesota ramp flushes are dwindling with the uptick in foragers. I go into details about ramp harvesting in this earlier blog post but basically, don’t take many from each stand, and try to cut above the bulbous root so it can recover and grow back the following year.
Stinging Nettles:
A solid source of iron and a natural spring tonic to help flush toxins, there are so many reasons to eat your nettles!
Yes, they sting- or some say burn, so I always wear gloves and use tongs when working with these.
Blanching and drying do take the sting out, as does pureeing the heck out it, I still recommend blanching before pureeing as the BRIGHT fresh green holds longer after blanching.
Fiddleheads:
Tasting of mild asparagus , all kinds of ferns start as these adorable fiddleheads. Ostrich ferns are the gold standard for springtime delicacy as far as I’m concerned- this is one that you’ll have to scope out the year before- to see what the ferns turn into after unfurling they’re deliciousness.
Cattails:
Who knew the shoots tasted like cucumber! These are one of the easiest items to forage as they can be seen a mile away, and there’s not really anything else that looks like them 😉 These are simple, fresh + delicious, especially early in the season (like right now)! Do make sure they’re coming from a clean water source as they are a natural water purifier and accumulate toxins. You basically eat the heart of the stalk or shoot, and can also be pickled.
Mushrooms:
This is where it can tricky! Confessed MN Mushroom Newbie! I’ve only foraged for mushrooms in Sweden with experts, so I’m hesitant to dive into this. That and my kids don’t really enjoy them (but my hubby and I do, so…) It is best to go with knowledgeable friends or guides.
For now I mostly buy them as a treat from my local mushroom farmer, Finney and the Fungi or at Forest to Fork at Keg + Case. However, a few favorites I’ll be keeping my eyes open for are Chanterelle and chicken of the woods.
I love that there’s always more to learn about the natural world growing all around us!
Lambs’ Quarters
The one non-native MN plant I always like to mention for early Spring foraging: lamb’s quarters. You’re going to find this beauty in disturbed soils. Most people think it is a weed, and it an aggressive little bugger, but I deal with it because I love the flavor and huge mineral stores it possesses. Well worth the space. Similar to spinach it often shows up before and lasts longer than my bolted spinach.
Spring Foraging Recipe Ideas
What’s tastier than foraged nettle + ramp pesto… Eating it with foraged cattail hearts and early harvests from the garden.
I am at best a half-hearted recipe follower, so if you’d like a
specific recipe, please google any of the following ideas that tempt you.
Bonus: most of these are easy to make with your own spin by substituting ingredients
and altering to your taste preferences.
Ramp Salt: Dried ramp leaves- dehydrate and crush/pulse with sea salt for a sublime seasoning for soups and stews, fish and chicken. I’ve done ramp butter, but the salt, and just dehydrated leaves work better for my kitchen.
Nettle Pesto:
I blanched the stinging nettles before blending with ramps, pine
nuts, cheese and EVOO for a fresh green powerhouse pesto.
Nettle Soup: Scandinavian Nasselsoppa sounds so much better that stinging nettle soup, right! This is a basic ‘boiled with potatoes and broth’ kind of pureed soup to get you all caught up on your greens!
Nettle Tea: Simply hang and dry. I mix with other leaves, such as raspberry, lemon balm or mint as I find it too strong on its own.
Cattails:
You’ll peel off over half of the outer layers of leaves to get to the white hearts. I always say I’m going to gather enough to pickle, guess its good to have goals 😉 really these are divine just eaten raw with some nettle pesto, or chopped on salads!
Add perennial vegetables/herbs like Rhubarb, chives and Asparagus into the mix and you could be eating flavorful, healthful and delicious meals after taking a walk. Spring in Minnesota is truly a bounty of good wild food!
What will you be foraging?
What other questions do you have about Foraging in Minnesota?
Walking into the Hugo Feed Mill & Hardware reminds us all why we call the good old days good. This place really is that special, not that you’d ever hear it from them…
This is a place that withstands the test of time and triumphs with knowledge blended with caring. I mean, when was the last time a store’s sales person actually listened to you; and then actually knew what you needed, had it for a fair price and did what it was supposed to. Obviously, their customers love them.
Steve Marier runs the Mill and is a fourth generation Marier Mill Manager (say that three times fast). He could easily double as the town historian. He’s been a part of Hugo’s shift from agricultural land to housing developments and Hugo feed mill is still thriving because he and his family desire to adapt to best serve their neighbors.
Walk Down Memory Lane
Steve remembers shoveling and delivering coal to homes and farms on the rail line, along with the huge pile of corn cobs that would get dumped in the parking lot after combining time. The mill itself was built in 1917, it’s been in Steve’s family since 1925. For many years it was mainly a country grain business, grinding local grains for feed.
I remember being a young girl, 8 or 9, and going ‘up to the Mill’ to get mallard ducklings to raise on our family’s pond. Since then Hugo Feed Mill has held a special place in this Urban homesteader’s heart. More history on their website.
It’s their up-to-date practices, with the latest products and applications mixed perfectly with their ability to help you grow that keeps customers coming back.
Greenhouse
Their greenhouse is open for the season with herbs and bedding plants. They’ll be overflowing with their signature HUGE selection of peppers and tomatoes by May 18th; thank you cold and wet Minnesota Spring.
Steve helping me find the right plant last Summer
Steve, aka “Dr. Pepper” estimates around 425 peppers 175 tomatoes varieties to be available in the Greenhouse this Spring. They hold planting parties and tasting events on site. Steve also gives ‘Pepper Talks’ around town. Follow them on their Facebook Page, or sign up for their “timely tips’ email list to stay in the know on their events and specials.
The Mill is a great community partner as well. They give seed and starter plants to Giving Gardens each year. Giving Gardens is a non-profit helping neighbors grow food for themselves and food shelves.
They also tend a Kids Potting Bench where kids can pot up a free flower. Special flowers and pots available for some special kids over Mother’s Day weekend!
**Mention this blog or that you saw it on their Facebook page to get the special Mother’s Day plants!**
Happy Mothers Day from Hugo Feed Mill
Garden Supplies
A peek into their store
A full line of soil amendments, fertilizers and seeds is waiting inside the store. From sprinklers to live traps they have everything the home gardener could need- and if its not in their store they can likely order it for you. I learn something new each time I shop there.
Chick Orders
Two of our chicks from earlier this Spring
Their chick orders, minimum order of 5 per breed, run now through the end of May. They have over 20 breeds of chickens, and mallards. This is the first place I bought chicks, a dozen years ago. If you stop in when they have the chicks waiting to be picked up you might even catch a glimpse, and they sometimes have extras (another good reason to follow them on Facebook). More about raising urban chickens HERE.
My favorite place to get straw & feed
I also get all my straw from them for my backyard flock’s coop bedding. These bales also make a great base for straw bale gardens!
And their organic chicken feed, Nature’s Grown Organic, is my girls’ absolute favorite.
… & Hardware
Find farm supplies like fencing and stock tanks. Horse supplies like bedding and barn lime, bird feeders and seed and pet foods, even plumbing and electrical items (which I admit I didn’t really know!).
The Old Mill
Attached to the old mill is the storage and granary part of the business. Backing up to the loading dock always makes me feel like a little more of a farm girl than I really am 😉
There is always something new to find at Hugo Feed Mill, whether feed, seed or knowledge you’ll have to go find out for yourself.
I feel lucky to have had Hugo feed mill in my neighborhood for all of my years here, and close to 100 years in their family.
Let me know if you stop into Hugo Feed Mill- and be sure to tell me what you learned when you were there. They’re great at helping you get your fork in the dirt too!
