Category: Local Food (Page 7 of 13)

All about local food finding in the Twin Cities

Grow a Container Salad Garden

March 19, 2020 / / 2 Comments

Growing your own salad greens is one of the easiest ways to kick start spring – or prolong fall growing. Greens are fast growing, nutritious, and delicious. And like every early spring after a long winter, it’s a great time to have something to nurture that will nurture you back in a few short weeks.

It’s also a great project to introduce kids to the basics of gardening as lettuce greens grow FAST- as close to instant gratification as growing food gets!

You don’t need much in the way of supplies to get started; just a container, some potting mix and a few seeds. If you happen to have a grow light, great- but once the Spring Equinox arrives, (or as the fall equinox tolls) even up north in Minnesota, a southern facing window will grow good greens. So let’s get planting!

Container

After picking many salads from this container it is still growing strong on the 4th of July!

Any container with holes will do; so you’ll need a drip pan/saucer too. If you have used the pot before, please take the time to Disinfect it (wash in warm soapy water, then soak in a 1:9 bleach solution for 10+ minutes (I leave mine in the water for a few hours).

Potting Mix (NOT soil!)

Potting mix is sterile and gives baby seedlings the best chance of growing past the delicate first few days when they are prone to ‘damping off’ which are pathogens (fungi and bacteria) that break down the tiny stems. Many solid brands exist; Epsoma, Burpee, Miracle Grow, a smaller company, called Purple Cow Organics is available at small shops near me as well, like Bachmans, Hugo Feed Mill and Hedberg Landscape. Some of these businesses are offering pay ahead and curbside pickup during the Covid19 outbreak.

Seeds

There are so many lettuce ‘greens’ combinations it’s deliciously staggering! The basic types of lettuces are leaf lettuce, butterheads, crisp heads and romaine.

My best advice is just to grow what you will eat! But for the beauty of it, add in some reds too 😉 Lolla Rosa, Red Iceberg, Red Salad Bowl, Rouge D’Hiver ( I added scarlet kale in the video).

Try growing more salad items in the same pot- radishes, basil, dill, cilantro.

Kids love the flavor combos!


Many Seed companies sell a “Salad Mix” that include a variety of shapes and colors all maturing around the same time. Here’s a link to my favorite seed companies and their online + mailed seed catalogs for fun lettuce variety browsing!

Leaf lettuces:

These are typically pick and come again types that you’ll pick a few outer leaves and let the plant keep growing, these are best for a small container garden.

Mesclun:

This is baby leaf lettuce mix; traditionally of leaf lettuce, arugula, endive, chervil – now we’ve gone flavor crazy and add in spinach, kale, mizuna, Swiss chard, mustard greens, frisée, mâche, radicchio, sorrel… and I love it!

Butterhead:

These are the tender the bib lettuces, soft and sweet, great for wrapping . They do form a head, but its looser and you can harvest the outer leaves like other cut and come again types.

Crisphead:

Icebergs fall into this category. Typically having tighter heads and crisp structured leaves, these are best suited to grow to maturity and be taken as one full head, doing well as either the ‘last lettuce standing’ left in a container, or being transplanted out into a garden bed once the weather warms.

Before jumping onto the next variety, just remember how much more flavor all homegrown veggies have compared to their grocery store counterparts. I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the taste and crunch of a homegrown ice berg!

Romaine:

Romaine’s outer leaves can be tough when you buy it from the grocery, but you can enjoy the outer leaves all season wen you grow it at home! If you can let it grow to a full head it is also amazing on the grill!

There are many other fast growing greens I love, from Mizuna, Cress, Mustard Greens etc. Even radishes grow happily with lettuces. Get as creative as you want, and enjoy the variety of flavors that grow well in a container!

Kale

A special word about kale, since I have a known addiction to this hardiest of garden greens, see this previous blog post for further proof. Please know (and consider) that you can transplant these out into the garden from the container and they will continue to grow and produce through fall’s frosts.

Get Growing

Most lettuce seeds need to be barely pushed into the soil. Some, like spinach, require a mere 1/2″ of soil covering them to germinate. Most germination will happen in a few day, so seeing seeds emerge 3-5 days after planting is a fast reward as well.
**Lettuces need on average Six Inches of Soil to grow solid roots.**

Light

We all know plants need light to grow, and lettuce greens are no exception, but they only require part sun, so a sunny window, as long as it’s not in the months surrounding the winter solstice, should grow just fine. If you have an indoor grow light, use it by all means!

The best part about growing in a small container is that you can move it. Eventually, being able to bring it outside, leaving it on a deck or balcony, after ‘hardening off’ the lettuce seedlings… If you have questions about seed starting in general check out my Seed Starting 101 blog.

I hope you try your hand at growing a little salad bar garden of your own! Let me know which are your favorite varieties, and of course ask any questions!

Dig In!
-Michelle

Soil Testing for the Home Gardener

March 5, 2020 / / 3 Comments

The more I garden, the more in awe I am of the soil that helps it grow.

This is a great time of year to dig into- yes even under the snow- and get a soil sample. You’ll be digging up a better understanding how to help your garden grow!

A deeper understanding of the earth that grows our food leads to a deeper respect for it. And I believe the earth could use a little more respect right now!

There are two main options out there for soil testing. Home tests and Laboratory Testing Services. Both of the soil tests check for the basics:  Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium/Potash and Soil pH levels. From there things diverge. Let’s take a look at which test might be right for you.

The Home Test

For years my kids have looked forward to doing the home version of testing our soil in early spring, mostly because they get to be ‘soil scientists’ 😊. Letting them dig up the dirt and pour it and the chemicals into the ‘chemistry tubes’ went a long way to getting my kids into gardening. We bought a version just like This One which cost $15 and has lasted three years.

The simple DIY way of buying a soil test kit will only ever give you limited results, maybe telling you if anything is WAY off.

PS: they also sell slick digital soil pH testers if that’s what you really care about.

Laboratory Soil Test

The U of MN, through CFANS, College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences, has a simple online test submission process, and **if you get in before the rush** a quick two week turn-around time. Use the Lawn & Garden form, I checked for “Vegetable Garden”.

Most University/ extension services provide a few different levels of testing, and recommendations. If you plan on planting near a road that gets lots of winter salt plowed up on it, you can check for the “soluble salts test” and you can even test for lead if suspected. They have all the instructions and options laid out on their
online forms. The basic soil test costs $21, soluble salts test costs $9, and lead costs $22 (updated 2025).

I recommend taking two or more samples from different parts of the yard, front and back gardens for example, to compare different growing spaces spots in your yard.

Soil Science Notes

Disclaimer: Soil is unfathomably intricate and in constant flux. So, starting to understand it can seem daunting.

For example, “there are at minimum 1 billion microbes and yards of fungal strands in a teaspoon of average soil”.

Yup, daunting.

But, like with all things worth understanding in the garden and in life; when we take small steps, we can eventually cover a lot of ground. You’ll soon ‘get it’ enough to make a real difference in our gardens, and on our plates – and quite honestly, the world.

Soil is where our food starts, and the soil in use for commercial farming is simply not growing food as well as it used to. We now understand that we’ve been poisoning it plus the animals that eat the food grown this way- from microscopic to the noticeable insects, the birds that eat them… and all the way up to us humans.

Understanding a little about soil science helps you sort fact from fiction. You’ll be able to sniff out the false advertising proposing your purchase fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. My hope is this overview will get more people comfortable growing 100% organic!

The Soil Nutrients

Plants need lots of things to grow well, but we can boil it down to three basic necessities: Sunlight, Water, Nutrients – let’s dive into those nutrients! Think of soil as the stomach of the plant can help when thinking about taking up these nutrients.

Most soil tests look at amounts of a few very specific chemical nutrients. These results simply can’t take into account the vast soil food web relationships that are required to be in decent proportion for plants to able to access the minerals and nutrients in the soil. But they give us a place to start, a foothold. The elements that are most often looked at are N-P-K; nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium/potash.

N- Nitrogen

Nitrogen gets a lot of press, so I bet you know a fair share about this chemical powerhouse. All plants need nitrogen to make amino acids, proteins and DNA. Nitrogen is also a big component of chlorophyll production and photosynthesis. Plants obtain nitrogen through when bacteria in the soil convert the nitrogen to ammonium and nitrate, which is then taken up by the plants by a process of nitrogen fixation.

The Organic Way to Add more Nitrogen:

Composted manure, Blood Meal, fish emulsion or Worm Castings.

P – Phosphorus

mixing seed starting soil

Phosphorus is a vital component of ATP (get your HS chemistry class hats on) which is the ‘energy unit’ of plants. Without enough P, plant stems are usually weak and leaves can turn a blueish-green tint. P is needed right after germination to help lift the plant out of the ground.

Seeds need a reserve of P to accomplish this, so there needs to be enough P throughout the lifecycle of a plant for the seed to hold enough to grow on in its next generation.

The Organic Way to Add more Phosphorus:

with bone meal or kelp meal

K- Potassium/Potash

Potash is a potassium-based product that is often bonded to other chemicals. Plants use most of their available potash for keeping water levels up in their plant cells, and so is added to fertilizers to help with water retention. Plants also use K to activate protein and sugar synthesis, which is basically how plants grow. Often adding

You know how bananas are a  good source of potassium- well, only if they grow in soil with available potassium…in the form of potash stored in the soil in various salt forms- from nitrates, sulfates etc- which have gotten a bad wrap as of late- but with all things it’s the form of thing that matters… and these little nutrients are important for all kinds of veggies.

The Organic Way to Add More Potassium/ Potash: 

wood ash (slightly raises pH levels), green sand

pH – Acidic to Alkaline

I think this is one of the most anti-intuitive readings out there (anyone else?!). I always have to remind myself that the numbers mean the opposite of what I think.  A lower pH level means the soil is more acidic (good for blueberries, those blue hydrangea) and higher pH means the soil is more alkaline (also called ‘sweet’ soil). A pH level of 6.5 is considered ideal for most vegetables, but anything between 6 and 7 will grow good food.

Soil acidity levels have huge impacts on what nutrients are bio-available in the soil. So (and this is another one of those amazing relationships in our soil) even though you have lots of Phosphors in your soil, if your pH is below 6.5 your plants could have trouble absorbing it.

My Soil Test Report

I had two tests done, because I wanted to compare my front yard soil with my vegetable garden soil. We haven’t done anything to our front yard except mow (leaving the mulched grass clippings in place) and throw some fertilizer on a few years back. In comparison, I’ve been amending our backyard vegetable garden soil for years, adding our own compost, leaf mold and building a few “lasagna garden beds” (Read more about No Dig Gardening HERE).

I was curious if all my work was paying off…

Well, it has!

The biggest difference was the % of organic matter. Only 2.8% in the front yard, compared to 9.8% in the veggie patch! Wow! I’m impressed.

Nutrients in higher % organic matter soils (like compost) don’t wash away. They stay put, as long as the soil is relatively undisturbed, another reason I’m a proponent of No Dig Gardening!

The organic matter helps keeps ‘on tap’ more of the nutrients rather than spraying them on only to get washed away.

my soil test report

My pH varied greatly between my front and backyard spaces as well. A pH of 6.0 in the front yard, compared to 7.1 in the back. With just over a 7.0 reading, the Iron and Manganese in my soil might be a little harder for my veggie plants to absorb in the back, which is why I’m looking into adding some more Humic acid to my veggie beds. This is a good article that goes over the basics and drills down about Humic acid (even covers the electronegativity factor).

The report also goes over the levels of Phosphorus and Potassium. But even though Nitrogen is a major building block, it is not included in the Regular Test package because “correlations between the soil nitrate test and plant growth have only been established in some areas of Minnesota, and only for a limited number of crops.  One reason for the difficulty in establishing uniform fertilizer recommendations based upon soil test nitrate is that nitrate is easily leached out of the soil by rain-water and so precipitation can significantly change the nitrate test result,” states the U of MN Soil testing laboratory.

baby cabbages started in soil blocks inside

I feel like I’m one step closer to digging in to the garden season armed with my soil test results! And what really matters is how we use this information to help grow good food for ourselves and our families. A deeper understanding of the earth that grows our food leads to a deeper respect for it. And I believe the earth could use a little more respect right now!

Congratulations to making it through this science heavy article- you deserve a high five! If you want to dig a little deeper, Dr. Elaine Ingham is one of the most respected soil scientists and was recently interviewed by Joe L’ampl on his Jo Gardener Show podcast, worth every second!

So go ahead and test your soil this season- whichever way you chose your eyes will be opened to some of the life that is being lived just under the surface that helps feed you every day!

Can’t wait to dig in!
Michelle

Vegetable Stamping

December 3, 2019 / / 3 Comments

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!

Dig In!
Michelle

Calendula Salve DIY

November 20, 2019 / / 18 Comments

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 basic steps 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.

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 sometimes place in our dehydrator overnight to reduce the water content. This make for a more intense infusion 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 much more. I routinely let my oils infuse for 3 months.

Sweet Almond Oil was my go-to carrier oil for infusing, until I realized that folks with nut allergies are also allergic to almond oil. So while it has the softest feel, a good shelf life and healing properties of its own I only use it for recipes I know only my family will use. I now prefer Apricot Kernel oil. I’ve used a light Extra Virgin olive oil and avocado oil as well, they work great, 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 12 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

Basic Salve Recipe

1 C Calendula Infused Oil (or less if adding other oils)

1 Oz Beeswax

20+ 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 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!

I wonder what you’ll dig into next!?!

Michelle

Kale Yeah!

October 24, 2019 / / 3 Comments

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

Kale growing in garden with red leaved vines behind it.
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 Kale
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

image of perennial kale growing in the garden with garlic chive flowers peeing into the frame.

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.

A bowl of freshly harvested kale in the snow


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!

Kale

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?

Michelle

Perennial Pollinator Plants

June 22, 2019 / / 1 Comment

The Best Perennials to Add Around (or
in) Your Vegetable Garden

Adding a few perennial pollinators 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 noted 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 perennial pollinators to your mix!

Milkweeds –
Asclepias syriaca

These plants hold a special place in any pollinator lover’s 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.

“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 you can bear to take away blooms from the insects… A very hardy Minnesota Native, it 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 to 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 a lesser known perennial, but it is making a fast and furious comeback due to its widespread 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 3 feet wide) plant that attracts bees by the hoards. The leaves contain a chemical that jumpstarts 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-inflammatory. Comfrey is toxic if ingested, so even though I have used it on myself I can’t recommend it here. 😉 Non-native from Europe and Asia.

Perennial Pollinators 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 its blooms, it brings in the bumbles like mad.

Perennial Pollinators WITHOUT Neonicotinoids

Here’s a short list of my favorite places to buy local, chemical-free plants for pollinators:

White Bear Lake
Seed Library

Prairie Moon Nursery

Prairie
Restoration

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.

Pollinator field in August

What Are Your Favorite Perennial Pollinators?

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?

Dig In!
Michelle

Family Friendly Farm Visits

June 6, 2019 / / 0 Comments

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!

Bruentrup Heritage Farm

Dairy Day Ice Cream Social June 17 FREE
Locally made ice cream at a farm, nuff said.

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.

Carpenter St. Croix Valley Nature Center

Apple Festival October 12 & 13

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.

MN Food Association: Big River Farms

Small Scale Composting with Worms: June 22, 10-12

Growing Oyster Mushrooms: June 29, 10-12

All About Monarchs: July 27, 10-12

May Lee of Mhonpaj’s Garden
Full Story HERE

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

Dairy Days:
June 22 + 23

Poultry Weekend:
July 20 + 21

Pickling Weekend:
August 17 + 18 

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.

Tamarack Nature Center

Meet the Gardener: Mondays 10:15-11

Anna Newton is The Head Gardener at Tamarack

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…

Blueberry Fields of Stillwater – Organic P-Y-O blueberry farm from heaven. I love them so much I did a story on them last summer!

View at Borner Farm

Borner Farm Project: (delicious) Pizza Nights with a chill vibe on a mostly volunteer run farm in the middle of Prescott WI. Boom!

PolliNation Festival– August 25th The most fun you can have helping save the bees!

So, the only question now is which farm will you visit first?

If you happen to have a farm you love to visit, I’d Love to hear about it- as you can tell I’m a little obsessed with farm fresh!

Looking forward to digging into Summer!

Michelle

Foraging + Feasting

May 24, 2019 / / 3 Comments

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!

a field of ferns

You know I love growing my own good food, but when Mother Nature does it for you, why not join the good food party!

A child who just harvested wild ramps
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!
A woman standing with a basket of nettles
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!

a child harvesting wild ramps in the woods

Responsible foragers know: never take more than half of anything you forage for!

Toby, age 9

Local Food Line Up

A jar of wild ramps sitting on a board outside

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.

a colander of freshly harvested stinging nettle

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:

fiddlehead ferns all curled up on a plate

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

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.

woman smiling with a morel in her hands standing in the woods

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.

Some of my favorite LOCAL guides:
Sam Thayer of Forager’s Harvest
(Gorgeous new Field Guide book)
Alan Bergo of Forager Chef
Tim Clemens of Ironwood Foraging
Jamie of Chick of the Woods

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

A patch of mature Lamb's 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

A plate of spring foods, foraged cattail shoots, spring radishes, spinach, toast and wild ramp pesto

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.

dried wild ramp leaves- ready to make into ramp salt.

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:

Nettle and ramp 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.

Cattail shoots

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!

Spring harvest of lamb's quarters, ramps, asparagus on a cutting board

What will you be foraging?

What other questions do you have about Foraging in Minnesota?

I love Digging into local food with you!

Michelle

Hugo Feed Mill

Hugo Feed Mill: Local Icon

May 9, 2019 / / 1 Comment

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!

Dig In,
Michelle

Springing into Local Food

May 1, 2019 / / 1 Comment
Spring Snap Peas!

Hello Spring!

The birds are singing, the ground has thawed and green is unfurling itself before our very eyes. Spring is officially here and that means the locally grown food is soon to follow!

Whether in backyard gardens or further away farms, nearby hidden foraging spots (like when I forage for ramps!), under lakes or deep in forests; our local food systems are waking up! This awakening is happening both with spring’s seasonal arrival and a mirrored cultural movement back towards local food.

Two Years Digging In

I’ve been fascinated with the why’s and how’s of the local food movement and its deeper deep roots. This is a huge part of why I started up Forks in the Dirt just over two years ago (Happy Anniversary!)

My littlest guy planting seeds, two years ago

The food we eat intimately impacts our daily lives, but for decades we’ve moved further and further away from that simple fact. Big business focused on making food more economical while inadvertently minimizing the dire nutritional and ecological implications. This focus was beneficial in some ways, and detrimental in others. Turns out growing food with an end goal of mass production and longest shelf life hurts our collective health, bank accounts and entire eco-system.

High fives all around for us waking up to those realities as a society. 

Choose Locally Grown

One of the easiest ways you can ‘be the change’ with our food system is realizing that you vote with your dollars three times a day. The food you buy effects the food chain in so many ways. Here’s an earlier article I wrote that touches more on WHY local food matters: Local Food For Thought.

Think about all the places you can make a choice about the food you eat:

  • Who grew the seed that grew your food
  • Who owns the land that grew your food
  • How many miles did your food travel
  • Who tended the land and livestock that became your food
  • What chemicals have been added to your food
Farmer Jessy of Gilbertson Farms and some tasty, humanely raised meats.

Answers to those questions are inherently baked into each meal and every snack you eat.

It can get overwhelming fast (another hint that our food system is broken)! But asking yourself just one of these questions a day will get you thinking about how much effort (and who’s effort) goes into each plate you eat.

I think the local food movement is an attempt to make food simple again. A pull to take back some control over what we put into our bodies.

What do you think?

My Local Food Journey So Far

So far I’ve had a winding but fun ride down the local food road. 

I started growing more of my own food years ago. Then I got to know a few more farmers that grew food. We raised backyard chickens. I learned how to can, freeze and dry more food. I still buy much of my food from local grocery stores, but I grow my own or buy local when I can. For me its about finding a balance that works for my family.

*Important Reminder*
Everyone’s scales are weighted differently to begin with so there’s no reason to compare!*

Farmer Molly of Niemczyck’s

I’m in awe of the abundance of the amount and diversity of food right here (like within a 20 mile radius!!) year round. From Deep Winter Greenhouses and Aquaponics providing fresh locally grown food through the dead of winter, to urban farmers changing the way we provide food to our neighbors during the growing season- change is happening, and fast.

Changes coming from places like the North Circle Food Hub,  The Good Acre and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA’s) plus more MN Farmers Markets than ever.
Gardening in general is up 200% in the last decade, according to the National Gardening Association annual report. Knowing where your food comes from just feels good.

Growing Hope

I recently attended Schoolyard Garden & Local Food conferences at the MN Landscape Arboretum and the message was loud and clear; Minnesotans are already awake to the food we are eating. There is currently a MN Farm to School Bill being decided in our state legislature, feel free to weigh in on that bill! I can’t wait to see how we collectively work to make our food system work better for us all.

Farmer May Lee of Mhonpaj’s Garden

As we head into spring and summer when locally grown food is SO VERY abundant, I encourage you to renew your commitment to: eat more local, healthy foods, grow something you can eat, buy from a local farmer. Get to know some of your food’s roots and see how your relationship to your food changes.

You can call me an urban homesteader, a dreamer, or just someone who puts her time where her mouth is. Any way you slice it, life has been pretty tasty lately. Thanks for digging in with me these last few years!

Looking forward to this season as we keep on digging in and crossing paths with farmers, food and doing good! What will you grow this season?


Michelle

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