I’m finally slowing down enough to take the time to get in that frame of mind where I can rewind and somewhat clearly peer back at 2022, the year in review.

Thankful for 2022

I distinctly remember being so very grateful for the late spring as I was frantically writing/editing/revising so many pages (so many times) along with Stephanie Thurow for our upcoming book, Small-Scale Homesteading.

I felt lucky that the maple sap held off until we got back from our March vacations. We brought home and raised a new brood of chicks into a healthy, happy (and spoiled) backyard flock. I took my local Master Gardener coursework and completed 50+ hours of volunteer hours. I helped grow vegetables and flowers at my son’s elementary school.

We took time up north in Minnesota to walk through and wonder at creation. I taught classes on companion planting, composting, growing garlic, garden planning and preserving the harvest, wrote for magazines new and old. I got to manage our 6^th annual Winter Farmers Markets. My family all got Influenza A at the same time and we nursed each other back to health with homegrown remedies. And I grew as much food as ever- including so many new favorites.

We celebrated life as we lived it. What a year both in and out of the garden!

Weather Woes

And while I can truly say that I’ve never experienced weather like we had last season, I am grateful for all it taught me.

From our early season chill that got everything started late, to May’s thunderstorms, June’s record heat and learning what a Derecho was, hail in September and the Dirty rain that followed…only to have the drought conditions put at ease by way too early and way too much SNOW. Then the artic storms of Christmas. Whew.

And yet, our plants persisted! They grew to the best of their abilities, and hopefully we got to grow with them as we helped them along with low tunnels and shade cloths, deep mulching and frequent watering…

Onward

I’ve become even more enamored with our planet. Not taking for granted the simple act that life exists because of photosynthesis. I’m working towards being part of the solution in taking care of this planet in my small ways. Living as simply as I can, eating local, being smart about my energy consumption- and making those choices with humility, because I know it is a luxury to have a choice.

I believe that each of us doing whatever small things that work for us will be the way we turn the tide and in turn are able to gift a healthy planet to future generations. One of my small parts is growing food for our family and sharing how we do that with you all.

Garden in Review

All in all our (roughly) 550 square feet of garden space produced (roughly) 554 pounds of produce (not counting the egg and maple syrup we harvested). Just a few pounds more than last year. Not bad considering that farmers anticipate about 0.5 pounds of produce per square foot.

I’d call that intensive gardening. And it is all made possible by working with nature via taking care of the soil, companion planting, extending our growing seasons, and paying really close attention to what is happening in the gardens. 

From welcoming wildlife big and small, to practicing No Till Gardening, from using what we’ve got with leaf mulch and composting what comes out of our chicken coop- this garden cycle never gets old.

There’s always a way to dive deeper into relationship with Mother Nature, more to learn about tending plants or beneficial insects, another recipe to try that means another new seed to start. I am so grateful I get to do these things – I’m blown away by those of you that follow along. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing this journey with me.

I hope I can inspire you in some ways, because I know so many of you have inspired me!

Favorite Blogs from 2022

• Beet Love
• Harvesting, Preserving + Using Herbs
• Growing Great Garlic (bonus link to webinar)
• DIY Cocktail Infusing

And I added so many tasty recipes to the blog as well, From Summer Spaghetti to Broccoli Soup on my newly updated Recipe Page

I am looking forward to seeing many of you at book signings (PS- you can still pre-order the book to get our bonus content HERE), or during the Home and Garden Show days and maybe even at some more in-person classes and events… more on that soon, for now; cheers to 2023!

Dig In,

Michelle

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I never met a zucchini I didn’t like. I’ll grill them, relish them, pickle them and freeze them all season long. But at least once (or twice) a summer I’ll bake up a storm with them too. And over the years I’ve tried and loved many versions of zucchini breads and desserts- but I think I’ve settled on this as my favorite. Adding some fresh whipped cream and sour cherry sauce doesn’t hurt either…

I really do love zucchini, check out my previous articles Zucchini Relish + “A Zillion Ways to Zucchini”

Eat What You Grow

Cucurbit What?
All squash and zucchini are in the Cucurbit family (along with cucumbers, melons, gourds etc.) All zucchini are squash, but not all squash are zucchini…

Regardless, I’ve tested this recipe with all yellow summer squash, all green zucchini and even all very large patty pan. I might actually prefer the patty pan! Whatever kind you use, be sure to scoop out any large seeds and that ‘spongy’ area that forms when zucchini get away from us…

Dress it up or down
I have made this recipe in large and small loaf pans, as a double decker round birthday cake, and as muffins. So there are a few different timings- but really this recipe does well being baked in all these ways. For a fancy cake, I love raspberry, cherry or un-sweetened strawberries on top of whipped cream- maybe with a decadent chocolate cream cheese frosting layer in between, I mean you’ll already have the unsweetened cocoa on hand, just saying

Kinds of chocolate – I prefer dark chocolate but my kids prefer the milk chocolate version. I love the way the melted dark chocolate deepens the color, and the flavor of this dessert. I have yet to try a semi-sweet version- but if you do, let me know! I’ve also tried to make this with more cocoa  powder and no melted chocolate, and it just isn’t the same…

There is magic in the mixer!
I got the idea for blending part of the zucchini from another sauce recipe that uses zucchini- and it really works for this- also adding an extra silkiness. Plus, you’ll have to use a blender to thoroughly mix in the melted chocolate chips- but don’t worry, since you have to melt the coconut oil anyway, it is just one streamlined step.

GF Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ C all purpose gluten free flour (I prefer Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 GF Flour)
• ¼ C natural cocoa powder (lots of options on Amazon and at your local co-op)
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 C organic granulated sugar
• 2 C grated zucchini/squash, some water squeezed out
• 1/3 C coconut oil
• 1 C chocolate chips – divided in half (your choice, semi-sweet or dark)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  

DIRECTIONS

Shred Zucchini. Grease and powder your pans.

Mix dry ingredients together, making sure all the cocoa powder is well incorporated. Mix in 1 ½ cups of shredded zucchini so the dry ingredients coat the shreds.

Melt the coconut oil and ½ cup of chocolate chips and add to a blender base (like a ninja or nutria bullet). Add the eggs, vanilla, and the last ½ cup of zucchini and blend together well.

*You can skip the melt and blend step and add directly to the dry ingredients but it comes out smoother when blended.

Add wet ingredients and the rest chocolate chips (unless you want to save a few for the top) to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Spread into pan of choice (listed below).
Bake on center rack until that toothpick comes out clean: 
25 minutes- cupcakes
30 minutes for 5 small 3″x5″ loaf pans
35 minutes for 1 deep or 2 thin 9” rounds
50 minutes for 2 large 5″x9″loaf pans.

Leave pans for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to completely cool.

These don’t last long around our home, but I’d say to transfer this to the refrigerator after a day or two, since it is so dense and moist.

Dig In,

Michelle

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Everyone loves lasagna, right!? Here’s my veggie-heavy version. And the trick is using larger (what people may think of as past their prime) Patty Pan squash.

Patty Who?

Patty Pan squash are a prolific heirloom variety that I think of something between a summer and winter squash. The firmness and dense texture of these squash make for a much closer “faux pasta” than regular summer squash! I love all kinds of squash, especially zucchini, and have a dedicated blog all about different ways to use those beauties in Zucchini a Zillion Ways.

The plants themselves are large, but not as big as some typical zucchini plants can get. I got my seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, “White Scallop.”

So how does a big ole squash become pasta-ish? Welcome my trusty mandolin. I use this simple kitchen appliance to slice and shred, and it makes my veggie loving life so much easier! From making beet chips to slaw, I use this handy tool almost every day.

A note of caution here: the blades are VERY sharp. Most mandolin packages come with a ‘guide’ or shield of some sort. I suggest using that whenever you get even a little close to the slicing blade.

VIDEO: watch a mandolin slicing patty pan in action

I also use cottage cheese instead of ricotta in my lasagna. This is mostly for the ease since I usually have cottage cheese on hand. But also, using cottage cheese lowers the saturated fat, cholesterol, and overall calories. Cottage cheese’s calories comes from the protein, which equates to staying full longer. This is worth considering since we’re swapping out the starch in this recipe! Cottage cheese does contain more sodium though, so we don’t need to add as salt much to the dish with this switch. But I love all cheeses, and ricotta will work here as well.

Let’s Get Cooking!

Patty Pan Lasagna Recipe

Ingredients:

3 large Patty Pan squash

1 lb Italian Turkey Sausage (Ferndale Market makes an awesome variety!)
1 large onion
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
Tomato Sauce (I used roasted tomatoes, about 16oz pureed, spaghetti sauce also works here)
Italian seasoning to taste: Marjoram, Basil, Oregano, Parsley, Thyme, Rosemary

2C Cottage Cheese
2 Eggs
1 Tsp Black Pepper

2 Cups Mozzarella Shredded

Instructions:

Slice patty pan into thin ribbons with a mandolin.

Sautee turkey with onions, garlic (and spices if not using Italian flavored to start)

Add tomato sauce and seasonings.

Mix cottage cheese with eggs and black pepper

Layers

A little meat sauce on the bottom
Patty Pan Noodles
Cottage cheese/egg
Meat Sauce
Mozzarella
Patty Pan Noodles
Cottage cheese/egg
Meat Sauce
Mozzarella
Patty Pan Noodles
Cottage cheese/egg
Meat Sauce
Mozzarella

Bake at 375F for 40 minutes

Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving

Delicious served  with a simple kale salad!

So… have you grown Patty Pan, or have you seen them at your local farmers markets? I dare you to try these beauties.

I also shred and add to other recipes as a meat substitute. I love a versatile veggie!

Dig In,
Michelle

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Today I’ve got a guest author digging deep into the field of eco-friendly eating. Help me welcome Laura to the Forks family! I met Laura online via the squares of Instagram and her feed @reducereuserenew and we share so many of the same values. You know I am a local food lover, and never miss a chance to talk about my three keys to eating local all year long:
Grow Your Own, Know Your Farmers, Preserve Local Food.

But this doesn’t mean eating all plants all the time for me- but making smart choices. So, when I asked her to share her take on “Eco Friendly Eating” she went for it.  

This one is worth the read- plus I link back to some of my earlier posts that touch on other aspects of the topics she covers. This article is like a little overview of steps we can take and choices to make that will create a difference for us and future generations- I dare you to choose just one of these changes and stick with it!

So, take it away Laura…

Starting Space

You’ve likely heard of the climate crisis. Scientists have been warning us of what could happen if we don’t make major changes for decades. Unfortunately, the effects of the climate crisis reach many different areas of our lives. The food we eat is no exception. 

But how exactly does the food we eat impact climate change? And what can we do? 

Let’s take a look at the answers to both of those questions. 

Bite Size Pieces

Did you know that 26% of all global emissions are food production-related (source)? That’s a pretty significant chunk. That 26% can be broken down into different sectors which include: supply chain, agriculture, land use, and livestock/fisheries, some of which I’ll touch on in this post. 

Whenever we talk about the climate crisis, it can get overwhelming pretty quickly. But the good news is that there are steps we can take to lessen our emissions, and also extend that knowledge into our local communities.  

This post isn’t made to make you feel guilty; the goal is to raise awareness, and identify some tips that you can implement in your own life. 

Before I get too ahead of myself, it’s important to note this: this topic is complex (like many are), and there are no clear-cut answers. We all may have our own opinions about what is best, but we can’t force those onto others. We all come to the “sustainability table” (as I call it) with different access to resources and other factors. Shaming doesn’t have a place here.

We need as many people as possible making all the changes they can, and judging and shaming only turns people away. The climate crisis is linked with so many other issues like social inequality, environmental injustice, and racial justice (and more). What works for one person may not work for another. But, we can’t start to make changes without being aware, and that’s what the purpose of this post is!

The Standard American Diet (SAD)

The “SAD” diet is usually associated with a lot of packaged and processed foods. It is the, well, “standard” diet in American culture, and one that is causing a whole host of problems. It’s not only unhealthy for us, but it’s also not great in terms of the climate crisis. 

Here are just some high-level ways the SAD diet contributes to the climate crisis: 

• Factory emissions from food production and processing
• Resources that are mined and extracted for packaging use
• Excess packaging that ends up in the landfill
• Emissions and resources used for recycling and packaging that is recyclable 

Remember how I said this issue was complex? 

It’s easy for some of us to say something like:

“Just make your own food from scratch.”

“Just start a garden and grow everything”

Unfortunately, it’s not that easy for everyone.

Approximately 20 million people live in a food desert, which is categorized as an area that doesn’t have access to affordable and healthy food and fresh produce. Food deserts could be an entire post on its own, so if you’re interested in learning more, this website has some great information. 

Other barriers to access include the cost of fresh produce, time, mental health, mobility, transportation, and more. 

Conventional Farming Practices 

Whenever the topics of food and climate change come up, immediately a solution of “go vegan or plant-based” is suggested. But human beings have been eating meat for a really, really long time using sustainable farming and hunting practices. Unfortunately, that isn’t the case today, as much of our meat and dairy come from factory farms, which are huge contributors to the climate crisis. Additionally, conventional farming practices are depleting the nutrients and quality of our soil, which is a huge problem for the next generations. 

If you’re interested in learning more about this issue, I would highly recommend the book Kiss the Ground, which talks about regenerative agriculture and returning to practices the Indigenous people shared. 

Food Miles

Did you know the average meal travels 1500 miles from farm to table? That’s a lot of resources that not only go into growing, harvesting, and storing the food, but also transportation (often imported or exported from different countries). All of which releases a lot of emissions (especially CO2) that contribute to climate change. 

According to one source, “it is estimated that we currently put almost 10 kcal/kg of fossil fuel energy into our food system for every 1 kcal/kg of energy we get as food”. 
Local Food For Thought
100 Mile Meals

Food Waste

My family and I completed a zero waste challenge (through Hennepin County, if anyone is interested) four years ago. We discovered that 75% of our trash was food waste. I was SHOCKED. But, I shouldn’t have been. 

40% of all food in the US is wasted. Much of that includes food waste from restaurants and grocery stores, but I know my family and I aren’t alone in the amount of food we throw away (or did). A common misconception (and one that I held) is that when you throw food in the trash, it will simply “break down” in the landfill. 

And while that is sort of true, the full story is not as simple. 

When food gets to a landfill, it lacks the nutrients needed to break down like it would in a compost pile. The most important nutrient that is lacking is oxygen. So, instead of composting, it sloooooowly breaks down. While doing so, the food releases methane which is a greenhouse gas that is 3x more potent than carbon dioxide. 

So, what can we do?

Solutions

Grow Your Own Food

Of course, if you can, growing your own food is a great way to reduce the number of food miles, food packaging, and all the resources and emissions that come from the food we buy. Even if you don’t have the space, time, or mental space to have a large garden, even just growing a couple of things can make a difference. 
Modern Victory Gardens

Support small, local farms and farmers

Another way to keep food miles, packaging, resources, and emissions down is to shop local. A farmer’s market is a great way to learn about farms in your area, and the great thing is that you can talk to the farmer about their growing practices and other topics important to you. Many farmer’s markets now are not only selling fresh produce, but some vendors sell meat, cheese, bread, jams, honey, and more. 
Secrets to Shopping Success at Farmers Markets
White Bear Lake Winter Farmers Market

If you already know of farms in your area, consider checking to see if they offer a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program or sell their items in another way. Some farms even offer trade programs where you can volunteer in exchange for food. 

CSA’s So Many Ways

Compost

Cut back on the amount of food that sits in a landfill by composting. There are TONS of different options out there these days, and my best advice is to find one that works for you and your family. 
Forks in the Dirt Composting Article
Forks in the Dirt Vermicomposting Article

Not able to compost? There is a great app called ShareWaste that connects people with compost materials to others with a way to compost them.  

Reduce Meat/Dairy Consumption

The fact of the matter is, most Americans don’t eat enough fresh fruits and vegetables. Many of us could stand to reduce the amount of dairy and meat that we eat as well. I’m not saying that you need to go full plant-based or vegan, but switching one or two meals a week to meatless and dairyless can help us in terms of our physical health, our wallets, and the planet. 
Tips for Getting Your Family to Eat More Veggies

Get involved with your community!

I’m saving my favorite for last, and that is to get involved with your community. There are SO many ways you can do this, but here are a few:

• Start a seed library and share seeds with your neighbors
• Grow extra seedlings and share them with your community
• Offer to mentor a new gardener
• Share tools and gardening supplies with others
• Host a plant giveaway or sale
• Start a community garden
• Contact local officials about any anti-garden laws or regulations in your city 
• Contact local officials or your waste hauler and ask for curbside organics recycling pickup
• Talk with friends, family, and neighbors about these topics to help spread awareness

Bringing It All Together

The food we eat contributes to the climate crisis in several ways, however, there are also a lot of solutions to the problems. It is truly my belief that if we start to make some of these incremental changes in our lives, and work together with our local community to do the same, we can truly make a difference. 

THANK YOU LAURA!
I loved finding out about ShareWaste- and was reminded that dairy takes a lot of energy to create too. So friends, how will you Dig In to Eco Friendly Eating?
– Michelle

Guest Author Bio: Laura Durenberger is the founder and creator of the blog Reduce, Reuse, Renew, which acts as a guide to help you live with less, in a sustainable way. She is also the creator and host behind the podcast Raising Eco Minimalists, a podcast that acts as a resource and community for those raising kids who care about their mind, body, community, and planet. Laura lives in Minnesota with her husband, son, and three cats. She is an avid home gardener, with a passion for providing seeds, materials, and education for anyone who wants to grow their own food. Aside from gardening, Laura can be found hiking, biking, paddling, camping, volunteering in her local community, and spending time with family and friends. She is an avid mental health advocate, often sharing her own journey through anxiety and depression. Finally, she believes that building and connecting with local community is the key to solving a lot of the big issues we (and our kids) face today. 

The post Eco-Friendly Eating appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

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.

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!

Local Food 

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

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

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.

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

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

Can. Not. Wait. to Dig In to this!!
Michelle

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We can’t wait for you to Shop Local + Eat Local with us at the December 8th White Bear Lake Winter Farmers Market! There are so many delicious gifts waiting to be found… We’ve curated the best local food growers and makers to give you a chance to do lots of your holiday shopping in one place! Don’t forget to fill your own Holiday tables with local foods too!

We all know receiving a consumable gift is the best…so giving them is the easy choice!

Extras for the Holiday Market

• Ramsey County Recycles will be giving away FREE REUSABLE BAGS to the first 100 shoppers!
• Chomp, the BearPower Carrot Mascot will be on site for photos from 9-10!
• Fresh Roasted Hot Coffee from Ox & Crow Coffeehouse

Don’t forget to Enter to Win this Locally loaded Gift Basket ~ The December Market Giveaway!

Entering to win here will also start your monthly email membership with Forks in the Dirt!

Meet the December Farmers and Makers 

All Good Organics:   With their own Farm Store on their farm in Lino Lakes, Butch and Kris will have a wide variety of farm fresh produce. Some of their offerings include greenhouse grown lettuces, full variety of fall/winter vegetables, frozen summer vegetables, homemade canned items (best sauerkraut!) and farm made spice blends! I visited with them last spring and got a great tour of the farm! 

Dahl Hobbie Farm:  Susan is known for her jellies, jams, raw honey and her honey-based 12 spice cough soothing formula. She’ll also be bringing some specialty chutney.

Eichtens Cheese & Bison: Our closest cheese producers are bringing a large variety of locally sourced and crafted cheeses. They offer some of their summer sausage and MN Wild rice as well. They’ll also have gift boxes available. My new favorite is the herbed gouda, it simply makes everything better.

Gilbertson Farm: Jessy brings a well rounded selection of humanely raised beef and pork, chicken, DUCK,  eggs. They sell a variety of cuts and blends. We love their pork sausage. They make a mean Wild Rice Brat- and their pork chops cook up tender and with so much more flavor than anything store bought. Plus the animals all had a great life!

Great Harvest Sharing their amazing Breads!

Great Harvest: If you’ve been to the WBL Summer Farmers market you’ll remember these breads- and likely Sheldon the happy purveyor of so many samples They specialize in yeast breads. They’ll bring breads, rolls, scones, cookies. Their monster cookies are legendary- their scones are my favorite!

Green Bros Micros: The Green brothers, really- Brandon and Nick Green recognized the benefits of urban farming and took the plunge to start growing micros as a delicious, nutritious addition to your diet. Fresh and local GREENS in our MN winters are such a treat!

Hart & Soul Herbal: Vanessa Hart crafts an all natural line of apothecary healing and aromatherapy products. Using the fewest steps between God and consumption, these high-quality-controlled naturally-sustainable unrefined products are made in small batches in White Bear Lake.

Sigrid of Hoppel Poppel sharing her German sourdough style breads

Hoppel Poppel Breads:  Sigrid shares her German roots through baking amazing sourdough breads and pastries. Her caramel rolls alone are worth a visit to the market. Some of her heavily seeded loaves are a meal in themselves. She’ll bring a variety of European style breads and pastries.

Ingredients Cafe: A White Bear favorite, the chefs at Ingredients are whipping up some scratch made soups to make your at home weeknight dinners simple and delicious. **NEW ITEM: Hand made Gnocchi at the December market** A special shout out to Ben Pratt, owner of Ingredients for volunteering his time to cook for the Harvest Party at the YMCA this Summer!

Ox & Crow Coffeehouse: Mara at Ox & Crow has created a wonderful coffeehouse in the Mahtomedi.. We’re looking forward to having her locally roasted specialty coffee beans and house made chai teas served hot. She’ll also be bringing

Platense: Vanessa brings us a taste of Argentina right here in Minnesota! She uses authentic family recipes for traditional frosted nuts from Argentina. The flavors might not be local but they are locally well-loved!

Mark and Linda of Suzi Q’s Dang Good Western Dressing!

Suzi Q Western Dressing:  “Dang Good” Western Dressing brought to you by Linda (Suzy Q) and (Cowboy) Mark from right in town. They had their first Summer selling their dressing at the WBL Summer market, and it was such a hit they’re bringing it to the Winter market too!

Unity Farm: Moses of Unity Farm is an emerging farmer with a bumper crop of popcorn, tomatoes and peppers. He’ll be sharing his dried, canned and blended produce. Moses is a farmer with the Minnesota Food Association. 

Community Driven Winter Market!

We’re so lucky to have HUGE support from so many local community groups. These people make this Winter Market a true event, and we’re lucky to have them!

Pine Tree Apple Orchard has once again donated their Hot Apple Cider! It will be served by White Bear Area Emergency Food Shelf volunteers. Let’s help hungry neighbors while shopping local 

Two happy shoppers with their FREE table top composting kits from Ramsey County!

Pam from the White Bear Lake Seed Library will again be spreading seeds of knowledge, and giving you info on starting your own seeds. We are so lucky to have a free and trusted source for locally saved seeds! Great blog and info at their link above.

The Ramsey County Master Gardeners will be available to answer gardening questions and and spread the word (and free starter kits) for the Ramsey County Composting program!

Viva Musica reps will be demonstrating their “Kindness Rocks” art program for schools.

Forks in the Dirt:  That’s me I’ll be there with a table to talk growing your own, backyard chickens, composting, canning and/or finding the best local food resources. My mission in getting this winter market together is to help us ALL make healthier, more sustainable food choices- for our own health, and the health of the planet!

Follow the WBL  Winter Market Facebook Event Page for up to date information and specials.

Can’t wait to Dig In and see you there!

– Michelle and the fabulous farmers and vendors of the WBL Winter Market!

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Welcome to the WBL Winter Farmers Market!

This marks our second season of Winter Farmers Market in White Bear Lake!  We can’t wait to share all the amazing food from these local growers and makers!

Nov 10 – Dec 8 – Jan 12
9-1 at Tamarack Nature Center

Community Supported Market

Again, I’m blown away by the community support for this local food event. We all love our weekly Summer Farmers Markets in downtown White Bear Lake, so this is a natural extension to keep a good thing going. At last year’s first ever event we had over 500 shoppers visit us at Tamarack Nature center. This year, we’re seeing if we can grow our love of local by holding three indoor markets this Winter. Adding on site Food Trucks and a coffee shop to keep it interesting- we’re ready for you to make this another successful market season!

ENTER TO WIN $20
“Market Money” to spend your way on Nov 10th!

Shop Local Eat Local

These Winter Farmers Markets give us all a way to shop local foods a little longer into the season. The November Market “Gather” gives you the opportunity to fill your hostess gift bags and Thanksgiving tables with the best of this season’s harvests of vegetables, meats and dairy, along with freshly made preserves of all kinds! Most items for sale are sourced from White Bear Lake and surrounding communities. We’re excited to offer many returning local farmers along with a few new additions to round out your shopping list.

Meet the November Farmers and Makers 

Butch and Kris of All Good Organics in their Greenhouse

All Good Organics:   With their own Farm Store on their farm in Lino Lakes, Butch and Kris will have a wide variety of farm fresh produce. Some of their offerings include greenhouse grown lettuces, full variety of fall/winter vegetables, frozen summer vegetables, homemade canned items (best sauerkraut!) and farm made spice blends! I visited with them last spring and got a great tour of the farm!

Dahl Hobbie Farm:  Susan is known for her jellies, jams, raw honey and her honey-based 12 spice cough soothing formula. She’ll also be bringing some specialty chutney.

Eichtens Cheese & Bison: Our closest cheese producers are bringing a large variety of locally sourced and crafted cheeses. They offer some of their summer sausage and MN Wild rice as well. They’ll also have gift boxes available. My new favorite is the herbed gouda, it simply makes everything better.

Jessy and I at the last WBL Summer market

Gilbertson Farm: Jessy brings a well rounded selection of humanely raised beef and pork, chicken, DUCK,  eggs. They sell a variety of cuts and blends. We love their pork sausage. They make a mean Wild Rice Brat- and their pork chops cook up tender and with so much more flavor than anything store bought. Plus the animals all had a great life!

Great Harvest: If you’ve been to the WBL Summer Farmers market you’ll remember these breads- and likely Sheldon the happy purveyor of so many samples They specialize in yeast breads. They’ll bring breads, rolls, scones, cookies. Their monster cookies are legendary- their scones are my favorite!

Hoppel Poppel Breads:  Sigrid shares her German roots through baking amazing sourdough breads and pastries. Her caramel rolls alone are worth a visit to the market. Some of her heavily seeded loaves are a meal in themselves. She’ll bring a variety of European style breads and pastries.

Ben Pratt of Ingredients getting ready to cook for this Summers “Harvest Party”

Ingredients Cafe: A White Bear favorite, the chefs at Ingredients are whipping up some scratch made soups to make your at home weeknight dinners simple and delicious. A special shout out to Ben Pratt, owner of Ingredients for volunteering his time to cook for the Harvest Party at the YMCA this Summer!

KDE Farms: Brian and Roberta raise grass fed highland cattle right in Hugo. They’ll be bringing cuts of beef, whole chicken and eggs. I had the chance to visit their farm this Summer, here’s the article that resulted from our time. Roberta also makes some tasty local maple syrup!

Ox & Crow Coffeehouse: Mara at Ox & Crow has created a wonderful coffeehouse in the Mahtomedi.. We’re looking forward to having her locally roasted specialty coffee beans and house made chai teas served hot. She’ll also be bringing

Platense: Vanessa brings us a taste of Argentina right here in Minnesota! She uses authentic family recipes for traditional frosted nuts from Argentina. The flavors might not be local but they are locally well-loved!

Sailor Mercy: Dani  hand crafts each small batch of immunity boosting  Organic Elderberry Syrup. Made with all high end, organic products, plus local raw honey and un-fluorinated water this is the good stuff! . Her company names combines her twin daughter’s names with her passion for local and organic. She also makes amazing “no moo’ hand crafted chocolates.

Suzi Q Western Dressing:  “Dang Good” Western Dressing brought to you by Linda (Suzy Q) and (Cowboy) Mark from right in town. They had their first Summer selling their dressing at the WBL Summer market, and it was such a hit they’re bringing it to the Winter market too!

Fresh MicroGreens from Weeds Greens!

Weeds Greens: Matt Green of Weeds Greens supplies some of the best restaurants in the metro- and luckily our market too. They grow chemical free hydroponic micro greens, fresh herbs and baby greens right in Lakeville. Fresh and local GREENS in our MN winters are such a treat!

New at this Farmers Market

Coffee Corner!

We’re excited to offer hot coffee and Chai from Ox and Crow, and specialty sourdough bakery goods from Hoppel Poppel in the party room at Tamarack. This is right off the main Atrium by the community booths! so you can munch and sip while learning about other ways to make meaningful local food choices.

Food Trucks!

Kicking off this season’s winter markets we’ll be joined in November by both  Gateway Trailside + Smokey’s  Pub n Grill.  After you work up an appetite shopping and or hiking the trails you can grab lunch from two local food truck favorites!

Community Boosters

Pine Tree Apple Orchard is generously donating some of their tasty apple cider! A local favorite for apples, all kinds of apple baked goods and their pumpkin patch (not to mention strawberry picking in the Summer) Pine Tree is once again on board with making sure our cups overflow!

The cider will be served by our local White Bear Area Food Shelf volunteers. Cash donations to the food shelf will be accepted and appreciated!

Tamarack Nature Center will be sampling and have more information on how to get involved at the nature center. Plan to take a walk around some of the many miles of trails around the Nature Center and enjoy the nature where your food comes from!

Pam from the White Bear Lake Seed Library will again be spreading seeds of knowledge, and giving you info on starting your own seeds. We are so lucky to have a free and trusted source for locally saved seeds! Great blog and info at their link above.

The Ramsey County Master Gardeners will be available to answer gardening questions and and spread the word (and free starter kits) for the Ramsey County Composting program!

Viva Musica reps will be demonstrating their “Kindness Rocks” art program for schools.

Forks in the Dirt:  That’s me I’ll be there with a table to talk growing your own, backyard chickens, composting, canning and/or finding the best local food resources. My mission in getting this winter market together is to help us ALL make healthier, more sustainable food choices- for our own health, and the health of the planet!

Follow the WBL  Winter Market Facebook Event Page for up to date information and specials.

Can’t wait to Dig In and see you there!

– Michelle and the fabulous farmers and vendors of the WBL Winter Market!

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Say hello to the happiest Grass Fed Highland Cattle I’ve had the pleasure of hanging out with!  They are living their best lives out in their fields just north of the Twin Cities in Hugo MN on a 3rd generation family farm.

At first glance the rolling hills look like your average small family cattle farm, but then you realize there’s no barn, you see horns on the cattle and can’t find a feed trough. Welcome to KDE Farms, where they raise grass fed Highland cattle, meat and layer chickens and produce some fabulous maple syrup. You can jump right to their online shop if you can’t wait.

Walking the Fields

Visiting these down to earth farmers earlier this Summer, I fell in love with their farmland- and the way they raise their animals. These docile Scottish Highland cattle can take three years to finish off. But they balance out their keep with having a double coat that is water proof and down-like, eliminating the need for a barn. And they’ve naturally developed to thrive off of grass.

This leads this kind of farmer to maintain their land in a way that conventional farmers (usually) don’t. Because they are feeding their ‘product’ from what they grow and not what they purchase, grass fed cattle farmers blend their knowledge of raising healthy grass with raising healthy animals. And, as Brian and Roberta Ehret can attest to- that all starts with healthy land.

Farmer Brian checking the “Feed”

The Family Farm

Brian grew up on the same farmland, within a family that valued nurturing the land and the animals they raised. He was excited at the idea of coming back to farming after inheriting some of the family land. They built their home 23 years ago and brought their first cattle home 15 years ago. The Ehret’s are proud that its been a 100% grass fed operation since the beginning. 

Like many modern farmers, they both have ‘day jobs’ as well. Roberta is a Kindergarten teacher and Brian is a Solutions Architect with Phillips-Medisize. He enjoys using his physics degree in both spaces. Farmers are always asking the ‘what if’ questions like any good scientist…Brian sees his farm as a kind of lab where he gets to work with Mother Nature to provide a superior product- in a sustainable way. 

KDE is built on three interdependent ideals: Sustainability, Innovation, Stewardship.

Sustainability

Scottish Highland cattle are a more sustainable breed to work with, being able to produce well-marbled and highly-flavored meat (so says my meat loving hubby- full disclosure I don’t eat red meat) by eating from a pasture. The land that they graze on is naturally and sustainably maintained. They fertilize with manure and add some natural supplements, but the original seed wasn’t organic, so they aren’t certified organic- yet.

Chicken Tractors on the move

Both the cattle and the chickens fertilize the land as they graze, helping sustain the biodiversity in each field.  I love being able to raise our own backyard hens and have seen first hand the direct impact they make in our small closed loop system. Basically, intensive rotational grazing is when you let animals graze a small portion of the fields at a time, letting the other parts regrow for another round of munching.  This is powerful land management; the U of MN even hosts grazing schools for farmers.  Brian and Roberta hope to win a U of MN extension grant that will help them lay out a plan for “Intensive Rotational Grazing”. This kind of grazing takes into account all the hills, water sources and grass/prairie plant diversity on their land.

I love that our U of MN works with  local farmers who want to
make better use of their land and are working towards a sustainable future!

Innovation

Moving to the meat chicken part of their farm, they have been working on crafting just the right ‘chicken tractor’ to house their flock of grazing guys. Chicken tractors keep the birds safe out on fields, allowing them to move to fresh grass (and fertilize more square footage) every few days. The couple is currently finishing their last batch of broiler chickens for the year.  “We have raised 800 broilers this year,” Brian explained, a new high number thanks to another chicken tractor.

Stewardship

As we perused their land, the pride they have in the way they’ve stewarded their acres is apparent, and well deserved. They truly love their land and want it to be productive for generations to come. This has led them to build their business slowly, making sure the land can handle the amount of cattle as they grow. Brian’s upbringing within a farming family gives him the perspective of land over time, and how to keep implementing what works, and leaving behind what doesn’t.

Grass Roots Education

Brian and Roberta have loved being at local farmers markets because of the one on one time it gives them with their neighbors. “It’s a great way to introduce and educate neighbors about what we do- and why we do it,” explained Roberta. After a few years at both the Mahtomedi and Stillwater Farmers Markets they were able to begin offering a Grass Fed Beef CSA. They must have gotten their message across But still enjoy talking with customers so much that they added the Scandia Market this Summer as well.

Grass Fed cows *tend* to produce leaner meat with more antioxidants, omega-3’s, CLA, TVA, trace minerals, and vitamins according to this article and many others. Without getting into all the hormones, antibiotics and other chemicals NOT given to these animals  because of the way they are raised. Add to the equation the much lower impact on the earth and I think you’ve got a Winner Winner Beef Dinner!

How does Grass Fed Really Rate?

So let’s take a look into the Big White Cow in the room: is grass fed really better for you, the earth or the environment? Well, turns out a Washington Post writer wondered the same thing, as you can read in this well thought out ARTICLE  The article quotes Temple Grandin likening grain to cake and ice cream for cattle and how they love it, but just like us, diets shouldn’t be mostly made up of treats! Personally, I will always side with a small-scale local farmer who I can visit (yes, you can set up a time to tour the Ehret’s farm) and who knows their animals over a mass producing corporate farm.

Happy Cows

These cattle are HUGE! And I’m not going to lie, at first I was a little leery of getting too close. But farmers Brian and Roberta work hard to maintain a low stress environment for these grass guzzlers. As Brian mentioned, “The fences are really more like suggestions- they could plow through the fencing, but they don’t because we keep them happy by growing them really good grass.” Well, I for one would like to say thanks for taking such good care of the cattle that they have no need to try to break through the fences

You could see the kindness in their big brown eyes! These are well loved animals living their best lives! Since he’s got the grass fed beef part down, Brian is getting into pigs now too. They purchased 2 pregnant Mangalitsa pigs this Fall and will start offering pork in their CSA options next Spring- which I am quite excited about!

Right now, they are putting the finishing touches getting ready to take orders for their CSA options  They are ready to start taking orders now, giving you time to decide on the roasts, steaks, chops and chicken dinners you’ll cook up.

So, go ahead and Dig In, and remember you are what you eat, and you are what you eat eats too!  I’ll challenge you to ask yourself about the meat you eat…did it have a good life roaming the hills and eating what nature intended it to before making it to your table?

-Michelle

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This Harvest Party grew from the BearPower organization. White Bear Lake is lucky to have the efforts and talents of this group of dedicated people. They’re working to bring healthy living to our community in so many different ways.

I’ve been digging into coordinating this BearPower Harvest Party with the BearPower team and loving finding the best of the best to help celebrate community grown food. We’ve brought together the cream of the crop local chefs to prepare all that lovingly grown food. Add to that a great mix of activities to take over our White Bear Area YMCA gardens for the day and you’ve got a can’t miss event! We’ve got FREE food,  games,  information, samples and activities to get you growing your love of good food!

More Information by clicking on the -> Facebook Event Page

The Details:

Sunday Sept 23rd @12:00-3:00PM
White Bear Area YMCA Community Garden
2100 Orchard Lane, White Bear Lake, MN 55110
Indoors @ the YMCA if raining

Harvest Party Food

Tamarack Nature Center Gardens

All the food at the harvest Party was grown in local community gardens, including WBL district schools, HealthPartners White Bear Lake Clinic, Tamarack Nature Center, and the YMCA community gardens! 5 of the beds growing food for the event are part of the awesome local initiative, “Giving Gardens“. Making sure we have enough food to fill in the gaps, All Good Organics local farm has pledged to donate from their recent harvests as well!

Chef Challenge

A chef challenge meal, created from all the locally grown food will be served starting at noon. We’ll keep serving until every last veggie has been eaten. If there’s simply too much food, extras will go the White Bear Area Food Shelf.

The food service will include some freshly made soups and grilled veggies. Huge thanks to  local chefs, Ben Pratt of Ingredients Café + The Burger Bar and Matt Ellison of Bonfire Restaurants, who will be creating tasty creations with all the veggies we throw at them! I can’t wait to see what they come up with

Vote for your favorite food on your way out!

Glen Oliphant of United Methodist Church, WBL with freshly harvested potatoes and herbs to go into the breads!

Bread baked by White Bear Lake United Methodist Church in their Community Bread Oven during a community bread bake on Saturday will also be donated. Ciabatta and Focaccia were mentioned when I was talking with one of the bakers! Our garden-grown herbs and potatoes will be used in making the breads.

Nancy Jacobson with some freshly harvested apples!

Pine Tree Apple Orchard is donating crates of freshly picked apples for the event as well. The apples will be handed out by volunteers from the White Bear Area Emergency Food Shelf. Please think about making a monetary donation to the food shelf to help make sure all our neighbors have access to good food!

It is so amazing to be able to say that ALL the veggies were grown and/or donated by community members!

Harvest Party Activities

We’ve got a little something for everyone during the Harvest Party!

Chomp at an earlier YMCA Garden Event

BearPower ‘larger than life’ games and the famous carrot mascot, “Chomp” will be perusing the party ready for photos.

Insect Hotel We will be group building a “beneficial bug hotel” Stop by to add your mark and help pollinate our YMCA gardens!

Beets from the YMCA gardens

White Bear Lake Schools will have a table, highlighting the gardens and gardeners (mostly kids) that grew food for the event!

The YMCA will have information on renting a garden bed in the gardens next season. We will also be handing out a limited number of strawberry plants that YMCA Summer Power kids helped propagate!

Sunflowers in the YMCA garden

White Bear Lake Seed Library will be doing Seed Saving Demos with plants growing in the gardens. Take home Seeds to get your garden growing next year! We’ll be working with sunflower and marigold seeds to name a few!

Ramsey County Master Gardeners will be onsite ready for your questions, and info on getting the most out of your Fall garden, and how to prepare it for Winter.

Health Partners Health Club will be onsite with info on eating healthy and demos.

All Good Organics farmer will be onsite with info on growing organic and a few surprises. This farm has dedicated to fill in produce that we need to round out the harvest party meal.

Butch and Kris from All Good Organics

Keeping it Local

As YMCA Community Garden coordinator, I’m wearing a few hats during this event, I’ll be onsite with a Forks in the Dirt information table about the impact of eating local and samples to share!

I LOVE how this whole event began; a well-loved local doctor, Elsa Keeler, had a vision to bring families together over locally grown healthy food. Just look what that one well rooted idea has become!

Staying True to Doing Good

Hanging with some of the YMCA garden Club kids

One of the reasons I started blogging was to highlight all the good that is happening around us.

Forks in the Dirt’s motto is “Crossing paths with Farmers, Food and Doing Good”

And with this event, I got to be part of making that good happen. I have learned so much about our community and how strongly we believe in AND follow through with showing up for one another. It makes me proud to be part of this community

The amount and diversity of Community Gardens in our area truly amazes me. It really is a testament to people wanting to be more connected to the food they eat, and the land they inhabit. If you are interested in joining any of the local community gardens, read my earlier blog post all about our local gardens!

Can’t wait to Dig into some good food and good conversations- hope to see you there!

Michelle

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Get your Fix of Farm Fresh the easy way, there’s a farmers market almost every day!

I really like really local food… So of course I wanted to share my favorite Farmers Markets in my corner of the Twin Cities with you!

I shop these markets to: buy ‘new to me’ varieties to test before I grow myself, buy in bulk for preserving and to buy the crops farmers have started early or keep growing late in greenhouses to extend our local fresh food season. I also love chatting with the farmers and vendors, and I get some good insight into my own home gardens listening to the experts.

We are absolutely feeling the bounty of local farmers’ hard work up North right now. The food rolling in is dripping with sun ripened sweetness; from the cucumbers  to the zucchinis. And with a little planning, can be served on your table the same day it was picked! These Summer bounties make our MN Winters worth it, am I right!?!

For tips and secrets on ‘how to’ shop a Farmers Market like a pro, read this article! 

Summer 2018 Farmers Markets

Monday:

Little Canada Farmers Market:
Jul 9-Oct 8: Mon 2:30-6p.
Located at 2920 Rice St in the Hardware Hank parking lot

Wednesday:

Aldrich Arena:
May 16-Oct 31: Wed 8a-Noon.
N side of Aldrich Arena parking lot, 1850 White Bear Ave.

Vadnais Heights:
Jun 20-Oct.17: Wed 2-6p.
1155 E County Rd E in the parking lot of the Helene Houle Medical Center

Oakdale:
Jun-Oct: 2-6p.
1584 Hadley Ave next to City Hall at Richard Walton Park

Friday: 

White Bear Lake:
Jun 29-Oct 26: Fri 8a-Noon.
Hwy 61 & 4th St. on Washington Ave.

Saturday:

Mahtomedi:
Jun 16-Sep 22: Sat 8a-Noon.
Aat the crossroads of Mahtomedi Ave (Hwy 244) & Stillwater Rd.

Stillwater:
Jun-Oct: 7:30a-Noon.
Corner of 3rd & Pine St.

St Paul Farmers Market:
April 28-Nov 18: Sat 6a-1p
290 E 5th St, Lowertown St. Paul

Sunday:

St Paul Farmers Market:
April 28-Nov 18: Sun 8a-1
290 E 5th St, Lowertown St. Paul

Didn’t find a market in the right spot at the right time? Search the MNGrown farmers market database  to chose from the more than 180 Farmers Markets (WOW). I was even able to grab farm fresh food on our way to a recent camping destination using this search tool

Costas Farm Greenhouse Farmstand

Between these markets you can sample food from most of the farmers I’ve interviewed for my blog. Read up on them before you head out to learn a little more about who you are buying from…

Mhonpaj’s Garden
Costa’s Farm and Greenhouse
Heinel Farms

All Good Organics Farm Stand

And if you want to pick up something on a day there isn’t a market running… swing by Costa’s or All Good Organics on site farm stands, fresh from the farm doesn’t get better than this!

Now let’s get out there and enjoy this beautiful + bountiful Summer season while it lasts!

Do you have a favorite farmers market? I’d love to hear about it

Forks at the ready,  Let’s Dig in!
Michelle

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