This summer is growing by fast. Even with Fall right around the corner, if you’re like our family we plan on squeezing every last drop of summer out of the rest of this Summer. And this weekend is ripe with opportunity to do just that, by exploring local farms, flavors and vineyards and learning more about our pollinators. Let’s jump right in, the sun is set to shine just in time for these weekend farm and foodie events!

Friday August 18th

Great Table Dinner at the Dancing Dragonfly Winery

Enjoy the vineyard like never before with a unique and memorable al fresco dining experience, while mingling with fellow wine lovers at our large, family-style table. A 3-course dinner, featuring locally sourced foods from the St. Croix Valley region. The menu includes: Wilted Spinach Salad with Bacon, Top Sirloin with Garlic Crusted Portobello Mushrooms, Champagne Chicken Breast, Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Vegetables, and dessert. The website also mentioned dressing in layers, which was the first time I got legitimately excited for Fall. You can also add on wine pairings (a glass chosen for each of the three courses) for $20. Our regular lineup of wine also available. Simply put this sounds like heaven.

Details: Friday, 6pm-8pm. $55 in advance Registration Link.
Dancing Dragonfly Winery 2013 120^th Avenue, Saint Croix Falls, WI 54024

Saturday,  August 19^th

Cheese & Wine Festival at Dancing Dragonfly Winery

Enjoy sampling premium cheeses and other food goodies from a variety of local vendors while enjoying your favorite glass of wine. Live music from Benny Weinback Trio, 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m, and David Ybarra and the Northside Dukes, 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Bring a lawn chair or blanket and make it a day! All this surrounded by the beauty of this vineyard tucked into the St. Croix Valley…yes please!

Details: 11am-7pm. Free and open to the public,
Dancing Dragonfly Winery 2013 120^th Avenue, Saint Croix Falls, WI 54024

Breakfast on the Farm at Gale Woods Farm

Get your breakfast straight from the source. Enjoy a farm-fresh breakfast made from locally grown foods and catered by Dakota Junction. Menu includes Scrambled eggs, sausages, cheesy hash browns, zucchini bread, cinnamon rolls and more!  Also, listen to live music, visit the barn, meet the animals and explore the gardens. Sounds like a dream come true for more than a few kids I know! Children 17 and under must be accompanied by a registered adult. Reservations recommended. Sign up at their Website.

Details: 8:30-11am. Reservations- 11 years+ $15, 2-10 $8, under 2 free.
Gale woods Farm, 7210 County Rd 110 W, Minnetrista, MN 55364

And…if the breakfast reservations get sold out, there’s another fun kid friendly option at the same farm…

Saturday Mornings on the Farm at Gale Woods Farm

Same activities as above without the breakfast. A great way to participate in seasonal farm activities, and get your hands a little dirty!

Details: $5 reservations, under 2 free. Gale Woods Farm Facebook Page
Gale woods Farm, 7210 County Rd 110 W, Minnetrista, MN 55364

Kowalski’ Markets “Joy of Local Food” Event

All Eleven Kowalski’s Market locations are showcasing different local suppliers throughout the day. My local market, The White Bear Lake Market, will be featuring over 20 different local producers including:  Salad Girl Dressings, Bolton Bee’s Honey, Grand Ol Creamery, New Bohemia Sausages and Unteidt Farms corn with K-Hand Rolled Butter, so much yum in one place! This is going to be a feast of local flavors. All this sampling will lead to new discoveries- I can’t wait! “We are excited to give the limelight to our amazing local partners on Saturday, they deserve it and we’re ready to share their good food with you,” said the White Bear Lake Market Assistant Store & Grocery Manager, Aaron Gallagher. I’m ready for some new local flavors, how about you!?!

Details: Saturday, 11am-4pm, All Market locations

Borner Farm Project Classes:

The Borner Farm Project is the culmination of blending agriculture with community and watching those seeds take root. They also have pizza nights, and other classes offered throughout the year.

Brick Oven Basics: Building and Baking Class  Saturday, 9am-5:30, $90
Learning how to build and bake on your own Brick oven is a dream of ours, talk about eating local! You can take your dream one step closer to reality by signing up for this class! Curious about baking wood-fired pizza and bread in your backyard, but not ready to commit to permanent oven construction? Want to find a cheaper alternative to a prefabricated oven? Join us and learn how to build a portable stacked-brick oven from loose bricks. After the oven is built, we will fire it up and learn how to make dough for flatbread, pizza, and artisan bread. Then we will bake, eat, and have a good time!

Gut Healing Cooking Class  Saturday, 10am – 12:30pm, $30

This class will focus on meal planning for GAPS and Grain-Free Sugar-Free Meals: Broths, Entrees, Side Dishes, and More”. Even though this is a specific list, the applications to all kinds of cooking are endless- and SO healthful! Join instructor Aileen Abliss to taste and learn how delicious nourishing food effectively treats depression, bi-polar, autism, ADHD/ADD, anxiety, autoimmune diseases, digestive disorders, arthritis, and other mental and physical conditions.

To register for either of the above classes, please email bornerfarmproject@gmail.com and include the following informa

tion: Name, number of people who are signing up, which class/es you would like to take, your email address, and your phone number.
Details: Registration Link
Borner Farm Project, 1266 Walnut St, Prescott, WI

Sunday, August 20th

Up Close with Pollinators at Steady Hand Farm

This is a unique experience where kids and parents can learn about beekeeping from an expert- Erin’s even got child sized bee suits! Last year about 15 kids and their parents attended and learned about pollinators, their habits in the hive and wider world, current ecological concerns facing them- all with lots of fun adding to the buzz. Same game plan for this year’s event. It gets real when getting into those bee suits and exploring the hives on Steady Hand Farm with Erin Rupp. Erin “founded Pollinate Minnesota in 2015, to connect with students and teachers of all ages to live honey bees and the science, policy and media story of pollinator decline,” straight from the Pollinate Minnesota website. Also, Steady Hand Farm looks like quit the place to enjoy!

Details: Register for the fun at Steady Hand Farm, 1231 135th Street, Amery, WI 54001

Just in case that wasn’t enough…Sociable Ciderwerks is holding a NE Brewers Block Party and Red Barn Pizza Farm has a Pizza Night this weekend as well; but since I covered them in earlier weekend spreads, I thought I’d give more space to the newbies!

So many options… Ohh August, you’re always worth the wait!

Dig In and Enjoy!
Michelle

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