Tag: Local Food events

Harvest Party in the Garden!

September 13, 2019 / / 0 Comments

You’re Invited!

The second annual BearPower Harvest Party will feature FREE small bites crafted by local chefs from local food. We’re pairing delicious food with family activities and eco-friendly information.

Our Local Chefs

This is your chance to celebrate community grown food! Join us 12-3pm on Sunday, September 22, 2019. The event will take place at the White Bear Area YMCA Community Gardens, at 2100 Orchard Lane behind the YMCA building. We’ll be serving food until we run out, so join the party early. We’ll be inside the YMCA if the weather is really bad, so this is a rain or shine event!

Follow the Harvest Party
Facebook Event
for Updates and Fun!

Last year’s event was a blast!

Local Food 

Farmer Butch pulls a Rutabaga!

Much of the produce was grown in local community Gardens. Our own WBL School District (Central, Lakeaires, Matoska and Oneka) the WBL Health Partners Clinic Garden, Tamarack Nature Center Garden and the YMCA Community Gardens are all sharing produce for the event. Local organic farm, All Good Organics, will again be donating lots of organic grown goodness to round out our garden harvests.

Local Chefs

Chef Matt Ellison of Bonfire Restaurants +
Chef Peggy of Margaux’s Table

Chefs Matt Ellison of Bonfire Restaurants and Peggy Doran of Margaux’s Table are donating their time and talents to turn the food into tasty meals. They’ere even inviting a few lucky kids to help them prep food before the party starts! Contact me directly if you are interested in helping the chefs too. Local fall veggies will delight your taste buds; think Fall soup + rustic salad… but the exact recipes will have to wait as the chefs see what produce rolls in the day before!

In addition to the veggies, BearPower has brought more community goodness together. Pine Tree Apple Orchard and the White Bear Area Emergency Food Shelf are teaming up again to hand out apples and raise awareness of local hunger issues and how you can help. Farmers Market favorite, Great Harvest Bread Company, is donating bread to use in the small bites that will be served. All Good Organics will be on site to talk about organic farming and will likely have something delicious to give away!

Activities

WBL Seed Library

The YMCA will be holding a few Kids’ Fitness classes in the garden. The White Bear Lake Seed Library will be giving seed saving demonstrations and information on their organization, housed in our downtown public library. BearPower is bringing family fun with giant yard games and ways to make healthy eating and activities a part of your routine. Everyone’s favorite carrot, Chomp, will be on site to get kids pumped about living healthy.

Kids with Chomp at last year’s Harvest Party

The WBL schools will have a table about their gardens, and teachers on site to talk about schoolyard gardens. Ramsey County Master Gardeners will be available for your gardening Q&A. Forks in the Dirt will have a table about the impact of eating local, getting kids in the garden and gardening tips. Our local WBL PD will be there as well with ideas for staying safe while out and about.

Event Grew from Love

Dr. Keeler at a previous BearPower event

This event grew from long-time Health Partners physician, Dr. Elsa Keeler, and her commitment to growing healthy families. Dr. Keeler is taking a leave of absence while working hard to fight cancer.

Let’s take some time to celebrate all we’ve grown this season! Hope to see you there… you don’t get to vote unless you sample 😉

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

Harvest Party to Celebrate Local Food!

September 19, 2018 / / 4 Comments

Are you ready to party in the Garden!?!

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! Continue reading

A Winter Farmers Market is Coming to Town!

November 29, 2017 / / 0 Comments

White Bear Lake’s first time Winter Farmers Market has turned into something bigger and better than I could have imagined- all because so many people came together and energized this event. White Bear Lake was ready  for this farmers market, and I feel darn lucky I get to help make it happen!

The WBL Winter Farmers Market:  December 9  
10am – 2pm at Tamarack Nature Center

 

So many local people and groups have made this event a success even before the first shopper sips hot cider or scores a squash… Continue reading

Secrets to Shopping Success at Farmer’s Markets

July 6, 2017 / / 4 Comments

Dig In Deep at the Farmer’s Market

An early season market haul 🙂

I’ll admit it, my first few trips to the farmer’s market were pretty much like trips to a grocery store. Most of us are just not used to shopping directly from IRL farmers. While I can respect shopping a farmer’s market like a grocery store (you’ll still get super-fresh, tasty, nutritious foods) …for me, part of the Farmer’s Market experience is being able to connect with the farmers. I’m looking to knock out a few chains in the old food chain by visiting. And then there’s the plain old fact that the food tastes phenomenal! Sometimes even better than even your own home-grown produce, I mean these people are the pros after all. Through the last decade I’ve gathered some tips to help you make the most of your market visit.

Ask Away!

I get it- at first asking questions can be a weird thing; maybe we’re too “Minnesota Nice”, or maybe we’re just not used to being able to ask anything about our food. But really, isn’t getting closer to ‘Farm to Table’ eating why you’re at the Farmer’s Market? Don’t be worried about offending a farmer by asking them why their farm isn’t certified organic; you’ll learn so much about the how and why of their farming techniques you can’t help but feel good about eating it.

Here are some questions to get you started:

“Where is your farm?”
“When was this picked?”
“Do you use organic methods?”
 “Any new crops coming next week?”

These questions should get most farmers going! They’ve worked hard to grow and bring this food to market, their name and livelihood is dependent upon people caring enough to buy the food they grow again and again (another 180 from the supermarket).

White Bear Lake Farmers Market 2017

Powers of Observation

“There’s visual evidence behind the display table to give you big clues to how the farmer handles their food,” that’s a tip straight from a farmer who’s been selling at markets for almost 30 years. Continue reading

Forks’ Weekend Spread: June

June 14, 2017 / / 2 Comments

Another Minnesota Summer is in full bloom with the rain + heat doing their thing for the plants (and in spite of the nasty storms)! Get out there and make hay while the sun is shining. This line up of Twin Cities Metro area farm and food offerings over the upcoming weekend has something for everyone; not to mention the Famer’s Markets… But you guys, we’re missing All The Things because we’re heading out of town! I’m sending out this post of amazing-ness in hopes others can enjoy them and that I may live vicariously through you all 🙂 Seriously though, what a great weekend to live in the Twin Cities!

June16
Gibbs ‘Farm Fridays’ (for the family)

Gibbs Demonstrations – Ice Cream Making

This a unique farm experience for so many reasons; it’s nestled on the edge of the city and it showcases both pioneer and Dakota ways of life and gardening side by side. Farm Fridays feature weekly themes. They pack so much into their space, with the bonus of super friendly, knowledgeable staff in full pioneer garb. My kids are never sure how to talk with these costumed people, which adds to our quirky memories. This Friday we’re missing “Dakota Moons”, which (I think) is about planting with the moon; someone tell me what I missed! Gibbs Farm is open weekends too, with ‘Ice Cream Sundays’ featuring their homemade ice cream, on, you guessed it- Sundays.

Full disclosure* This place has been a favorite of mine since I had my birthday party here; we made corn husk dolls (like 30 years ago)!

Details: Admission: $8 adults, $7 seniors 62+, $5 children ages 4-16. Free for RCHS members.
2097 W. Larpenteur Ave. Saint Paul, MN 55113 There is local road construction so plan accordingly.

June 17
Breakfast on the Farm – (for the family)

I have not been to Goldview Farm, but I so wish I was going to this event! Start with a pancake breakfast fit for a farm hand; pancakes, sausage, coffee, milk with all proceeds above cost going to their local Food Shelf! (you know we love that) Then, check out the rest of the farm buildings and animals along with special events like: Wagon rides, FFA (Future Farmers of America) petting zoo, kiddie train rides, live music and free food samples. How could you not leave happier?
Details:  7am – 1pm, $5 (kids 5 and under are free) for the breakfast, the rest of the activities are free!
Goldview Farm- Waverly, MN 55390 – South of Howard Lake on County Rd 6 (directions)
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