Seeds and centuries of gardening knowledge feed a community at Dream of Wild Health farm.  

Inspired by the people it serves and centuries of gardening knowledge, Dream of Wild Health embodies working with nature. One of the oldest, continually operating Native American nonprofits in the Twin Cities, Dream of Wild Health’s intertribal working and teaching farm brings together the best of seed saving, Earth-focused farming practices and youth development. In short, this farm is flourishing.

“We are working to repair the health of our relatives through food,” says Neely Snyder, St. Croix Ojibwe tribal member and executive director of Dream of Wild Health. “We believe food is medicine. This starts with our young ones, so they understand that nutrition is vital to our overall health.

“Our families wanted to reclaim their traditional relationship with the Earth, which is how the organization began,” Snyder says. “We are working to restore the health and well-being of our community through increased access to the foods that we grow.”

Farm of the Future, Because of the Past

Together they’re living out this mission on their farm in Hugo, just north of the Twin Cities. The farm welcomes native youth and volunteers of all backgrounds to dig into the process of growing food with nature. Visitors are reminded that we are all part of nature, not separate from it; that we eat because of the gifts of the earth.

As gardeners, we recognize nature for the teacher it is. That practice of paying attention is at the heart of how the farm operates. Jessika Greendeer, a Ho-Chunk Nation tribal member and a Deer Clan member, was their seed keeper and farm manager for four seasons. Greendeer instilled the practice of treating seeds as relatives while listening to the land for where and what to plant. This rich knowledge base also explains why many gardeners are paying closer attention to Indigenous farming and gardening practices.

Depending on when you visit the farm, you could see swaths of pollinator habitat (so many sunflowers!) in bloom, hear the insects at work, smell the lingering smoke of the morning prayer fire or feel ice-cold water up to your elbows as you help wash freshly harvested vegetables. This is like other small-scale farms—with a few distinct differences.

DWH is a nonprofit focused on teaching the next generation to respect the land and farm it well. Currently, it teaches these values through youth programs like Garden Warriors, Cora’s Kids, Youth Leaders and an on-farm internship.

Dream Beginnings

The organization began in 1986 as an Indigenous outreach program called Peta Wakan Tipi. The focus on foods and medicines emerged in 1998 in response to resident requests. A gift of an Indigenous seed keeper’s lifelong seed collection in 2000 created a tangible beginning point for the farming operation. DWH purchased its first 10 acres of farmland in 2004. The organization has farmed the land ever since, adding crops and volunteers along the way.

In 2020, DWH added 20 acres just down the road from the existing farm, which provides space to grow more food, while apprenticing Indigenous farmers on-site. Plans for the newly acquired land include an orchard, a processing and packing building plus a space for the community to gather.

Beyond Organic

The greenhouse is where the season begins and where the harvests dry or cure. Fields nearest to the greenhouse are rotationally planted in market crops like Indigenous varieties of corn, squash, herbs and greens. A recently added moveable high tunnel extends the harvests. DWH grows with “regenerative farming practices” that often go beyond organic. These practices include leaving the land fallow in between cropping and growing cover crops to restore nutrients and balance to the soil. Another notable practice is having crews of volunteer gleaners harvest the last of crops and fruits, keeping the total farm waste down to only 20 pounds. Astonishing, given that the average American wastes over 200 pounds of food per year.

Integral to the farm’s operations are the swaths of pollinator plantings. You’ll also find medicinal herbs and dozens of berry bushes, plus fruit and nut trees interplanted amid the fields as a way to mitigate disease and increase pollination. The farmers have worked to regenerate not only the seed stock but the soils they grow in as well. Greendeer urged gardeners to think before they dig, saying, “Let your intuition guide you, and consider what your methods do to the Earth that provides for you.”

Saving Seeds and Knowledge

Seeds are seen as relatives to Indigenous growers, not commodities. But seeds were separated from their Native American families. Indigenous seed keepers, like Greendeer, have emerged over the last decade to find and regrow those ancestral seeds. Getting those seeds back into the hands of their original families is a process known as “Seed Rematriation.” She recommends that those interested in purchasing and growing Indigenous seeds buy from Seed Savers Exchange in Iowa.

For those ready to start saving their own seeds, Greendeer suggests starting with beans. “They’re one of the easiest and most rewarding seeds to save,” she says. To save bean seeds, wait until the pod dries in fall and harvest. There is a less than 1 percent chance that the seed will be cross-pollinated. This happens only when a native bee chews through a bean flower to access pollen. “Seeds tend to stay true to type,” she says, adding that after seven years of saving and regrowing a type of seed, the seed is considered your own variety. You could even rename it if you chose to.

For more information, look into my article on Seed Saving for the Home Gardener

Sharing Local Flavor

As vegetable gardeners know, growing food is one thing, making it into dishes people love is another. Part of the mission of DWH is to bring Indigenous foods to their communities and the Twin Cities at large, and DWH has been part of a surge in interest in Indigenous foods and restaurants, supplying produce and working with local chefs. “Our vision for a healthier and stronger community means getting Indigenous foods into the mouths of our people,” says Snyder.

In addition to selling produce at the Midtown Farmers’ Market and the Four Sisters Farmers’ Market, DWH offers a food share program similar to community-supported agriculture shares. Sean Sherman, chef, DWH board member and author of The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen purchases produce from Dream of Wild Health for use in his Minnepolis-based, James Beard Award Winning restaurant, Owamni.

Dream of Wild Health also offers volunteer and educational opportunities. Attending talks, classes and volunteer days at the farm has made me a better gardener. It is inspiring to see how food can be grown on a large scale without the use of chemicals. The relationships between the soil and the endemic plants and animals remain at the core of the farm’s operations as it continues to grow. We can all benefit from cultivating a deeper respect for the soil and remembering that we are gardening as part of nature, not separate from it.

Resources

Buffalo Bird Woman’s Garden (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 1987) by Gilbert L. Wilson is a compilation of Hidatsa gardening techniques.

Braiding Sweetgrass (Milkweed Editions, 2013) by Robin Wall Kimmerer examines modern sustainability efforts through a traditional Indigenous lens. Kimmerer dives into how today’s botany is braided together with traditional teachings.

Get Involved!

Visit dreamofwildhealth.org for more information on ways to increase your native plant and medicinal herb knowledge. You can also volunteer for Farm Fridays, a chance to work on the farm.

Dig Into Indigenous Foods,
Michelle

Copyright 2021, Michelle Bruhn. Reprinted courtesy of Northern Gardener magazine, 1935 West County Rd. B2, Suite 125, Roseville, MN 55113.

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Planting cover crop seed is an easy and effective way to practice good soil health on any scale. There are a few tips and tricks for having the best luck for home gardeners. Timing and seed selection are key!

General Benefits of Planting a Cover Crop

• Better Water Retention – soil with root mass holds more water
• Less Weeding – soil that is covered keeps weed seeds from germinating
• Reduced Disease – soil life diversity increases disease resistance
• Less splash up – having a physical barrier between the soil and plants reduces pathogens from infecting plants

What Is a Cover Crop?

Cover crops are plants, usually grasses or legumes in vegetable gardens that are grown to benefit the soil rather than for harvest. Planted during off-seasons or between cash crops, they prevent erosion, suppress weeds, manage pests, and increase soil fertility. They act as a protective, living mulch, improving soil structure and organic matter.

There are many different ways of cover cropping, from holding a field for a full year, or part of spring or over the winter. Because I succession plant so much of my garden space (from early spring to late fall), I don’t leave much of my soil bare at any one time. But one of the reasons I have incorporated cover crops is how easy it is to sow the seeds after harvesting a late summer crop.

There are many different benefits of planting cover crops in the garden. One is to build up organic matter in the soil. Another is using legumes to add nitrogen to the soil. A final reason is to help break up compacted heavy soil with plants that have think roots. If left to rot they create wonderful space in the soil for nutrient and water transfer. I see cover cropping as another way of Companion Planting for your garden.

Soil Health Starts with Cover

It always helps me to know the WHY behind whatever I’m doing. You too?

Before I started planting cover crops years ago, I took a deep dive into soil health. Asking, “Why are we planting seeds in the fall when they won’t have time to mature?” The basic answer is soil health.

When bare soil is pounded by rain it compresses it making it harder for roots, worms, nutrients and even water to penetrate. When bare soil is baked by the sun, it dries and cracks. Any existing soil life moves deeper down under ground and the existing organic material becomes stagnant and lifeless.

Adding a mulch like straw or leaves keeps a protective barrier on top of the soil, preventing both compaction and drying. Green mulches will also decompose over time adding organic matter to the soil. This makes it even more inviting for more varieties of soil life.

If you decide growing a cover crop isn’t something you want to do, try adding a layer of organic mulch (leaves or straw) to that bare garden soil instead. Your soil will reward you the following year!

On a large scale, we can see carbon dioxide levels rise after farmland is harvested and tilled—and the soil is left bare for months. The levels above the same areas drop drastically once crops start growing again in the spring. If you want to be wowed at the power of plants to create carbon sinks, watch this time lapse video from NASA.

Planting Cover Crops for Soil Health

When we feed the soil we keep it alive.

Cover cropping is a way to grow your own mulch which feeds the soil in different ways from organic mulches. By choosing which seeds to plant, you can choose what to feed your soil. Most home gardeners are looking to add some nitrogen, some organic material, and maybe help with breaking up the soil a little with their cover crop.

 Oats + Peas + Radish: I find great results with a seed blend of oats, peas and radishes. Specifically, a blend with these three seeds called Nitro Max Mix from Albert Lea Seed has done well for me. 

The oats create a thick mat of mulch keeping weeds down the following spring (see the notes on allelopathy below). The peas add nitrogen and the radishes break up the soil. I also blend my own with organic seed from my local feed mill. Locally, I know that EggPlant Urban Farm Supply also carries cover crop seed.

Another winner for home gardeners is Buckwheat. This plant is easy to cut back—but should be cut before the seed heads form so it doesn’t re-seed. Buckwheat is usually planted in the spring before a later succession of heat loving crops like tomatoes, peppers or zucchini. You can both leave the cut stalks or work into the soil.

Crimson clover is a wonderful way to add nitrogen (it is a legume). It can also be used as a living mulch. This is a great choice for attracting lots of pollinators. But make sure to chop after blooming before seeds set, or you’ll be growing it forever

How I Cover Crop

In Minnesota, I most often plant cover crops in the fall. Right after I’ve harvested something that required more digging than my normal no till practices, like potatoes is typical. Since I’m already digging into the soil, it feels natural to plant something that will build back soil relationships. This is part pf practicing no till gardening even though I’m planting.

Plant these crops 5-6 weeks before a frost or freeze will kill them off.

That’s another reason I prefer an oat-based cover crop: they always winter-kill. This is often a concern for home gardeners thinking about cover crops. With plants that die with freezing temperatures you don’t have to worry about the cover crop self-seeding the next season.

Get Planting

Direct seed into soil that was recently harvested from. I usually plant out in mid-September. Water and let it grow.

I often use a wire covering over the freshly planted seed to keep pests from digging into the soil. In the spring you’ll find a nice mat of dead mulch on top of the soil as well as a thick root mass still intact under the soil. These roots have kept a whole host of soil microorganisms closer over winter. This soil life would have had nothing to feed on and left otherwise.

I tend to plant transplants or larger seeded crops into these areas to leave as much of the soil as possible undisturbed come spring.

If you do need to till in the cover crop, it is recommended to wait three to four weeks to plant. Tilling in the dead plant matter will alter the soil activity to the point where your new transplants or seeds won’t do well.

Allelopathy Explained

Allelopathy is another way to harness the power of cover crops. This is a process when a plant secretes growth inhibiting compounds from its roots. Even cucumbers excrete a growth prohibiting chemical via their roots. But most people use this chemical warfare to their advantage with crops left in the ground. Oats are a great example. As the oat straw decomposes, creating a wonderful mulch, its also leaving behind a residue (phenolic acid) that prohibits seed germination.

Living Mulches

A living mulch is anything that keeps down other plant growth just by growing itself. It is worth mentioning within cover cropping simply because it is another sustainable way to keep the ground covered while feeding the soil life. I’m a firm believer in planting Dutch white clover in my garden paths. I’ve had great success with bringing in even more pollinators by adding clover.

Now the clover is slowly taking over the old grass. It requires less mowing and is easier to weed out of edges of gardens compared to the old existing lawn. Living mulches can also be used to simply shade out other plants.

Bottom line is to keep your soil covered for happier plants and a better harvest. So, tell me, have you cover cropped or will you now? What other questions do you have about planting a cover crop in your home garden?

Dig In,
Michelle

The post Cover Crops for Soil Health: A Comprehensive Guide appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

Making garden beds this way works with nature’s existing cycles, creating healthy soil, less weeding and happier plants!

This process does NOT need to be created inside a box, just easier to keep layers tidy, I’ve success both in and out of boxes!

Build It and They Will Come!

The idea of setting up a garden bed like this is to let nature do the work for you. You’ll be helping nature create good soil by composting in place- and that requires things for the soil organisms to eat. By giving a diverse group of soil life things to feast on you can create a very active and healthy soil to plant into.

Building Better Soil

Soil biodiversity creates a more resilient garden. I like to equate good soil organisms with good gut health. We’ve likely all heard of pre- and pro- biotics; the helpers of digestion (and so much more). Soil organisms help break things down and make them available to plants in a similar fashion.

Everything from worms and beetles we can see, to bacteria, fungi, protozoa, nematodes and actinomycetes (though I sure couldn’t tell you what those looked like!) have a specific job to do- and many work in relationship with vegetable plant roots to feed them. There is a whole world of info about the soil food web out there, and I suggest watching THIS by Dr. Elaine Ingham if you want to dig a little deeper.

BUT… the beauty of this process is that it works without you knowing soil biology! By layering the raw materials listed below the good guys will set up shop breaking down matter AND making it available to your plants in a few short months.

Helpful Garden Terms

No Dig Gardening: Leaving the soil as undisturbed as possible.

Sheet Composting VS Sheet Mulching:  Sheet Mulching is where you overlap cardboard and place mulch directly over it (like I did for my front yard garden). Sheet composting is another term for Lasagna gardening.

Hügelkultur: Using wood and other organic matter to warm and drive faster decomposition. (I think of this as Lasagna Gardening on steroids.)

the more you know

When to Build

You can start building a garden this way anytime, but Fall is a great time. You’ll have lots of yard waste to add to the boxes, plus letting the bed sit overwinter will give the layers time to decompose and release some of the nutrients to help feed plants next spring. In northern climates, like us in Minnesota, the freeze thaw cycle also helps break things down over winter.

The process can take up to six months- another reason why Fall is a great time to get started. And yes, it will continue to decompose over winter even in Minnesota. Remember this is a cold (or slow) compost process, not a hot one.

Remember to Practice No Dig Garden Clean Up Techniques every fall as well. Cut healthy, annual plants back at the soil level to leave roots in the ground. This will help feed soil life over winter.

Step by Step Bed Construction:

Choose a location for your new garden (veggies do best in full sun) then decide the dimensions and start laying down the layers!

• Mow: Mow grass as short as possible where you will be creating the garden bed. This step can also help define the edges and curves as garden beds should be easy to mow around!

• Fork: Using a small tined pitchfork or broad fork if you have one, gently push into the soil to create air holes and ‘space’. This invites worms and the larger organisms towards the surface.

• Compost: Lay a thin layer of compost under the cardboard to entice soil life up into the area.

• Cardboard: Lay solid cardboard (free of color printing or tape!) over space, making sure to overlap liberally. Overlapping too little can cause weeds to find light and sneak up. Collecting large sheets of cardboard from appliances, and friends that have recently moved can be a big help!

• Layer: Now we start adding all that organic matter which can be broken down into two main groups; carbon or nitrogen suppliers. Layering these invites decomposers to the garden party!

Layer By Layer

To me this is the fun part, finally getting to add the layers. Organic matter high in carbon is often referred to as “browns” and matter high in Nitrogen as “greens”. Thinking of Browns as drier and Greens as wetter helps keep them straight in my head. Sticking to around 2″ per layer helps the process along.

*This really is like composting in place- but without turning the soil ourselves we’re inviting the soil life to turn it for us, so thinner layers are key to success.*

More information on composting HERE!

Carbon Sources

Carbon rich materials include cardboard, newspaper, wood chips, sawdust and dry leaves (another reason to do sheet composting in the fall—you can put all those falling leaves to good use). It’s best to start with a nitrogen layer touching the cardboard to help break it down enough for the soil organisms to bust through.

Nitrogen Sources

Nitrogen rich materials include already composted horse or cow manure, fresh grass clippings, deadheaded flowers, fruit/vegetable scraps, used coffee grounds, and green leaves as well as alfalfa pellets and cottonseed meal.

I also use spent chicken bedding from our backyard flock and consider it a ‘pre-blended’ mix of carbon (straw) and chicken droppings (nitrogen).

Keep the ratio of carbon to nitrogen roughly 70/30 – 50/50. This is a forgiving process, and will eventually create compost regardless of exact proportions.

*The smaller the pieces you add to the layers, the faster it will decompose.*

Unlike traditional composting, during which weed seeds and disease organisms are killed as the pile heats up, this is a cold composting process and will not kill diseases or seeds.

Garden debris that contains weed seeds or diseased materials should be skipped when making a lasagna garden.

Ask me how I know

I’ve created very healthy soil in my new beds and increased my organic matter from 2.8% to 9.8% in two years with No Dig Gardening! Between 4-6% is considered adequate for most veggies. If you’re interested in doing a soil test the U of MN does their basic version for $17, that and lots more info on soil in my article HERE.

I’ve built my fair share of garden beds over the years, and really love the way no till garden beds produce and thrive! It’s also pretty amazing how with a little planning these beds use up yard ‘waste’ and cost virtually nothing!

For loads of great videos on how this can look in a garden check out the OG No Dig guru; Charles Dowding.

If you’re looking to expand your gardens for next season- think about starting now. Make it easy on yourself by layering on the goodness and letting nature do the work.

Dig In!
Michelle

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Seed are life.

Yet many seeds and plants that have populated the planet for eons are at risk of disappearing because they don’t fit the corporate farming model. It is estimated that 75% of plant diversity has been lost over the last century. That’s where Seed Savers Exchange comes in.

Seed Savers Exchange

First- I want to give a shout out to the Seed Savers Exchange for their 2018 Summer Conference at Heritage Farm. I’m still buzzing with all the new information I brought home. I had to share some of what I learned with you all!

They’ve built a vibrant community of dedicated volunteers and staff, all starting with co-founders Diane Ott Whealy and Kent Whealy in 1975. I was lucky enough to meander through Diane’s gardens with her at the beginning of the weekend.

Today, the 890-acre Heritage Farm in Decorah, Iowa grows over 20,000 plant species and has 13,000 members. Meeting some of these wonderful members and staff at their annual conference has increased both my understanding of seed saving and my excitement for it.  I mean with an onsite Seed Swap with people from all over- how could I not get more excited!?!

Plus, plant people are the best people!

If you garden, you’ve likely already benefited from the work of Seed Savers Exchange staff, volunteers and members. There are treasure troves of information on their site and at the store- visit online or in person, often!

Heirloom vs Hybrid Seeds

Patience with Nature

One thing to keep in mind when starting to save seeds is the at we’re really just helping nature along. Waiting long enough for Mother Nature to do her work is a big part of the initial learning curve. …Both waiting for the seed to be ripe enough on the plant and waiting long enough for the seed to be dry enough to put into storage!

In general, plants will tell you when their seeds are ready. They give you signs, like color changes or simply starting to fall off the plant.

Not all seeds are as showy with their seed ripeness, which brings me to Heritage Farm Field crew Leader, Rochelle’s advice, “spend a little time learning about the plant you are saving seeds from. Each crop has some specific information on how to work with it- but don’t be afraid to mess up. There are so many easy plants to start with.”

Wise words from a wise woman (who also really likes driving the farm)!

 Should we save our Own
or Buy from Seed Savers Exchange?

BOTH!

Yes, we can all save the Easy To Save Seeds at home. There are many beautiful books on seed saving, and I’ve got an article on the easiest to save for home gardeners.

Seed Savers Exchange also has a great person-to-person way to keep these home saved seed lines open. They call it “The Exchange” and it is a community of gardeners and seed stewards, sharing and swapping unique varieties you might not find anywhere else. The Yearbook is the printed edition of the Exchange, the gardener-to-gardener seed swap. Printed annually since 1975, the Yearbook is an unrivaled source of unique seeds, grown by home gardeners across the world. The SSE houses around 20,000 varieties at their headquarters.

Participants in the Exchange have saved thousands of rare heirlooms from extinction by connecting with new seed stewards to carry on seed saving traditions to the next generation. Many of the heirlooms that have entered the marketplace in recent years were shared here first, and many more heirlooms are still only found in the gardens of this community.

The Exchange works to keep biodiversity strong and garden traditions thriving. To give you an idea, they have over 8,400 listing for tomatoes. So this is a true non-profit. Actually, as one of the staff said, “we’re one of the few groups who actually want to go out of business. If enough people save enough seed and replant it- we won’t need to exist.”

And that spirit runs through everything they do. They even invite other seed companies to their events, talk about true community.

If you’re looking for a more local and small-scale way to start seed swapping check out you local Seed Library!

 Seed Storage

This is one place I could get MUCH better as I am saving way more seed varieties this year. It is recommended to store seeds in a cool dark place. And usually in a glass jar or plastic bag. Air tight containers will hold seeds viable for longer, you just need to make sure they are fully dried out before sealing it to avoid growing mold instead of more food

For the last decade or so, I mostly keep my home saved seeds in paper bags or paper envelopes in a cool dark area. Sometimes clear glass jars too.

Seed Saving Next Steps

• Check out the Seed Savers Exchange website for more online tips.  
• Look into MN SEED project for native plant seeds
• Read my other seed saving blogs:
  Seed Saving : Annual Flowers
  Seed Saving: Vegetables
• Our local White Bear Lake Seed Library, is housed in the downtown library and gives ‘seed saving talks’ quite frequently.

Once you get the hang of it, Lee Buttala, former ED of SSE suggested, “try to grow a few plants dedicated for seeds. Many plants grow in such a way that you can’t use them for both eating and seed saving.”

I hope I’ve inspired you to start saving your own seeds!  Like most things in life getting started is the hardest part- so please ask for help! Ask me- or find another local seed saver, there is such a great community of people working to ensure diversity in seeds.

Off to collect some calendula seeds… and dig into some of the amazing food ripening in my gardens!

Dig In!
Michelle

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Here’s a quick(ish) look into why I believe taking the extra effort to eat local pays off in dividends larger than we can measure.

Nothing beats sun ripened home grown tomatoes!

Local Food Tastes Better 

Fresh + local food just tastes better. Exhibit A> The Tomato. Homegrown varieties will leave you smiling as you savor the layers of flavor that drip off the sun warmed juices. The store bought, often packaged version of tomatoes  we get up North in winter are pale pink, mealy, styrofoam imposters. Don’t even get me started on eggs

Nutritional Value

Food loses nutrients after it is harvested- up to 30% in three short days! Being able to pick a salad out of my garden or buy from a farmer that harvested earlier that day means more nutritional ‘bang’ for my buck or my work than buying food that was shipped across the country. Not to mention food flown/shipped here from another continent before it was ripe.

Lower Carbon Footprint

Next generation of Costas Farm Family helping you get your dose of daily veggies.

Local food (obviously) doesn’t travel as far- so it doesn’t have all those packaging + transportation costs that come with food traveling on average 1,500-4,000 miles, such as; gas, (trucks/trains/planes, drivers, health insurance, middle management, CAFO Operators…) There’s A LOT of info on the internet back and forth about this issue. You can make numbers say anything you want depending on what slice of the pie (strawberry thank you) you look at. I have to say that if people spend a Saturday morning buying a bunch of fresh veggies from local farms, or digging in their gardens, I have a hard time seeing that as a loss. (PS- buy produce in bulk when you go, bring reusable bags, or heck, just read more of my tips on shopping Farmers Market. )

Local Economy Boost

Small scale farmers put it all on the line each year, not knowing what the weather, banks or pests + critters will do. Go ahead, thank a farmer today! When the food you eat comes from closer to home, the money put into growing that food stays closer to home too.  The Shop Local movement is strong on many fronts and local food is leading the way! Restaurants are jumping on the local food bandwagon too. Some Twin Cities area restaurants are having wonderful results.  Also, there is a whole lifting of the community that happens when people truly support local that is hard to quantify, but easy to feel.

Lower Food Waste

Between keeping chickens +composting we throw away very little food.

From farm to table over 40% of the food grown in the US is wasted.  Just thrown away, in a land fill. Where the food will decompose in an anaerobic environment, releasing more carbon dioxide, worsening climate change. Unless you don’t believe in that sort of thing. Processing food, transporting food and ‘picture perfect’ grocery store demands all add to that high percentage of waste. But we each play a large role in that as well…

In 2018, more than 63 million tons of food waste was generated from residential, commercial, and institutional sectors, with 4.1 percent diverted from landfills and combustion facilities for composting.
-EPA website

When we spend more on locally grown food, whether apples, bacon, eggs or broccoli, we are more likely to make sure we use it or preserve it (freezers are awesome, people). We simply value local food more and if that helps decrease food waste I’d say that’s a pretty good place to start.

Building Better Soil

Thank you Farmer Josh! …of Turnip Rock Farm, his wife runs Cosmic Wheel Creamery on the farm as well.

I know you probably don’t think about the state of your local soil, but your small family farmers sure do. When they live on the land they farm, they tend to the land differently than corporate farms. The rise of organic farming and intensive rotational grazing is a sign that people are starting to taste the difference, and man is it delicious!

The first time I ever tasted real butter I was with my father’s family in Switzerland, eating butter that had been made from cows that ate from the alpine pastures just up the mountain… it was the most amazing butter EVER, and it was a major AH-HA moment for me!

Soil is the stuff that sustains life on this planet- along a million other parts of this beautiful ecological web. But is the soil is depleted and contaminated it won’t matter how much good water and sun beckon plants. Without fertile soil, plants won’t produce.

Skip the Herbicides + Pesticides + Fungicides

I like knowing what is in my food. Way back in 1987 the EPA considered 60% of all herbicides, 90 percent of all fungicides and 30 percent of all insecticides carcinogenic. The numbers waver after that, I wonder why. Big chemical companies (YES I’m talking to you MONSANTO & DUPONT, and all the other mega-agri companies listed HERE , are out to sell more product, not grow good food.  Children are also more susceptible to these toxins in their food as their bodies are still developing.  If you’ve ever cringed because you got that chemical taste in our mouth because you didn’t wash your conventionally grown (heavily sprayed) apple off well enough you know what I mean.

Late season harvest of kale was the sweetest yet!

Healthy Food = Healthy People

Which brings us back to how food tastes.  The better tasting the food, the more we eat. Foods like kale, Brussel sprouts and broccoli taste a million times (2nd grader approved math) better when fresh.  We all know we need to eat more fresh fruits and veggies. If we want to get the next generation moving in the right direction, offering them delicious food is a good place to start.

My oldest excited for his first bite of home grown celery

I want to get our next generation (my kids included) more connected to where their food comes from. Planting a seed and working with the earth to help it become food is not just a hipster trend- it is the way humans survive.

Local food- growing it and/or finding farmers who grow it is a passion of mine. And I’m still far from fully local (because bananas, olives, chocolate, Chipotle etc.). We’re all busy with daily life, and we’re all at different places on the food path. We also all choose our food at least three times a day (aren’t we lucky!). So if we all chose a few things to grow on our own, or buy local it would, over time swell to a sea change that would be felt over all the land. And really, I want this land to be here to feed my kids’ grandkids healthy food too.

But mostly, I just like digging in the dirt, eating good food and meeting farmers

Just remember, Food Should Taste Good and if it doesn’t it’s time to ask ‘why not’?

I hope we can keep Digging In to local food, one meal at a time- together.

Michelle

The post Local Food For Thought appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

“We connect and strengthen farmers, food makers, and communities through good food.”

This is the place you can learn how to make kimchi, pick up a farm share with locally made add-ons, attend a beginning farmers conference, volunteer in a hoop house or find your child’s school lunch staff kicking up their culinary skills. Full circle!

There is also a contagious positivity running through those artfully slanted walls that makes it all gel.

I stumbled upon this powerhouse operation online while looking up local CSA’s. Turns out Community Supported Agriculture is the perfect term for part of what happens here, but The Good Acre goes way beyond the traditional CSA.

What is a Food Hub Anyway?

Farm Share Packing Day

A food hub, as defined by the USDA, is “a centrally located facility with a business management structure facilitating the aggregation, storage, processing, distribution, and/or marketing of locally/regionally produced food products.”

The thing that the USDA missed in its definition is the community that takes root around an initiative like this. There are farmers who would not be making it if it weren’t for TGA. In 2016 around 65,000 pounds of food moved through the facility. That’s 65,000 pounds of food that traveled significantly less than the average 1,500 miles. Hello lowered carbon footprint.

Food Hubs like TGA aren’t prolific, and that may be in part because for now, they rarely turn a profit. They are often funded in part by donations, grants and in the case of TGA- significant support from the Pohlad Family Foundation.

There’s so much shaking at TGA on any given day, that’s it’s easy to overlook one of the ways they bring good food to the community. So, let’s break down how they put the mission into action.

Cala Farms

Farmers:
The Good Acre has a dedicated staff member to do farm visits and help with things from building soil fertility to crop planning for the items TGA has contracted to buy.  Staying up to date on the latest farm safety protocol and working with wholesalers on behalf of the farmers they partner with is another piece of the pie. Another thing that shows TGA’s support to making lasting change in the local food system is:

Grower Support Specialist, David VanEeckhout
“He’s been an organic farmer for over 20 years and helps our farmers implement sustainable and organic practices on their farm that will help them with pest management, soil fertility, and more.”

Photo credit: The Good Acre

They also tend three hoop houses of varying sizes and strengths as testing grounds for farmers interested in growing some seasonally-extended crops. They are used for instructional purposes, and supply berries, ginger, peppers and tomatoes to local food makers such as Chow Girls and You Betcha Kimchi.

Galen and crew brewing Kimchi

Storage:
They have both dry storage, cooler and freezer storage spaces available for rent. This type of space is hard to come by,  which Galen Kanazawa, of Fierce Ferments,can attest to that, “The Good acre offered us affordable and convenient storage space. Being able to make as much as we need to with no space limitations enabled us to scale up to a warehouse distribution level of business. Additionally, they helped us gain a higher profile by getting our name out there in front of some bigger accounts that we otherwise likely wouldn’t have noticed us.”

Photo credit: The Good Acre

Farm Share:
The new TGA CSA, Power in numbers. Simply pooling farmers produce and offering it up in a carefully curated box each week is another way TGA connects local community with the local good food. Because they work with a variety of ‘often’ organic farms you can expect to see up to 70 varieties of produce over the course of the season this year! Because of their close relationships with many local makers (like produce from their farmers, then made in their kitchens) they are able to offer some great “add-ons” to their farm share as well- like fresh eggs, bread, kombucha, kimchi and the like. More info HERE.

Sound like the perfect option for you? Sign up for their 18 week Farm Share HERE!

Wholesale:
TGA works with wholesale accounts in hopes the good food coming through their doors is spread wide and far. They work with a handful of local wholesalers, and increasingly, schools and hospitals, YAY! *we still have a long way to go on bringing this into the mainstream*

White Bear Lake Schools kitchen staff perfecting their roasting skills. Photo credit: The Good Acre

This hit close to home when I realized TGA had directly effected my kid’s lunchroom. Turns out TGA worked with our local White Bear Lake school district’s kitchen staff on how to cook with the local produce they are procuring through their wholesale program. “The Good Acre currently works with over a dozen area school districts, all of which have the opportunity to bring their Nutrition Service staff members in for training on scratch cooking techniques and development of healthy recipes scaled up for the lunch line and suited to kids tastes”, offers Nikki Warner, TGA marketing manager. A food hub that can offer locally grown produce and training on how to prepare it really is a win/win for our schools and our kids. This awesome service is funded by the USDA Farm to School Grant TGA was awarded in 2017. Keep it coming!

I’m jumping up on my soap box now:
This is such a great way to start that sea change in moving towards making local food systems sustainable. When we ask for healthier, local foods on our children’s lunch menus it has an effect that takes root. A child may be offered that food for a first time, or know the food and get others excited about it. Of course kids are always going to get excited for sweets, but they do get excited for brussel sprouts too- when they taste good. I love that TGA is there for the full circle from working with the farmers, the wholesalers and the kitchen staff to implement real change in the way our kids view food. I’m jumping back down now.

“We believe that the more that we can connect local makers to our network of growers, the more equitable, vibrant and resilient our local food system will be.”  The Good Acre website

Making Mushroom Jerky!

Commercial Kitchen: Rental
With Food safety laws as they stand, if you’re going to sell food in a store you need to make it in a commercial kitchen. Which is good for public health, but bad for start-up companies. Introducing the shared space commercial kitchen. These kind of ‘rentable’ kitchens are popping up in more places all over the country, there’s even a website, Food Corridor, that connects makers with kitchen space. These spaces give small companies, like ProCured Mushroom Jerky  a chance to break into the local wholesale and institutional markets. TGA currently rents this space out to 15 different makers every month. If you’re interested in adding your name to the growing list of renters- find more info HERE.

Commercial Kitchen: Classes

Ready to make my own yogurt thanks to Iman Mefleh of You Bethca Kimchi

I just took my first TGA class, a DIY yogurt class and I have to tell you the instructor made us all feel right at home in that stainless steel kitchen.  I’ve gone to some other cooking classes before and this felt more approachable and laid back- but with so many great tips and tricks thrown in there by Iman Mefleh of You Bethca Kimchi that is was worth every penny. Julia Cohen, the Culinary Support Specialist, is pumped about the wide variety of offerings in their kitchen, “We offer cooking classes truly ‘for the people’, our classes are approachable and our instructors are some of the best around.”

I was really impressed with how much information I walked away with for a very reasonable price. They offer tons of classes, on everything from Pho to kitchen skills ‘boot camp’. The best place to keep up with their class offerings is their TGA Facebook page. I can’t wait to go back and try something else new. If you become addicted to their classes, they have a Cooks Club membership that saves you money on multiple classes and gets you some awesome perks. For now, I’m excited I know what to do with the extra whey in my yogurt!

Maker to Market:
You guys, this program makes me so happy. It’s genius in its simplicity- and beautiful in its heart.  From the website:  “Lakewinds Food Co-op and The Good Acre have partnered under a shared purpose: bring new and diverse slow food products to the world as we strengthen our food community as a whole. We help independent food makers hit the ground running. We source ingredients from small, local, and disadvantaged farmers to cultivate our local food economy. And we give consumers amazing new choices at shelf. It’s a win-win-win.”

From Senoras de Salsa,to Caldo Foods sauces and spices, the results are delicious!

They are currently accepting applications for the 2^nd Maker to Market! More info HERE.

mix and match fingerlings

Bringing  Food + Community Full Circle
This is one lean, mean food systems machine. Nestled into the east side of the Twin Cities Metro, and across the street from some U of MN test fields, TGA add such value to the food we eat, the farmers in our midst and the future of food systems.

Implementing the “Frost Mob” was another way I tried to get involved this past year. Interested in helping local farmers quickly gather crops threatened by unexpected frosts? Or maybe you’re interested in volunteering in another way? You can let their spunky marketing manager, Nikki Warner know by emailing her.

In so many ways they are doing the heavy lifting of laying a solid foundation. They’re working to make small farms viable thanks to the Pohlad Family Foundation, some large grants and individual donations. They hope to be self sufficient, and what will help that to happen is for us consumers to vote with our dollars. You’ve heard that before, but we can use our dollars not only to buy from local farmers via Farm Shares and  farmers markets,  but the larger food movers, the wholesale food side– like restaurants, school lunch programs, hospitals and other institutional wholesale opportunities.

Asking where your food comes from is a Good place to start.

I am a huge proponent of the Farmers Market and CSA (or TGA’s Farm Share) but thinking about making small farms secure far into the future we’ll need to do more than buy a few tomatoes from a few of them every week; we need to find a way for local to be necessary – not a luxury.

I can’t wait to Dig In to making my own yogurt. Thank you to The Good Acre for  doing Good Work!

Michelle

The post The Good Acre: Full Circle Food Hub appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

I found a farm, with a ‘little’ twist…

Meet Kayla and Eric  Elefson, the young farming couple behind Turtle Hare Farm’s tasty micro green mixes, tomatoes, salad greens and coming next summer- gourmet garlic!

As most really good stories go, they came to farming in a round-about, unintended way. Both take to the stage regularly. Kayla is a dancer with ‘Eclectic Edge Ensemble’, and a choreographer (White Bear Lake High School is performing her steps in their “Footloose” musical as I’m writing this post.) Eric is an actor working with Mad Munchkin Productions and the Math and Science Academy.

After a mild injury Kayla had to step away from the strenuous dance routines, and took a farming class on a whim. Both Kayla and Eric grew up on hobby farms, so it wasn’t a huge stretch. But after some soul searching and learning about “Holistic Management” they came upon micro green farming as a way to jump into farming right away- without jumping deep into debt.

Now, there’s no reason to go back. They love supplying people with organically grown, locally delivered, super fresh produce year round.

With two years under their belts they’ve already fine-tuning and weeding out some of their original practices. Switching their field of tomatoes to garlic will require many less summer hours of labor but give close to the same profit. Their outdoor garden space is only 1,400 square feet and yet it is adequate to supply the markets they serve. Working out of their home in Lakeland Township gives them the best of both worlds.

What’s the BIG deal with micro greens?

Micro greens are plants in between the stages of sprouts and baby greens- and are said to be the ‘sweet spot’ where taste meets nutrition.

Studies have shown that micro greens are loaded with nutrients, such vitamins, C, E, and K, lutein, and beta-carotene. Up to 40 fold compared to the mature leaves of the same plants! This is another well rounded article from Web MD.

Micro Greens contain up to 40 X the nutrients of their full grown plants!

These itty-bitty leaves add a crispy flavor boost to salads, sandwiches, and tacos, and pair well with warmed dishes too. Some die hard micro fans only eat them raw, as cooking does reduce some of the nutritional potency. For me, I figure I’ll eat them as they fit into my menu. Cooked or not, they are still one of the most nutrient dense foods around.

How do you grow micro greens?

Pea Shoots!!

Kayla and Eric have quite the set up in their home. I know, inside! Farming inside means they can keep the grow lights on year-round and keep supplying us with these good greens no matter the season. For Minnesota, where the growing season is cut off by the end of October, and doesn’t start up again until the end of April; that is a pretty darn big deal. Yes, there are other costs to growing year-round, but because of the design of their micro farm, it is space and energy efficient.

Turns out that growing these greens is easier in the Spring, Fall and Winter; with their more predictable weather trends. Summer can prove tricky with its high heat and humidity. I learned that if the air is too humid it can rot those little seeds before you blink. But, since Kayla takes immaculate care of the 150 or so trays of greens growing each week, they rarely loose a crop. And if a tray looks below their standards, she can compost that one and start a quicker sprouting variety and get back on track for the next farmer’s market or co-op drop.

Early on in the compost process!

The time frame of the crops are so condensed, which means every hour counts; keeping temps, moisture and nutrients at just the right levels was a steep learning curve at first. They are getting the swing of it, even with the trickier seeds like arugula.

They start with specially blended, organic soils and seeds.  And now, all the roots and soils used over the last growing seasons are being added into their bedding mixes as finished compost- removing the need to haul in other composts. You know how much I love that!

My summer salad: home grown Black Krim Tomatoes and Turtle Hare pea shoots!

Eat Your Greens

I fell in love with micro greens by adding them to the skillet with my morning eggs. There are some beautiful omelet recipes out there, but I’m a fried or scrambled kind of gal. Also, these will take your stir fry up a notch, especially the pea shoots!

Kayla’s favorite way to use microgreens: making stir fry with sunflower shoots. “I sautee them for about 30 seconds-1 minute in garlic, red pepper flakes, a little bit of oil, with a little bit of soy or coconut aminos,” she says. Eric eats his almost daily with his eggs, my kind of guy They both agree that they make amazing pesto!

There are some way more imaginative ways to use the greens HERE. Roasted broccoli and micro green soup anyone!?! If these don’t catch your eye, BRIT+CO has gathered some micro green recipes that I’ll be trying, especially the roasted root veggie + micro greens tacos. The photos alone make my mouth water.

It’s easy being (micro) Green!

If this sounds like exactly what you need to get you through the winter, you are so in luck!

Turtle Hare Farm offers a WINTER CSA membership! They are accepting new memberships with many drop spots across the east metro, and into Minneapolis

They also supply Seward Community Co-op in Minneapolis- lucky neighborhood.

One important thing to keep in mind regarding greens in the depths of a Midwest winter is how quickly vegetables lose their nutritional value. They loose up to half their nutrients in about a week, according to studies- another reason Kayla and Eric decided to grow through the winter supply customers with a Winter CSA.

I can’t wait to see what this couple comes up with next, as they work on shaping their dreams of a ‘Slow Farm Retreat”. Sign…Me…Up…

I love me some slow food,, but I love the super fast growing micro greens too. I can’t wait to dig into a bag of bright green, crispy fresh, locally grown greens in January and happily munch like its July!

What’s you favorite way to eat your micro greens?

Dig In,

Michelle

The post Micro Greens + Macro Dreams appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

July 15: Eat Local Co-op Farm Tour 

The barn doors are wide open. Twin Cities co-ops have gathered 27 of their hard-working farmers together to open their farms, fields, milking rooms etc. to you for the day. Use this Farm Tour guide to map out your self guided tour and see which farms have special activities, music, even samples that match your interest. This is a great FREE way to let your kid milk their first cow, see actual farm work being done, pull their first carrot and talk to farmers about how they farm. Be ready to stock up on farm fresh produce-right from the farm! Last year my boys and I experienced a great sense of community at Big River Farms,  along with a great wagon ride, samples and music. We bought a few things that had been picked right from the fields we toured. This year they’ve added a little something extra with pollinators! I remember it as one of best days with my boys last summer.

Wagon riders at last year’s Big River Farms’ tour day.

Tips: Wear farm appropriate clothing (farm boots, sun hat), bring along some bug spray, a cooler for things you buy and a lunch if you want. Learn from my mistake last summer! Print out a google map, because these are RURAL farms, you may lose service once you’re on the road!

Stay up to the minute and Follow on Facebook. TC.Farm (also featured below in the Tullibee Butcher Dinner) went the extra acre this year and created their own guide; which looks awesome!

Details: 10am-4pm. 31 locations across the extended metro area.

Photo credit: Alex Johnson Photography

July 15: Minnesota Waldorf School Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival

While not directly local food/farm related, I’m pretty sure a few hootenannies and shenanigans will conspire on the festival grounds. My kids are stoked to see The Okee Dokee Brothers! And The Roe Family Singers will get your feet moving for sure. Full line up and schedules for all the performers and extras HERE; like Log Rolling, Obstacle course, Dunk Tank and Face Painting for the kids and beers on tap, artists vendors to browse between sets. And then there’s the food truck line up. Bring on the Hoe Down!

Details: Saturday July 15^th 12-8,
tickets available HERE ,  $14 children, $25 adult
MN Waldorf School 70 County Road B E, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55117

Copyrighted photo by Scott A. Schneider

July 15: Midsummer Festival at Cedar Lake Regional Farm Park

This event is in conjunction with the Credit River Antique Tractor Show. Antique tractors don’t come on tour very often, so if ‘making hay back in the day’ is your thing you better get on this! There will food concessions and music to go along with trying out some fishing, kayaking and archery. This ‘farm park’ has transformed over the last few years. More info on the park HERE. And register for free HERE

Details: Saturday, July 15th. Free. 10-5, children 13 and under must attend with an adult.
Cedar Lake Regional Farm Park, 25875 Juniper Avenue, New Prague MN 56071

July 15 & 16: Wine Meets Art at St. Croix Vineyards

Being able to enjoy locally grown/crafted award winning wine while strolling through over 20 booths full of locally made art, yes please. Add in local food trucks like Elaine Chang and Nella’s Smokehouse Barbecue and live music floating by? Summer bliss! And the vineyard itself is something to behold, nestled next to Aamodts Apple Farm it adds a family friendly flair. Local wineries are popping up all along our wonderful river valleys here in the Midwest and I am tickled Rose by each of them, but St. Croix Vineyards has been doing this a while and knows how to throw some fun events (Wine stomping anyone?), along with bringing home all kinds of medals for their wines.

Details: 11am-6pm, July 15^th & 16^th, Winery tours start at 12.
St Croix Vineyards 6428 Manning Avenue Stillwater, MN 55082

July 16: Tullibee Butcher’s Dinner

Feat. TC Farm’s “American Guinea Hog”

A roast to remember with Hewing’s own butcher Brian Merkel and Tullibee Chef Bradley Day along with the farmer  T.C. Farm .  This seems like a pretty unique opportunity (only once a year) to taste “the Forest Hog” which are raised solely in open pasture.  Since I am out of my depth (I’ve never heard of this kind of hog before, have you?) here’s some information direct from their

Charcuterie board at Tullibee.

website: “The team at Tullibee will be preparing chartucerie, roasts, pastries and desserts showcasing the pristine protein versatility of this amazing pig. While large format roasts cook over the open hearth, guests will have the opportunity to engage with the chefs, farmer ad butcher…”  This sounds amazing, if anyone goes, please let me know how it was!

Details: Sunday, July 16th, 6-9, $55 per ticket. Come hungry
Tullilbee is in the Hewing Hotel, 300 N Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55401

July 16: SociableSummer – Americana Fest

Sociable Ciderwerks offers a lineup worthy of a laid back Sunday afternoon! So much goodness squeezed into one chill space. Music plays a big part of these gatherings and to prove it they’ve got Bill DeVille of 89.3 The Current hosting the event, featuring: Roe Family Singers, The Dead Pigeons, No Man’s String Band, Dead Horses

Food trucks from Red River Kitchen, Butcher Salt, The Anchor Fish & Chips, Potter’s Pasties to sweeten the deal.

Details:  Sunday July 16^th 2-9pm. $5 Wristbands: The event is free to attend. However, if you will be imbibing 21+ Wrist bands available at the door for $5.00 with a portion of proceeds benefiting SACA Food Shelf & Thrift Store. VIP packages available.
Sociable Ciderwerks, 1500 Fillmore St NE Minneapolis, MN 55413

Well, then…

If those events don’t get you out of your own garden (I’m so guilty of this sometimes) and into the world of local food this weekend- I don’t know what would. I’m just enthralled that all these events are even possible. Think about it: The farmers are dedicated, the chefs are dedicated and the event planners are dedicated. So many people working together to craft these experiences to satisfy your summer quest for a delightful eating experience. Three Cheers for local food.

I can’t wait to dig into this weekend!

Michelle

The post Forks’ Weekend Spread: July! appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

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.

It makes sense; if a farmer sets a tray of produce onto hot pavement (which will wilt it) at the market, how are they handling that food when no one is looking? Are there re-used containers, open or closed containers in the vehicle, coolers?

When my kids were at that ‘suicide watch’ stage of development (aka most of toddlerhood), I’d feel bad asking a farmer a question only to have to abandon the conversation to chase after my offspring. I still learned a ton  by hanging back (fine, call it eves dropping) and I kept coming back for more!

Not quite speed dating, but…
Just because the first farmer you come across has beautiful cucumbers doesn’t mean the farmers down the way don’t have beautiful cucumbers too- maybe grown organically and less expensive. The Real Estate law of “Location, Location, Location” applies to farmer’s markets as well. Take your time and shop around. The farmers’ stalls stay put, you get to peruse and compare- it’s actually really fun once you get comfy!

Happy shoppers on opening day at the White Bear Lake Farmers Market.

The More the Merrier

Bring friends with you to the market. You’ll be more likely to linger and maybe a wee bit bolder to ask farmers your burning questions. *Bonus* you’ll have someone to keep your kids from eating all the bread/caramel corn/honey samples at the next booth over (yes, I’ve learned my lesson now).

Getting to know these hard working, knowledgeable farmers adds so much more than a few extra ears of corn in your bag (which farmers have been known to do after building a relationship with you.) These are the people who know what is coming into season next week, and what will be gone until next year. Valuable info that helps you plan meals around the freshest produce!

I have no idea who this guy is, I just could not decide who my favorite farmer is…

Get Social

To take your connection to the next level, go ahead and ask your favorite farmer if they’re online. You’d be amazed at how many farmers share their stories on one or more social networks. You’ll get to see stories about the ups and downs of farming, healthy recipes for what’s in season and maybe even some adorable baby chick, lamb and calf photos- who wouldn’t want a few of these stories rolling through their feed!?!

Some of my favorite social sites so far:
Facebook:  Heinel Farms  &  Fresh Earth Farms
Instagram: Winnowburrow Farm  &  The Dirt Mag
Blog:  Broadfork Farm

Do you have a Family Farm’s social site you love? Please share it with us!

The early bird gets the… Melon

If you’re craving a watermelon, and they’re just coming on, get there early because there’s no warehouse storage facilities here. Farmers tend to harvest everything that’s ripe and within the realm of what they can sell that day. Example: If the weather is supposed to be rainy, the farmers won’t expect as many shoppers at market, they might not harvest as much, but the clouds blow away and it’s a beautiful summer morning. Well, just see how many farmers are completely sold out before the end of market time. This is part of the local food game. If you think about it, they’re just being good stewards of the land. I mean they have to cut it close, because just like you hate to throw away a bag of spinach- so do they.

*ps- Composting a purchased bag of greens is worlds away from tossing your lovingly home-grown greens; believe me!

Procrastinators Rewards

Showing up late has its advantages at the market. Since these are real farmers in charge of their own sales they can decide to take some $ off the top if the market is closing soon and no one was interested in broccoli that day.  Or if you buy by the case/bushel rather than a few at  a time. Which is a great way to stock that freezer with nutrient rich locally grown food for the long cold winter nights. For some pointers on freezing look no further than our very own University of Minnesota and their easy to follow resources for How to Freeze Produce. Or just watch THIS U of MN VIDEO narrated by Forks in the Dirt guest blogger, Megan Baumler.

At my hometown White Bear Lake Farmer’s Market, about 30 minutes before closing some farmers are ready to sell at a discount, but timing probably depends on the size and attendance of the market. Also, the veggies will be picked through, but anything you buy there will be fresher by far than a grocery store. But be prepared if the hot new item is gone by the end of the market.

A Few More Tips

Any decent article on farmer’s market how-to should include these points as well:

• Bring your own bags (in my book re-useable bags include Target bags that actually do a better job of keeping in moisture than fabric bags).
• Bring Cash (duh).
• Know that you can use SNAP benefits at most markets (check the market website)
• Bring a cooler (there are amazing meats and dairy at these markets too).
• If your low on self-control, (like yours truly) feed your crew first, trust me here!
• SMILE! You are lucky to be able to shop this variety of lovingly grown food

I urge you to get out there and visit your local farmer’s market- and I dare you to wait the extra week or two to buy from your local farmer’s market what the grocery store has delivered from down south. Your taste buds, the local economy, and even your nutritional intake will be improved!

New to the Farmer’s Market Game? Here’s the MN Grown list of Famer’s Markets,   it may take me a while to make it to all 185 Farmer’s Markets in MN, but I’m going to go ahead and DIG IN!

Michelle

The post Secrets to Shopping Success at Farmer’s Markets appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

Just driving to this unique teaching farm makes my mouth water. Admittedly, that doesn’t take much, but the foods grown here are second to none and the farmers have a lot of fun along the way. Food integrity is deeply rooted in every choice made at the Minnesota Food Association and Big River Farms; plus they give one mean tractor ride! Come along and fall in love with this vital and idyllic farm on the outskirts of Marine on the St. Croix.

They grow organic food in a way that honors the land and engages marginalized people. This is truly a one of a kind place. Being a land-based training program focusing on immigrant and minority populations you could meet farmers from many distinct cultures just walking through their fields. The diversity within the program is seen as another strength which drives their mission:

To build a more sustainable food system based on social, economic and environmental justice through education, training and partnerships. 

Women run Big River Farms. From L to R, Danielle Piraino, Laura May Hedeen, Emily Squyres, Lebo Moore, Molly Schaus.

The education piece of their mission is achieved through their Farmer Training Programs . The training is a 3-4 year program starting with the basics in organic production and post-harvest handling moving up to whole farm management where farmers hone their marketing and business development. Classes are held in the evenings and on weekends to accommodate working adults. “There are currently 17 farm teams in the program, 11 of which are land-based at Big River Farms – the others have other land or are taking classes only, without using the land. There are 7 cultures represented in this group,” according to Laura Hedin, MFA program manager.

Interested in taking the next step in growing your inner farmer? Contact Laura at laura@mnfoodassociation.org.

With a deep and solid list of teaching staff like Molly Schaus, Farm Director and May Lee, former student (see my blog post about her farm HERE) the 90 acres of certified organic land is well planted, well rested in between use and always well loved.

Farm Plot Allocation Map. Planning time up front ensures land health in the long run.

The training program has led to several success stories over the years. Farmers like Rodrigo and Juan Carlos of Cala Farms who have found a great market in wholesaling. Or Moses and Rhona of Dawn to Dusk Farm who focus on Farmer’s Market sales. These and other MFA graduate farmers’ stories can be found on their Meet the Farmers page.

CSA Box of Vegetable Heaven.

Eat Out Of The Box
With all the care and devotion new farmers give to their crops you know the veggies placed into a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) produce box are going to be top notch! Add in certified organic food and competitive rates with other CSA farms and buying a CSA from Big River Farms is a natural choice. Their CSA program also supports many different farmers simultaneously. They can supply up to 200 shares for the season’s 16 weeks. That will help you eat your veggies and support immigrant farmer education at the same time. They have 12 drop locations around the Twin Cities. You are in luck, because there are still CSA shares available through May 31. Get your Big River CSA here.

Growing into the Name(s)
Like so many great organizations this one was started by a group of concerned citizens who got up and did something about what they believed in. Back in the 1980’s freeway construction and development claimed the St. Paul Farmer’s Market’s 80-year site. The group believed moving the market back to an historical location in 1853 of 7^th and Wabasha would keep both the public and the farmers well served.

May Lee (Mhonpaj’s Garden) in her greenhouse on Big River Farms

Once they accomplished their first goal the group realized there were more ways they could help local, small scale farmers and the people that loved their food. Lead by Ken Taylor, this original core group also helped start the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, (MISA) still a thriving part of the U of MN Agricultural Department.

Established in 1983 the MFA has gone through an evolution to match the changing food needs and population of its community. The farmer training program began in 1998. By 2007 they were distributing food at markets under the farm name Big River Farms and 2008 saw them gain Organic Certification.

The land that the farm now encompasses was leased from the Wilder Foundation. The foundation had used it as an example of what a farm looked like and had built many of the buildings and dug the well and started irrigation to some of the fields, a pretty sweet deal for the farm to find!

The MFA is primarily funded by federal grants, along with a few valued family foundation grants and sales of produce via the CSA shares and farmer’s market sales. Competition for the limited funds has grown exponentially over the years which has lead to MFA to join forces with another long-time food advocate, The Food Group.

The Food Group offers free and wholesale foods to food shelves state wide, which fulfills part of its mission. They have long believed that emergency food access is necessary but not the only way to aid hunger; and have created gleaning groups, the ‘Fare for All’ and ‘Harvest for the Hungry’ programs.

Look for innovative programs as these two organizations put their heads together. On the horizon is managing 3 ½ acres within Harvest Park in Maplewood, starting with a cover crop this year and other crops TBD! What a beautiful use of land.

Stillwater Bee Club keepers after installing a hive on Big River Farms

When I was there two bee keepers from the Stillwater Bee Club happened to be installing a new hive  inside a newly set electric fence (to keep the black bears away from the honey). It was a living example of how fundamentally interested the staff is in building community around food. Also, the smoker for the bees smelled so good!

Down on the Farm

There are some great chances to meet some of the 17 farm teams and get one of those tractor rides in this summer! Tour the Big River Farm along with other local farms during the Coop Farm Tour  on Saturday July 15, 10am-4pm.  Big River Farms tours will be family-friendly and feature live music, wagon rides, farm-fresh snacks, games and prizes. Or join Big River Farms for the end of season Harvest Party on October 15^th.

I do love my farmers!

Whether you join the CSA program, tour the farm, take some farm classes, buy their food at one of the many Farmer’s Markets they sell at, or buy a really cool T-shirt like I did-  I dare you to dig in and be a part of the mission of Growing Farmers Growing Food.  Like they say, Global Farmers, Local Food. For this wanna-be farm girl, knowing the people behind Minnesota Food Association and Big River Farms are working on food advocacy, nestled into the rolling farm land, does my heart (and my family’s health) a world of good. Let it do you some good too.

Dig In
Michelle

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