Public invited to SFA conference Feb. 18

You can enjoy local food and wine as well as mingle with the state’s movers and shakers in sustainable agriculture by attending the Sustainable Farming Association’s Annual Conference on Feb. 18 at the College of Saint Benedict in St. Joseph, Minn.

SFA members not only grow the food you buy at Minnesota restaurants, co-ops and farmers markets, but they’re your friends and neighbors, too. Nearly half of SFA’s members are from the Twin Cities metro area.

Farmers and eaters are invited to attend. Breakout sessions, speakers and exhibits are part of the gathering, and the keynote speaker is Dr. Val Farmer, an expert on rural mental health issues. Register now at sfa-mn.org/conference. Or, find more information about the SFA at www.sfa-mn.org.

Mark your calendar for the Big Brew

Raise your glass in sync with hundreds of homebrewers around the world Saturday, May 5, for the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) Big Brew event.

The communal brew-in celebrating National Homebrew Day invites homebrewers to register their Big Brew locations online. Then on the first Saturday in May, everyone will raise a collective toast at noon Central Time.

In 2011, more than 300 sites participated in the Big Brew event, brewing 11,152 gallons on their home beers, according to AHA website.

Register your brew site at homebrewersassociation.org.

The Wedge Coop awards $60,000 in grants

The Wedge Coop in Minneapolis is living out the seventh cooperative principal, supporting sustainable communities, by awarding $60,000 to local organizations today, Jan. 17.

The 10 a.m. reception  was a celebration of the coop’s annual WedgeShare grant program, which was created in 1977 to support local organizations bettering their community through environmentalism, education and community development.

The cash grants will be awarded to nine organizations: Emergency Foodshelf Network, Youth Farm & Market Project, Cornucopia Institute, Open Arms of Minnesota, Farmers’ Legal Action Group, Water Legacy, Minnesota Food Association, Gardening Matters and Urban Baby.

The event is The Wedge’s official kickoff to the 2012 International Year of Cooperatives, as declared by the United Nations.

Video series to honor Year of the Co-op

Celebrity chef Kevin Gillespie will be hosting an online video series celebrating America’s food cooperatives.

Set to premiere Jan. 21, the video series explores the “Top Chef” season-six finalist’s travels to farms and co-op grocery stores around the country, including Twin Cities’ cooperatives, in honor of the United Nations’ 2012 International Year of Cooperatives.

The first three videos in the series will premiere at 7 p.m. Jan. 21. They include visits to Seward Co-op in Minneapolis, Valley Natural Foods Co-op and Gardens of Eagan and Just Food and Just Food Co-op and L&R Produce in Northfield.

The remaining 10 videos will be released every other Monday through mid-June at strongertogether.coop. For more information, see http://strongertogether.coop/premiere/

COMMENTARY: What is 'Local?'

Editor's Note: In our magazine's fall issue, we asked readers to submit answers and comments to the question "What's your idea of 'local?'" Here's a thoughtful response from Minnesota turkey farmer John Peterson, who also is the general manager of Ferndale Market in Cannon Falls:

In the fall edition of Edible Twin Cities, readers were asked to send their definition of “local” food.  As both a farmer and a retailer of local foods at Ferndale Market, I am grateful for the opportunity to weigh in on how we view local foods.

Although it sounds counterintuitive, I believe the first thing we need to do in defining local foods is to move beyond a strictly geographic definition.  Yes, the reduction of “food miles” is an important goal, and all locavores seek to shorten the distance from farm to fork.  That said, if we define local foods too simplistically, we create a system that’s very easily corrupted and loses sight of the breadth its intended goals.

At Ferndale Market, we believe that the benefits of local foods are threefold: good for the environment, our health, and our local economy.  With this in mind, we strive to partner with farmers and food producers that work toward supporting all three legs of the stool.  We’ll often say that we seek out producers that are both “local in geography” and “local in spirit,” by which we mean folks who are independent, have the ability to differentiate their products, and, most importantly, see value in direct marketing their products.  You see, for the local food movement to be sustainable, we need to take a “bottom up” approach of empowering independent producers to bring new foods to market, rather than simply creating a new marketing claim for major food manufacturers.  It’s these independent producers who should be at the heart of the movement, because their efforts cycle back with collective benefits, as they meet all three objectives of the local food movement.

With Minnesota serving as home to some of the world’s largest food manufacturers, it would be far too easy to create a list of food products that fall under the ownership umbrella of these multi-national companies, thereby making them “local food,” but I don’t think that’s what shoppers envision when they choose to purchase foods designated as local.

As independent family farmers ourselves, we’ve seen the rewards of modifying our growing practices and direct-selling the turkeys we raise.  By growing our birds free-range and without the use of antibiotics, we know we’re doing things “unconventionally,” and the chance to interact with and receive feedback from customers who enjoy our turkey has added immense pride to our third-generation farm.  Through our on-farm store, we hope to support other producers taking the same leap into marketing their products, and we seek to do so in a way that adds value to their operations.

Certainly local foods need to be from the local region, whatever distance parameters one wants to choose, but we hope shoppers and retailers striving to have the intended impact will continue to seek out products which are local in spirit as well: grown and produced by independent, differentiated producers.  Only then will we have created a local food system with integrity.

- John Peterson, General Manager, Ferndale Market, Cannon Falls, MN

Minnesota breweries featured on 'Beer Geeks'

Craft beer made its small screen debut on a new locally produced television show, “Beer Geeks.”

“Beer Geeks,” which debuted Dec. 11 on KSTC-TV, tours regional breweries and restaurants, highlighting the latest in craft brews while meeting the people who create and enjoy them. The show is the brainchild of Ed Bremer of St. Paul and Matt Sandell of Shakopee.

“I have a real interest in craft beer from the aspect of who is making it, why they are making it and the passion they have behind it,” Sandell, a former distributor and bartender, told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “The show revolves around some beer geeks going from brewery to brewery getting an intimate de-tailed tour. These breweries and these brew masters have a huge passion for what they're doing. That's what I think sets them apart from the BMC – the Bud, Miller, Coors – is they really care about what they're doing and brewing is their craft.”

Hosted and produced by Jeff Angell, the show is touring August Schell Brewery, Flat Earth Brewing Co., Harriet Brewing, Summit Brewing Co., Lift Bridge Beer Co. and Surly Brewing Co., according to the Pioneer Press.

“Beer Geeks” airs at 11 p.m. Sundays on Channel 45. Learn more about the show at beergeeks.tv.

Arboretum sets Winter Hearty fund-raiser

Come in from the cold and enjoy tastings of classic to comfort foods, plus beer and wine samples, at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum's first-ever Winter Hearty celebration and fundraiser.

The food event takes place Sunday, Jan. 29, from 2 to 5 p.m. in the Arboretum's Oswald Visitor Center.   Guests will enjoy traditional and not-so-traditional seasonal cuisine, including spicy meats and stews, plus brews and wine, to a backdrop of live music.  Local independent restaurants and cafes will be featured.

"This is a perfect antidote for cabin fever.  Bring your appetite and sense of adventure as we explore new twists on favorite winter dishes," said Ed Schneider, Arboretum director.  

Reservations are $40 per person (including gate admission) and may be made by visiting www.arboretum.umn.edu/winterheartyfood.aspx.  All proceeds benefit the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum's environmental, horticultural and educational programs.  

The Arboretum is located in Chanhassen along Highway 5, about nine miles west of the intersection with I-494.

Gathering of minority, immigrant farmers set

Minority and immigrant farmers are being invited to participate in the seventh annual Immigrant and Minority Farmers Conference on Feb. 3 and 4 in St. Paul.

Hosted by the Association for the Advancement of Hmong Women in Minnesota, the Minnesota Food Association and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the two-day conference provides education and resources to small farm operators and fosters relationships between farmers and community partners.

The theme of the conference is, “Planting Seeds for Success on your Farm.”

Registration is due by Jan. 23 and is being handled online at www.mnfoodassociation.org or by calling the MFA at (651) 433-3676. Minorities may also call the Association for the Advancement of Hmong Women in Minnesota at (651) 222-0475 or for Spanish speakers call the Main Street Project at (507) 786-9900.

The conference is free to farmers, and language interpretation is available. The cost for other interested parties is $50 a day.