It’s time once again for the Eat Local Challenge! The challenge starts on August 18 and ends September 18. Just Food Co-op encourages you to challenge yourself to eat 80% of your food from the 5-state area for one month. You can find all of the details on this year’s challenge on our Eat Local Challenge page, including a list of places to find locally-produced foods (like Butler’s Steak and Ale, which is taking the challenge this year) and the full calendar of events. And if you sign up on our poster, you’ll receive a free Local button. So come on, join in the fun and take the Eat Local Challenge!
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Get ready to take the Eat Local Challenge!
Canning Basics Offered
Transition Northfield and Spring Wind Farm are joining together to offer a Day of Canning Basics, Saturday, August 21, 9am-5pm. Gain the skills to enjoy your garden through the winter and come away with 8-12 jars of salsa, stewed tomatoes, or ketchup.
Ingredients provided by Spring Wind Farm, including tomatoes and peppers grown without chemicals or pesticides. Canning supplies and equipment also provided.
Fees are $10 per person plus $3 per jar of canned goods to take home. Everyone is welcome. Bring a bag lunch and join us for a day of canning on the farm. Spring Wind Farm is at 5770 115th St E. Questions? Call Mary Jo at 651.208.8301
Tour Cedar Summit Farm
Join Land Stewardship Project’s Farm Beginnings program on Saturday, August 7th from 9am-Noon for a public farm tour at Cedar Summit Farm www.cedarsummit.com
Grazing specialist Howard Moechnig will be at the farm to explore the grazing systems used by the Minar’s at their farm.
Topics to be covered during the Aug. 7 field day include:
*Environmental impact of grazing.
*Pasture grass species mixtures and grazing management to produce milk solely off pasture.
*Management needed to produce grass-finished beef.
*Grazing management during periods of extreme heat.
*An efficient milking parlor design.
*Marketing to local markets using on-farm processing.
The tour is free for Land Stewardship Project members and open to the public for a fee of $35. Pre-registration is required. For more information, directions and to register, contact Nick Olson at 320-269-2105 or nicko@landstewardshipproject.org
For more information about Land Stewardship Project and our upcoming Farm Beginnings classes, please visit www.landstewardshipproject.org
August Classes and Events
All our August classes and events are out in The Compost, our newsletter, and on signs around town. Space is limited for most things, so be sure to register with a cashier or by phone early to assure that you have a spot. Here’s a brief rundown.
Spring Forest Qigong Friday, August 6, 6-9pm and Saturday August 7, 12-5pm
Movie Showing: Food, Inc at the NAG Theater, Friday August 20, 7-9pm
Wild Edibles in Late Summer Saturday, August 21, 9:30-1:30 Mary Ellen Frame will host again!
How to Be A-OK in Your CSA Wednesday, August 25, 7-8pm
Spring Forest Qigong Level One Class
In this class you will learn the techniques to help you feel the flow of your energy which can help relieve physical pain, stress, depression and more. These qigong (chee-gong) exercises are simple, effective, and easy to learn. The main components of these exercises are breath, visualization, body postures, and sound. You will learn the Small Universe Meditation, which is the strongest meditation in Spring Forest Qigong for helping the body to heal. Join us and discover your natural healing abilities. Please wear comfortable clothes. Mary Zelmer is an advanced student of Master Chunyi Lin (founder of Spring Forest Qigong) and has been studying SFQ since 2001. She works at the SFQ Healing Center in Eden Prairie as a Master Healer and Qissage Practitioner. www.springforestqigong.com.
Friday, August 6, 6-9pm and Saturday, August 7, 12-5 p.m. in the Just Food Community Room
Cost: $80/$78 members (includes manual). Please register with a cashier or by calling 507-650-0106.
Learn to Preserve Food at the Co-op
Sara Morrison from The Backyard Grocery
The bounty of summer has begun! Those fruits and veggies are so delicious and fresh right now, but wouldn’t it be great to have a little of that flavor in the middle of January? Preserving food now is the key to that. All you need are some basic skills which you can learn from an expert on Saturday, July 24 at the Co-op. Sara Morrison, of The Backyard Grocery and certified in food preservation by Wisconsin Extension Services, will present two classes.
Canning for Home Use begins at 1:00pm and will provide an overview on home canning including necessary steps to preserve food safely, essential equipment, and a list of foods that home canners should and should not tackle.
Freezing and Drying begins at 2:00pm. Methods for preserving color, texture, and nutrition will be discussed as well as equipment, methods, and packaging for success. materials will be provided that include necessary steps, timing and lists of appropriate foods to use.
Cost for each class is $12/$10 members. Register with a cashier or call 507-650-0106.
Recipe: Aronia Muffins
Makes 12 muffins.
Ingredients:
2 c. flour (local)
1 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. aronia berries (local)
Eco Gardens Promotion for Co-op Shoppers
Wow, what a deal! Eco Gardens is offering a great deal to Co-op shoppers. From Wednesday, June 16 through the end of July, you can bring your Just Food Co-op receipt to Eco Gardens and receive a 2″ perennial for only 99 cents! You can learn more about this new, locally-owned business in the Northfield News article here.
Eco Gardens is located 600 Division Street in Downtown Northfield. Click on the image for a larger version.
Bike Trail Dedication Saturday
Join us in celebrating the dedication of the bike trail behind the store tomorrow (Saturday, July 9) at 9:30 a.m. We’ll bring the coffee and scones.
More info can be found here: http://nddc.org/weblog/post/3480/ Photo used with appreciation from the NDDC blog.