A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
A hometown newspaper with a local office, local owners & lots of local news
Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen visited the Food Farm just south of Wrenshall on May 24.
Petersen spoke to a gathering of about 30 people, drawing attention to Food Farm’s participation in the MDA’s Minnesota Grown and Agricultural Water Quality Certification programs, as well as the farm’s status as a certified organic farm.
Petersen highlighted the Minnesota Grown website, a directory of local farm products, farmers markets, pick-your-own and Community Supported Agriculture farms.
“You can find farms from Zumbrota to Bemidji — all across the state,” he said.
Food Farm co-owner Janaki Fisher-Merritt also spoke, focusing on the farm’s commitment to conserve and improve water quality for downstream communities. He said Minnesota Grown was vital in promoting the value of “people being connected to where their food comes from.”
Tom Hanson, owner of the Duluth Grill and other restaurants in Duluth, spoke of the strong connections he’s found that tie local farms and restaurants with cusatomers.
Fisher-Merritt wrapped up the event by conducting a tour of Food Farm’s greenhouses, where early-season produce is being grown, and its root cellar.
Find out more
• There are 11 CSA farms in northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin that are registered with the CSA Guild. Three are found right here in Carlton County. Find out more about them and how to become a part of the “farm to table” community at http://www.csaguild.org. Additional information may be found at the Sustainable Farming Association website, http://www.sfa-mn.org/lake-superior.
• To search for local farms from among MDA’s directory of 1,023 members, visit the Minnesota Grown website at minnesotagrown.com. MDA’s Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program has certified 744 farms, totaling nearly 499,000 acres of Minnesota farmland. To learn more about this program, visit http://www.mda.state.mn.us/environment-sustainability/minnesota-agricultural-water-quality-certification-program.
