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Finding her niche with homegrown, homemade ghost pepper sauce

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20 SUMMER 19 JUL/AUG

about us editor: Beth Forkner Moe

contributing writers: Kari Berit Grace Brandt Rian Dicke-Michels Julie Buchwald Haley Nancy Iglesias Trent Jonas Sarah Osterbauer Terri Schlichenmeyer Sara Schlueter Katie Sonnek Philip Weyhe

multimedia consultants: CariAnna Chaney Kari Clark Kathleen Davies Allison Davis Crystal Hobart Tim Mart Mark Nelson Jay Petsche Gayle Stelten

graphic designer: Kate Townsend-Noet Volume 11, Issue 4

Copyright© Girlfriends 2019 Published Jul/Aug 2019 by: Southern Minn Media 514 Central Avenue Faribault, MN 55021

southernminngirlfriends.com Send releases and story ideas to:

Beth Forkner Moe at Girlfriends magazine, bfmoe@southernminn.com

contents features

36 Alternative Medicine

Northfield couple finds success with homemade, homegrown ghost pepper sauce.

38 25 Easy-to-Grow Herbs

6 Homegrown Pepper Sauce

8 The Buzz About Beekeeping Blue Earth woman shares her sweet hobby.

14 Halal

A new way of thinking about eating.

16 From Farm to Supermarket A tale of three area Minnesota farms.

20 What’s a Food Co-op?

How do food co-ops really work.

24 All Natural

Organic farming lifestyle.

28 A “Cheesy” Tour of

Southern Minnesota

A look at some of the areas “world-class” specialty cheeses.

32 Going Camping?

What foods should you take on your camping trip?

34 Trees to Treats

Minnesota apples from sweet or tart, red, golden or green - we love’em.

Alternative therapies can boost our moods, relive stress and offer other benefits.

Herbs, vegetables & plants you can grow in water.

38 Personal Chefs Personal chefs offer convenient, nutritious meals.

42 Summer Farm-to-Table Recipes Nancy has compiled some of her favorite Farm-to-Table recipes.

accessories

23 a man’s perspective 49 book review 50 gf directory 4 note from the editor

45 unexpected caregiver 46 wellness on the cover:

Trudi Lloyd - Finding Success with Homegrown and Homemade Ghost Pepper Sauce Photo by Phillip Weyhe See Story on PAGE 6.

East Henderson Farm Facebook page.

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NOTE from the editor

A

forkner Moe Beth Forkner Moe is the editor of Southern Minn Girlfriends magazine.

Find Southern Minn Girlfriends on Facebook

ahh – summer – at last! Doesn’t it seem like would never get here, and – at the same time – it’s going much too quickly?

Summer is truly a season for all the senses: • Sight – trees and flowers blooming; water (lakes and rivers) enticing us to dip our toes into the delightful blue liquid; birds flying; bees flying with their funny-looking bodies between all the flowers in order to continue to give us food; • Sound – birds chirping; breezes blowing through the trees; people doing yard projects; baseball on the radio; • Touch – spreading sunscreen on your body or your loved ones to keep them from getting sunburned; feeling the grass as you sit for a picnic lunch; patting the dirt around your garden vegetables or flowers; holding a sparkler (carefully!) as you celebrate the summer holidays; • Smell – Freshly-mown grass; campfires; clean air after a rainstorm, bug spray and citronella candles; delicious foods that are being made for family get-togethers; • Taste – ohh, all the summer tastes – food that has just been picked from your garden or gathered from a farmers’ market; home-made ice cream; newly canned jellies, jams and veggies; the freshness of everything.

These are just a few of my favorite sensory thoughts of summer. This issue is focused on taste, with food – farm-to-fork, in particular. In other words, we’re focusing on how to fill your house and your families’ tummies with fresh foods, from right here in Minnesota.

We are a state that depends on agriculture (and much of the world depends on us for the food we develop and produce). We have world-renowned food scientists, food manufacturers and producers, pioneers in developing foods that are sustainable and climate-resistant, and more. Not only does the world benefit from our harvests, but so do we. How lucky are we?

This month, we hope you enjoy what we have to bring you – on our “menu,” so to speak.

From cheese to honey, from ghost peppers to food co-ops, from halal food to what it’s like to be a personal chef or an organic farmer – relax, grab a Minnesota-developed apple and some iced tea sweetened with local honey, and dip into these stories as a way to take a break from all the activities you have going on during this much-too-short season in this beautiful state we call home.

Warmly,

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Filled with local recipes submitted by our readers!

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T

By Phillip Weyhe This article originally appeared in the Northfield News.

6

rudi Lloyd is delivering some sweet heat to people in Northfield and the area.

Lloyd started jarring a ghost pepper sauce back in 2012 at the behest of coworkers. Seven years later, she’s producing and creating, with the help of her husband Tom Hinman, more than 1,000 jars of the sauce annually. She is licensed to sell the product commercially now and does so in the Northfield and Rochester co-ops.

The name on the label: Treats By T.

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“I like to cook and bake, and with the kids being gone, you have so much extra, so I would bring them to work,” Lloyd said. “And they’d say ‘Oh, T brought treats.’ So that’s where the name came from.”

Lloyd, born in Faribault and raised in Farmington, moved to Northfield to work at Sheldahl in 1986. She left a couple years later to start work as a flight attendant at United Airlines, which she has done the last 30 years.

She raised two sons in Northfield – Nathan and Jake. Once they were out of the house, she had some free time on her hands. She had always enjoyed cooking and baking.

“I’ve just done that from such a young age. I was in Girl Scouts and my first badge ever was the cooking badge,” Lloyd said. “My mom taught me how to cook, and I learned a lot from my grandma. I always loved it.”

One day, after experimenting with her own version of a ghost pepper jelly, she brought it to her workplace in Chicago and shared with another flight attendant.

They said it was really good and asked to buy some.

Lloyd said she didn’t have anything to sell, and her coworker responded, “put me on your list.”

Around the same time, in 2012, Lloyd was starting a relationship with Hinman, who she had met on Match. com. The two bonded over their time in the kitchen together.

“That was one of the things we always did together.

In 2012, she said you have to try this, and it was her last jar (of the ghost pepper jelly), and she said ‘You can’t have anymore; that’s the last of it,’” Hinman said. “That’s when I knew she had something good.”

ABOVE: Trudi Lloyd and Tom Hinman, a married couple in Northfield, create and distribute The couple decided to buy ghost peppers in bulk to a homemade, homegrown ghost pepper sauce, pictured bottom right. Lloyd developed the make dozens of jars at once, so Lloyd could trying sellrecipe and started the business, Treats By T; Hinman is her No. 1 supporter and helper. (Philip Weyhe/Northfield News) ing at a five-day Christmas bazaar. She brought 70 jars and sold out in one day.

Previous Page: Trudi Lloyd and Tom Hinman grow ghost peppers in their Northfield backyard to create the Treats By T ghost pepper sauce. (Photo courtesy of Treats by T) “That really got it started,” Hinman said.

Lloyd continued making and selling the sauce and eventually made new contacts; one led her to the the sauce can often be found at local establishments, like Keepsake Agricultural Utilization Research Institute. There, she was able to Cidery, Tanzenwald Brewing, Fielder’s Choice and Smoqehouse. receive some grant money and star-tup help, including manufacturing Throughout the years, Lloyd has developed some other products licenses and nutritional facts for the label. for smaller scale distribution. With the help of spent grain from Im As demand and opportunity grew, Lloyd and Hinman realized minent Brewing, she developed doggie treats made from pumpkin, they couldn’t rely on the local grocery stores for their pepper supply almond butter and other natural ingredients. and instead took to growing their own ghost peppers. Now, each The business, Lloyd and Hinman say, is profitable, but the two summer, they manage to grow hundreds of their main ingredient, aren’t looking for any major expansions. They intend to grow at their plus a number of other vegetables and fruits, allowing for great quanown pace and won’t be adding any employees. tities of their product: 1,300 jars in 2018.

“I don’t really want it to be a big thing,” Lloyd said. “We’re just In 2017, after visiting a trade show in Rochester, Lloyd made new enjoying doing this together.” contacts and was able to get her sauce into Northfield’s Just Food Coop and Rochester’s People’s Food Co-op. They joined the Riverwalk Philip Weyhe is the Editor of the St. Peter Herald, Waseca County News, Le Sueur County News, and Southern Minn Scene Magazine.

Market Fair in Northfield last year, finding success there, too. And

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The

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N

By Grace Brandt

estled in the backyard of Cindy Lyon’s house in Blue Earth sits a beehive. From the outside, it is rather nondescript—just a large white box. But when Lyon, clad head-to-toe in heavy protective gear, her face hidden behind a mesh mask, opens the lid - suddenly, the sound of furious buzzing fills the air as 60,000 bees react to her presence.

Lyon hardly pays attention to the bees buzzing around her as she pulls out the true object of her attention: honey. While Lyon hardly classifies herself as a hardcore beekeeper—she collects honey only to share with friends and sometimes sell at the local farmers’ market—her one hive can still produce more than 80 pounds of honey a year.

It’s a slow process, one that is fraught with challenges often beyond her control: subzero Minnesota winters, diseases, pests. Lyon must constantly monitor her hive throughout the year to best ensure its survival, and that is still never guaranteed. There are years when she loses all her bees during winter months.

Yet for Lyon, all the work is worth it.

“It’s pleasing to me, to hear the bees buzz,” she explained. “I like the whole process of having [my hive] and sharing it and learning more. It’s great to see nature so close at hand. It keeps my old brain working.”

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A growing interest Hobby beekeeping has grown in popularity across the state in recent years, and women are becoming more involved than ever. According to Terry McDaniel, president of the Minnesota Hobby Beekeeping Association (MHBA), while male beekeepers still outnumber women, the demographics are changing.

“There’s quite a few women,” McDaniel said. “You can’t really generalize, because there’s such a variety.

There’s all kinds of walks of life: lawyers, people in advertising, people in the food world… The majority of our beekeepers are men, [but] there’s a lot of younger women beekeepers.”

Meanwhile, the Southeastern Minnesota Beekeepers Association (SEMBA) focuses on a smaller membership area, but it still has 150 active members—and that’s by family count. More than 300 members from those families attend events throughout the year, with a good 100-150 members coming to every monthly meeting.

“We probably have a higher concentration of men, but I think that’s starting to change,” said Jennifer Grovdahl, “queen” (president) of the association. “We’re seeing more and more women get into it.”

Lyon is one of SEMBA’s female members, and she said her interest in beekeeping grew out of her love for gardening. When the University of California put out a call for gardeners to monitor bees a few years ago, she joined the project. She continued to monitor bees for the university for the next three years. While the project finished after that, Lyon decided to keep going with bees.

“I was interested in bees anyway, and that just made me more interested,” she said.

To start, Lyon attended a beekeeping class—Northern Beekeeper 101—at the University of Minnesota, which gave her the basics of how to start tending a hive. She bought used beekeeping equipment from another area beekeeper and ordered a two-pound “block” of bees, which contains 10,000-20,000 bees. In the following 11 years, Lyon has had anywhere from one to four hives. While she hasn’t attended many SEMBA events lately, she has taught community education classes on beekeeping, shared her equipment and mentored other newcomers to the beekeeping scene.

Meanwhile, Grovdahl was living in Rochester four years ago when

she and her husband decided to try beekeeping so they could make their own mead (a type of wine), which uses honey as one of its ingredients.

They took some classes through her local community education program and started with two hives behind their garage. Once they moved to their farm in Blooming Prairie, the number increased to 10.

Now, they’re up to 24 hives.

Grovdahl said it takes a lot of work to tend to their several hives, and the work continues throughout the year. In the winter, if hives are empty, they need to be cleaned, with the old wax scraped out. If the bees are still alive, the Grovdahls wrap the hive in different types of insulation, such as tar paper. They have to feed CONTINUES ON PAGE 10 u u u

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CONTINUED FROM page 9

the bees with sugar water through a connector during the spring until the bees are finally ready to go out and forage for themselves, and then they wait until late August or early September to harvest the honey.

They’ve also modified what they grow on their farm to provide more food options for the bees: plums, pears, apricots, cherries, kiwi, grapes and berries. Minnesota, along with several other states, offers a tree program where landowners can purchase trees at extremely low prices so that they can provide more sustenance for area bees.

Even as Grovdahl and her husband modify their beekeeping practices, she said it’s definitely still a learning curve. The first year, Grovdahl’s bees were killed by hive beetles before the summer was over. The second year, the bees died over the winter after the hive’s lid blew off and the bees froze. The next winter, a warm spell tempted the bees to move too early, and they ended up starving.

“You go into it and are learning and trying to figure it out,” she said.

Challenges Beekeepers across the U.S.—and the world—face many of the same challenges, though there are some specific difficulties that arise thanks to Minnesota’s particular weather.

“From the instant we start working our hives in the spring, we’re focused on prepping the bees to get through the next winter,” said Kate Gardner, a beekeeper from Minneapolis who currently oversees two hives. “Everything we do has to be guided by the goal (of helping) the colony to be nice and big and strong.”

She explained that she didn’t even collect any honey the first year she had hives, because the bees needed the entire amount to make it through the winter without starving. They also needed it so that they could make enough beeswax for the honeycombs and build their hive. While Gardner said some beekeepers will rush the process in order to collect honey (even if it means the bees don’t make it through the winter), she thinks it’s more important to keep the bees alive even if it means waiting on honey.

“I know some people who’ve been working four years and haven’t gotten any honey,” she said. “It depends on how responsible you’re being for your bees.”

Besides collecting enough honey (Gardner said it takes about

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100 pounds of honey for a hive to survive throughout the cold months), another challenge is simple the frigid weather and heavy snow that are common in Minnesota winters.

Bees will cluster around their queen all winter and “shiver” their wings to maintain a constant hive temperature of more than 80 degrees, but they’re still susceptible to extreme cold spells. In addition, they risk starving if they’re too cold to move over to other areas of the hive with more honey. In fact, this year was the first year that any of Grovdahl’s hives survived over the winter.

“It’s heartbreaking,” she said.

“We check the hives in January. [Last year], we had a lot alive and we were excited; we thought we were getting our groove.

Then we go back in March and we’ve got two bees alive. It’s heartbreaking when you have to crack open of those hives and you’ve got thousands of bees dead at the bottom of the hive.”

Because of this, Grovdahl said some beekeepers just plan on never sustaining a hive throughout the winter, always ordering more bees in the fall instead.

“There are some beekeepers who just bank on the fact that all of them are going to die and automatically order to replace them in spring,” Grovdahl said. “They don’t even try to keep them alive through the winter.”

This can backfire, though, if the hive actually survives. Then,

beekeepers have double the number of bees they were planning for—which is exactly what happened to beekeeper Elli Kempke, who lives outside of Owatonna and saw her hives increase from two to 16 the second year when they all survived the winter.

“It was kind of a big jump,” Kempke said. “I had to dramatically change the way I was doing things.”

Now, Kempe oversees more than 20 times the number of hives through her business, Fieldstone Apiaries. Growing every year for the past 10 years, the maximum number of hives she’s had is 450, though she currently has about 175 hives. While she has dabbled in commercial beekeeping, sending hives across the country to pollinate almond groves in California and other fields in other states, she said she prefers to keep her bees safe at home and focus on honey production.

“We’re very protective about our hives and keeping them healthy,” she explained.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 12

uuu

State support Bees across the United States are facing critical problems, according to recent data by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The rusty patched bumble has especially decreased in population by 90 percent in the last few decades, with its geographical area shrinking from more 28 states (and two Canadian provinces) to only 13 states and a province by 2017.

To help combat this problem, the Minnesota Legislature recently passed a law that provides $900,000 to homeowners to create bee habitats on their lawns. The funding only lasts one year and won’t actually be ready to distribute until next year. Once the funds are available, homeowners will be reimbursed for 75-90 percent of costs by the state Board of Water and Soil Resources for planting bee-friendly plants such as creeping thyme, self-heal and dutch white clover.

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Commercial beekeepers vs. hobby beekeepers While hobby beekeepers usually oversee a smaller number of hives and focus on honey, commercial beekeepers take their hives on the road, sending bees across the country in semi-trucks to pollinate areas that don’t have enough bees to do the job.

They often start in the almond groves of California, which can be pollinated only by honeybees, and work their way across the country with the seasons.

McDaniel said commercial beekeepers are critical, since bees pollinate about one-third of crops across America, but there aren’t enough bees to reach everything.

“We need [commercial beekeepers], because if they weren’t moving their bees around, we wouldn’t really have a lot of food,” she said.

CONTINUED FROM page 11

“To send them to another location that we don’t have any control over… it makes us very nervous. At the end of the day, our main concern is survivability of our hive.”

Kempke said another huge challenge for beekeepers is protecting bees from pests such as the varroa mite, a tiny mite that feasts on bees’ fat and causes them to starve during the winter.

“That explains a lot [about] why many bees have had job trying to make it through the winter,” she said. “How do you kill a bug on a bug? It’s very tricky.”

The other problem bees face is the widespread use of pesticides

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and herbicides, which reduce the food that they can forage. Even dandelions can be a critical component of bees’ diet, but many homeowners consider them weeds and remove them. Meanwhile, farmers use chemical sprays on their crops, and the drifting spray can affect the flowers that bees need.

Starting a hive For anyone interested in becoming a beekeeper, Kalke said she highly recommends finding a bee club close to them so that they can learn more before committing. According to the University of Minnesota, the average beekeeper only has hives for three years before quitting, and a lot of it has to do with how much effort the hobby truly takes. A class on beekeeping or shadowing a beekeeper can be helpful, Kalke said, for people to learn everything that is involved.

McDaniel added that beekeepers are often required to obtain a permit, and they should check their city ordinance to see if it’s legal where they live. They also need to talk to neighbors to make sure everyone is comfortable with the idea—and they need to be prepared for a long learning curve.

“If you’re new and you’re not going to be diligent about how you keep your hive, you’re pretty much guaranteeing that all your hives will die,” she said. “It takes a lot of work and learning and patience and dedication to really become good at it.”

Still, despite all the work and uncertainty, Kalke said beekeeping is worth it.

“You might think (this is) surprising, but it’s very therapeutic,” she said. “It just takes you away from life… It is relaxing and very fulfilling, and you learn a lot about nature. You become a better steward of the environment.”

Grace Brandt is a wandering reporter whose home base is Mankato.

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A New Way of Thinking About Eating 14

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R

By Katie Sonnek

aise your hand if you’ve ever tried halal food.

Anyone?

If you’re not sure what halal food is, let alone whether you’ve tried it, you’re not the only one. Unless they are practicing members of Islam, most Minnesotans might think they’ve never come into contact with halal and what it signifies.

They’re often surprised to find that halal foods are in their diet much more often than they think.

“Basically, halal means you are allowed to eat this,” said Ahmed Kiblawi, co-owner of the new restaurant Shawarmania by the Minnesota State University campus in Mankato. He explained that, in general, the umbrella of halal covers a wider range of food than it excludes, from soft drinks to salty snacks.

According to Islamic tradition, the term “halal” refers to any foods practicing Muslims can eat in good conscience.

“Haram,” which translates as “forbidden” is its opposite and is a much narrower category. Alcohol is literally and figuratively off the table, as dictated by the Quran.

Pork is the second-largest forbidden group.

“When it comes to pork, we are not allowed to eat it,” Kiblawi said. This prohibition includes any food made with gelatin, which is a pork product.

Once pork and alcohol are removed, there is still a wide range of products that are considered halal, although some foods receive halal approval only if they meet certain standards. While pork is the only haram animal, all other meats must be specially butchered in order to be acceptable.

“Halal is just a way of how you slaughter any animal in general, whether it’s beef, or lamb, or goat, or chicken,” Kiblawi said.. In order to keep the meat halal, a butcher cannot shoot the animal. Instead he slits its throat and lets the blood drain out.

This might sound gory, but Kiblawi describes the process as being quite humane.

“The reason why they do this is because it’s less harmful for the animal,” Kiblawi said, who often kills his own meat on a farm. When he butchers an animal, he is careful to avoid any element of stress or fear. Before the procedure, Kiblawi often gives the animal a little food to calm it down and covers its eyes so that it will not see the knife.

A certain level of mindfulness also characterizes the halal process. Kiblawi explained that before the butchering happens, the person performing it faces toward Mecca for a moment of recollection. In Minnesota, they face northeast. A prayer known as the tasmiya or shahada is also said. It invokes the name of Allah and praises him as the greatest being.

Other than religious decree, Muslims prefer halal meat because they believe it is a healthier option overall. When an animal is killed using the halal method, any blood still being pumped by the heart goes out of the throat incision instead of remaining in the body.

“There’s a lot of blood still contained in the meat,” said Kiblawi, speaking of traditional butchering methods. “With this process [halal], it contains less bacteria.”

Tastier steaks may also be another benefit. Because of halal’s attempts to keep the animal stress-free, it often has less adrenaline

coursing through its veins at the time of butchering. Adrenaline is one factor that can make meat tough.

“Some people say that when the animal is shot or something, the meat will be hard,” said Laila Kabalawi, Kiblawi’s sister and Shawarmania’s co-owner. “Halal makes the meat soft, tender.”

Surprisingly, one of the biggest purveyors of halal meat is not the Middle East, or even Abu Dhabi where Kiblawi and Kabalawi are originally from.

One prominent halal exporter can be found in a land better known for its koalas and kangaroos. Australia and its neighbor New Zealand both contain large farms that are certified halal.

“They have the best meat,” said Kabalawi.

Muslims aren’t the only ones who eat halal food. Even people without a direct link to the Islamic religion are able to purchase and consume halal products.

“Halal is for everyone, but especially for Muslims and Jews,” said Farhiya Xalane, manager of Somali Restaurant and Grocery in Mankato. “It’s like kosher.” In fact, while more people may be familiar with the term kosher, they might not realize that the Jewish specifications for butchering meat are nearly identical to halal.

Kiblawi and his sister encourage anyone with an adventurous palate to try halal meat at least once and see if they notice a difference.

“You know what the meat has gone through,” said Kiblawi “A lot of people don’t realize that this is a healthy way.”

Katie Sonnek is a writer from Madelia.

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Farm to Supermarket:

I

By Sarah Osterbauer n a climate that can reach negative double digits in winter and triple digits in summer, it’s a tough ask for any farmer to be successful. Our complex and frustrating weather patterns make for scintillating water cooler conversation for most, while challenging and rattling our farmers.

Yes, sometimes it does snow in April. And sometimes it’s 80 degrees in October. Given these factors, the easy fix is to source fresh produce from somewhere else. For Minnesotans that somewhere else is typically California.

Greens get packaged and sent on a road trip cross country lasting one to two weeks, before we can buy it in stores, ultimately let it go bad in two days in our fridge and toss it in the garbage. Luckily, we are

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fortunate that some people found that wasteful routine infuriating enough to take action.

Living Greens Farms Living Greens Farms in Faribault was started almost on accident.

CEO Dr. Dana Anderson was not a farmer, but an investor. In our interview with Sales Director Mai Moua, she explained that “Dana was looking to invest in agriculture, in a company like Living Greens, but he couldn’t find any companies like it.” Primarily what Anderson was searching for was a company that was revolutionizing farming. Recognizing the impending global food crisis (too many people, not enough resources to feed them), he sought out modern agriculture working toward solving this issue. Disappointed by the lack of options, he opted to do the work himself. Starting in his garage, he began to develop what is now their aeroponic (vertical growing) system.

Aeroponics wasn’t new, but only a couple other farms in the country existed at the time, each one with their own unique system. In his development, Anderson has been able to secure four patents, with eight currently pending. Living Greens grows lettuce, herbs and microgreens vertically, without the use of soil and 95% less water than traditional growing. Instead they create a “spa-like” environment for the plants, misting the exposed roots with nutrient rich water, in a temperature-and humidity-controlled room 24/7, 365 days of the year.

They control every aspect of the growing process via computer system. They employ LED lights to create the optimal amount of light for the plants. Because the greens are grown indoors, without exposure to insects, rodents and other animals to contaminate them, the use of pesticides and herbicides is unnecessary. The other advantage they have over a more conventional farm is how the space is used. By growing vertically, they can produce exponentially more greens in the same amount of space than possible with traditional growing methods.

Once the greens are ready to be harvested, they are delivered to grocery stores within a day or two. This is a vast difference from lettuce grown in California or Arizona with transit times ranging from one to two weeks. By cutting down on travel time, not only is the product at a higher level of freshness, but it cuts down on the pollution created by crosscountry distribution. It will also last longer in your fridge, meaning much higher chances of it being eaten.

Revol Greens Medford’s Revol Greens is another farm making waves for its innovative growing techniques. Founded by the same brains behind Owatonna’s Bushel Boy, Revol benefited from years of commercial greenhouse agriculture experience. Bushel Boy was one of the pio-

neers of growing tomatoes indoors.

After the company was sold in 2011, the team wanted to switch gears over to greens. In 2017, Revol Greens was born and they hit the ground running. Only two years into business, they leveraged previous wholesaler relationships to go straight from greenhouse to supermarket.

They use a variation on a hydroponic system (inspired by growing techniques used in the Netherlands), and their greens grow in flatbeds that sit in shallow ponds (roughly 10 inches of water) filled with nutrients. The beds also contain a small amount of soil. As the plants grow the beds move down the line until they reach full maturity, when they’re harvested. The whole process takes about 21 days and is void of any direct human contact.

They use greenhouse sunlight but supplement it with LED in the winter, as the plants require 12-14 hours of sun. The water they use is recycled rainwater and snowmelt that’s collected nearby, stored and sterilized prior to use. They continuously cycle through this water, maximizing the natural resource.

Like Living Greens, they do not use pesticides, herbicides or GMOs. By growing indoors (again, free from insects and pests) they eliminate the need for them. By not using treated water from the sewer system, they eliminate any possible contamination that way as well.

When greens are harvested, they go directly to grocery stores for purchase. By combining natural resources with modern technolCONTINUES ON PAGE 18 u u u

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areas with water accessibility issues, their innovations are poised to revolutionize how we produce food worldwide. This is the future of agriculture and it could be so much more to so many others, beyond Minnesota and Wisconsin. How fortunate are we that they chose to start with us?

Indian Island Winery CONTINUED FROM page 17

ogy, they are able to cut down on costs and transit time, making their greens both sustainably and responsibly sourced.

Revol Greens produces fresh romaine, spinach, arugula and butter lettuces sold plainly or together as a mix. What started as a 2.5 acre greenhouse will soon expand to 10 acres in early 2020 (the 7.5 acre addition under construction as we speak). Sales Manager Brendon Krieg said they potentially anticipate adding locations, but continuing to maintain the focus on lettuces and greens. Their commitment to environmentally conscious, sustainable farming is at the forefront of how they conduct business and it’s a philosophy they hope to spread.

Both Living Greens and Revol Greens said their biggest challenge is changing the buying habits of consumers. They both know their product is superior to anything else on the shelf shipped in from afar, but how do they convince buyers? Brand loyalty in the grocery world is a tough relationship to break. People walk down the aisles and grab the same things week after week on auto pilot.

They’re hoping by increasing visibility in the community and spreading the gospel of home grown, responsibly sourced foods, people will take note and change course.

Both brands can be found at Lunds & Byerlys, Hy-Vee, Jerry’s Foods and Cub. Revol is also at Kowalski’s, County Market, and Fresh Thyme stores. Living Greens can also be found at Walmart, Econofoods, Lakewinds, Seward and The Wedge co-ops.

Both farms believe they are part of a critical shift in the agriculture industry. By growing without the use of potentially harmful chemicals, growing 24/7/365, using less natural resources, they believe their work can help solve major issues plaguing the industry today. With the ability to grow in less space, in hostile climates, in

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Another farm facing the challenges of Minnesota growing, is Indian Island Winery in Janesville. Family-owned and operated, the vineyard was born from the curiosity of Tom Winter. After Tom discovered his cousin was growing grapes, he sat on the idea to add a vineyard to his already existing farm for two years. When he eventually got it rolling in 2000, it became known as Winterhaven Vineyard. It is from there the winery was born in 2009. They spent three years on construction and Tom’s daughter, Angie Winter, went to work, educating herself on the intricacies of winemaking.

The delicate process, which requires refinement with each batch (as each crop of grapes brings their own nuanced flavor) is something Angie has grown to love. For those who are not familiar, she explains the process.

“The winemaking process all starts in the vineyard. I give all of our growers a lot of credit when it comes to my winemaking because making wine requires good fruit to start with. Once the year has gone by and harvest comes, everything happens pretty quickly.

We harvest, crush the grapes, and press the juice into tanks. The juice is allowed to cold settle overnight. It is then racked off of

the sediment the next day,” she said. “Fermentation is started and monitored for about a week or so. Once fermentation is complete, we do more racking off of sediment and start to make adjustments to the wine according to its chemistry, taste, and aromas. More racking and blending will be done before fining and stabilizing the wine. Once wines are stabilized, we are ready to sweeten, filter, and bottle.”

In the beginning, Tom did all the sales and distribution himself.

He would go around to the different liquor stores taking orders, then fulfill the orders and make the deliveries. Now that they have grown, a commercial distributor has since taken over those duties for the most part. Angie says her dad will still do some deliveries for liquor stores nearby. (Small-town customer service is alive and well in Janesville!)

As a true family business, Angie’s mom Lisa runs the tasting room, Angie is the winemaker, her brother assists her dad on the business side (tending to the farm and nursery side) and her sister-in-law, Angela, takes care of inventory and some bookkeeping. They have a part-time staff of about 30 who help them in the tasting room and with the winery’s many events.

The wines, which have won medals in the International Cold Climate Wine Competition, come from grape varieties that are “cold hardy.” They were developed specifically either by the University of Minnesota or Elmer Swenson for the Minnesota growing season. Their vines are made to withstand the harsh winters and do not need to be buried in the ground to avoid snow.

The 12 acres of land where the vineyard and winery sit has a

rich history as it was previously used as a Native American hunting camp. The Winters have found hundreds of Native American artifacts on the property, many of which are on display in the winery.

Running a family business comes with its own unique challenges as well as benefits. Angie tells us they have been working together for so long that they know how to handle it when someone is having a bad day. Disagreements are settled in family meetings. It helps that everyone has a specific role to play and area of expertise. With family you also get an extra level of flexibility and understanding when things come up that interfere with work, i.e sick kids.

Now in their 10th year of operation, they are looking forward to celebrating the milestone by hosting a slew of events for customers.

They already host live music on weekends and do a grape stomp in the fall. To see what they have planned, it’s best to connect with them via Facebook.

Together these three farms are not only producing quality locally grown items, but they are creating community and setting agriculture standards. By supporting local farms we can give back to the land and the people who hone its many gifts. In nurturing the local community we can see the growth come full circle when more take notice and make the switch. The future of growing is alive in southern Minnesota, thriving even, without the use of harsh chemicals, maximizing the resources available to us. It’s a beautiful thing to know you can walk into your local grocery and/liquor store and support a farm that may be mere miles from your front door. I think we can all agree to raise a glass, and cheers to that!

Sarah Osterbauer is a freelance writer based in St. Paul.

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I

By Nancy Iglesias

grew up in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s in rural Wisconsin. While my father ran a vegetable canning factory, we were both a farm-to-table kind of family and willing indulgers in the modern convenience foods arriving on the scene - Betty Crocker cake mixes, Chef Boyardee pizza in a box, and Campbells Cream-ofEverything soup. My mom said Betty Crocker put a lot of money into creating a cake mix and she was not above using it. “Homemade” Chef Boyardee pizza was our Sunday night staple. We even got to take our pizza

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into the living room and eat from TV trays.

My dad graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Madison with an agriculture degree and both personally and professionally loved to see things grow. His backyard garden was filled with asparagus, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, rhubarb, lettuce, radishes, onions, zucchini and raspberries. When my brothers and I were young my dad and mom would load us into what was affectionately referred to as the “field car” (some of kind of old Chevy that indeed had seen better days).

During the canning season (late May and June), it was my dad’s job to figure out which pea field to harvest when.

While I doubt that it was approved company policy, my dad would drive us through the pea fields, my two brothers hanging out the windows on either side of the back seat, filling the back of the car with pea vines. I sat in the middle with several gallon cans. Our job was to fill the cans with peas. Each can was marked with the name of the farmer we visited. It was not uncommon to meet one of the farmers along the way who was only too happy to share some of his other bounty with our family.

My dad would drop us off at home and then head back to the plant to run the peas through a “tenderometer” and make the deci-

sion of when to harvest each field.

My mom spent the end of the summer canning and freezing pickles and tomatoes, applesauce, strawberry and raspberry jam, squash and apples. We always got peaches and cherries from Michigan. They went into the jars or freezer as well. My parents always bought a “side of beef” from a local farmer, and most years there was venison in the freezer.

We weren’t trying to be super health conscious or trendy food hipsters. That’s just how life was lived in rural Wisconsin. We lived in the heart of dairy country and there was plenty of milk, cheese and butter. Baked goods were plentiful and, yes, the cream-ofsomething hotdishes were in great abundance.

Fast forward several decades to Winona, Minnesota where I raised my family. We were like many busy young families. Homecooked meals were important, but as school and work, church and sports filled many evenings and week-ends, we succumbed to more convenience food than I’m proud of.

It was easier to go across the street from my office to the local grocery store than down the road a mile to the local co-op.

Summer trips back to Wisconsin always netted a huge box of produce. I was truly delighted to accept a friend’s invitation to share her CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box during a couple of weeks in the summer while her family was on vacation.

I now live in a suburban community where the nearest co-op is some distance away. But having given the concept of food co-ops a bit more thought in the research for this article, I am wishing that I indeed had more choices for locally sourced food. For the time being, I am enjoying the freshness of all the fruits and vegetables of the season, wherever I can find them.

As I read and visited a couple of co-ops, here’s some of what I discovered.

chemicals.

• Co-ops are basically member-owned stores that welcome all shoppers and offer certain benefits to their members, including weekly shopping discounts. Many co-ops have extra monthly or quarterly membership perks and some even have a cash-back rebate program. For example, I may receive 2% discount every day and a 10% discount on one trip a month or quarter. Some co-ops sell shares and if you volunteer your time, they may even offer extra shares. Shares pay out regular dividends.

• Membership allows you the opportunity to have a say in what happens at your local co-op. Members may be granted direct voting rights or, at the very least, the opportunity to elect a governing board. As a voting member, you have the opportunity to weigh in on what inventory your store will carry, what suppliers you use and many other store operations.

• Membership allows you to impact the local economy by supporter local growers, local employees being paid a living wage and by having a store that meets a great need in your community. Co-ops also create a more sustainable community.

• Membership provides you the opportunity to be socially responsible, by not only supporting local growers but also impacting the global economy and supporting fair trade commodities such as coffee, tea and chocolate. Many co-ops have a strong commitment to education and helping you as you seek to make good choices for the health of your family and community.

So, is there a down side to coops?

Perhaps there are a couple of small inconveniences, but from my perspective the benefits far outweigh these.

• Recognize that the co-op may not become your one-stop shopping experience.

There may be personal care and home care items you will choose to purchase elsewhere.

But then again, I already go to several different stores now.

• There are seasonal highs and lows. Since the focus is on locally sourced produce, you may not be able to find every item you are looking for all year long.

• Price may be an issue. If the bottom line of your receipt is the only measure of a successful shopping experience, then you may be disappointed. Fresh produce, hand-crafted items, soaps, honey, and baked goods may indeed be cheaper than you could purchased them at your local store. But some are not.

Many co-ops belong to an umbrella group where they can leverage their buying power as get better prices for their customers. Don’t be afraid to comparison shop and be a smart shopper. Take advantage of coupons (yes, you can still use coupons at most co-ops.)

Learn to buy in bulk. Nuts, grains, flours and spices are often a super deal.

Remember, you don’t have to be a member to enjoy many of the benefits of shopping at a co-op.

To look for the nearest co-op in your area, check out www.strongertogether.coop/ coops/.

Nancy Iglesias is a freelance writer and storyteller. She is a Midwest girl through and through with roots and stories from Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota.

During the week, Nancy works for Home Instead Senior Care, finding joy in assisting families as they seek the best options for their loved ones. On the weekends, she works with preschoolers at her church. Whether she’s chatting with someone who is four or fourscore, she loves to hear their stories.

Five Good Reasons to Join a Food Co-Op • Provides the opportunity to obtain locally sourced food-produce, meat, dairy and baked goods that we would not otherwise have access to. Even if you are buying organic in the store, there is no guarantee for where the food is coming from. There is nothing sweeter than locally grown organic mushrooms, carrots or apples. It does a mind and body good to know where my food is coming from, who’s doing the planting, weeding and harvesting and knowing that they have not been treated with harmful

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Simple Nutrition Strategies Imagine what can happen if…

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Think about what this could mean for you.

When we have more energy, we feel better.

We are more in control of our emotions. We will share with you here some simple nutrition strategies that you can do lifelong that will increase your energy, build your self-esteem, break the cycle of yo-yo dieting and give you freedom around food.

The 1st Simple Strategy is to “Slow Down and Drink More.” In our fast paced lives, we often gobble down food and rush out the door. Or we’re eating in route to an event. Did you know it takes at least 15 minutes before your brain sends a signal to your stomach that you’re full?

We race through our day and haven’t given a second thought to the amount of water we’ve drank. Did you know that fatigue and hunger can be signs of dehydration? Water intake: it’s a simple, powerful strategy and the foundation to your nutrition.

The 2nd Simple Strategy is called, “Your Game Changer.” Did you know that you don’t have to count calories to make sure you’re eating the right amount for your fitness goals? We can use our palm, fist, and thumb to gauge proper portion sizes. Staying mindful of healthy choices, using moderation

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when we’re around “not so ideal” foods, and watching our portion sizes can help bring us into an appropriate caloric intake for the day.

Is it that simple? It can be!

This can be your game changer too.

Our 3rd Simple Strategy is called, “Good versus Bad.” Did you know that good fats can be your best friend? Good fats like avocados, oils, and nuts help us stay full. They are also linked to good moods. We’ll teach you proper portion sizes and how to use them to help you shed your body fat faster. Good fats can help us be happier people.

Our 4th Simple Strategy is called, “Can evening cravings come from breakfast?”

We’ve all heard how breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But did you know that breakfast can impact your afternoon and evening food cravings? When we raise our blood sugar levels with improper portion sizes, our bodies have to work to manage the excess glucose levels. This can result in low blood sugar. Low blood sugar levels can cause fatigue, food cravings, and possible dizziness.

It’s all about making smart choices so that our blood sugar levels stay as stable as possible.

We believe that if you implement just one of the simple nutrition strategies we mentioned, you will see immediate results. When we work with clients, we go much deeper than this.

Recently, we published a Simple Strategies nutrition journal that can help improve your mindset and keep nutrition simple. It gives you one Simple Strategy each week to practice.

We know that repetition is the key to creating new, healthier behaviors.

If what’s been mentioned here resonates with you and you are interested in learning more, go to our website at www. simplestrategies.life . We look forward to celebrating your success!

A man’s perspective

Timber to Table

jonas Trent Jonas is a Twin Cities-based writer and divorced father of two. He is fascinated and frightened by women but is working through his issues.

O

something to read and picked up The Mushroom ver Memorial Hunters by Langdon Cook. It was a quick and Day, I visited Nosh — the fascinating read that rekindled my interest in lovely restaurant foraging. I started to look for restaurants that with rooftop offer wild food specials, I joined the Gentleman dining that Forager’s Facebook group, and I’ve visited the overlooks Lake recently opened Forest to Fork in St. Paul.

City Marina — What I haven’t done, though, is actually get out and ordered into the woods and forage for myself. a special I guess I’m a little shy about it. Somehow, composed of fresh morel mushrooms and after all those years of foraging with Dad, none fiddlehead ferns. I loved the fresh snap of the of it seems to have stuck. I don’t remember fiddleheads between my teeth, with their slight where we went when I was younger — “the reminiscence of asparagus. dead elm on the Larson property”? – and I But the savory, earthy funkiness of the morels don’t even know where to start up here, near sucked me immediately back to my youth, when mushroom hunting in the valleys and on the bluffs of Northeast Iowa’s slice of the Driftless Area was a rite of spring. Back then, my Dad knew all the spots, and my brother and I would trail after him through the woods, eyes to the ground.

Eventually, I drifted away from the Driftless, north to the Cities, where I attended college and settled down. I got busy with work and raising and family, and when my kids were heatherchristo.com very young, Dad passed away.

And with him, regretfully, went the Cities. I know there are ways I could get my connection to foraging. out there and learn again. But I’m a little I didn’t think about foraging too much in disappointed in myself and feel like Dad would the years immediately after my father died. A be, too. The whole thing about foraging is selfcouple seasons in a row, we found messes of sufficiency, right? morels in our backyard, where the lawn met So, until I overcome my shyness about it and a tree line. We cleaned them, sliced them and get up the gumption to get out there, I’ll just be sautéed them in butter. They were like time machines for my tastebuds. After two years, very grateful that places like Nosh are there to though, they didn’t come back. feed my springtime need for morel umami.

A few winters ago, I was looking for

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hen Sally Reinitz decided to start a farm with her husband Josh, she envisioned a romantic life revolving around a picturesque farmstead and cute animals—like something out of the Little House on the Prairie books she loved reading. She was a city slicker herself, from the bustling city hub of Minneapolis, but her grandparents had a farm outside of Mankato that she had grown up visiting.

She had enjoyed her time at the farm and thought it would be fun to actually try out the farming lifestyle.

Once Reinitz and her husband started their organic farm outside of Henderson, it turned out farm life wasn’t quite as charming as she had imagined.

“I joke that I came into this thinking I was going to be harvesting flowers in a basket, when it’s mostly poop and blood and sweat and dirt,” she said with a laugh.

By Grace Brandt

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Running an organic farm has been much more difficult than Rienitiz first thought—but it has also been so much more fulfilling.

Starting from scratch While most farmers become involved in farming because they have parents or other family members involved in the business, Reinitz came from a different background. She had her experiences at her grandparents’ farm, but that was the extent of her connection to farming. Yet Reinitz said she was always interested in pursuing a career somehow related to agriculture.

“That was something my dad and I did together when I was younger,” she explained. “He liked the outside and gardens, so that was in the background The Reinitz family. of my childhood. My dad liked landscaping and shrubs, and I liked it too. I liked the attention to detail and working with plants.”

She studied Landscape Horticulture at Dakota Technical College and started working at Minnesota Valley Garden Center once she graduated. Along the way, she also met Josh Reinitiz when the two of them were studying in the Twin Cities, before she transferred to Dakota Technical College. They were married in 2003.

“We learned a lot through that class and met people,” Reinitiz said. “We came into it with nothing. We had land and that was about it. I had this made up idea of what it’d be like to be a farmer. There was a lot that I didn’t really consider when I first started.”

Reinitz said the most important thing was finding a farming community that they could depend on.

“You have to create a community of people to help you figure out what you’re going to do,” she said. “No one person has the answer, because when you get down to farming, a lot of it has to do with soil and what will grow where you are, and you’re kind of constrained by that.”

Back to basics

It was Josh Reinitiz who brought up the idea of farming. He had a little more farming background than his wife, since he had grown up on a dairy farm. At the time, he was working as a carpenter, and Reinitiz was still working at the garden center. The two of them began taking classes in 2004 through the Land Stewardship Project, which offered 12-month “Farm Beginnings” courses to help people start their own farms.

Reinitz and her husband officially started their farm, East Henderson Farm, in 2008, starting with 40 acres of land on the bluffs of the Minnesota River. Of those acres, 20 are wooded ravines where they tap trees to collect maple syrup, while another 10 acres are for pasture and six acres have fields for vegetables. The Reinitzes grow all manner of vegetables, berries and fruits, along with chickens, cows and pigs.

According to Reinitz, she and her husband decided right at the beginning that they wanted to have an organic farm—but their perspective changed in the following years as they became more passionate about everything that entails.

“When we first started, we had a very different mindset than where we are now,” she said, adding that they had focused on being able to market “organic” products to more customers at better prices. “What we thought we wanted when we began is completely different than what we’re doing now. As we got further into this, and are more established, it’s turned into something else. It’s not just about organic farming and having a product for sale; it’s really turned into a way of life.”

Now, Reinitz said she looks at organic farming as a way to CONTINUES ON PAGE 26 u u u

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foster sustainability, care for the environment and connect people to nature.

“Organic is important because it’s a movement that’s putting people back in touch with their land and their community,” she said. “It’s making people more aware of our food system. It’s much more tangible, right in front of you, and you can be a part of it. I think getting back into intimate relationships with soil, your crops, your animals and people in your community is really beneficial to everyone and everything.”

Organic farming For a farm to be able to use the “organic” title, it needs to be certified through the USDA and carry the USDA National Organic Standard Seal. Reinitz explained that a certifier will visit the farm at regular intervals to inspect all the seeds, crops and animals. There are rules the Reinitzes must follow, such as which chemicals they’re allowed to use. East Henderson Farm was first certified organic in 2012 by the Midwest Organic Services Agency (MOSA), and it has been re-certified every year.

Some organic practices are easier to integrate, such as planting more perennial crops compared to annual ones. Reintiz said that means fewer weeds, which means less of a need to use herbicides.

The downside is that this can require a lot of patience and planning.

Reinitz and her husband recently planted 1,300 hazelnut trees, which won’t be ready for harvest for at least 10 years.

Reinitz she that she and her husband do much of their farm work by hand, using hoes or tractors. She added that, contrary to what people tend to believe when it comes to organic farming, she actually is allowed to use some pesticides and herbicides, but none have any chemicals. (Instead, these make use of natural ingredients, such as using abrasive, ground-up seashells as a pesticide against beetles.) In addition, organic farmers try other methods before turning to pesticides or herbicides, instead trying crop rotation, physical barriers, crop covers and even examining every vegetable to pick off insects by hand.

“When it comes to implementing [organic methods] on a dayto-day basis, it’s hard,” Reinitz said. “But it’s within our mission of something that’s more sustainable and better for the soil.”

When it comes down to it, Reintiz said it’s all about figuring out what works and what doesn’t, and being flexible enough to make the necessary changes.

“Only after you’ve been in it for a while can you say ‘this works’ and ‘this doesn’t work,’” she said. “That’s kind of a blessing and a curse in farming. At the beginning of the season, you commit to growing something, and you can’t change. But next year, you can change a whole bunch of stuff. We’ve evolved with what we want to do our own life and mission and what works and what sells.”

A healthy future

Josh Reinitz and sons.

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East Henderson Farm started out as a completely Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm—that is, customers paid for a membership or “share” of the farm produce. Members financed a year of farm operations and received a share of the weekly harvest.

Now, the CSA is still a large part of the farm, but the Reinitzes also expanded to the wholesale industry. They currently provide all the vegetables for Minneapolis Public Schools and hope to add more

Understanding organic According to the USDA, organic agriculture revolves around “cycling resources, promoting ecological balance and conserving biodiversity.”

Some of the methods involved include: • Using cover crops, green manures and crop rotations to fertilize soil • Using crop rotation and other techniques, such as crop covers, to manage insects versus using pesticides • Using rotational grazing for livestock • Eliminating synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, hormones and antibiotics

schools in the future.

“That’s because we want to educate people and get more food to the city,” Reinitz said.

She said one of the biggest goals she and her husband have for the future is to be able to offer more experiences for people on their farm. She said she hopes to be able to offer classes and gathering spaces for people to become more connected with the natural world, along with other farm events such as survival workshops or workshops on how to can fruit.

Right now, people already have the chance to “farm for a day,” or even a few hours. Reinitz said she and her husband always welcome volunteers who want to come try organic farming for themselves, and they always send these volunteers home with fresh vegetables in return.

“It doesn’t have to be planting an acre of broccoli,” she said.

“We’ll take anybody any time for any amount of time.”

Grace Brandt is a wandering reporter whose home base is Mankato.

For more information What: East Henderson Farm Where: 30083 290th Street, Henderson Phone number: 612-756-3971 Website: www.easthendersonfarm.com

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By Nancy Iglesias (Ed. Note: Information was compiled from a variety of sources, including Explore Minnesota, the individual cheesemakers’ websites, and more).

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hen one thinks about specialty cheeses in this country, you might be prone to think about states like Vermont, California, Washington or even Wisconsin, but look out world - there are a growing number of specialty and artisan cheesemakers in Minnesota who are making and selling “world-class cheeses.”

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A drive across southern Minnesota will confirm that there are some pretty amazing people out there who are passionate about both the science and art of making cheese.

What is artisan, or artisanal, cheese? The American Cheese Society says that artisan refers to cheeses that are primarily made by hand, in small batches with as little mechanization as possible. Artisan cheeses can be made from all types of milk - goats, sheep, cows and even water buffalo. Farmstead cheeses are artisan cheeses made primarily with milk from the farmer’s own herd or flock.

Today, we want to take you on a virtual tour through the rolling hills of southern Minnesota and introduce you to three very unique Minnesota cheesemakers. Many of their cheeses can be found locally at co-ops, specialty cheese stores and farmers markets. Check their individual websites where they can be purchased.

(Explore Minnesota)

SHEPHERDS WAY FARMS (also from website) 8626 160th Street E., Nerstrand 507-663-9040 www.ShepherdsWayFarms.com Also on Facebook Founded in 1994 by Steven and Jodi Ohlsen Read Award-Winning Cheeses: • Friesago • Big Woods Blue • Shepherds Hope • Ricotta From the beginning, Shepherds Way has been a labor of love,

blood, sweat and tears. In 1994, Steven was finishing grad school at the University of Minnesota, and Jodi was quite busy as a free-lance writer and expecting their second child. They were at a fork in the road, so to speak, and wanted to make career decisions that would be good for them and their family. So they purchased a small farm and bought a small flock of sheep.

Jodi was not a stranger to sheep, as she was one of the founding members of the Wisconsin Dairy Sheep Co-operative. They started milking them, and when they had a surplus of milk, they thought they would try their hand at cheesemaking. Some 25 years later, Jodi now serves as the cheesemaker and Steve is the shepherd of Shepherds Way Farms, nestled in the beautiful pastureland of southern Minnesota, They have a deep connection to the land their farm sits upon, the sheep that graze there and the cheese that is being made there. For Steve and Jodi, it would seem that the process is as important - if not more - than what they produce. The farm’s mission statement says, “We believe there is a way to live that combines hard work, creativity, respect for the land and animals, and a focus on family and friends.

We believe the small family-based farm still has a place in our society.

Everything we do, everything we make, is in pursuit of this goal.”

Steve and Jodi were featured in an award-winning episode of Public Television’s “Off 90” series. That brief video clip gives viewers a wonderful glimpse of the farm, the sheep, the cheesemaking and - in a very poignant way - the Reads’ hearts and philosophy of life.

Just four years after their humble beginnings, they created their first farmstead cheese - Friesago, touted as a mastery by Food and Wine Magazine. They relocated the farm in 2001 to their current location, just outside of Northfield, across from Big Woods State Park.

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The first decade was filled with unimaginable hard work, slow, steady growth and many awards. That first year, a tragic fire (arson) destroyed more than 500 sheep, ewes and all of the barns. But neither the Reads nor the community that supported them were to be stopped. It would take another six years of perseverance and enormous community support (as part of a $60,000 Kickstarter fund, you could adopt a sheep, complete with naming rights) to rebuild the farm and get back to full production.

Steve and Jodi now have four grown sons who still assist as needed with marketing and representing Shepherds Way at farmers’ market and special events. The farm also raises pasture-fed pork, sells CSA cheese boxes and has wool pillows and comforters for sale. Check their website for information on Farm Tours and classes on Artisan Cheesemaking.

of the country who have come together to enjoy the art of cheesemaking.

They won their first award for Bent River just two years after their operations began. They have continued to win awards both nationally and internationally. While the notoriety of the awards is great, the cheesemakers are looking for the kind of feedback from the judges that can help them hone their craft.

Cheese Caves of Faribault (Retail Shop) 318 Central Ave North, Faribault 507-385-1004 www.faribaultdairy.com Also on Facebook Founded in 2001 Award-Winning Cheeses: • AmaBlu • AmaGorg • St. Peters Select

Alemar Cheese (webpage) www.alemarcheese.com Also on Facebook Founded in 2008 by Keith Adams Award-Winning Cheeses: • Bent River Camembert • Blue Earth Brie • Fromage Blanc • Grape Leaf-Wrapped Sakatah For years, Alemar Cheese was located in Mankato. This summer they will be moving their operation to the metro area, but they still are very proud of their southern Minnesota roots. Alemar creates French-inspired, soft-ripened artisan cheeses. They create small batches with passionate attention to detail and use grass-fed cow’s milk from organic dairies in Minnesota.

Keith Adams originally came to Minnesota in the mid-90’s to open a bagel shop. When the low-carb craze hit in 2005, Adams’ bagel business took a downturn, and his creativity and entrepreneurial spirit were put to the test. He credits his original mentor, Jill Conley of Cowgirl Creamery in California, for being his inspiration and helping him turn his sideline interest and hobby of artisan cheese into Alemar Cheese.

Adams says that Alemar Cheese is what happens when imagination, research, work and patience converge to create something incredible. Alemar has an interestingly diverse staff from various parts

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Sitting at approximately the same latitude as Roquefort, France, the St. Peter sandstone caves have the unique ability to keep a perfectly stable environment to make and age cheese. The caves remain at a constant 52.5 degrees Fahrenheit nearly year-round with more than 95% humidity. The sandstone has the ability to wick water both horizontally and vertically so the ceilings don’t trip. And, most remarkably, the caves have memory. Originally used to brew and age beer, there is still micro-flora from the brewing process growing on the cave walls. .

The brewing began in the caves in 1854 when Goffried and Ernst Fleckenstein founded the Fleckenstein Breweries. The brewery had to abandon its beer-making operations in 1918 during Prohibition. Not until 1936 would the caves re-open, when Felix Fredriken purchased the caves to set up his cheese-making operation, Treasure Cave, Inc. The Caves of Faribault is the only U.S. location where cheese is still being made and aged in natural underground caves.

Three unique cheesemakers, three unique settings. So whether it’s the rich connection that Steve and Jodi have with every nuance of their farm and family that flavors the Shepherds Way Cheeses, or the cutting-edge operations of Alemar Cheese, or the deep caverns of the Cheese Caves of Faribault, the people, the settings and their cheese are all worth exploring.

No cheese stands alone!

Nancy Iglesias is a freelance writer and storyteller. She is a Midwest girl through and through with roots and stories from Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota. During the week, Nancy works for Home Instead Senior Care, finding joy in assisting families as they seek the best options for their loved ones. On the weekends, she works with preschoolers at her church. Whether she’s chatting with someone who is four or fourscore, she loves to hear their stories.

W

hen I look at a tax return, I see all the ingredients that go into it. I see two W-2s; a 1099-R; 3 children; and a business or farm. I can picture it just like the cover of your favorite cookbook with the perfectly-layered cake on the front. However, I can also see how everything is interrelated.

Your W-2s go in first then we add your interest and dividends or any capital gains that you may have. Next, we add in any retirement income, 1099’s, and social security statements. Now that we have the basic batter for our SPONSORED BY cake, we mix in your Sandy Flom, CPA, CFP® itemized deductions 414 Central Ave., STE A (the extras that make it Faribault, MN especially sweet): med507.333.3973 ical expenses; mortgage Sandy@FaribaultCPA.com interest; property taxes and car tabs along with charitable donations.

Now, some of these deductions, which the IRS allows, were missed and this could be because taxpayers are either not aware of them or don’t realize the importance of them like how they reduce your taxes. It might be that they missed taking a charitable donation for something that they paid. Or they didn’t take the college credit for one of their kids because they believe that if they had a loan for college, they wouldn’t get the credit since they didn’t pay for it. Another reason for skipping or missing the extra ingredients is many people didn’t itemize this year on their federal return.

However, we discovered they were still eligible to itemize on their Minnesota return. So we needed to go back a step and look for that information. Finally, when you start mixing in businesses, farms and rentals, the returns really start to take shape.

While we need to make sure all the ingredients are present, we also need to make sure the layers will be even; for example, let’s take a look at the new health care laws. If you are getting your health insurance through MNSure, and getting the premium tax credit (where they help you pay the premiums), then you have to make sure what you report to them as your projected income is as close as possible to what your actual income will be. Otherwise, if your income is higher when you file your tax returns, you will end up paying back the excess premium tax credit. We can’t short one of the cake rounds or the other will overflow leaving us to clean up the mess in the oven.

There are ways to help control this—if you have a business—by taking all the deductions that you are allowed (e.g. office-in-home; vehicle expenses; and depending on your situation, you may be able to employ your wife or children). Another thing, which is missed quite often, is self-employed people forget to save for themselves. You can start a retirement plan, which will do two things: it will reduce your income for having to pay back any of the premium tax credit, and it will also be there for you at retirement.

Before sliding your cake into the oven, be sure to go over all the ingredients and double check the layers are level. If you need, we’re here to help if that recipe is a little too difficult to handle.

Taxes, Investments, Business and maybe a little more Sandy Flom CPA, CFP® Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives, risks, fees and expenses before investing. For this and other important information please obtain the investment company fund prospectus and disclosure documents from your Rep/ Advisor. Read this information carefully before investing. Registered Representative, Securities offered through Cambridge Investment Research Inc., a Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advisor Representative, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Cambridge and Sandy Flom, LLC are not affiliated. Cambridge does not offer tax advice.

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F

From www.minnesota-visitor.com

ood to take camping should include all the ingredients for easy camping recipes. Other camping food ideas can be pre-made recipes and freeze dried meals.

Where you will camp, and your camping style, can determine what food to take on a camping trip.

If you will be at a remote campground, you will want to bring what you need for all of your meals; if you will be near a town, you may want to bring basic supplies and shop for fresh food every couple of days.

If you are a backpacker, and need to carry your camping kitchen, you will plan different types of easy camping recipes that use lightweight dehydrated and freeze-dried foods.

Overview Think about how you’ll be cooking on your camping trip and how many cooking utensils you want to pack. Some ideas are to: • Plan “one-pot” meals • Plan meals that can be made in foil packets and roasted on a grill or campfire • Plan some “no-cook” meals like sandwiches Save space and weight by packing foods without their “water weight.” Some examples include: dried beans, lentils, rice, dried potatoes and pasta (thin pasta cooks faster than thicker types). Pack dry milk powder instead of gallons of milk (add water at the campground as you need the milk...this also avoids spoilage.) Dried fruit for snack-

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ing or adding to cereal for breakfast is also a great way to save packing weight and avoid wasting fruit that “goes bad.”

Pre-packaged macaroni and cheese, instant soups, ramen noodles, dried veggies and bullion are all great meal starters or additions to other ingredients. In many cases, just add water, heat, and lunch is ready.

Freeze-dried meals can be somewhat costly, but can be a great time saver as well as saving on the weight of individual ingredients. Think about adding some to your grocery list.

If you include fresh meats for some of your meals, be sure to use them early in your camping trip. Even in a cooler, they will not keep for long. Hamburger added to some of the items mentioned above can make a great dinner. Our kids always wanted to roast hot dogs over the campfire so we included those for at least one meal. A few cans of tuna, chicken or Spam added to your camping list will be welcome additions for meals or sandwiches.

Food to Take Camping for Quick and Easy Breakfasts: • Bags of “just add water” pancake mix • Cereals including granola, instant oatmeal packets and muesli • Eggs • Sausage, ham or other breakfast meats: be sure to use them early in the trip so they don’t spoil in the cooler. Alternately, if you have easy access to a grocery store, buy as needed.

• Dried potatoes like hash browns are a great breakfast item.

Be sure to find out if your camp site has a convenient, and safe, water source. If not, be prepared to transport your water.

Food to Take Camping for Quick and Easy Lunches: You don’t want to spend all of your time cooking and cleaning up.

Meals should be easy to prepare so you can enjoy the outdoor activities and relaxation a camping vacation offers. Put some thought into the foods for your camping list that offer taste and nutrition without time consuming preparation. Here are some of our favorites: • Bread for sandwiches: while “regular” bread is bulky and easily “squashed” there are some great substitutes. We love pita bread and sandwich thins. You may also like other types of flatbreads that are more like crackers including Wasa bread, etc.

• Sandwich fillings: hard cheeses keep well with minimal refrigeration; tuna can be purchased in pouches that make for light packing; peanut butter and jelly, as well as honey, can also be purchased in squeeze tubes.

• Soup cups: just add boiling water, wait a few minutes and lunch is ready.

• A grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of soup are always a winning combo for us!

• Healthy snack items: nuts, sunflower seeds, dried fruit and trail mix are all great additions to a camping lunch.

good substitute in some cases (though not for a whole baked potato)!

• Onions, garlic, and other “seasoning vegetables” that you like.

Fresh or dried.

• Beans, rice and pasta - as the basis for other “all in one kettle” meals.

• Seasonings for all of your meals: soy sauce, hot sauce, salt, pepper, garlic, dried onion, etc.

No list of food to take camping is complete without including your favorite items for snacking around the campfire, taking out on the lake while you are fishing or stowing in your jacket pocket when setting off for a hike. Just to get you started, here is what we love to include: • Chocolate, marshmallows and graham crackers for S’mores • Chex Mix (or you can make your own) • Popcorn to pop over the campfire or on your camp stove • Trail mix, nuts, seeds, raisins and other dried fruits • Candy • Tea, coffee, hot chocolate and dry juice mixes are easy to pack and will be welcome additions to all snack and meal times.

Food to Take Camping for Quick and Easy Dinners: Dinner is a great time to use the fresh meats and vegetables you decided were worth the effort to include on your camping list. If your camping kitchen includes a large soup pot or Dutch oven you can create some great one-pot meals like chili, beef stew or chicken and noodles.

Dinner is also a time to create those wonderful foil-packet meals.

Here are some ingredients you want to be sure to have with you: • Meats: hamburger, stew meat and cut-up chicken. You can also substitute freeze dried versions (though they are fairly expensive) and even meat substitutes like textured vegetable protein.

• Fresh fish: If fishing is part of your camping excursion, there is nothing tastier that fish fried over a campfire or a foil-wrapped “shore lunch.”

• Potatoes: Though heavy to pack, you may find it worthwhile to be able to add fresh potatoes to your stew or to create stuffed baked potatoes in foil...a complete meal in themselves. Dried potatoes are a

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Minnesota Apples

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By Julie Buchwald Haley

weet or tart, red, golden or green, whole or sliced, fresh from the tree or from the kitchen baked into pies, crisps, cakes or applesauce, plain or covered in caramel and nuts - we love apples.

Americans eat nearly 20 pounds, or about 65 fresh apples, per person every year. Of the more than 100 varieties commercially grown in the U.S., 15 of them account for almost 90% of production. One of the most popular types (expected to break into the top five this year) is the Honeycrisp, an apple known for its honeyed sweetness, sharp crispness, and mild flavor. It is a product of the University of Minnesota (U of M) Department of Horticultural Science’s plant breeding program.

The Honeycrisp has been honored as a “significant technology discovery” in the 2006 Better World Report and is the Minnesota State Fruit.

Plant breeding is not new to the U of M. They’ve been striving for locally grown foods and better plants able to thrive in this challenging climate since the Agricultural Experiment Station was created more than 130 years ago. Today, teams work on apples, berries (blue, rasp, straw, and currants), grapes (including several Frontenac, Itasca, La Crescent, and Marquette), pears (Parker and Summercrisp), stone fruits (apricots, cherries, plums), vegetables, flowers, woody ornamentals, trees, and grasses. All must be hardy enough to thrive in cold regions around the world.

Tolerating our climate is crucial. Trees must be tough. The growing season in Minnesota ranges from 90 to 160 days, humid conditions initiate 30 to 40 days of thunderstorms each year, tornadoes are possible from March through November, and average summer temperatures range from the mid-70s in the north to mid-80s in the south and can get as hot as 114 ºF. Annual precipitation ranges from 20” in the northwest part of the state to 35” in the southeast, with annual snowfall extremes reaching as much as 170”+ in the Superior Highlands to as little as 2.3” in southern Minnesota.

Researchers consider three other main traits when developing new apple varieties: how the apple eats (texture, flavors, crispness, and juiciness), how easy it is to grow, and its appearance.

The markets tolerate a variety of flavors ranging from tart to sweet and aromas that range from cherries to pineapples. The Sweet Sixteen apple, introduced in 1977, is vigorous, able to handle cold winters, and is resistant to fire blight and scab. It is crisp and juicy with a sweet, spicy-cherry flavor. The Keepsake apple, introduced in 1978, is easy to manage, will store for up to 6 months, and is suitable for cooking. It is hard and crisp with a sweet pineapple flavor.

Developing a new apple takes patience and lots of it. It starts with pollinating by hand, planting the seeds, and nurturing these 5,000 new plants for five to eight years while they grow big enough to produce fruit. From mid-August through the end of October, weekly tasting is done to determine if the apple meets the profile they are working toward.

Out of every 200 plants, only one meets the profile’s components. It is then cloned through grafting (where stock and roots of plants are joined so they’ll continue growing together). Once the

grafting takes hold, the traits are confirmed through DNA testing, and then nurtured through three to four years of growth, when the tree begins to fruit again. From pollination to a new variety, it takes 8 to 12 years - and only 1 in 15,000 seeds becomes a new variety.

Farmers and gardeners have been breeding plants for thousands of years by saving seeds from the best plants for new crops and mixing varieties that cross-pollinate. In the mid-1800s the principles of heredity using pea plants were outlined by Gregor Mendel. This provided the framework necessary for scientific plant breeding. DNA testing as part of the breeding process is only six to either years old.

(It’s sort of like the “OK Cupid” online dating site for plants.) DNA markers help with the selection profile to match varieties for the desired traits, such as crispness or flavor, allowing researchers to keep the most robust seedlings.

Nearly 30 apple varieties have been released by the U of M since 1888, though only eight are currently available from local nurseries licensed to grow them. It’s newest variety, FirstKiss® (or Rave® outside of Minnesota), will be introduced this year. It is a cross between the U of M’s MN55 (Honeycrisp) and AA44, a variety from the University of Arkansas. It offers a “fantastic apple-eating experience earlier in the season than other varieties developed for cooler climates – a crisp texture (that) pairs beautifully with the apple’s lightly tart flavor.” It will ripen in mid-tolate August, which is the very beginning of apple season. Sounds perfect for apple crisp!

The apple crisp recipe below was such a favorite in my Mom’s family that the architect who built Grandma and Grandpa’s house had it hand-lettered in a frieze running around the top of the walls in their kitchen.

Grandma Greene’s Apple Crisp

1-½ cups water 1 tsp cinnamon ¾ cup flour 1 cup sugar 7 tbsp shortening or butter 4 cups apples peeled & sliced

Grandma used a variety of apples, whatever was ripe and ready, some sweet, some tart. A firm, crisp apple is best. Butter Pyrex cake pan or casserole dish. Toss apple slices with sugar and cinnamon and pile them in the cake pan. Pour water over. Separately, mix flour and butter well until crumbly and sprinkle over the apples. Bake in preheated 350 ºF oven. Bake until topping is golden, and apples are soft to a fork, about 30-40 minutes.

Honeycrisp, Sweet Sixteen, Keepsake, and FirstKiss – Minnesota’s own apples to look for this fall.

Julie Buchwald Haley is a freelance writer, new grandma, and PTSD survivor who works full-time, volunteers part-time, and is a pet parent to three. She returned to Minnesota after a 30+ year absence to make new memories with her parents.

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Medicine

By Sara Schlueter

O

f course you can’t deny the powers and cures that come with Western Medicine but incorporating some forms of ancient medicine into your treatment plan or daily routine may produce positive side effects.

When used in tandem with Western medicine, alternative therapies can boost our moods, relive stress and offer many other benefits. Here are a few of the most common therapies, and how you can start to incorporate them in your life!

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Aromatherapy In recent years the practice of essential oils has been popping up everywhere and is downright trendy. From oils you can purchase at the grocery stores and diffuse to essential oil-infused bath and body products, this is a “trend� worth trying. Essential oils are compounds extracted from plants, and for centuries they have claimed to help with a host of conditions, ailments and moods. Essential oils can be diffused with a diffuser or used on the body with a carrier oil. Here a few common oils and what they can be used for: Lavender: Stress reliver and produces a sense of calm Peppermint: Boost energy and aids with digestion

Massage

Tea Tree: Fights infection and boosts immunity Grapefruit: Uplifting and refreshing Oils and diffusers can be purchased at places such as Whole Foods, Amazon or many other local retailers. When purchasing oils, it is important to find oils that are pure, and not diluted with other oils. Some oils can be consumed and will state on their label if they are safe to be ingested or not.

Not only can massage induce feelings of relaxation, but it can also provide a host of benefits for other health conditions. Massage has been proven to lower blood pressure, reduce anxiety, help with a variety of pain conditions, and reduce muscle tension. Here are a few different types of massage techniques to help you find the one that works best for you.

Acupuncture

• Swedish Massage: This is the best kind of massage when you are looking to relax and unwind. Swedish massage will also help relive muscle knots and tension and can be helpful in managing minor aches and pains. A great massage technique to try for beginners to massage.

An ancient form of Chinese medicine, acupuncture started out as a way to drain sores or abscesses. The tradition of acupuncture recognizes that the body has energy flows, and this energy can create balance and health. The energy flow is called qi (“chee”) and flows through the body along 12 major channels which represent the major organs and functions of the body.

The National Institutes of Health recognizes acupuncture as an effective form of therapy (not a cure) for a variety of conditions. Acupuncture may help relive the symptoms associated with lower back pain, headaches, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure and gastric conditions among others. When combined with other treatments and performed in a safe environment, acupuncture can impart many positive side effects.

When looking for an acupuncturist, it is important to find someone who has the proper credentials and do some research online for reviews. Pivotal Point Oriental Medicine in Faribault is an example of somewhere to try. Check out pivotalpointom.com for more information about the therapies and fees offered.

• Aromatherapy Massage: Combining essential oils and massage, this type of massage engages all your senses. Depending on the oils used in your session, you can leave feeling energized or relaxed. Essential oils would be both diffused in the air and absorbed in the skin.

• Deep Tissue Massage: This type of massage will work well for someone with chronic muscle pain or an injury. Tension will be relived in the deepest layers of the muscles and the connective tissues. Deep tissue massage will feel much more intense than Swedish massage but shouldn’t give feelings of pain or discomfort.

• Reflexology: This works best if you are looking to relax or restore your body’s natural energy level. Reflexology focuses applying firm pressure to the pressure points on your ears, feet and hands. This is a great option to try if you don’t want a full-body massage experience.

While these are only a sampling of some “alternative” forms of medicine, do more research to find others that work best for you! It is also important to remember that these forms of therapy are not cures, but rather strategies for managing symptoms for a variety of conditions and can work parallel with other forms of treatment. Consult with your doctor or health practitioner before engaging in these forms of alternative medicine to find one that may work best for you.

Sara Schlueter is a writer and editor in Minneapolis with a passion for storytelling, all things Minnesota, and being involved in the community.

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Serving all of Southern Minnesota endreswc.com • 507-WE-CLEAN • 507-932-5326 SUMMER 2019

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You Can Grow In Water

D From NaturalLiving.com

o you have a few favorite “go-to” herbs? Why not grow them in water and keep them close at hand on the kitchen window sill or right on the counter?

Water-grown herbs are just as flavorsome as those you grow in the garden. You don’t have to mess with soil or worry about regular watering or changing seasons.

Most herbs will be happy growing in water, but those propagated from cuttings are easier to start in water. Seed-grown annuals like cilantro, mustard, and dill are a bit tricky because you need to sow the seeds in soil or some other medium and then transfer the seedlings to water. Soil to water transition is not impossible, but it may not always work out because soil-grown roots are a bit different from water roots.

What You Need to Grow Herbs in Water Water For a simple herb stand in the kitchen, you can root herb cuttings in plain water in glass bottles. Avoid using chlorinated water directly as the bleaching chemical is not exactly friend38

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ly to plant tissues. Tap water that has been left to air overnight is fine, so is stored rainwater.

Spring water or well water is the best because it has some amount of dissolved minerals that may be of use to plants.

Containers As for the container, mason jars or any other glass bottles will do, even plastic bottles. Roots generally like to grow away from light, so colored bottles, especially amber colored are best.

You can just wrap a piece of paper around the bottle to keep the root zone in the dark. This will even prevent algal growth on the container walls and on the root surface. Algae do not adversely affect plant growth, but they make the bottles look untidy.

Narrow-mouthed containers have an advantage: they can support the cuttings and keep them nearly upright. However, the mouth of the container shouldn’t be too narrow or tightfitting around the cutting. The roots have to breathe, and the mouth of the container should allow free movement of air.

If you’re using a wide-mouthed container, you have the option of covering the top with nylon or wire netting. Insert the cuttings through the holes, and that will offer some support to the cuttings. Another advantage, especially in warmer areas, is that the netting prevents mosquitoes from laying eggs in the water and multiplying.

Plant cuttings Soft cuttings are pretty quick to root in

water. You don’t need to use any rooting hormones. If you have some herbs growing in the garden, snip off 6-inch sections from growing tips and put them in the water-filled containers. The best part of growing herbs from cuttings is that you can use the ones you get from the supermarket. Just wash them in plain water and cut off the lower portion.

Remove lower leaves from cuttings and trim the lower tips close to the nodes from where the roots arise. When they are inserted into the bottles, there shouldn’t be any leaves touching the water. They can rot easily and spoil the water, as they do in flower vases.

Woody cuttings like rosemary may take longer to root, so be patient. Change the water once a week without disturbing the cuttings.

Once the roots start growing, usually between 2-6 weeks, water changes may not be necessary.

If you have willow trees in the garden, you can steep some branches in warm water overnight to make a natural rooting hormone mix.

Place the cuttings in the infusion to encourage rooting. Alternately, rooting hormone powder can be used.

10 Best Herbs You Can Grow In Water Peppermint – This is the most popular mint for medicinal uses because it contains high amounts of the volatile substance menthol. It

gives a unique cooling sensation on the skin or tongue, but without actually causing any temperature variation. Growing peppermint in water is easy; just put fresh cuttings in water to grow new plants.

Spearmint – This is another mint variety closely related to peppermint. In fact, peppermint is a natural hybrid of spearmint and an aquatic mint that is commonly known as water mint.

Oregano – This pungent herb is worth growing indoors because you can use the leaves to flavor almost any vegetable. Take cuttings of fresh growth and pot them up in water.

Start pinching the growing tips as soon as the plant starts to grow well.

Basil – Basil would love the warmth of your kitchen and grow happily in a water-filled container as long as you provide it good light. Take cuttings any time before it starts flowering. If you have several varieties of basil, growing cuttings in water is the best way to preserve your collection during winter.

Sage – Take soft cuttings in the spring and root them in water. You may need only one or two sage plants because only very tiny amounts are needed to impart flavor. Keep the plants in bright light and in a well-aerated place because this herb is prone to mildew.

Stevia – This sweet plant is good to have in the house to add to freshly brewed teas and beverages. Take cuttings of actively growing soft branches and place them in water. Provide a warm place and as much light as possible to keep this tropical plant happy and full of sweetness.

Lemon balm – The lemony scent of this mint-family herb is a welcome treat in any home, especially in the winter. The leaves are great for making tea. Take cuttings in spring or fall. Keep the containers in a warm place that receives plenty of bright indirect light. They may take up to 3-4 weeks to develop roots.

Keep the water clean with regular changes.

Some people find it easier to root the cuttings outside the house when the weather’s still warm. It may help avoid white mildew that lemon balm is prone to. You can bring them indoors when the new plants are well established.

Tarragon – Take cuttings in the spring after new growth appears. Fall cuttings are fine too, but they may take longer to grow roots. Keep cuttings in a warm place that gets bright light.

French tarragon is best as a culinary herb. Russian tarragon is milder, or even bland, so use it as a green in salads.

Thyme – You need to take cuttings of new growth that is green in color. The old growth that has become stiff and brown may not sprout roots easily. The best time to take the cuttings is mid-spring to early summer, before the plant starts flowering. The thin stems of

thyme can dry out very fast, so put them in water as soon as you cut them. Spray the portion above the water, if necessary. Once it starts growing, cut the stems to promote branching.

Rosemary – The semi-woody cuttings of rosemary take longer to root, but spring cuttings of new shoots may be faster. Either way, it is worth the effort because rosemary makes an excellent indoor plant for a sunny spot.

water.

Dracena – The plant commonly grown in water as Chinese lucky bamboo incidentally is no bamboo, but a variety of dracaena (Dracaena braunii). Others like corn plant (D. fragrans), Song of India (D. reflexa) are good choices. Sections of the cane can be rooted and grown in water, but support is essential for these top heavy plants.

9 Best Houseplants To Grow In Water

Dieffenbachia (Dumb cane) – Cut top growth and pot up in water after the cut end becomes dry. Care must be taken while handling this plant; its sap is so caustic, it can burn your skin.

Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema) – Take cuttings or clean whole plants growing in pots and put them in large containers of water.

Chlorophytum (Spider plant, Airplane plant) – Put large plantlets or entire plants cleaned of all soil particles in goldfish bowls full of water. Water culture is best for hanging plants because you don’t need to water them often.

Not just herbs, but other houseplants do equally well in water. Just perfect for you if you regularly kill houseplants by over watering them or forgetting to water altogether. You don’t need to make any special arrangements when you go off for a few days.

Pothos – This plant is commonly grown in water. Take tip cuttings of any length and put the cut end into some water making sure that 2-3 nodes are submerged in water.

Arrowhead – This plant is similar to pothos. Tip cuttings can be potted up with a few nodes below the water level.

Philodendrons – Dainty heart-leaved philodendrons, as well as the large, split-leaved types do equally well in water. Take 6-8 inch cuttings of growing tips and put in a container that can support its weight. You may need to place a piece of rock in the container to prevent accidental tipping.

Peace lily – You can pot up divisions or use an entire plant growing in a pot. Just wash off all the soil from the roots and put it in a bowl of water.

Aluminum plant – Cuttings of this beautiful plant with silver markings do very well in

6 Best Vegetables To Grow In Water Watercress, water chestnut, wasabi, and lotus are some of the food plants that naturally grow in water. But many terrestrial vegetables can adapt to growing in water. Some, like leafy greens like lettuce and spinach, do extremely well. They seem to be happier than their counterparts growing in the ground because they get a continuous supply of water and are not bothered by soil pathogens.

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Ryan Minner of Salted Chef.

A

Jessica Toliver owner of Jess Delicious.

By Sara Schlueter

few generations ago, when many women made homemaking a full-time occupation, they usually prepared all of the family’s meals. In some households, a grandmother or other relative who lived with the family did much of the cooking.

Meals often included fresh vegetables picked from a small garden in the back yard, traded with a gardening neighbor or purchased that day from the local green grocer.

With today’s fast-paced, multi-faceted lifestyles, many families eat meals not prepared in their homes. They may find themselves buying supper at the drive-through window of a fast food restaurant, even though they would like to eat more healthfully. They may want to include more locally sourced foods in their meals, but they have little or no time for food preparation, or even for shopping for the ingredients.

One alternative to bringing home supper in a fast food bag is to turn to a personal chef, like Ryan Minner of Mankato or Jessica Toliver of Minneapolis. A personal chef offers a variety of options-shopping for ingredients, preparing favorite family recipes, or preparing dishes that meet special dietary needs or preferences.

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For some clients, the most important benefit is the time the family can spend together while the personal chef prepares the food.

The chef enjoys having the opportunity to prepare healthful food for an appreciative client. Some personal chefs use locally sourced food in their recipes, making purchases at food co-ops and, in season, from farmers’ markets.

Ryan Minner began Salted Chef five years ago and now employs three other chefs. Why the unusual name, and how did he get started?

“The name is catchy and easy to remember,” Minner said. “I worked in restaurants, and I’ve always been interested in health and nutrition. I wanted to provide healthy food for people.” So Minner joined the American Personal and Private Chef Association and developed an online search form. For some years he was listed on the Thumbtack.com site (where people can find professionals in a variety of industries, or can advertise their own expertise).

Minner and his staff now serve 30 clients regularly, preparing meals in each client’s home once or twice a week. Although Minner occasionally caters a small event, such as a birthday party or a family reunion, he focuses on the personal chef aspect of his business.

“I shop for the food at the market of the client’s choice, or the

client does the shopping, and I prepare the food at the client’s home,” Minner said. He follows the client’s preferences, tweaking a recipe when asked to do so, perhaps reflecting eating trends.

Minner explained, “Paleo was very popular a few years ago, but for the past five years, it’s been low carb. I wouldn’t be surprised if vegetarian or vegan gains more popularity.” To meet clients’ preferences, he offers seven entrée categories: low-cal, low-carb, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, paleo and dairy-free. He’ll also prepare a client’s favorite family recipes when provided with them.

One of Minner’s favorite meals to prepare is a low carb sea food filet dinner. He said, “A typical meal, with nothing fried, is protein and a vegetable. It could be salmon with a salad or a side of roasted root vegetable.” His “go-to” menu includes baked salmon with honey Dijon sauce, chicken parmesan, Mongolian beef with green onions, white turkey chili, shrimp scampi and more ordinary entrees such as grilled steak or Swedish meatballs.

Minner will also prepare a dessert at the client’s request. Dessert options also meet dietary preferences. Chocolate avocado pudding, for example, is gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and dairy-free.

More common desserts include rhubarb crisp and vegan brownies. Salted Chef also can provide multiple meals and desserts to freeze or to store in the refrigerator for eating later.

Like Minner, Jessica Toliver, owner of Jess Delicious personal chef service, is smitten with creating healthful, tasty meals.

Although neither she nor her mother were much into food preparation as Toliver grew up, she recalls enjoying meals served at her aunt’s home or in the church basement. She admits, “I love to eat.”

When Toliver moved to the Twin Cities from Eau Claire, Wis., her enjoyment of food led her to enroll in a two-year chef program at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, a program that now exists only overseas. A 2006 graduate of the Twin Cities school, Toliver gained experience working in the hospitality industry.

“I worked in a lot of kitchens, and I hated it,” she said. “It was minimal pay, too many hours, and I could never put my creative spin on the food.” So, one day Toliver put a personal chef ad on Craig’s List--and soon forgot about it. When she found a response a year later, she learned that the person was still interested.

“I brought all of my pots and pans,” Toliver said. “The client had a lavish garden of fresh produce. For me, it was fantastic. In a restaurant, you do the same thing repeatedly and never meet the people who eat what you prepare. Now I’m cooking in beautiful kitchens, building rapport and giving my clients what they want.

I like building a client-chef relationship. I’m not just a face, I’m greeted when I arrive at the client’s home. I have independence and creative license.”

Toliver, who also works at Abbott Northwestern Hospital, said she realized, in seeing patients, how important food is in people’s recovery and in their lives.

“Putting the right food into your body is so important for longevity and brain function,” she said. “Preparing food for a person with dietary restrictions is easier to do at home. I cook mostly comfort foods, but I fry without MSG (monosodium glutamate). I use ginger instead. It gives an elevated quality to a favorite dish.”

For some families, convenience is as important as food quality.

Toliver said, “A personal chef allows a family to be together as food is being prepared. And you can use food from containers

Above photos taken from jessdelicious.com

in the fridge for a week, or you can decide to freeze an unbaked casserole for later.”

For more information, contact Minner at info@saltedchef.com.

Toliver can be reached at jessica@jessdelicious.com.

Carlienne A. Frisch writes from Mankato, where she enjoys eating meals prepared by anyone but herself.

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Compiled by Nancy Iglesias

Summer Vegetable Quiche (www.strongertogether.coop) Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes; 15 minutes active Servings: 8 This tasty basic quiche recipe can be easily adapted with your choice of in-season and local ingredients.

Ingredients 1 10-inch 2 tsp.

1-1/2 cups 1/2 cup 2 3 2 3/4 cup Pinch 1/4 cup 1/2 cup

prebaked pie crust vegetable oil zucchini and/or yellow squash, diced red bell pepper, sliced or diced loosely-packed cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped large eggs large egg whites milk salt and pepper crumbled goat cheese shredded Parmesan cheese

Preparation • Preheat the oven to 350°F. • Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, peppers, and spinach and sauté for a few minutes just until tender. Remove from heat.

• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg white, milk, salt and pepper.

• Sprinkle the goat cheese on the bottom of the prebaked crust, then evenly cover with the vegetables. Add the Parmesan cheese and then pour in the egg mixture. Bake for about 45 minutes or until firm in the middle. Let the quiche sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

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Serving Suggestion This basic quiche recipe can be easily adapted with your choice of in-season and local ingredients. Try any combination of locally-made sausage or bacon crumbles, sliced or diced tomatoes, arugula, or corn kernels for an “eat local” version.

Basil, Blackberry, and Grilled Chicken Salad (www.cookinglight.com) Total Time: 25 minutes; 25 minutes active Servings: 4 (serving size: 1-1/2 cups salad mixture, 3 oz. chicken, and 2 tbsp. cheese) When you have a glut of basil from the garden or farmers market, try using the leaves as the “lettuce” in salads. Going all basil may be a bit overwhelming, so try combining with other greens. If you don’t have white balsamic vinegar, you can use regular balsamic; just know that it will leave its brown hue on the ingredients. Or, for a zippier, less sweet salad, use fresh lemon juice in place of the vinegar.

Ingredients 2 1/4 cup 3/4 tsp.

1/2 tsp.

Cooking spray 2 Tbsp.

1-1/2 tsp.

1-1/2 tsp.

4 cups 3 ounces

(8-oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed extra-virgin olive oil, divided kosher salt, divided black pepper, divided white balsamic vinegar honey Dijon mustard packed baby arugula (about 4 oz.) fresh basil, stems removed and large leaves torn in half (about 2 packed cups)

Cucumber, Snowpea and Onion Salad (www.FamilyCircle.com) Total time: 75 minutes; 15 active minutes Servings: 6 Ingredients 2 8 ounces 1 cup 1/3 cup 1 tsp. ½ cup 2 Tbsp.

1 tsp. ¼ tsp.

1/4 cup 6 ounces 2 ounces

slivered red onion fresh blackberries goat cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

Preparation • Preheat grill to medium-high (about 450°F). Brush chicken with 1 Tbsp. oil; sprinkle evenly with 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper.

Place chicken on grill grate coated with cooking spray. Grill, uncovered, until a meat thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 160°, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Let stand 5 minutes; cut into slices.

• Whisk together remaining 3 Tbsp. oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, and remaining 1/4 tsp. pepper in a large bowl. Add arugula, basil, and onion; toss gently to coat. Divide salad evenly among 4 plates; top evenly with chicken, blackberries, and cheese.

medium cucumbers, sliced 1/8-inch thick snow peas, thinly sliced into strips (5 cups sliced) thinly sliced sweet onion fresh dill, chopped, plus more for garnish salt sour cream white wine vinegar sugar black pepper

Preparation • In a large bowl, toss together cucumbers, snow peas, onion, 1/3 cup of the dill and 1/2 tsp. of the salt.

• In a separate bowl, mix sour cream, vinegar, sugar, pepper and remaining 1/2 tsp salt until smooth.

Pour over vegetables and mix well.

Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Garnish with remaining dill.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 44 u u u

GOOD. LOCAL. FOOD. SINCE 1979.

228 Mulberry | St. Peter, Minnesota | stpeterfood.coop

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CONTINUED FROM page 43

Apple Salsa (My Indiana Home) Total time: 20 minutes prep Yield: About 6 ½ cups salsa Ingredients 4 ½ cups ¾ cup ½ cup ½ cup ½ cup 1 Tbsp.

2 ½ cup 1/3 cup 1 Tbsp.

1 tsp. ½ tsp. ¼ tsp.

apples, unpeeled and finely chopped red onion, finely diced green onion, thinly sliced red bell pepper, finely chopped yellow bell pepper, finely chopped garlic, finely minced jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely minced cilantro, finely chopped lime juice vegetable oil ground cumin kosher salt ground black pepper

Preparation • In a large bowl, lightly toss apples, both types of onions, bell peppers, garlic, jalapeño pepper and cilantro.

• In a separate small bowl, whisk remaining ingredients until thoroughly blended.

• Pour over apple mixture and toss lightly.

• Serve immediately or refrigerate in a tightly covered container.

• Serve with tortilla chips.

Balsamic Peach Basil Chicken Salad with Crispy Prosciutto (www.Halfbakedharvest.com) Total time: 30 minutes - active time 15 minutes Servings: 4 Ingredients 4 1/2 cup 1 Tbsp.

2 pounds 3 ounces 1 Tbsp.

2 Tbsp.

1 Tbsp.

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ripe peaches, quartered balsamic vinegar honey boneless skinless chicken breasts thinly sliced prosciutto olive oil fresh chopped basil fresh chopped oregano Kosher salt + pepper

southernminngirlfriends.com

6 cups 1 cup 4 ounces 6 ounces 1 1/3 cup

fresh arugula or baby spinach cherry tomatoes gorgonzola cheese, crumbled fresh mozzarella or burrata cheese, torn avocado, sliced toasted seeds (such as sunflower pumpkin, sesame)

Balsamic Vinaigrette 1/4 cup 1/4 cup 2 Tbsp.

2 tsp.

olive oil balsamic vinegar fresh chopped basil dijon mustard Kosher salt + pepper

Preparation • Add the peaches to a bowl and toss with the balsamic vinegar

and honey.

• Add the chicken to a separate bowl and toss with the olive oil, basil, oregano, salt + pepper.

• Preheat your grill, grill pan or cast iron skillet to medium high and brush the grates with oil.

• Remove the peaches from the balsamic mix and grill them for 2-3 minutes or until light char marks appear, flip and grill another 2-3 minutes.

• Remove from the grill. Reserve any remaining balsamic mix for the vinaigrette.

• To the grill, add the chicken and and prosciutto to grill for 5-8 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through and the prosciutto crisp.

• Remove from the grill and let rest 5-10 minutes.

• Thinly slice the chicken and crumble the prosciutto.

• In a large salad bowl, combine the arugula, tomatoes and gorgonzola.

• Top the salad with grilled peaches, chicken, burrata or mozzarella, and sliced avocado. Sprinkle the toasted seeds all over the salad.

• Serve the salad alongside the balsamic vinaigrette. Grab any remaining balsamic mix from when you tossed it with the peaches. To that, add the olive oil, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, basil, mustard, salt and pepper. Taste, and adjust seasonings to your liking.

Unexpected CaregiveR

Hershey’s is Just Fine

Berit Kari Berit, author of The Unexpected Caregiver, is a keynote speaker who will help everyone better take care while caring for another. Follow her at www.KariBerit.net

M

y grandma Jo didn’t appreciate the sampling of Norwegian chocolate I brought back from my trip to Norway in 1990. I was married at the time and she thought it was wrong of me to take off for a month of teaching when I had a husband to feed, so she refused to taste the chocolate. “Hershey’s is just fine,” she scolded me.

My mother and grandmothers did the cooking for their husbands. My mom’s mom hated to cook. Meals were saltine crackers with butter or canned chicken chow mein. My dad’s mom seemingly enjoyed cooking, or it was just a part of her DNA. She made heavy, Czech-based food. The more you ate, the better she liked you. And my mother loved cooking for her family. Her meals were basic, but tasty, and usually involved the latest Betty Crocker Cookbook favorites.

I, too, enjoy cooking and am pretty adept at using what we have in the fridge to create a delicious dish. I prioritize buying eggs from the local farmer, relish cutting herbs from my kitchen garden, and am keen on grilling sau-

sages made in our area. But then there’s comfort food…and the nights that I just want cereal for dinner! If I ever need care, I want my caregiver to understand that I will savor a meal of grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup, as much as lightly grilled fresh salmon with root vegetables.

A childhood neighbor of mine and I were reminiscing over dinner and got to talking about current meal times with our now 80-year-oldparents. They still think a salad is iceberg lettuce with Western dressing, with a tomato, slice of cucumber, or one radish. They eat at the earlybird time of 5 p.m. and tend to finish their meals in under 45 minutes. Of course, they are not eating at places that encourage lingering; they’re eating at a fast food joint or a Friday night fish fry, where the goal is to serve as many people as possible in a well-defined window of time.

I write about generational differences in my book, “The Unexpected Caregiver,” and certainly, how and what we eat can vary widely between the age groups. When I lived with Dad following my mom’s death, I made a fuss when he microwaved his frozen chicken cordon bleu and called that dinner. I cringe when I see my father-in-law open a can of Dinty Moore Beef Stew for lunch.

But these guys grew up in a time when their wives did the cooking and canned and frozen meals were considered a bit of a luxury. Canned and frozen foods certainly make “cooking” easier for folks who either don’t prefer or don’t know how to prepare a meal.

I like to think that I can and should influence my parents’ eating habits, and even though I believe my culinary tastes to be healthier, it could be that the generation who will care for me disagrees. For one thing, they tell me I need to switch from milk chocolate to dark chocolate.

And while I’ve read and understand the benefits of dark chocolate, I still prefer milk chocolate. I hope my eventual caregivers don’t preach about healthier food alternatives.

I fell in love with Norwegian milk chocolate years ago. I’d like to think I can hang on to that small pleasure. For me, Hershey’s will never be “just fine.”

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WELLNESS

I

By Rian Dicke-Michels f you wake up feeling tired and immediately begin mentally juggling the next few hours, you’re like most other people living in this era. Modern lifestyles have compounded to form a plethora of physical and mental health concerns in the general population. All our routines and habits form around our daily schedules, and sometimes our physical/emotional needs are put off to the side.

Instead of making time for self-care, we prioritize everything BUT ourselves, and all the necessities of life just fall into the gaps in our day. Perhaps it’s time to ask yourself a few discovery questions. When and how much am I sleeping? When am I finding time for quiet and contemplation? Is there an exercise regimen built into my day? How are my eating habits?

Better yet, are any of these needs being met with intention?

Through Ayurvedic teachings, we’ve come to understand that our body goes through cycles that sync with the natural world and other people. The body is complex, with energies that change throughout the day, and we also have a natural constitution that is affected by the seasons. Your constitution is determined by physical appearance, metabo-

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lism, general characteristics, and mental factors. These constitutions are Pitta Dosha, Vata Dosha, and Kapha Dosha.

Technically, we are all three at the same time but one can be strongest or more dominant, while another can seem nonexistent.

When we care for our natural cycles by tuning into them, we are able to work toward balancing out the doshas (faults). Each of the doshas has its own characteristics, associated elements, and positive

attributes.

Unfortunately, Ayurveda is such an in-depth subject that it cannot be melted down to a five-minute read. For the sake of our readers, I’ll stick to some very basic information that we can put into action and work towards leading a healthier lifestyle by changing just a few small habits.

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CONTINUED FROM page 47

ature water (cold water is a shock to the system) to hydrate the body and stimulate the internal organs, and consume a piece of fruit. This is a good time for meditation and writing down ideas, because the creative mind is still active, having recently been in deeper frequencies of consciousness.

The best time for exercise is between 6:00 and 10:00 a.m. Our muscles have been at rest, and this will help boost our energy and produce “feel good” hormones in the body. It is also important to not sleep into this time, as it can set us up for a sluggish day.

From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., our digestion is the strongest and our largest meal is best eaten right in the middle of this time, around 12:30 p.m.

After the lunch hour, from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. is a good time for a nap, as we are prone to fatigue during this time. Our bodies are focused on digestion, so to help this along, have an herbal tea or spices in water or milk. If a nap is inaccessible, you could also take some time to meditate or close your eyes and just breathe for a short time. Deep belly breaths will massage the digestive tract and increase blood circulation in the area.

As we slow down around 6:00 p.m., it is best to go for an evening walk (right before or right after a small dinner) and head to bed no later than 10:00 p.m.

Between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m., metabolic cleansing is the strongest, and sleep is the best time for purification. The body is at

rest, and its systems can shift focus to repair and rejuvenate. This is the best time for fat in the body to be burned.

As an Ayurvedic trained and certified yogi, I feel there is much I have yet to learn. What I do know is that some of the simplest techniques can have a huge impact on the overall health and happiness of an individual. The way our society lives today is very different from how folks lived more than 5,000 years ago. Times have changed; therefore, the guidelines listed above are just that - guidelines. In theory, this is the best way to achieve optimal performance as a human being.

Sufficient sleep, food, water, and exercise are the four main requirements of staying healthy and with consistency, you should begin to notice changes in energy levels, demeanor throughout the course of your day, and positive physical changes. Of course, it helps to make positive choices in terms of diet and to also drink very little caffeine or alcohol. In a nutshell, doing the bare minimum is better than doing nothing at all. So, if at first all you do each morning is drink a glass of water and eat an apple, you’re already one step closer to a better day than yesterday.

Rian Dicke-Michels is a highly independent, Minnesota State University Mankato graduate and the proud mother of an earthy 5-year-old daughter and a brand-new baby boy. Although a 10-year yoga practitioner, she earned her 200RYT in 2015 from The Green Lotus Yoga and Healing center, and is continuing her education toward 500 hours. “My life is a continuous journey toward healing and self-love,” she says, “I’m honored to share it with you.”

Our mid-September issue will be about the multi-faceted woman.

Articles will include: • Unexpected Caregiver • Man’s Viewpoint • Wellness • Book review • St. Peter woman who is Mrs. Minnesota and running for Mrs. United States in late July • The women who raise us • Air Force Academy cadet leader from Owatonna • Beauty from within • Women-owned family business • Section on how we “get” our babies - Adoption, Surrogacy • Health Finders – keeping our communities healthy and whole • What makes a woman confident?

• Women’s groups that have met for decades

Southern Minn

Have an idea or suggestion?

...and more Girlfriends 48

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SEP/OCT ISSUE DEADLINE IS AUGUST 9TH Contact Beth Forkner Moe at bfmoe@southernminn.com

BOOK REVIEW Hotbox: Inside Catering, the Food World’s Riskiest Business

by Matt Lee & Ted Lee c.2019, Henry Holt and Company $28.00 / $36.50 Canada 288 pages

Review by Terri Schlichenmeyer, The Bookworm

Hotbox: Inside Catering, the Food World’s Riskiest Business

A

chance to rub elbows with the rich, you’re only partially right. In Phelan’s kitchen, the Lees worked, learning to braise, sear, mince, and stage plates that are Instagram-worthy. They noted food waste, when plates didn’t meet standards of perfection. They pulled 12-hour or longer shifts, were witnesses to (and the cause of) last-minute disasters in the “back-of-house,” and they learned how rental companies go handin-hand with catering. And they discovered the reason for the biggest change in catering for special events…

So what’s for dinner, and where’s it coming from? Those are two of the things you’ll keep coming back to, when you read “Hotbox.”

And yet, while hungry readers will get hungrier because of food descriptions here, food’s not the focus. This book will satisfy your curiosity about an industry that’s relatively unnoticed but while names are sometimes named, there’s really very little tell-all in it.

s conferences go, this one was successful.

Work was accomplished with minimal dissent, officers were elected, and a consensus was reached.

Afterward, in elegant surroundings, you dined together on artfully-presented food in taste-combinations you never imagined and desserts that made you want seconds. It was the perfect end to a good confab and in “Hotbox” by Matt Lee & Ted Lee, you’ll see how the meal came to the meeting.

A few years ago, following a sumptuous dinner at Manhattan’s James Beard House – a restaurant that invites elite guest chefs to feature their creations – Matt Lee and Ted Lee met Patrick Phelan, then-executive chef from New York catering firm Sonnier & Castle.

The Lees didn’t know much about cater- Authors Matt Lee & Ted Lee. Photo credit EV Day. ing then but, as cookbook authors, they were intrigued. They asked Phelan for jobs in his Instead, authors Matt Lee and Ted Lee share the stories of high-end events, exotic meals, kitchen. and the work that went into the grub, outside It wasn’t long before they were chopping, dicof a traditional kitchen. It’s a tale of long shifts ing, and serving. spent doing tedious work; delicate dances with Catering, say the Lees, wasn’t generally availdemanding clients; mind-boggling details of able until the 1960s, when New York entrepreevent-support, linens, and tables; and the sheer neur Donald Bruce White started a fine-food delivery service that somewhat resembled today’s logistics of feeding hundreds of people from a stainless steel box. phone-in-for-delivery methods of dining. Before For foodies, this book takes the silver cloche White’s business launched, dinner events were held at hotels or venues that already served food, off in a multi-page flourish. For the curious, or for anyone who’s ever eaten a catered meal, because eating in a library or museum “would “Hotbox” will be eye-opening and fun to read. If have violated some sense of decorum.” you’re just someone who likes food, this is some Early catering didn’t cost much, sometimes thing to put on your plate. only a few dollars per plate, a fact that New York magazine pointed out; today, it’s common for The Bookworm is Terri Schlichenmeyer. Terri has been reading since she was 3 years old and she never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a high-end event coordinators to budget $1,000 hill in Wisconsin with a mysterious man, two dogs, and 14,000 books. For per person or more for upscale soirees. more information, visit bookwormsez@gmail.com.

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DIRECTORY

Financial Resources Castle Rock Bank

The Castle Rock Bank has been serving the women in this community for 96 years. To answer the question, “What do women want in banking?” We believe the answer is, “To be heard, understood, respected and valued.” 27925 Danville Ave Castle Rock, 507-645-7751 www.castlerockbank.net.

EVENT RENTAL SPACE PILLSBURY COLLEGE PREP

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Health & Wellness Millstream Commons Assisted Living

Millstream Commons Assisted Living is located in downtown Northfield. 44 Assisted Living apartments (studio, 1 and 2 BR) featuring three meals a day, supportive nursing care, respite care, & life enrichment activities. Pets allowed. Licensed Housing with Services provider. Part of the Three Links Community. Member of Aging Services of Minnesota. 210 8th St W, Northfield, 507-650-9627, threelinks.org.

CONTINUED FROM page 39

Lettuce – This is the most favorite vegetable of hydroponic farmers. The easiest way to grow them hydroponically is to start the seeds in netted cups. When they are bigger, insert them into the beds containing growing medium.

Spinach – This leafy vegetable is grown the same way as lettuce.

Tomatoes – Tomato seeds started in individual cups are inserted into the growing medium.

High yields are typical of hydroponically cultivated tomatoes.

Peppers – Their cultural requirements are similar to tomatoes.

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Northfield Urgent Care

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Northfield Retirement Community

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Situated on a 30-acre, beautifully landscaped campus, NRC was established in 1969 to provide housing and services specifically designed to meet the physical, social, psychological and spiritual needs of older adults. Housing options include apartments with a minimal level of services, as well as other home settings that make increasing levels of service readily available. Options include rental and owner-occupied living spaces. Units are available for both income-sensitive and market-rate income levels. NRC also provides a fully-staffed care center for those who desire a more traditional nursing home setting. 900 Cannon Valley Drive, Northfield, 507-645-9511, northfieldretirement.org.

Home & Garden Judy’s Floral Design

Whether your wedding is black tie/ ballroom or barefoot on the beach or somewhere in between! Beautiful, quality flowers and great ideas start with Judy Smith. “Specializing in fresh creative and affordable blooms for all the flower moments of your life” 507-645-0008, 1951 Division St. S., Northfield, judysfloraldesign.com.

Cucumbers – Bush type cucumbers are preferred for hydroponics; the climbing type would need extra support.

Celery – Being able to grow celery without soil is a bonus; it means no dirt deposited in the leaf bases. It makes cleaning the vegetable very easy.

How To Feed WaterGrown Plants Plants growing in plain water will soon exhaust what little mineral nutrients the water

Simon Bros Cement Co. has been serving the Northfield area since 1969. We specialize in quality concrete and masonry including foundations, driveways, epoxy garage floors.

Call for a free estimate. We will look at your project and use 40+ years of experience to share ideas and advice. Call Ray 612-328-4591.

CAMP PILLSBURY

Camp Pillsbury is a unique day and sleepaway summer camp, offering over 100 activities! Flying trapeze, circus arts, musical theater, sports, magic, horseback, gymnastics, dance, technology, musical instruments and waterski– all in the same day. So many activities to choose from!

Camppillsbury.com 507-214-2200.

Transportation Northfield Lines, Inc.

Have your group arrive in style when you pull up in one of our luxurious motor or mini coaches. Single or multi-day sightseeing trips, shopping, girlfriend getaways, dining, concerts, weddings, receptions, casino visits – you name the event and we will get your group there safely and on time.

32611 Northfield Blvd, Northfield, 800-944-2190, www.northfieldlines.com.

may contain. Since they don’t have access to the nutrients naturally occurring in soil, they need supplemental nutrition to do well. Regular fertilizers diluted in water or proprietary formulations designed for hydroponics can be used at regular intervals.

When you use fertilizers to feed water grown plants, they leave some residues that may accumulate in the water and on the roots, causing root burn. Change the water at regular intervals and flush the plants and the containers occasionally.

4 days • 40 bands • 100 concerts

In cooperation with the Northfield Convention and Visitors Bureau • www.visitingnorthfield.com This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund.

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7TH ANNUAL

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SOUTHERN Minn

VOtE FOR Your SoMinn Favs JULY 31 - September 4

@ southernminnscene.com SUMMER 2019

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Experiencing American Stories

AUGUST

3 8-10 9 9 10

Rock Island Ramble Bike Ride

Carv-Fest

Downtown Car Cruise with Band Heritage Days Parade

Blue Collar BBQ and Arts Fest

1, 8, 15 & 29

Concerts in the Park

SEPTEMBER

19 20

Taste of Faribault Car Cruise with Band at Faribault Harley Davidson

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