Late September 2005

Warehouse store opening November 5

We are planning on opening the doors to our new warehouse store on Saturday November 5, the first Saturday after the Downtown Farmers Market closes. Hours will be Monday through Friday 11:30am to 6pm and Saturdays from 9am to 2 pm.  We will grow our store inventory over the winter as we make plans for our bigger store opening late 2006. The warehouse is at 104 Gibson Street, right along the Chippewa River. Special events, visits from local farms and plenty of samples will make your visit to our store worthwhile.

Introducing: Back to our Roots Farm

By Jon Behling, Back to the Roots

This farm was started in 1999.  The land had been in Conservation Reserve for 15 years prior to our purchase in '99.  We are committed to educating the public on the local food supply, sustainability and the hidden costs of industrial farming.

The price tag for supplying food through the industrial food network comes with a great cost:  a high ecological cost due to the luxury foodstuffs that are valued for their convenience, appeal and "comfort", rather than for their nutrition or health-promoting qualities.

We stand with many other local producers who are evaluating their agricultural practices in order to both protect the future of the environment and the people who consume their products.  We hope to connect the consumer back to the farm so that the farmer can stay committed to his/her land.

Our onions were grown using no synthetic chemicals or sprays.  They were hand weeded many times throughout the season and as stated never sprayed with any pesticides either organic or synthetic and fertilized only with organic-based fertilizers.

As a previous vegetable plant breeder I have trialed many onion varieties across the U.S.  I have chosen to offer two very good long-keeping varieties this Fall. Our red variety (Mars) is a tall highly single-centered variety with great storability and crisp texture. Our yellow variety (Copra) is also known for it storability, its consistent shape, texture and good cooking flavor.

 Bacon cured with Spinach, not Nitrates

The bacon we carry from Beaver Creek Ranch is pretty revolutionary.  Instead of curing his meats with the standard chemicals, Doug Anderson has sought unconventional means.  His latest invention is chemical free bacon in which spinach is the main curing agent. This bacon has excellent flavor and consistency, and comes fresh regularly from Doug’s farm up near Grantsburg (and isn’t green, 1#, $6.89) Doug also offers other chemical free meats – skinless hot dogs (1# pack, $5.59) made from pork and beef (yes that’s no nitrate/nitrite), snack sticks (1oz, $1.59), summer sausage (12oz, $6.99), and smoked turkey legs ($2.69 each).

Eggs

When it gets cold, most chickens molt, which means their bodies take rest, rejuvenate their organs and grow new feathers for the winter. During this time, they don’t lay eggs. During this natural cycle we are unable to keep up with demand – we appreciate your understanding.  A benefit of molting is that once the molt is over, egg quality improves through bigger, harder shells and better internal quality – in other words, it’s worth the wait!  Unfortunately the chickens that provide the eggs in the grocery store for 59 cents are forced to molt through chemical or hormonal imbalance, or by manipulating their exposure to light (“day” length, because they actually never see the light of day).  We think chickens, and you, deserve better!

In the past four months:

We have delivered 3200 glass returnable bottles over the past four months alone. If those were plastic or wax paper, that would be one big pile of bottles. Instead, they were washed over and over, and in fact were probably just a few hundred bottles used several times! Our customers have pumped over $30,000 into our cooperative and back into our local economy in just a few months. Knowing that money is going to farmers, local jobs and local businesses, that $30,000 has gone around a few times already.

Bass Lake Cheese available for Delivery

With swift sales at the Farmers Market we have decided to add Bass Lake Cheese to our home delivery product list. The prices to the right reflect what you would pay for a block.  The cheeses with an “avg” mean they are random weight, but average 8oz. The price then reflects what an 8oz piece would cost.

Bass Lake Juusto Leipa

Master Cheesemaker Scott Erickson is using his Norwegian heritage and producing the 1000 year old Finnish Lapland cheese called Juusto Leipa which translates to Bread Cheese because of the special baking process used to create the unique squeaky texture and flavor the Finns have come to cherish. Traditionally Juusto is baked with cinnamon or fruit such as lingonberries or cloudberries – you can also try cranberries, blueberries or cherries. A key to this cheese is warming it up – in an oven, on a grill or cast iron pan, or even the microwave. Once warm the cheese likes to be dipped – maple syrup is my favorite, you might like honey, jellies, jams, sugar & cinnamon or do as the Finns do and dip it in your coffee in the morning.  It is also an excellent grilling cheese in that it won’t melt and dissipate. Explore the Finnish culture and try some Juusto Leipa today.

Is Honey Hill Honey Raw?

Raw:  In its natural condition; not changed by art, manufacture, etc. Not processed, edited. 

All pure honey will granulate in time.  Most of the types of honey that are produced in this area will granulate shortly after extraction, in one week to one month. To turn granulated honey back into liquid honey it must be heated to about 130 degree F.  There’s no way around it as that is about the melting point of honey. All liquid honey has been removed from its wax comb, which is a change or process. Our honey is gravity strained through a cloth, not pressure filtered. Can any liquid honey truly be called raw? All I know is that Honey Hill bees make great honey, and Doug takes great care to keep that honey nutritious and healthful. If you’re really concerned about eating truly “raw” honey – order a honeycomb from Honey Hill, it’s a cut straight from the tray (12oz, $6.25). Otherwise check out their creamed honeys – they whip fresh honey in with a whipped honey culture making a light, spreadable sweet treat. Available in plain, pecan, cinnamon, strawberry (16oz, $5.00). Regular ol’ honey is also available (12oz bear $2.75, 16oz $3.50, 32oz $6.75, 48oz $9.50).

For the Woods – Hike Update

Earlier this year, Just Local Food Cooperative hosted Bill Hogseth from “for the woods” for a talk on forest issues and long-distance hiking. He spoke about his upcoming adventure hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.  Over the past few months, Bill has walked over 2,200 miles from the border with Mexico all the way up into Canada. Here’s one of his last dispatches from the trail. “The last 190 miles of the trail were like heaven. The rain began to diffuse, the fog lifted away, the skies opened up and stayed open for a full continuous week. The good weather was fortunate because I was on tough terrain, climbing up stiff walls of glaciated valleys and back down into deep river basins. The trail led me through a few regions of the North Cascades that are rarely visited, allowing me to travel for days at a time without seeing a single human being. Probably the longest I have gone in my life without speaking. Parts of the trail seemed to have been abandoned, crumbling away down the mountainside or overgrown with thickets of shrubs.”