Eat Local Farm Tour 2016
It’s all about the real people behind the real food. The Twin Cities area food co-ops have come together once again to bring you the Eat Local Farm Tour. The Eat Local Farm Tour is a day dedicated to you, local food, and the farmers who bring you the delicious foods you fi nd at the co-op.
Join us on Saturday, July 16th, 10am-4pm, as farmers throughout central Minnesota open their gates and barn doors to the public to share the stories and experiences behind their fruits, veggies, meats and dairy. Spend the afternoon hopping around to a few urban farms in the cities, or load the car up with snacks and sunscreen and make a day of it traveling to the farther-reaching pockets of central and southern Minnesota.
This tour is free and self-guided. Pick up a guide at the co-op (available starting mid-June) and tailor your tour to your needs and interests. There are 29 farms featured on the Eat Local Farm Tour this year. Along with Linden Hills Co-op, sponsoring food co-ops include: Eastside Food Co-op, GrassRoots Co-op, Just Food Co-op, The Wedge Co-op, Lakewinds Food Co-op, Mississippi Market Natural Foods Co-op, People’s Food Coop, River Market Community Co-op, Seward Community Co-op, St. Peter Food Co-op and Valley Natural Foods. Find the Eat Local Farm Tour on Facebook to stay updated about the tour! At the co-op, we work with several farms that you’ll find on the tour. Here are a few of our favorites:
Thousand Hills Cattle Company
Thousand Hills Cattle Company works to provide 100% grass fed beef while nourishing soil, plants, cattle and people by holistically raising cattle. THCC is based in Canon Falls, MN but buys grass fed beef from a variety of small scale midwestern farms. They are committed to providing beef that is free of hormones, antibiotics, GMOs and grain-based diets and ensure that the cattle used in their meats were treated humanely and 100% grass fed for all of their lives. Linden Hills Co-op is proud to carry several Thousand Hills products. You’ll fi nd their smoked, uncured summer sausage, beef sticks, hot dogs and franks prepackaged in our meat department. In the meat case, you’ll find their beef short ribs. Recently, our meat department started cutting the short ribs crossways, which makes them easy to use for Korean-style dishes. Stop by the Thousand Hills Cattle Company during the Eat Local Farm Tour to check out their warehouse and visit one of their cattle farms.
Featherstone Farm
At the co-op, Featherstone is famous for their delicious fall carrots that often supply our local food-loving customers through February. Featherstone Farm is a 250-acre organic vegetable farm in Rushford, MN. Featherstone is dedicated to building soil, protecting resources, creating renewable energy and enhancing the rural environment in which it operates. Their farm supplies lots of local produce for many Twin Cities co-ops throughout the growing season in addition to offerering summer, fall and winter CSAs. Throughout the summer season, you’ll find delicious Featherstone Farm vegetables in our produce department. Look for their kale, sweet corn, broccoli, melons, carrots and more! Visit the farm during the Eat Local Farm Tour to see where your vegetables are grown!
Shepherd’s Way Farm
In Nerstrand, MN, just an hour south of the Twin Cities, you’ll find Shepherd’s Way Farm. Shepherd’s Way is a small family farm that combines creativity, hard work and respect for the land and animals to create delicious artisan cheeses. Shepherd’s Way has approximately 200 ewes that make milk for their cheese, all made in small batches on the farm. At the co-op, we carry several varieties of Shepherd’s Way cheeses. We’re proud to offer their Friesago, Hidden Falls Brie, Big Woods Blue and Shepherd’s Hope cheese. If you fall in love with Shepherd’s Way cheeses, they offer a yearlong CSA! On the Eat Local Farm Tour, you’ll have the opportunity to meet some of the ewes and buy their cheese fresh from the source. Heritage chickens and pigs will also be there to greet you, and maybe a few friendly farm cats.
Tips for enjoying the tour:
> Visit farms only during tour hours. Because GPS can be spotty in rural areas, check your directions on Google Maps before heading out.
> Bring a cooler to store all the farm-fresh goods you find.
> Stay on established paths, and don’t pick produce without the farmer’s permission.
> Leave pets at home.
> Swing by the local food co-op for snacks and drinks