food

Saint Cloud: GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE LIVING RESOURCES

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Saint Cloud, Minnesota is a medium sized city with a growing economy, an abundance of parks, and a state university. The city has a population of approximately 67,000 people and resides 70 miles from Minneapolis-just a quick trip on Highway 94. Its location in Minnesota puts it in close proximity to many farms and thus local food sources, and the booming university is expanding environmental activism on campus.

 

COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS

Environmental and Technological Studies Student Club

Red Wing: GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE LIVING RESOURCES

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The National Trust for Historic Preservation recently chose Red Wing, Minnesota as one of the 2008 Dozen Distinctive Destinations. Less an hour southeast of St. Paul, Red Wing has a population of 16,000 people. The city, which is nestled in the Mississippi River Valley, is full of small-town charm and it's an excellent place to invest in Minnesota-made art and products. The stunning landscape also makes Red Wing a great location for year-round outdoor recreation from skiing and bird watching to sailing and rock climbing.

 

BUSINESSES

The Greater Mankato Area: GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE LIVING RESOURCES

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Mankato is a short 1-hour drive south of the Twin Cities. Rich in arts and recreation, Mankato was ranked 7th on the list of top ten "Dream Towns" nationwide by bizjournals.com. Mankato has a contiguous population area of 46,173. There is a trade area population of more than 300,000. The Greater Mankato area supports green initiatives through city, county, and independent business initiatives that strive to reduce the carbon footprint and move the area to greater sustainability. In 2007-2008, over 15,000 trees were purchased and planted through the Million Tree Project.

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT Butter Bakery

Author
JESSIE HOULIHAN
Do It Green! Minnesota
Butter Bakery and Café owner, Dan Swenson-Klatt, on how his restaurant is working to lessen their impact on the environment.

Q: How does Butter Bakery's product differ from a conventional restaurant?

Cook with Your Kids!

Author
JENNY BREEN
Local Chef/Educator
Whether you have picky or adventurous eaters, you can give your children opportunities to learn about food by letting them help out in the kitchen. Kids will be more likely to eat what they help cook. Here are a few ideas for healthy and fun recipes:

Fresh Salsa

 

4 large tomatoes, finely diced

1 small red or white onion, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, finely diced

1 small red or green pepper, finely diced

½ large bunch cilantro, de-stemmed and finely diced

New Green Businesses

Author
JOHN BAROBS
Blue Sky Guide
As the green movement flourishes, so does the green retail sector. Stop by to visit some of the new green businesses throughout the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota to find some new, hip and green goods, carbon saving devices for your home, new modes of transport, and tasty treats!

Twin Cities Green and Sunny Day Earth Solutions. These new green stores offer a wide array of recycled, reclaimed, and earth-friendly products for home, play, and a green lifestyle: wallets and bags made from

The Farm Bill: Not Just for Farmers

Author
BRAD REDLIN
Director, Agriculture Program, Izaak Walton League of America
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The entire area of the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska, totals nearly 2.3 billion acres. Land used for agricultural purposes constitutes a 52 percent majority of that total. That is reason enough why the federal Farm Bill, as much as any other single piece of legislation, has a direct impact on each of us. In determining how the majority of our land is managed, the Farm Bill further determines the predominate products and ultimate sustainability of our food system.

The Farm Bill-debated and re-authorized about every five

Footnotes/Endnotes

on the web!

USDA-Economic Research Service, Farm Bill issues,
ers.usda.gov/Features/FarmBill2007

USDA-Economic Research Service State Fact Sheets-Minnesota,
ers.usda.gov/StateFacts/MN.htm

USDA-National Agricultural Statistics Service Minnesota Statistics, nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Minnesota/index.asp

Sustainable Agriculture Coalition,
sustainableagriculturecoalition.org 

READ UP!

The 2007 Farm Bill: Stewardship, Prosperity, and Fairness, by Izaak Walton League of America,
iwla.org/publications/agriculture
/Farm_Bill_2007_WEB.pdf

Food Fight: The Citizen's Guide to a Food and Farm Bill, by Daniel Imhoff, Watershed Media, 2007.

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, by Michael Pollan, Penguin, 2006.

act locally!

Participate in Community Supported Agriculture,
landstewardshipproject.org/csa.html

The Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA),
misa.umn.edu/home.html

Participate in local working groups,
mn.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/lwg.html

Oily Food

Author
STEVEN L. HOPP
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Nourishing Ourselves through Our Food Choices

Author
SARA GROCHOWSKI
Do It Green! Minnesota
Since the 1970s, the increase of multi-national food companies has increased the size of not only farms but the overall food system. During this same time period, a slow and steady movement of small farms began selling a variety of products to local communities, building relationships, and changing purchasing habits. With these changes in our food systems, people's eating habits and grocery choices have also changed. A number of terms can now be used for describing our diets today-from locavore, to a low-carbon diet, to slow food, or local.

Living Simple III

Author
ELLEN TELANDER
Winsted Organics Farm
living simple.jpg
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I call this year "I'm so glad I own a farm" year. We've all noticed the price increases of food and gas. I've been asking other farmers to learn the scoop. My buddy, Steve Nowak, an organic farmer that grows wheat and barley, says it's the first time in a long time that farmers are making some real cash and doing well. Most of the farmers that I've talked to are grain producers; most are making good money because they grow corn now, and corn prices have increased due to ethanol demand.
Footnotes/Endnotes
ON THE WEB!

"Go wild!"-wild foods becoming popular in Canada,
cbc.ca/consumer/story/2008/05/15
/f-consumer-wildfood.html

Making Cider Vinegar at Home, OSU Extension,
ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5346.html

Read Up!

Abundantly Wild: Collecting and Cooking Wild Edibles of the Upper Midwest, by Teresa Marrone, Adventure Publications, 2004.

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