SATURDAY, JULY 31 SIX FILLMORE COUNTY
AGRI-ENTREPRENEURS OFFER PERSPECTIVE ON GOOD LOCAL FOOD
“Bring a camera, a cooler and…curiosity!”
Want some perspective on where good locally grown food actually comes from? On Saturday July 31, Lanesboro Local is sponsoring a unique Farm & Garden Tour. The tour invites local food enthusiasts to walk and talk with successful producers in the Fillmore County area who will share their experience. “Bring a camera, a cooler and lots of curiosity,” suggests Nancy Martinson, board chair of Lanesboro Local.
The Farm & Garden Tour runs from 11 a.m to 5 p.m. and includes a trio of stops in the Rushford Area:
A wind turbine start-up, a herd of grass-fed cattle rotated from one paddock to the next, an orchard where 15 northern climate apple varieties are maturing on the branch. This is a connection for meat, apples and woodworking services that may keep you coming back to Fillmore County for many seasons ahead.
A guided walk through the fields and facilities of one of Minnesota’s most successful Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms. An 80-acre family organic produce farm, certified organic since 1997, this well managed local growing operation supplies fruits and vegetables to the kitchens of over 800 households, up to 9 months of the year. This show-and-tell walks you through the steps that bring fresh local foods to this corner of Minnesota, plus food coops, Whole Foods and other grocery retailers in the Twin Cities, Rochester and Winona.
A close-up look at an original lefse making operation that could supply you with a stash of authentic Norwegian flavor to take along home. Your host and owner of this family-run flatbread-made-from-potatoes business will tell you how it all started, the challenge of the 2007 flood, the secrets of Uff da Chips and how this quirky ethnic bread has become a fast-growing local success. The attached restaurant features unique lefse wraps plus a Gift Shop and bakery.
A flight of three stops are available in the Chatfield area (35 minutes west of Rushford on Hwy 30).
Get a close-up perspective on where good local meat comes from. Tour one of the few local USDA-inspected smokehouse and processing facilities serving this area. Facility features a chuck wagon and its own retail meat and deli counter. Learn how handmade, homemade bacon, sausage or other deli favorites are prepared. Try some samples, buy a supply and serve local specialties at home.
An insider’s look at a glass-bottled dairy. Begin by meeting the contented Holsteins behind this family-owned local operation. See milk bottled right in the farm’s own bottling plant. Reach into the Farm Store cooler, purchase the freshest milk this side of a milking parlor: 1%, 2%, whole or chocolate, plus non-homogenized skim and cream. Want to make your own cheese, yogurt or fancy crème fraiche? Normal ultra-pasteurized dairy won’t work, you need the rare likes of Kappers pasteurized milk or cream.
Meet some of the happiest cows, hens and turkeys in the area. Pasture-raised animals are the specialty of this local family-owned, eco-friendly farm. Save room in that cooler for grass-fed ground beef, plus sausages, roasts, eggs and other purchases. You can even sign up on the spot for your Thanksgiving turkey.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for the Farm and Garden tour are $25. For ticket information and reservations please call tour booking volunteer Pam Niven at 507-467-3505. Or email info@lanesborolocal.org. Be ready with credit card information or mail or bring your check to our Marketplace by Sunday, July 26. Your ticket will consist of a special name tag and a brochure that includes a map to all destinations which we will mail along with your receipt one week before the tour. Tickets purchased after July 27 will need to be picked up at our Marketplace in Lanesboro (207 Parkway Avenue N). Please note, ticket availability is limited; this fundraiser is a “rain-or-shine” venture. In the event of a deluge, ticket value will be redeemable for selected merchandise at our Marketplace.
Need a place to stay in the area? Lanesboro, Minnesota has more than 12 Bed and Breakfasts many of whom serve breakfasts made from local foods.
