..and welcome from The Local Growers.
Here you will find the stories about those individuals who grow food and make products locally.
These are some of the people I’ve met while looking for good foods - locally grown foods.
I know their journey. It’s one I experienced growing up on our family farm in West Central Minnesota. That farm was diversified. In other words, we raised several things - crops, hogs, dairy and chickens.
Our meals featured the garden produce my mom harvested, canned and froze and the meat, eggs and dairy products we raised.
It was wholesome food!
While I don’t live on that farm anymore, I am always on the search for locally grown foods. I invite you to join me in this great journey.
Let’s go!
All in Meats
Ohe’s Outpost sells ground beef and select meat cuts plus Mary’s baked goods and Landon’s pictures of cattle and farm scenes at the Fergus Falls Farmers Market. Landon joined the Farmers Market last year and is expanding the marketing of the family’s beef products. It’s a family affair with Landon, his two siblings and their families plus the Ohe’s parents all chipping in where needed for crops and livestock. The cattle are raised on pasture.
Here are the recipes for our Locally Grown Meal in the Vineyard. Every course featured locally grown and produced foods from the bison from Rolling R Ranch to the salad, potatoes and dessert and wine from Dancing Loons Vineyard.
Here are 5 tips…and some bonus ones, too…for your next trip to the Farmers Market.
Our Locally Grown Meal featuring pheasant from Oakwood Game Farm was packed with locally grown and produced ingredients. Here are the recipes for the meal.
Locally grown in winter? You bet! Look for local products at your mom and pop grocery store, food co-ops or specialty stores and make connections with growers during the Farmers Market season inquiring if they have products available in the off season. We made a connection with one grower who raises cherry tomatoes under grow lights through the winter.
Spareribs and roasted vegetables were featured in our Locally Grown Meal. The spareribs came from Haffner Family Farm. Every item served had a story of where it came from and who grew it. A great connection between the food we eat and local growers.
It was a first for Leon: pan fry cheese curds, but these curds were a great part of our appetizers. Made with fresh cheese curds from Redhead Creamery with bacon from Haffner Family Farm, it was great served with locally sourced salad and a cheese and meat board with cheeses from Redhead Creamery and Fruitful Seasons Dairy.
Haffner Family Farm is a diverse family farm raising pork, beef, sheep, turkeys and chickens and selling meat cuts and meat bundles. Spareribs and bacon from Haffner Family Farm was used in our Locally Grown Meal.
The conversation flowed as we sipped local wines, enjoyed local meats and cheeses for appetizers, relished the entrees of roasted vegetables and grilled spareribs and savored desserts of peach pie and rhubarb torte. There’s nothing like a Locally Grown Meal shared with friends.
Leon is our personal chef for our Local Growers Meal.
We had another locally sourced meal last night with Shawn and Dave Schneeberger joining us. It was also National Personal Chef day and Leon was honored by us all with special gifts and many thanks for a wonderful meal!
Thanks, Leon!
Need a gift idea? Local growers offer many gift giving options. Check it out.
