Webinar on Business Model Design and Food Safety Plan

The National Good Food Network is bringing together people from all parts of the rapidly emerging good food system - producers, buyers, distributors, advocates, investors and funders - to create a community dedicated to scaling up good food sourcing and access. NGFN offers monthly webinars. Two Revolutionary Tools for Beginning Farmers is offered on November 17.Two of the biggest hurdles for beginning farmers are designing a business model which creditors will fund, and creating a comprehensive food safety plan for their farm. Each of the tools presented on this webinar addresses one of those hurdles. Follow this link Sign up for webinar

Film and Food Series:

Green Fire and

Practice Thanksgiving

Come share your creative cookery at 6:30 p.m. Friday, November 18 at the St. Mane Theatre with a "Practice Thanksgiving" potluck. Lanesboro resident Richard Wolfgramm invites you to Practice Thanksgiving, "an occasion to experiment with new recipes, unfamiliar vegetables and dishes thought too daring to try out on your real relatives." Bring an appetizer, beverage, vegetable, salad or dessert to share with the community.

 At 7:30 watch the local premiere of Green Fire, documentary film about Aldo Leopold, forester, ecologist and father of wildlife management, whose visionary attitudes about conservation shape our land stewardship practices today, 60-some years after his death.The documentary will be followed by a community discussion led by Paul Johnson, former Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Director of Iowa's Department of Natural Resources, who appears in the film. The movie is free. Donations are appreciated.

(excerpts from PR by Kitty Baker)

For more info: Green Fire - Food and Film 

or About Aldo Leopold or stop by Lanesboro public library, see their Leopold display and check out a print copy or recording of A Sand County Almanac.

Cathy's Folk and Fine Art - I am an artist from Grand Meadow, MN. I have been painting for over 25 years. My specialty is Rosemaling,a Norwegian folk art, and which also means Rose Painting in Norwegian. I paint on mainly wooden objects, like plates and bowls. I also love to do doors, cabinets, trunks, sleds or larger items as well as glass & wooden Christmas ornaments. The main styles of Rosemaling I do are called; Telemark, Valdres, Romsdal, O's and Rogaland. These styles are named after the regions they originated from in Norway.
Another folk art I love to do is called Bauernmalerei, which is a German folk art, which is similar to Rosemaling.
I majored in Art Education at UW River Falls in River Falls Wisconsin. I am a member of Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum. I have researched and studied folk art, which evolved into a passion for this genre. 
My work can also be found on ebay under Norwegian Rosemaling, as well as local craft shows.
If you are interested in anything I can paint for you, please feel free to contact me! 507-754-5872 or cathysfolkart@hotmail.com  

Enjoy with Glee - Glee Clausen recently added a new line of felted hats to the Marketplace. Red, black, cream, grey... plain or accented either way you'll look good and stay warm. She even has something for your teapot: a tea cozy! And of course, her signature felted vases - yes felt! 

Black Iris Floral and Fiber is now offering custom order earflap hats.  Show pride for your favorite sports team while staying nice and warm with a handmade, just for you, earflap hat.  All hats are one of a kind and never duplicated, so you will always know which one is yours!  
We also offer a variety of cozy warm, one-of-a-kind, designed by us, hats, scarves and wrist warmers.  Check out our products at Lanesboro Local or drop us an email for more info!  Have a great Thanksgiving...
Janette Dragvold:) & Tara Courtney  

Lanesboro Art Center - Please enjoy the following events:

• Saturday, Nov. 12, 1-3 p.m. - Kids Create Family Art Project "Water! Watercolor" at the St. Mane Theatre.  FREE!
• Thursday, Dec. 8, 6:30 p.m. - "All the Water in the World" 30-min. presentation by Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center, FREE and held at Commonweal Theatre Company, 208 Parkway Ave. N., Lanesboro.  Preceding CTC's comedic play Parfumerie at 7:30 p.m. for tix 1-800-657-7025.

Hazelhill Farm - Roy Cerling acquired a husker that does an excellent job of husk removal on a wide variety of nuts.  I am willing to provide custom husking services. This works well on hazelnuts, black walnuts and chestnuts.

Nate Howard -  Wedding Photography and more: The Bluff Country of SE Minnesota is a region filled with splendor in the vibrant forests and streams that make these hills alive.

The marriage of this natural beauty among a wedding creates an opportunity as a photographer to make elegant, meaningful pictures. Inspiration overflows with the moments of a wedding in a range of intense emotions, supported by the stunning scenery.

For the past 15 years I have worked as a photojournalist, working in a variety of conditions and to be flexible and spontaneous with my camera allows me to tell a story with pictures, the story of your wedding.

The best photography captures what naturally occurs and a wedding is an abundance of moments. Intense emotions, elegance, grace, intimacy and real beauty are revealed in a wedding. Capturing this perspective is a talent I have practiced for 15 years and learned through telling stories with pictures from cultures around the world.

Along with wedding photography, I also shoot a variety of editorial or

magazine assignments. This not only keeps me in tune with telling stories but also allows me to bring a tremendous amount of energy and passion to your wedding. I don't aim to book as many weddings as possible. I bring my art to a wedding and I consider your wedding a sacred event, worthy of my creative commitment.

Time is on our side. I do not set a block of time. A time frame is contrary to my goal of telling the story of your day and night. I begin at the hair salon and will continue photographing your wedding until late into the night and at times, into the next day.

Strong, compelling pictures are based on a relationship. For this reason, I meet with the bride and groom prior to their wedding. Not only to go over details of the wedding, but to learn about each other.

For more information, please visit my website.

www.natehoward.com

nate@natehoward.com

507-438-5660

SEMDC - News from Cathy Enerson, Economic Development Director: Eyota would like to thank the vendors that participated in the first Eyota Farmers Market. We are looking for additional new Vendors for 2012 and for folks that would like to become board members or market advisers in 2012.  Call City Hall at 507-545-2135 for more info.

Sue Pariseau Pottery - Check out this blog and be inspired:

http://suepariseaupottery.blogspot.com/2011/09/photos-of-favorites.html

Ward Hilltop Farm - We'll be processing five free range turkeys on 11/9 and they'll be available for sale @ $4.00 per lb as of 11/14 if you have freezer space (dressed weight undetermined until after harvest)? 
A little poultry farming story from the Wards:  
Ordinarily, we 'herd' our free range turkeys into their fenced in yard area on weekday mornings, after their selected evening perch meets daybreak, and allow them to free range on weekends, depending on their distancing from the protection of our dog and the outbuildings.  However, last Saturday we didn't arrive home from weekend errands in town until about 2:00pm - turkeys nowhere to be found.

My husband searched around the house and outbuildings, and down the drive a bit, with no response.  Winds were gusty from the south, and his voice didn't travel to the west into the valley where I finally discovered the clutch of nine.  I'd walked along the woodline behind the house, calling hen and tom calls I've learned to immitate rather accurately in past years, when reaching the half-way point along the way, and heard a boisterous, unified group reply to my callings.

They had gone through the woods and into the valley, near a corn crib and an unharvested oat filed, traveling about a quarter mile!  We were not completely shocked, as we'd had a group do that in 2005, as well - at the time they were mingling with the wild turkeys on our property.  Fortunately, from hatch, this small grp. had been accustomed to our voices sounding "Hey guys!", and my turkey calls.  They take flight to run to us when we call across the yard...hilarious and heartening simultaneously!

If not for the bond we'd built between human and turkey, I may not have been able to coax them so easily to follow me back up the long trek atop the hill to their safe haven.

With the annually increasing rumors and sightings of black bear and cougar, and daily threat of hawk, eagle, racoon, weasil, fox and coyote, we are comforted by the evening headcount in each coop and stable.
Contact: HilltopFarm@myclearwave.net