January 2015                                                                  www.minnesotagrown.com
IN THIS ISSUE...
REMINDER! Recycle those Real Christmas Trees!

After the holidays, don't throw your Real Christmas Tree in the trash. Trees are biodegradable and can easily be reused or recycled for many purposes, including energy! Check if your city offers curbside pickup and recycle your tree to keep your holiday season "green"!

recycled christmas tree
winter farmers market; meat table
Winter Farmers MarketsWFM 

Looking for a way to get out and go local this winter?
 
Here in Minne-snow-ta we know its tough to source 100% of our foods locally in the winter, but there are plenty of ways to find items on your grocery list at the winter farmers market! Don't let the cold and snow keep you indoors! Fire up the coffee pot, fill your travel mug, round up the kiddos, and take a trip to one of Minnesota Grown's 23 Winter Farmers Markets! 

Bison in a blizzard
Enjoying Minnesota Grown BisonBison
Did you know? Minnesota is home to over 100 bison farms and 4,000 animals, ranking us 7th in the nation! If you like red meats, this winter is a great time to give locally raised bison a try in your next family meal. We spoke with Gail Griffin, a Minnesota Grown bison producer and Mike Lorentz, owner of a locally owned processing facility, to bring you expert information on how and why to enjoy locally raised bison!
Member Spotlight:
Pork & PlantsPorkPlant

 Winter has just begun but that doesn't mean you can't find respite from the chilly weather and find some fresh green plants right here in Minnesota! In addition to the abundance of holiday plants that can be found there, greenhouses and nurseries across the state begin planting for spring in the late fall or early winter. Last month we visited Minnesota Grown members Maria and Eric at Pork & Plants in Altura, Minnesota and discovered what it is like to manage a winter oasis!
Making your New Year's Resolution Minnesota GrownNYResolution

If one of your New Year's resolutions is to improve your health and eat better, you have a lot of company! The number of Americans who make New Year's resolutions typically hovers around 40 percent or so, and has held fairly constant for decades, according to the Marist polling firm. That means that each year tens of millions of Americans make resolutions to change something about their behavior, and nearly 50 percent of them aim to make eating healthier their goal. Minnesota Grown makes it easy to take action toward making your goal a reality by connecting you to 99 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in our online Directory!

 

Click here to continue reading!

vegetable variety
Enjoying Minnesota Grown PorkPork 
hogs in hoop shed
Pigs from Hidden Stream Farm
       

Last month we visited Minnesota Grown member and recent recipient of the Ag Water Quality Certification from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Hidden Stream Farm. Eric and Lisa Klein were kind enough host us and share information about their operation, the importance of buying local, and how to work with your local producers to stock up on great locally raised pork. 

Click here to read more!
White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

Cold winter weather calls for warm drinks like coffee and hot chocolate. This cookie, filled with sweet white chocolate, cooling peppermint, and fragrant vanilla makes the perfect pairing and will keep you heading to the kitchen to prepare batch after batch!
Click here for full recipe!

Save the Date! DATE

calendar clip art
Minnesota Grown.com now has an interactive online calendar where you can find fun and local October events! We have lots of great events from cooking classes to harvest festivals!

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