Your Local Maple Syrup Headquarters

We're thrilled to be selling gallons and gallons and GALLONS of pure, local, Grade A and Grade B Maple Syrup! Our thrifty customers will tell you that you can save money by buying maple syrup in larger containers. If you don't use your syrup quickly, though, you might find some harmless mold developing in the container over time. This will look like a grey film only on the surface. As mentioned, this mold is harmless, but none of us wants to pour that on our flapjacks! First off, to prevent or prolong the emergence of this mold, you can refrigerate, or preferably, freeze the maple syrup. This retards the formation of mold. I have a 1/2 pint squeeze bottle we leave out for regular use and refill with maple syrup stored in the back of our refrigerator.

If you do find mold, don't fret. Simply scoop out the scum with a spoon. If you aren't comfortable with just that, you can go an extra step and reboil the syrup in a pan on your stove. Just bring it to a boil for a minute, then cool and repack into a jar. Make sure you clean your jar thoroughly if you are reusing it so you aren't giving the mold a jump start again!

For great maple flavor in a different form, give maple sugar a try. We're working with the Woods family near Spring Valley to bring you this simple, delicious local, whole food sugar. It can be used as a 100% replacement for refined white sugar in all of your recipes. The chocolate chip cookies I made with it last week were divine - instead of 1/2 brown sugar and 1/2 white sugar, I used all MAPLE sugar. Use locally milled flour (sorghum flour for gluten free), local butter, fair trade vanilla and chopped up organic fair trade dark (or orange, or mint, or...) chocolate for a truly local spin on the standard cookie!

Pictured: Four generations of the Wood's tapping a tree. (Could there be a better last name for a family in the maple business!?!)

Hospitatalito Invitation VIA Farmer To Farmer Coffee!

Farmer to Farmer Coffee fans will be happy to celebrate one of the projects supported by Guatemalan coffee sales!

Keep supporting local efforts towards FAIR TRADE and the amazing projects that can be nourished by this premium for small communities throughout the world (even locally!)

http://www.hospitalitoatitlan.org/

The Life & Rebirth of Hospitalito Atitlán from dinoKitten on Vimeo.

Just Local Food 101

Just Local Food 101

When was the last time you were excited about buying groceries?

You’ll find out all about our products, hear the stories of our farm
partners and suppliers, and get to taste various samples. At the end of
the personalized store tour, you can go on a shopping spree and get a
10% discount. Knowing the stories behind the food helps you understand
why buying just and local food is both important and rewarding.

Fri Sept 17 6:30 - 7:30pm
Tue Sept 21 7 - 8pm
Tue Sept 28 9am - 10am
Tue Oct 5 7pm - 8pm
Wed Oct 13 9am - 10am
Mon Oct 25 7pm - 8pm


from last year, Spectator:
Just local fun
'Just Local Food 101' teaches the benefits of organic and local food

All food has a story behind it. At Just Local Food, anyone can find out
that story.

Tonight starting at 7:30 p.m., Just Local Food, 1117 S. Farwell, will
open its doors to anyone who wants to learn a little more about local
food. Their session is called "Just Local Food 101."

People can come in, take a tour of the store given by a store employee
and browse all product sections. This is all an opportunity to ask any
questions about suppliers, good topics and basic nutrition.

Aaron Ellringer, one of the owners of Just Local Food, said one of the
store's missions is to educate more people about local food and having
the event was very crucial to that.

According to the Just Local Food Web site, its "mission is to provide
delicious food, local products and loving and dedicated service in order
to promote healthy people and a healthy planet."

Ellringer said many people have questions about Just Local Food and this
event is a way to address many of those questions.

"People wonder what is organic? What is available year-round? Is it more
expensive? Does it taste different? We want to address that," he said.

Ellringer has definite experience when it comes to nutrition, he said.

He has worked in and co-managed various grocery stores for more than 10
years, has worked on local farms and has experience dealing with
regional farmers and producers, he said.

Though people might enjoy learning about the food they eat, others might
find that the end of the tour is worth their while.

"You get a virtual tour of our local countryside, learn about some great
local food producers, ask that burning question and take a discounted
shopping spree at the end," Ellringer said.

For those that have never been interested in buying food locally or
organically, Ellringer suggests taking a trip to the Phoenix Park
farmer's market sometime in the summer to experience all the different
kinds of food they have to offer.

Just Local Food offers food from many places in Wisconsin.

Their suppliers include Blackberry Hills Farm, which supplies fresh
fruits and vegetables from Dunn County; Bullfrog Trout Farm, supplying
fish from Menomonie; Gingerbread Jersey Cheese from Augusta; and Sand
Creek Brewing, locally made beers from Black River Falls.

Ellringer said Just Local Food will start holding these types of classes
on a more regular basis so many more people can attend.

They are also expanding the type of classes to include "Produce 101,"
"Local Meat 101" and "Local Beer 101."

For more information on Just Local Food, visit
justlocalfood.blogspot.com

Local Meat Sale

Starting Saturday Sept 4 and for the entire month of September Just Local Food is reducing your meat grocery cost by 10%.
Check out your favorite supplier or try a new one.

Beaver Creek Ranch - uncured bacon, chicken breasts and thighs, ground chicken and turkey, pork and turkey apple brats, italian sausage and chorizo, pork chops and tenderloins, beef hot dogs, and a new item Keta salmon - line caught in the upper Copper river in Alaska.
Beeler's - uncured bacon and wieners.
Coon Creek Family Farm - whole or cutup chicken, wings and legs..
Crescent Meats - bacon, ham, pork roasts, bologna, elk and pork bratwursts, elk and beef summer sausages, elk and beef jerky.
Deutsch Family Farm - bacon, ground italian and pork sausages, breakfast links, pork chops and ribs.
Gingerbread Jersey - bacon, ground pork sausage, bratwursts, deli ham.
Golden Hill Buffalo - ground and patties.
Lamb A Lot - lamb brats, ground lamb, kabobs, gyro, french rack, chops.
Little Spring Valley - beef steaks, roasts, burger, and patties.
Werlein Family Farm - beef steaks, roasts, and burgers.. (ask about the Bundle)
Wheatfield Hill Organics- beef steaks, roasts, and burger.


the construction is just about over, so stop on down and save 10%..