New products from Canaan

Canaan is a member of the Palestine Fair Trade Association, a group of over 1700 small farmers joined in fair trade collectives and cooperatives. Farmers are paid a living wage. Purchasing their products helps Palestinian families survive and maintain their connection to their land and their ancient olive trees.

Nabali Tree olive oil: Medium fruity with peppery finish. Made from olives from the native olive tree of Palestine. Certified organic, extra virgin, cold pressed.

Rumi Tree olive oil: Complex, sweet aroma, buttery finish. The Rumi tree has been cultivated in Palestine since the Roman Empire. Certified organic, extra virgin, cold pressed.

Za'atar: organic thyme is gathered, dried and blended with roasted sesame seeds, ground sumac and a touch of salt. Prepared by women-owned cooperatives. Use za'atar on tomatoes, bread, meat, fish, eggs and cheese.

Maftoul is an organic couscous: whole grain organic wheat that is cracked, hand rolled and sun-dried by a women-owned cooperative. Wholesome flavor, firm texture.

Sun-dried tomatoes: Tomatoes selected and sun-dried by women-owned cooperatives are pickled in organic olive oil. Add a deep flavor to sauces and other recipes.

Olive oil soap: crafted by women-owned cooperatives from organic olive oil and coconut oil. Natural olive scent, no added perfume.

Farm Visit: Beaver Creek Ranch

A few weeks ago, Nik the meat manager scheduled a visit with Doug Anderson at Beaver Creek Ranch up near Grantsburg. Like most farmers we meet, Doug took the invitation to heart and welcomed us with a giant arrow sign. (A test of Doug's attention to detail, you'll notice the sign leaves the "s" off the end of the co-op name AND spells Nik's name right. That's why we're smiling so big.)

Beaver Creek Ranch is a 185 acre certified or

ganic (OCIA) farm. They grow a wide variety of crops on the land including plenty of hay/forage for their Scottish Highland cattle. Other crops of note include buckwheat (what Doug calls "the magic fruit"), squash and different varieties of corn. The only animals we were able to observe on the farm during our winter visit were the highland cattle used in BCR beef products such as the jerky and hot dogs that we sell.

These cattle are amazing creatures. Thick coats of fur and huge horns that grow anew annually set the breed apart from others. Even with the sharp horns, it was safe to mingle with the herd which included a large bull on the loose. The animals are fed almost exclusively on fresh and stored organic forage grown on the farm. Doug sprinkled a little grain on the snow to attract the herd for our inspection and photos here.

Doug uses a variety of butchers for meat processing, choosing each one for their particular specialty products - Lindstrom for the kill floor & ground, Cannon Falls for Hot Dogs, Rochester for snack sticks, etc.

And this attention to processing detail is what defines Beaver Creek Ranch products. As one of the top five direct market farmers in Wisconsin, the Anderson's aren't just farmers, they are distributors too. Doug traverses the region in search of other quality farmers to fill in the gaps for their own production shortfalls, and inspects the farms personally before putting his farm name on a product. Turkeys from Central Minnesota, Chickens from Iowa - sometimes he has to travel a bit to find what his customers want, but the trip is worth it. Our customers know that when they buy Beaver Creek Ranch, they are buying quality.

It's not just crops and animals Doug and Kathy are concerned about, either. A good section of their land is a protected swamp, providing acres of wetlands for migrating birds. They have bat boxes for insect control and power their tractors with biodiesel blends. These are all things they do to make the planet a better place for everyone and everything.

I've included a few more of my notes below. Doug and Kathy welcome visitors to their farm, and Nik and Aaron would be happy to share more of what we know, too.

• they raise pigs seasonally, typically a yorkshire and hampshire cross, free ranging and supplemented with corn and oats
• nutraceuticals from a nearby oilseed processor are used with the animals, things like blackberry seed meal
• the land is fed with all sorts of stuff to grow better crops: Mississippi River fish meal, North Florida kelp
• chickens are cornish cross, usually Amish grown
• their farm cats are spoiled with their own house (old chicken coop) and heat lamps
• spinach cured bacon is made in Hayward using Doug's own recipe
• they have several great barns including one made using timbers from the swamp, and store lots of hay - good green leafy hay!
• rodent control is handled with perches scattered among the fields for hawks, eagles and owls
• it's sometimes hard to get Doug to stop talking, the man is a walking encyclopedia and adventure/crime novel (Doug worked at a famous prison out west before retiring to become a hard working farmer!)
• all products are USDA inspected and vacuum sealed, no MSG, no chemicals
• the Anderson's make a good chili, Doug served it with bread sauteed in garlic oil

A big hearty thanks to the Anderson's for their hospitality and continued hard work creating healthy food for us all!

go NATIVE

Tanka Bars

GLUTEN-FREE * NITRATES-FREE * MSG-FREE * HORMONE-FREE

Made from tart-sweet cranberries and prairie-raised buffalo, the Tanka Bar is a delicious real food bar with a smoky, slightly-sweet flavor.

100% Natural and only 70-calories, Tanka Bars are the perfect food for anyone who's on the go -- outdoor enthusiasts, students, busy moms, athletes, and pow-wow dancers. Gluten-free, hormone-free and low-fat, the Tanka Bars are deliciously perfect for every diet lifestyle.

You can keep it Traditional or spice it up with our new Tanka Bar SPICY PEPPER BLEND, featuring an awesome four-pepper blend with just the right kick from habanero, jalapeno, and red and black pepper!

Also in stock: Tanka Bites & Tanka Wild sticks - both in regular and SPICY!

But they aren't local! You're right. They come from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. They are made from simple, all natural ingredients and support a lifestyle and landscape we strive for. These are fair trade, direct from the source. We also sell locally raised buffalo, elk and beef jerky processed by Crescent Meats - they have different ingredients and pricing - so you make the choice!

* These products brought to you by customer request. Many requests, in fact. In order to keep prices reasonable and product fresh we want to order cases and cases of product at a time, and regularly. Your requests give us the confidence to invest in new products, share them with the community, and support local and regional farmers. This is what cooperation is all about! Thanks!

local is SWEET!

We're blessed to have a climate in Western Wisconsin that supports the growth of maple trees. These beautiful, productive trees don't grow just anywhere. We have a high concentration of Maple Bushes in our area producing high quality maple syrup. I'm mighty pleased to work with the Watkins/Oberli family up near Barron, the Dahm's near Boyd and the horse-drivin' friends and neighbors of Mahlon Shetler near Taylor - these are the folks that bring us real maple syrup.

As the snow melts and the potholes grow gargantuan, the Maple trees are also growing - as buds start to appear, the new leaves get hungry. Amazing physiological forces take control and pump sap, full of nutrients, from the roots down below up into the branches. When the weather is just right (warm during the day, below freezing at night), you can put a little spigot through the bark and these trees will share some of that nutritious sap. Boil it down and you've got a serious need for pancakes.

Over the next few weeks, our friends will be busy in the sugarbush collecting sap. Then they will carefully and laboriously boil the sap down into sweet, delicious maple syrup. Take a careful look as you wander the countryside and even the city, you'll see the buckets and bags hanging on maple trees, a sure sign of spring and the local harvests to come.

In Stock:
Dahm's Grade A Maple Syrup in quarts, pints and half pints.
Dahm's Handmade Maple Candy
Watkins/Oberli Grade A Maple Syrup in quarts
Shetler Family Maple Syrup in quarts

The Shetler's near Taylor have another sweet use for their maple syrup boiling shack: sorghum. We now carry high quality handmade sweet sorghum molasses in quart jars from the Shetler's. Mahlon brought sorghum seed with him when their family moved here from Ohio. Over the past few years he has experimented with these seeds, growing seasons and soil types to find the best sorghum possible. After extending their growing season by growing seedlings and carefully putting them out in the field by hand, the family cuts the stalks then hooks the horses up to a hundred-year old turnstyle sorghum press to extract the juice. The juice is brought over to the maple shack and boiled down. We had a hard time getting the sorghum from their farm to the store - it's too far by horse. So we've hooked up with one of the Shetler's "English" friends to complete the connection. We only have a few bottles from the first case left, and I anticipate two more cases in the next week or so, assuming they don't get too busy in the sugarbush with this great weather we've been having.

Shetler Sweet Sorghum Molasses: reusable quart jar, only $6.99

crackers

Have you tried Potter's Crackers?

They are the perfect local cracker for everyday and for that special party!

I called down to the Potter's cracker shed in Madison just before Christmas to place an order for us, and the freshly baked crackers are already here. Now that's fresh: baked, packed and shipped to order. And until someone more local than Madison (they gets their flour from a mill just south of here, and other ingredients from nearby places!) gets crackin', these are our local cracker. And you've been to Madison, it's not too far, and it's a pretty awesome town.

We've increased our selection along with the bakery - here's what we have: Garlic and baby onion, six seed, toasted sesame, caraway rye, washington island flax, hazelnut graham, cranberry graham, cranberry wild rice, sweet potato onion and classic white. Hand-bagged 4oz size.

Wondering what to do with a cracker like this? Check out their pairings page. We have most of the cheeses they recommend, right across the aisle from the crackers!

Eat Local Challenge 2009

What is the Eat Local Challenge?

Challenging the Chippewa Valley to eat locally, within 100 miles, for the entire month of September.

For the hard-core: A contest to eat completely within the 100 mile radius of the Challenge.

For most people:

• Consciously buying and eating more local food, making the effort to seek out local food.
  
• Substituting local products for national brands (such as milk and eggs).
  
• Trying some different locally grown vegetables or meats.
  
• Eating one primarily-local-ingredient meal a day.
  
• Making the decision to buy local whenever possible.

Just Local Food's involvement:

We encourage you to come to our store, and try some of the amazing local food available. Many of our products come to us direct from the farm, such as organic milk (in glass bottles) Crystal Ball Farms (89 miles), fresh eggs from Matt Buvala (52 miles), organic chicken from Coon Creek Family Farm (10 miles), salad greens from DragSmith Farms (59 miles). We work directly with many local farmers and suppliers to get food that is fresh and sustainably grown, that has been raised for flavor and nutritional goodness rather than its ability to be transported across the country (or hemisphere), which keeps money in the local economy, and reduces the amount of energy required for shipment.

To make it easy to spot local foods within our store, look for the Eat Local Challenge logo or a red "LOCAL!" label on the shelves. There are many other great foods outside the 100 mile radius that we get direct from the farm, such as the tortilla chips from Whole Grain Milling (Welcome, MN), that you may also want to try.

Check out one of our in-store tours called Just Local Food 101. Aaron will take you around the store and tell you the stories behind the local food we carry. The more you know about your food and the people who grow it, the more you'll get why we're so passionate about local food.

We have some great ideas for easy local meals. Once you form a new habit, it’s easy. You just need to start. We look forward to helping you discover all the benefits of eating locally.

Current Just Local Food 101 Schedule:

Thurs, Sept 3, 7pm – 8pm
Thurs, Sept 10, 7pm – 8pm
Mon, Sept 14, 10am – 11am
Thurs, Sept 17, 7pm – 8pm
Tues, Sept 22, 10am – 11am

For more information:

Pick up a copy of A Second Opinion for details and ideas.

Why eat local? Here’s 10 reasons.

http://www.eatlocalchallenge.com/

http://eatlocalchallengecv.blogspot.com/

tortilla chips UPDATE!

REJOICE!

I spoke with Doug Hilgendorf at Whole Grain Milling on Monday. Their yellow and blue tortilla chips are tentatively back in production, and we expect a truckload of yellows to arrive this Friday... yes, yes, YES!

the old news:
We are very sorry to report that Whole Grain Milling Company has temporarily discontinued their amazingly delicious tortilla chips As many of you know, Doug and Lin Hilgendorf (and family!) have been growing organic blue and yellow corn on their farm and having tortilla chips freshly made from that corn every few weeks. They have informed us that the chip factory they were having their chips made at is not currently making chips for them. This news was abrupt and is unexplained. We are all devastated by the news. Doug and Lin are working hard to find a solution, and to bring the chips back as soon as possible. Sadly, there is no replacement for these incredibly delicious and addictive bags of awesomeness. The grocery department is ordering a variety of tortilla chips from other companies in the meantime, but looks forwardto the day when we can once again sell WGM tortilla chips.

just cashews

We are absolutely thrilled to offer you this new farm-direct, fair trade product.

Just Cashews is committed to alleviating poverty, malnutrition and exploitation by creating a fair trade market for organic, fair trade, cashews and working to develop standards for fair trade cashew production throughout the world. By purchasing Just Cashews, you have a direct impact on the quality of life for peasant farmers and their families in Central America.

Read the full story on the cooperative in Honduras that our cashews come from right here.

And on to the food part:
Cashew nuts are actually the kidney-shaped seeds that adhere to the bottom of the cashew apple, the fruit of the cashew tree, which is native to the coastal areas of northeastern Brazil. While cashew apples are not appreciated in the United States, they are regarded as delicacies in Brazil and the Caribbean. Cashews are always sold shelled because the interior of the shells contains a caustic resin, known as cashew balm, which must be carefully removed before the nuts are fit for consumption. This caustic resin is actually used in industry to make varnishes and insecticides. Interested? Read more about cashew nutrition right here.

New Grab-n-Go Products from Romar

Bob and Martha, aka Romar Greenhouse, have added more products to their already diverse line.

New Products include:
Roasted Vegetable Spread Sandwich
Smokin' Macaroni & Cheese 8oz
Lentil Soup 16oz
Chocolate Chip Muffins
Blueberry Muffins
Oatmeal Butterscotch Muffins

Also look forward to:
Scones
Pasta Salad
Potato Salad
and more in the upcoming months

Don't forget to check out their other products as well.
Whole Chickens, Chicken Parts, Smoked Chicken, Dog Treats, and Seasonal Produce.

Sylvan Hills Garlic

This years garlic is close enough to smell. Pictured from left to right is your garlic growing in the field, your garlic hanging to dry so it can be stored and finally the man growing the garlic. Sylvan Hills is a certified organic farm that grows many different kinds of produce but specializes in garlic. Larry at Sylvan Hills grows several varieties of garlic, most are very spicy and delicious. They include; Romanian Red, Georgian Fire, Georgian Crystal, Music and Chesnek Red. We should start to see Sylvan Hills garlic show up in the store in another week or so.