Post Harvest Handling Workshops Coming Your Way!
Renewing the Countryside is partnering with Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture to bring four post harvest handling workshops this March 2015.
These half day workshops will be presented by farmers Lisa Baker of Bakers’ Acres, Laura Frerichs of Loon Organics and Joan Olson of Prairie Drifter Farm. They will cover a range of topics from on farm food safety to sorting and grading to transport.
The cost to attend is $20 for the first person and $10 for the second if coming from the same farm (fee includes lunch). Workshop attendees will also get a discounted rate for the Wholesale Success book that can be purchased at the workshop.
Participants also will receive a free copy ($10 value) of Farm Food Safety Decision Trees For Fruit and Vegetable Growers. By, Elizabeth A. Bihn, Ph.D., Michele A. Schermann, R.N., M.S., Annette L. Wszelaki, Ph.D., Gretchen L. Wall, M.S., and Susannah K. Amundson, M.S. With limited time, money, and available labor, produce farms must learn how to prioritize which practices to use on their farm to reduce food safety risks as well as achieve business goals. These Decision Trees were created to help you prioritize your farm food safety practices and begin to build your own farm food safety plan.
These Decision Trees are intended to:
· Help you begin to identify food safety risks and practices that reduce risks,
· Help you prioritize implementation of practices to use your resources most eciently, and;
· Familiarize you with the terminology, tools, and methods you may need to use to meet the requirements and expectations of your customers as well as future regulations for produce.
WORKSHOP DATES:
St. Charles -- March 3 -- Lisa Baker (Bakers' Acres)- 10AM-3PM
Fairmont -- March 5 -- Joan Olson (Prairie Drifter Farm)- 10AM-3PM
Little Falls -- March 20 -- Lisa Baker (Bakers' Acres)- 10AM-3PM
Cannon Falls -- March 25 -- Laura Frerichs (Loon Organics)- 10AM-3PM
REGISTER:
Please visit http://www.renewingthecountryside.org/calendar to register for the date and location that works best for you. If you have any questions, please contact Devon at [email protected].
Equity Crowdfunding Coming Soon to MN (We Hope!)
We hear from many small businesses that traditional financing can be challenging to obtain, or, without the right collateral it's simply not enough. Although we know some lenders are working hard to increase flexibility and close this gap, crowdfunding websites like Indiegogo and Kickstarter have become game-changers for financing small businesses. If you haven't crowdfunded before, here's how it works: You pledge a donation in exchange for a reward, like a product or special event. For a farm, you might get to choose from an exclusive CSA box offering or tickets to a farm dinner. This model has a proven track record -- some of our favorite food businesses and farms have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars online.
Crowdfunding has worked for some businesses, but not everyone can offer the right mix of rewards to entice donors. Fulfillment can be onerous, particularly for a fledgling business with unpredictable cash flow. With the limitations of a rewards-based system, it is often only useful as a supplement to more traditional financing. However, that may soon change. The proposed MNvest legislation has the potential to blow the lid off of crowdfunding in Minnesota.
2014 in Review + How You Can Help
Read on for our top ten ways we're transforming our food system. But before you do (and if you are so inclined) consider making a tax-deductible donation to Renewing the Countryside. We rely on people like you to help us work for better food systems, for stronger communities, and for a healthier planet.
Jan Joannides
Executive Director
Renewing the Countryside
Help us build a healthier food system, more vibrant communities and a brighter future for our planet!
Thanks for your support,
Jan, Brett and the Renewing the Countryside staff and board
FEAST! Festival and Tradeshow
FEAST! - the largest celebration of local foods in the tri-state area will premiere November 2-3, 2014 at the Rochester Civic Center, Rochester, MN. The first day of this two-day event will be open to the public with a Sunday showcase of the best of local food by producers and makers from Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. Sunday’s theme will be “Homegrown for the Holidays” and will feature over 150 exhibitor booths, plus a lineup of chef demonstrations, tastings, live music, workshops on healthy eating and holiday cooking, activities for kids, sampling of local beer, wine and craft distillers’ libations for adults. Event-goers will be able to purchase items for holiday gifts or from homegrown holiday cooking.
The public FEAST! event on Sunday will be followed by a trade event on Monday. “Grow It, Make It” will be the theme of this regional conference and tradeshow which is being planned exclusively for food growers, makers and buyers. The conference will offer multiple tracks and will give producers and buyers opportunities to meet, network, discuss sales, and forge supply-chain relationships. A first of its magnitude in the region, this conference will offer buyers workshops and connections to accelerate local sourcing and. The day’s educational workshops will include industry panels providing technical assistance and access to funding opportunities, plus timely, in-demand classes for market-ready producers as well as aspiring farming and food business beginners.
Premiere partners in producing this event include Mayo Clinic, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation, Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Renewing the Countryside. A crowd of organizations and food-focused volunteers are busy with the planning. Other organizations and individuals are invited to join as sponsors and volunteers. To learn how you can participate, please contact Jan Joannides at Renewing the Countryside, [email protected] or call 612-251-7304.