Up North Foodies

Black Star Farm CSA week 1

Spinach, romaine, arugula and mixed greens this week, as well as farm-raised eggs (from many different breeds accounting for the varied colors).

Birch Point Farm offers up awesome CSA newsletter

You've got to check out the newsletter Marty Heller and Michelle Ferrarese posted this week for their Birch Point Farm CSA shareholders. To say it rocks is an understatement!

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Beyond the Dog, Camp Food

The lack of readily available info on campfire food beyond burgers and dogs inspired some creative thinking. . .

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Glen Lake school lunch menu an inspiration

Glen Lake Community Schools hired a trained chef last fall to create healthy, tasty meals from scratch, using as many locally grown products as possible. The number of kids eating lunch each day went from about 250 to 425. That's impressive and such a win-win situation for everyone involved. Suttons Bay is looking to do the same thing for its students, building on the fruit and vegetable snack program it started this year. Read more about the two schools' efforts in Keeping Up with the Jones, Tastefully by Diane Conners.

Black Star Farms Winemaker Reviews 2007 Wines

Lee Lutes, winemaker at Black Star Farms, shares his take on the 2007 wines.

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Cherry Festival Needs Volunteers!

Volunteer numbers are down for the National Cherry Festival, reports the Traverse City Business News. Officials are hoping for 850 to 1,000 volunteers, and as of Tuesday, had 487. They are especially looking for teams. So far, only 15 teams have signed up, down from 52 last year. The festival wil be held July 5 - 12 in Traverse City, Michigan. To volunteer, contact Melanie Schurkamp at 231-947-4230, Melanie@cherryFestival.org.

Village Press to launch new foodie mag

A new foodie magazine will debut in northern Michigan, reports the Traverse City Business News. Traverse City-based Village Press Inc. plans to launch The 45th: wine, food and leisure in Northern Michigan, with the first issue scheduled for May 2009.

Food For Thought Gets Permit

Timothy Young reports that after last night's nearly 4-hour Benzie County Zoning Board hearing, Food For Thought received its Special Land Use permit to continue doing business at their location on Oviatt Road, in Honor, Michigan. Congratulations! And thanks to all who commented on this blog, attended the hearing, and wrote letters in support of Food For Thought

Michigan wine sales up in 2007

Nearly all northern Michigan wineries increased sales significantly last year, reports Cari Noga, with two local wineries -- Leelanau Wine Cellars and Chateau Grand Traverse -- garnering the number one and three spots of Michigan wine sellers. Noga shares these and other findings from a Michigan Liquor Control Commission's report in her column in this month's Traverse City Business News. Overall, Michigan wines sales were up 13.4 percent.

Public Hearing in Bingham Township on Ag Ordinance

The Bingham Township Planning Commission is holding a public hearing tonight to present a new Agricultural Ordinance. The ordinance expands the definition of agriculture to include production practices and activities that until late have not been considered agriculture at all or have been allowed with restrictions. These items include such things as farm markets, roadside stands, nature trails, tree production, processing of produce on the farm, wineries and farm-based food service. The hearing is tonight at 6:30 p.m. at the Bingham Schoolhouse, 7171 S. Center Highway, Traverse City, in Leelanau County. All are welcome to attend and voice their opinion on the proposed ordinance.

Farm Bill Benefits Area Specialty Farmers

Nikki Rothwell, Michigan State University District Extension Horticulturist and the Coordinator of the Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Station, writes in today's Record-Eagle about the new Farm Bill and its affect on area specialty crop growers. For the first time, the Farm Bill mentions specialty crops, which are any agricultural crop that is not corn, wheat, soybeans, or cotton. That applies to the majority of farmers in this region, and this group of crops has not received direct subsidies.

Ready to Pick Rhubarb

Rhubarb is in season late May through June. Check out the Michigan Land Use Institute's Ready to Pick article on rhubarb for recipes, selection and storage tips, nutritional info and fun facts. You can also search for local farms that offer rhubarb. Do you have a good rhubarb recipe? Submit one by June 20 for your chance to win a great local food prize.

Taste the Local Difference 2008 Guide

Keep an eye out for the 2008 Taste the Local Difference food guide available for free at stores, visitor centers, libraries, farmers markets and other spots throughout eight northern Michigan counties. The guide lists nearly 250 farms and lots of local food and farm products available in northwest Michigan. Perfect to keep in your glovebox! Also check out the project website, which offers a PDF version of the guide to download, as well as a handy search feature where you can find specifically what you're looking for.