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    MINNESOTA COOKS

           Celebrating farm-to-table

           By Brita Moore and Claudine Arndt
           Photo by Katie Cannon Photography

           The idea that farms and restaurants could work together to help
           each other succeed was not mainstream in 2003. That didn’t
           stop Minnesota’s innovative food and farming communities. Two
           decades later, the relationships they’ve galvanized have sparked
           many of the delicious farm-to-table experiences we enjoy today.  Volunteer at Minnesota Cooks Day at the State Fair with a platter of
                                                                   Sloppy Joe’s from Main Street Farmer Eatery, featuring grass fed beef
                                                                   from Pettit Pastures.
           On the menu
                                                                   Minnesota Cooks Day
           Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU), a grassroots farm
           organization, has been an instrumental force behind the local   In addition to a feature in the calendar, the farmer-chef pairs
           food movement. In 2003, they created Minnesota Cooks, a   participate in Minnesota Cooks Day at the State Fair, an all-day
           program devoted to celebrating and cultivating partnerships   agricultural celebration.
           between farmers and chefs, cooks and restaurant owners who   “Each pair comes onstage at Dan Patch Park,” Wertish
           feature farm-fresh foods on their menus.                explains. “While the chefs demonstrate how to prepare the
              “Education and consumer outreach are primary goals at   recipes chosen for the calendar, the farmers tell the story of why
           MFU,” says organization president, Gary Wertish. “Back in 2003,   they do what they do and why it’s important.”
           we saw the burgeoning interest in local food as an opportunity   Celebrity panelists join the conversation and taste-test the
           to build farmer-consumer relationships. We recognized that the   recipes while audiences sample dishes created onstage. Although
           purchasing power of restaurants can provide another viable   Minnesota Cooks Day wasn’t possible this year, the 2021
           market for many farmers to earn a fair price for their products.   calendar will be available soon.
           So we collaborated with hometown celebrity-chef Andrew     Meanwhile, MFU continues to spotlight local foods.
           Zimmern to create Minnesota Cooks.”                     Partnering with Twin Cities Public Broadcasting Station, TPT,
              The program highlights the state’s culinary talent and   it has created Farm Fresh Road Trip, an Emmy Award-winning
           abundance of farm-fresh foods. It emphasizes the importance   program, introducing viewers to farmers and restaurants across
           of locally-grown, made-in-Minnesota fare to expand local   MN (visit tpt.org for episodes). It has also teamed up with
           markets. That first year, Minnesota Cooks was small, just five   Minnesota Cooks alum Birchwood Cafe, creating the F&B
           partnerships, but now features 12 exemplary farmer-restaurant   Pop-Up Restaurant. The menu includes State Fair favorites like
           pairings in an annual calendar filled with stunning photos and   Heirloom Tomato + Sweet Corn BLTs and Blueberry Key Lime
           alluring recipes.                                       Pie, made with Minnesota-grown ingredients. In May 2021,
              Over the last 18 years, the program has traversed the state—  MFU will premiere The Farmer and The Chef: Farm Fresh Minnesota
           Luverne to Hallock, Caledonia to Amboy—interviewing and   Recipes and Stories, a collection of local farmer profiles and tasty
           photographing farmers and chefs. It has featured over 150 farms   recipes. To learn more about Minnesota Cooks and MFU, visit
           and 150 restaurants, bakeries, wineries, and other businesses   www.mfu.org and www.minnesotacooks.org.
           committed to local food. Farm highlights have spanned
           everything from young growers yielding impressive harvests   Claudine Arndt is the manager of  Minnesota Cooks and author of
           off of small city lots to established dairy and grain farmsteads.   The Farmer and the Chef.  Brita Moore is Public Relations &
           Showcased eateries have included bustling metro restaurants   Communications Director for MFU. Special thanks to Bruce Miller,
           (that almost single-handedly keep local farmers afloat) and small,   MFU’s longtime Membership & Outreach Director, who led Minnesota
           rural cafés buying what they can to support their neighbors.   Cooks from 2010 until his passing in 2019.
         40  FEAST! Local Foods Magazine

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