Where do you get locally grown Minnesota and Wisconsin produce, fruit and vegetables, dairy products and meat in Minneapolis, St. Paul and the Twin Cities?
Farmer's Markets in Minneapolis and St. Paul
Farmer's markets open in late April or early May, until October or November. The largest farmer's markets in the Twin Cities are the Mill City market, the downtown Nicollet Mall market, the Lyndale Market, and the Midtown Market in Minneapolis, and the the downtown St. Paul market. Farmer's markets sell produce, plants, herbs, baked goods, dairy produce, meat, baby food, flowers, honey and more, directly from growers and producers in Minnesota and western Wisconsin.As well as super-fresh produce, the prices are usually comparable to supermarkets and isn't it more fun to stroll around a farmer's market than to push a cart around Target?
Co-ops
Cooperatively owned grocery stores favor stocking local products over alternatives from further away. Co-ops carry local produce, dairy products, deli items and baked goods from local Twin Cities stores, local farmers and producers from Minnesota and the upper Midwest.CSAs: Community Supported Agriculture
The premise of a CSA is that households purchase a share in a small farm, and then receive weekly boxes of fresh, often organic produce from the farm during the growing season. The disadvantage is no choice of what produce is in the box - you get whatever is in season.The most popular CSA shares sell out quickly, and most CSAs require you to sign up by late spring. A list of CSAs in Minnesota and Wisconsin that serve the Twin Cities is at the Land Stewardship Project's website.
To get the best value for money, CSAs work best for families, or couples who share one box with a neighbor or friends. Buy a vegetable cookbook for inspiration to use all the vegetables, or check out About.com's vegetarian recipes.
Restaurants and Cafes
Many independent restaurants and cafes in Minneapolis and St. Paul use local ingredients in their food.
Pick-Your-Own Produce
Minnesota apples are wonderful and several pick-your-own apple farms are open from late September until early in the new year. The same farms usually grow pumpkins for Halloween since the seasons neatly coincide.Berry farms are also popular in summer. Strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries all grow happily in Minnesota and many local berry farms love to have you and your family come and pick them.
Not edible, but Minnesota grown none the less: cut-your-own Christmas tree farms around the Twin Cities let you decorate for the holidays with a locally grown tree.
Not quite pick your own, but tap-your-own: Some Minnesota maple syrup farms welcome visitors during the season, and sell their maple syrup online and at local retailers.
