FEAST! blog

Celebrate Earth Day by making plans for Every Day

Earth Day is a great time to reflect on our everyday habits and learn about new ways to play our part in helping make sustainable practices increasingly commonplace. Below is a great infographic from Pennington Creative, and we especially like suggestion #6, "Buy local produce" —though we'd also ADD: "and packaged foods from small, regional businesses that use local produce, grains, dairy and meat."

Not only does buying from local and regional sources mean a smaller carbon footprint, it also means

April 22, 2019

FEAST! Local Foods SCOOP: April 2019

Got Local? | Eateries | Fresh & Tasty | Contest Fun! | Who's Fueling FEAST!?

APRIL 2019 | ISSUE NO. 10

This just in: April snow also brings May flowers!

Okay, we're all ready for warm weather, fresh air, and outdoor activities, right? Check out Kakookies for a healthy grab and go snack, Cameo at the Castle for a special meal when you're too busy to cook, and check in with a local farm if you think you had a tough winter!

—FEAST! Local Foods Network team members

April 17, 2019

FEAST! Local Foods SCOOP: March 2019

Got Local? | Eateries | Fresh & Tasty | Contest Fun! | Who's Fueling FEAST!?

MARCH 2019 | ISSUE NO. 9

Spring IS coming!

Days are getting longer, and farms all over the region are busy as they nurture seedlings and prepare for the soil to come alive again. Hands in the air if you've signed up for a CSA already!
Spring is special in the Midwest— life 'springs' back even after a winter like this...
Scroll down to read about a worthy crowdfunding PIE opportunity on this Pi Day, plus some other good things cooking, growing, and coming soon!

—FEAST! Local Foods Network team members

March 14, 2019

FEAST! Local Foods SCOOP: February 2019

Got Local? | Eateries | Fresh & Tasty | Contest Fun! | Who's Fueling FEAST!?

FEBRUARY 2019 | ISSUE NO. 8

Take heart...there are just 33 days until spring!

Well, okay, that's just what the calendar says. But the good news is that all of this snow should be good for soil moisture, so good for farmers.
Scroll down to read about some other good things for farmers: bees fostered by Bare Honey, farm-to-table champion Forager Brewery, nutrient-dense microgreens from My Sweet Greens MN, and economic development promoters, Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation.
And if you need a jolt of spring, check out this countdown clock...

—FEAST! Local Foods Network team members

February 15, 2019

FEAST! Local Foods SCOOP: January 2019

Got Local? | Eateries | Fresh & Tasty | Contest Fun! | Who's Fueling FEAST!?

JANUARY 2019 | ISSUE NO. 7

It's 2019...

Clearly, there's a lot of winter left to endure—and we hope you've filled your pantry and freezer with as much preserved local food goodness as you could. Are you full of hope for the new year, and plans to follow your resolutions? We'd like to suggest resolving to get to know more local growers —and also the local food businesses that source ingredients from them.
It's our resolution to help you do that...speaking of which, here's a date to add to your brand new calendar:

FEAST! 2019 will be Saturday, Dec. 7th this year

—FEAST! Local Foods Network team members

January 21, 2019

FEAST! Local Foods SCOOP: December 2018

Got Local? | Eateries | Fresh & Tasty | Contest Fun! | Who's Fueling FEAST!?

DECEMBER 2018 | ISSUE NO. 6

It's the December issue of The Scoop!
We're pleased to offer a special edition that wraps up the annual FEAST! Local Foods Marketplace, and also to wish you good connections to your foodmakers and growers in the new year.

—FEAST! Local Foods Network team members

January 08, 2019

FEAST! Local Foods SCOOP: November 2018

Got Local? | Eateries | Fresh & Tasty | Contest Fun! | Who's Fueling FEAST!?

NOVEMBER 2018 | ISSUE NO. 5

It's the November issue of The Scoop!
We hope you enjoy this special edition, chock full of special goings-on to coincide with our big event December 1st (and Nov 30 for industry insiders).

3 important takeaways:

FEAST! should be on your calendar. Dec.1, 10am-4pm. Do it now.
FEAST! Restaurant Week is Nov. 26-Dec. 1. (Pssst! Perfect for a date night!)
The premiere issue of the FEAST! Local Foods Magazine hits stands Monday, Nov. 19 all around Rochester and beyond. If you can't find a copy in your co-op or grocery store, keep looking! (scroll down for a sneak peek!)

—Brett Olson, Creative Director,
Renewing the Countryside

December 17, 2018

FEAST! Local Foods SCOOP: October 2018

Got Local? | Eateries | Fresh & Tasty | Contest Fun! | Who's Fueling FEAST!?

OCTOBER 2018 | ISSUE NO. 4

Welcome to the October issue of The Scoop!

We appreciate you reading and sharing this newsletter—please get in touch if you have suggestions or questions about The Scoop or FEAST!

As harvest season winds down, remember the FEAST! Local Foods Marketplace is a source of local products we can enjoy year-round. Make sure you've got December 1st on your calendar for the FEAST! festival!

—Pam Bishop, V.P. of Economic Development,
Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation

November 08, 2018

Cannon Falls Harvest Fest hosts FEAST! vendors and more

Have you heard about the new Artisan Plaza in Cannon Falls? It's just the latest and greatest way to celebrate the creative, sustainable and enterprising local businesses in the Cannon Falls area. And Harvest Fest on Saturday, September 29, 2018 is the perfect time to get acquainted!

From 8:00 am to 3:00 pm, they'll have the local farmers market vendors along with a handful of FEAST! Local Foods Marketplace vendors exhibiting produce and products, plus craft vendors and other great activities.

Vendors include...

September 26, 2018

FEAST! Local Foods SCOOP: September 2018

Got Local? | Eateries | Fresh & Tasty | Contest Fun! | Who's Fueling FEAST!?

SEPTEMBER 2018 | ISSUE NO. 3

Welcome to the September issue of The Scoop!

You're doing great work to support local foods by reading and sharing this newsletter. We appreciate you! If you have suggestions for content, questions about The Scoop, or questions about FEAST!, we're all ears. (No corny joke here!)

Seriously, though, we hope you're enjoying the bounty of harvest season—many of the hard-working businesses that attend FEAST! are busy processing and preserving the seasonal freshness into local product we can enjoy year-round. We hope you've got December 1st on your calendar for the FEAST! Marketplace!

—Elena Byrne, Tradeshow & Communications Coordinator

September 25, 2018