Got Local?

Packing the season's bounty in "Sno" for 4 generations

Sno Pac Foods runs a state-of-the-art facility freezing the goodness into a wide range of regional produce grown by area farms—including their own. They have been strong supporters of local and organic foods while steadily growing the business started 75 years ago by JP Gengler. A visionary, he used organic methods from the start because of his concern for land stewardship and the health of his employees and customers.

Look for the healthy, local Sno Pac fruits & veggies in the freezer case of your favorite grocery stores!

Sno Pac completed construction on a new addition to house its root crop peeling equipment in 2018. This facility will process about 2.5 million pounds of locally sourced potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets and carrots per year. 

Pete Gengler, pictured here, is the 4th generation dedicated to this work.

Read on to learn more about this local foods legacy. More...

Eateries Have you gotten around to Grand Rounds? Not just your average pub, Grand Rounds takes local beer so seriously they craft their own! And not just a hip, craft-brewery, they're also serious about local foods.   From their diverse, seasonal menu you can see the influence of their passion for finding the best ingredients, and the freshest...and sourcing from local farms is a natural solution.

Owner Tessa Leung says, "We believe FEAST is important in our community to help support a growing and sustainable food market and production. By showcasing and offering more local unique products it is helping to change the conversation to what is important.  Quality and a true sense and support of community instead of the usual big box suspects." This pic from FEAST! Restaurant Week 2017 speaks volumes: Grilled Tuna with GRLK infused hummus and Mediterranean Chickpea Salad  IF YOU GO: 4 3rd St SW, Rochester, MN 55902 GRAND ROUNDS website

Fresh & Tasty Fresh ideas from Blue Fruit Farm Elderberry Harvest Underway At Blue Fruit Farm, the aronia berries have been harvested and are in the freezer, and they've moved on to elderberries! Do you know that elderberries are very high in antioxidants, second only to aronia berries (which have 4 times the antioxidants of blueberries!) Plus, elderberries have anti-viral properties to help protect you from colds and flu.  Blue Fruit Farm sells frozen aronia and elderberries in 5-lb bags, either at the farm or by pre-arranged delivery. They also sell unsweetened aronia and elderberry juices, and a special blend called “elderonia!” For those who prefer something sweet, they make a wide array of delicious blue fruit jams - yum! Blue Fruit Farm jams and juices will be for sale at the FEAST! Marketplace on December 1 in Rochester— they hope to see you there! TRY THIS! This time of year, they love to add frozen aronia berries to fresh garden salsa. Here’s a tasty recipe for a fresh-tasting, chunky, bruschetta-type salsa: Aronia-Black Bean Salsa 4 c chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned) 2 - 15oz cans black beans 1 lg onion, chopped 3/4 c chopped green chiles Combination of peppers 1 bunch cilantro 3 c aronia berries (frozen) 1. Combine in a large bowl: Tomatoes (include juices), black beans, onion, green chilies (if canned, include the juice), combination of diced peppers (ex. 2 jalapeños, 2 Serranos, and 1 Anaheim for a medium spicy salsa). 2. Add finely chopped cilantro and aronia berries (use frozen). 3. Chill 2-3 hours to allow flavors to mingle. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.   DID YOU KNOW? Jim and Joyce were among the founders of the Winona Farmers Market and have been leaders in organic agriculture. Check out the inspiring articles about them available on their website. More...

Contest of the Month! What did you discover at FEAST!? Did you discover a great new product? A new connection? A new resource?  What discovery at FEAST! has stuck with you and made a difference in your world?  Send us your answer & tag a friend! What about the prize, you ask? This time, we're hooking you up with Grandma's Gourmets, powered by the creative and hard-working Kim Olson (and her Grandma's recipes!) The winner will be able to pick up a free jar of her award-winning Grandma's Bloody Pickles at the FEAST! festival on Saturday, Dec. 1 (no purchase required). Shown at right, this local treat was a 2018 Good Food Award winner—it's everything you love about a Bloody Mary except the vodka...um, plus the pickle! More about Grandma's Gourmets Enter by replying to this email OR, enter on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram using#LocalFeastFTW If you enter on social media, tag a friend that loves food! We'll be thrilled to announce the winner in our next newsletter along with the winning entry—the FEAST! discovery that wins our hearts!   Now, about that ACRONYM CONTEST... Drumroll, please! We were quite torn, because there were many great entries that highlighted different aspects of the FEAST! mission, so we're announcing that we've selected TWO winners to receive that local foods tee and the glory of accomplishment! Both of these great acronyms were submitted via Instagram, and they are quite similar. Farmers, Eaters and Artisans Stand Together from Dayna Burtness Nguyen of Nettle Valley Farm   Farmers, Entrepreneurs, Artisans Successful Together from Jayne Bredlau of My Sweet Greens MN CONGRATULATIONS! Stay tuned for more discussion of these entries and others, and how the FEAST! planners might finally pick just one acronym that best represents our efforts to bring people together across the food system! Thanks EVERYONE for sharing your creativity with us on this fun contest!!!

Wondering if the pea and carrot are coming back for 2018? Rumor has it they will! What else makes FEAST! special for kids? We think it's a great opportunity for them to try new foods and discover some that they might be surprised to like. Did you know that research shows it may take up to 10 exposures to a food before a child may decide they like it? Shopping can be frustrating for parents of picky eaters, but FEAST! offers a no-risk way to have your kids sample something before you buy it. SHARE A FEW MORSELS Did you attend FEAST! with a child who enjoyed sampling some new foods? We'd love to hear about it. Reply or email [email protected] if you have an experience to share!

Who's Fueling FEAST!? Compeer Financial The FEAST! Local Foods Marketplace depends on collaboration with partner organizations and individuals. One of those partners, Compeer Financial, has also been a sponsor for the event, initially as AgStar and now even stronger after the merger with 1st Farm Credit Services and Badgerland Financial in 2017.   Compeer is a member-owned, Farm Credit cooperative supporting agribusiness with loans, leases, risk management and other financial services in Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Compeer Financial knows agriculture, and has been generous in offering counsel on topics like preparing financial documents for a lender, and "Strategies for financing your business," a panel discussion during the FEAST! 2017 tradeshow's Entrepreneur's Forum, shown in the photo at right. Lending Officer Sai Thao says, "Compeer Financial is committed to supporting local and regional food systems that give emerging farmers the opportunity to make a difference. Compeer makes investments in a number of ways, one of which is sponsoring the FEAST! Local Foods Marketplace festival and tradeshow event. We are a proud member of the FEAST! Local Foods Network, and support all of the producers who participate."  More...