A closer look at flyover land

Well, now, this is cool.

Like local music? Explore Minnesota and The Current have teamed up to stream Minnesota music online here. The playlist is here. Enjoy!

July festivals

This is just the tip of the iceberg for festivals and events in Minnesota in July. I’ve avoided the more routine festivals, Crazy Days, Fourth of July celebrations and city parties (but I did do a roundup of Twin Cities’ Fourth of July celebrations over at Wander MN). You can find more information about those over at Explore Minnesota. What follows is a list of the more unique possibilities this month. If there’s something I’ve missed, please let me know. And be sure to check the Minnesota Historical Society’s event page; they’ve always got something interesting going on.

Walker
Moondance Jam
July 15-17
If you haven’t already gotten tickets, better hurry up—only general admission was still left at the time of this writing. This year’s lineup includes Pat Benatar, REO Speedwagon, Sammy Hagar, and Tonic.

Minneapolis
Bicycle Film Festival
July 15-17
Exactly what it says—a film (and art and music) festival celebrating bicycles.

Walnut Grove
Laura Ingalls Wilder Pageant
July 9-10, 16-17, 23-24
If I have to explain who Laura Ingalls Wilder is and why there’s a pageant, this probably isn’t for you. But for you Little House on the Prairie fans (and that includes me), here’s your chance to experience an outdoor theatrical representation of the Ingalls family’s life on the shores of Plum Creek. This year’s pageant includes appearances from the TV show’s Alison Arngrim and Dean Butler.

Minneapolis
July 9-10
Cities 97 Basilica Block Party
In an odd but amiable pairing, the Basilica of St. Mary and local radio stalwart Cities 97 present this “party of a higher order.” Performers this year include Weezer, the Avett Brothers, Barenaked Ladies, and Ingrid Michaelson. 

Grand Marais
Grand Marais Arts Festival
July 10-11
There are many arts festivals throughout the state, but not many of them get to boast about being located on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Juried art, live music, food and fun.

Duluth
Annual Bayfront Reggae Festival
July 10
Eleven hours of reggae, right on the waterfront. Musicians include Junior Kelly, Queen Omega, Tosh 1, and Zili Misik.

St. Paul
Dragon Festival
July 10-11
The ancient Dragon Boat tradition is the foundation for this Lake Phalen festival, which also offers martial arts exhibitions, music, makeup tips for Asian women, and food—lots and lots of food.

Minneapolis
July 16-24
Minneapolis Aquatennial
This annual celebration has a huge variety of events. Downtown tennis tournaments, block parties, milk carton boat races, live music, Twin Cities River Rats water-ski show, classic car show, a torchlight parade, recycled metal sculpture art contest, and fireworks.

St. Joseph
Tour of Saints
July 11
As the organizers say, this isn’t a race, it’s a heavenly little ride. Choose between a 35-mile and 50-mile course; the courses begin and end at the College of St. Benedict and includes stops at St. John’s Parish Center and the Cold Spring Bakery—because of course you need carbs for this.

Sauk Centre
Sinclair Lewis Days
July 11-17
A celebration of the community’s most cantankerous resident. Events include food, fireworks, live music, lots of tournaments (softball, disc golf), a treasure hunt, and turtle races.

Bemidji
Art in the Park
July 17-18
This is Bemidji’s 42nd year offering a juried art program on the shores of Lake Bemidji.

Stillwater
Lumberjack Days
July 22-25
Traditional festival activities (food, music, parade, treasure hunt, fireworks) combined with events from the region’s lumber baron history (lumberjack exhibitions).

Rice
Half-Way Jam
July 22-24
Midway between the Twin Cities and Brainerd Lakes is this annual festival. This year’s bands include Tesla, Dokken, and LA Guns.

Hastings
Little Log House Pioneer Village Antique Power Show
July 23-25
This annual event offers the only public access to this historical site each year.  A thorough re-creation of Minnesota history, this festival offers quilting and spinning demonstrations, functioning lumber and shingle sawmills, tractor and truck pull, threshing demonstrations, and a hand printing press.

Ely
Blueberry Arts Festival
July 23-25
This year marks the 30th year of this festival. Arts, crafts, ethnic foods, and live music, all in beautiful Ely on the edge of the Boundary Waters.

Grand Rapids
The Great Minnesota Pie Extravaganza
July 17
Located at the Forest History Center in Grand Rapids, this one-day event gives participants a hands-on 1900s baking experience.

Blackduck
Woodcarver’s Festival
July 31
Annual festival by one of the two big black ducks, this event is a celebration of woodcarving as a past and present tradition. Don’t forget to try an Uffda Taco.

Crop mob!

We've all heard of flash mobs. But did you know there are also crop mobs? TC Daily Planet explains. 

[Note: if you're interested in trying out a crop mob for yourself, Simple Good and Tasty has one scheduled for this coming Saturday. Details here.]

Crop Mob delivers for Cornercopia

Rain water dripped off ponchos and smiling faces Saturday morning, June 12, as 27 Crop Mob volunteers made their way inside the "greenhouse building" on the University of Minnesota's St. Paul Campus. Many had a thick layer of mud on their pants, shoes and hands from kneeling to plant the last of nearly 1,500 tomato, onion and shallot seedlings for the organic, student-run Cornercopia farm. 

"Trying to make volunteering a learning experience," explained Cornercopia Volunteer Coordinator Michael Pursell, is one of the farm's objectives, and also an objective of the Crop Mobs that are popping up all over the country. Recent stories by the New York Times and National Public Radio inspired some of Saturday's participants to seek out local opportunities. Crop Mobs offer people who are interested in learning more about growing food, local food systems or sustainable farming practices a chance to get hands-on experience and a hearty lunch while providing local farmers with the help they need.

"We need help or a lot of this is not going to happen this summer," was the call Crop Mob organizer Barth Anderson said he heard from local farmers. For simple tasks from planting and weeding to baling hay and repairing broken down fences, they simply need extra sets of willing hands.  A board member of the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota, Anderson said he selected locations by asking members if they had a full day's work to be done, how many people would be needed for the tasks, and when they would be ready to go.

Cornercopia was chosen because it relies heavily on volunteers and has trouble meeting the need for planting and maintenance between the end of the spring semester and the start of summer courses. With delays caused by all the recent rain, Pursell said having the Crop Mob's help was, "an opportunity to get a big push of planting done." In only two and a half hours, the group planted seedlings, weeded pathways and mulched them with cut alfalfa from an adjacent field before succumbing to increasingly heavy rain. The work they accomplished would have taken the current Cornercopia staff at least three full days.

Though sustainable small-scale farming may be seen as a return to low-tech methods of growing food, Anderson is organizing Crop Mobs using very contemporary mediums. One third of Saturday's volunteers signed up through his Fair Food Fight website or follow his Twitter feed, Anderson said, another third came through the Twin Cities Crop Mob page on Facebook, and the rest were students.

Fair Food Fight started as an online blog and conversation sponsored by Equal Exchange, an employee owned cooperative committed to fair trade relationships with farmers for crops like coffee and chocolate. River Cook, an Equal Exchange sales representative who participated Saturday, said that Fair Food Fight and the Crop Mobs are "our way of making a local connection to the work we've done internationally."

After cleaning up, the Cornercopia Crop Mob air-dried while eating lunch donated by the University of Minnesota's Campus Club in a classroom. The mostly urban twenty- and thirty-something volunteers filled up tables and talked with those around them. Conversations ranged from the mainstreaming of organic products to farming experiences and plans to attend future Crop Mobs.

Of course, communities coming together to help farmers when they need it most is nothing new - so why the sudden interest?

"We were trying to get work groups together two years ago and nobody wanted to do it," Anderson said. He has since learned, he added, "you call it a Crop Mob and 30 people come out in the rain."

Copyright: 

©2010 Jennifer Thomsen

Friday food

Of course, when one has traveled and spent the day in Lanesboro, one should have a bite to eat. No problem.

This place always looks fun to me, even though I've not yet eaten there. The Old Village Hall resides in the former, well, village hall, built in 1886. It bills itself as "fine dining in a casual setting." The dinner menu changes seasonally, using locally sourced foods when possible, and definitely has an upscale feel to it, even if you're allowed to dress casually (as is the case for all Lanesboro dining spots).

Riverside on the Root and Dirty Martini Lounge boasts a beautiful outdoor patio that seats 100 and was, the day I was there, packed with happy bicyclists enjoying happy hour. The lunch menu includes the requisite salads, appetizers, burgers, sandwiches and pizza, also offered at dinner along with pasta, steak, and seafood entrees.

When it's done--and it's not clear when that will be, maybe this summer--the Spud Boy diner looks like it'll be a fun choice. Especially with the friendly dog greeting you at the entrance.

Just outside of Lanesboro is a small town called Whalan. If you're taking a bike excursion along the Root River Trail, you can easily stop at the Aroma Pie Shop, open Thurs.-Mon. in season, serving lunch items and--of course--pie, freshly baked on the premises. Do I even need to mention how disappointed I was to be in the area on a Wednesday??

Speaking of disappointment, learn from my mistake: I had it in my mind to try a brat or sausage at Das Wurst Haus in Lanesboro, thinking it'd be a quick end to my day there, before heading back home. But having not actually checked the cafe's hours, I missed out--they're open only for lunch, which is sad-making at 5:15 p.m. when you're starving and tired. Here's what I considered as my next option:

Kari's, next to the Commonweal Theatre. Kari's has limited dinner availability, sometimes closed for private events, and they also do private group lunches when booked ahead. It was open for dinner the night I was there, and I was tempted--the menu looked tasty and intriguing, definitely a Scandinavian theme with gravlax and herring and lingonberries and smorrebrod. But even though it looked to be a casual spot with an upscale menu, I felt pretty grubby from a long day of exploring in the sun, and thought I should do them the honor of at least having showered before dining there.

So I ended up here.

Pedal Pushers Cafe. Like so many of the other dining spots, including Kari's, Pedal Pushers advertises its commitment to locally sourced foods. In fact, I overheard the server telling another customer that the cook that night actually works days on a farm that supplies the cafe's meat. That's pretty local.

It's a cozy diner spot.

A basic burgers-and-ice cream spot, with pie as well (which I didn't try, feeling a bit sour-grapesy about the Aroma being closed). But my burger and fries were very tasty indeed.

The Johnny B. Goode, with bacon, cheddar, and homemade ranch dressing, with fresh-cut French fries. It hit the spot and got me re-energized for the drive home.

Although I still wonder what the brat at Das Wurst Haus would have been like.

Next time.   

Lanesboro, part 2

I wasn't fortunate enough to be able to stay overnight in Lanesboro last week, but if I had been, oh, there were some wonderful choices.

A day in Lanesboro

I posted last week about getting lost in Lanesboro (and if you missed it, I updated that post with the answer). Today is all about what else there is to do in that area--and there's plenty, it won't all fit in one post.

The obvious choice is to take advantage of the Root River Trail, 60 miles of paved trail meandering along the Root River and through Bluff Country from Fountain to Houston. You might bring your own bike, or canoe, or whatever method of transportation you'd like to use on the trail. Or you might want to travel light, in which case you can saunter down Parkway Ave. in Lanesboro (the equivalent of a Main Street) and find outfitters who can supply you on the spot.

River Rats Outfitters rents canoes and kayaks, and owner Ken Soiney is a local who knows the area well and can provide suggestions on camping and fishing as well.

Root River Outfitters rents bikes, tubes, kayaks and canoes, and also offers guided fishing trips and shuttle service to local water spots.

If you'd like a different view of the region, you can take a tour.

This is kind of a good overview of what there is to do in Lanesboro. On the right you have all manner of wheeled vehicles for rent, courtesy of Little River General Store. The General Store also rents canoes and kayaks and provides bike repair services if you've brought your own and run into trouble. On the left is an example of an Amish country tour. No, you don't get to ride in an Amish buggy, but you will learn a lot about the area in a roughly three-hour tour. R&M Amish Tours and Bluffscape Tours both offer guided tours. If you'd rather take a self-guided tour, a CD-based Amish Backroads Tour is available for sale at various shops.

If you're feeling adventurous, you can sign up for a Bluff Country Jeep Tour, which will take you out onto the bluffs and wild roads outside of Lanesboro. (Dramamine may be a good idea for those with motion sickness.) Finally, with advance reservation, you can take a trolley tour of Lanesboro. 

You can even go golfing, if you'd like. 

The Old Barn Resort in nearby Preston has an 18-hold course, the Root River Trail runs through it.

If you'd like more of an active nature experience, stop by--or book a family trip to--the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center.  They offer programs for kids, adults, family, and team-building exercises. The Center is made up of 80 acres surrounded by 1,000 acres of state forest, giving the site ample room to spread out and explore nature. Activities include just about anything that can be done outside, including a popular ropes course (also offered in the winter). Or you could just hike a few trails and check out the scenic overlook.

Last (for this post--definitely not all there is to do!) is the Commonweal Theatre, a 21-year-old theater group that is more than just a tourist stop. The Theater's season runs from April-December, and each season they present a Henrik Ibsen production, a nod to the Scandinavian roots of the community.

What's more, they've been able to sustain patronage and donations to the point of building a new theater three years ago, which has increased their capacity and given them greater flexibility in staging productions.

More Lanesboro this week--stay tuned!

The joy of getting lost

ETA: I just heard from Debra Richardson of the Fillmore County Historical Society, that the ruins pictured below are the Gribben Mill ruins. A little more Google research, and I learned that the mill was built in 1868 by Peter and Patrick Gribben, who for a while had as many as three dozen mills in Fillmore County. Eventually the mills moved west, and this is what's left.

Another site listed the Gribben Mill as a great place for a picnic. So I guess I should have gone with my instinct to climb over the wire fence and go closer. Sigh.

And--should we just pause for a moment and remember how wonderful the many historical societies are around the state? Great resources. Thanks, Debra!

So yesterday I spent the day roaming around the Lanesboro area, which is a mighty fine way to spend a sunny day. I'll have more about that next week. This is just to tell you about getting lost. It wasn't my fault, really--the map I was using didn't have all the little side roads and little-used county roads. No, I don't have GPS. That takes the fun out of everything.

I ended up on this twisty-turny stretch of gravel road out in the middle of nowhere. The road was surrounded by dense forests and wildflowers. At one point I passed a sign that noted it was a state forest, although it gave no details. Muttering and swearing under my breath, I was just about to give up and turn around when I happened on this:

I have no idea what this used to be. There was no sign or marker or anything explaining it. But isn't it lovely? There were birds swarming it--apparently it's being used as their home turf.

I think--although I'm not 100% sure--that I was on a stretch of Fillmore County Road 23. Anyone know what this is?

National Get Outdoors Day

This coming Saturday, June 12, is National Get Outdoors Day. To celebrate that, the Minnesota DNR is offering free admission to all Minnesota State Parks on that day. Take advantage of this if you can! We have fantastic parks here--get out and enjoy them!

On a related note, my "day job" is for a worthy organization called the Säjai® Foundation, and the DNR and REI invited us to join them for their National Get Outdoors Day event at Ft. Snelling State Park. Weather permitting, we'll be there from 1-5 p.m.--stop by and say hello!

Friday food

Recently I was contacted by Voyageur Press and asked if I'd like a review copy of a recent cookbook, The Minnesota Table. (I'll let you guess what my answer was.)

It arrived, and I thought, well, isn't that a pretty cover, and cracked it open to see what kinds of recipes were included.

There are plenty of recipes--delicious recipes, focused on the kinds of foods that are raised in Minnesota. But to call it a collection of recipes would be a grave understatement. This lovely book is more of an exploration of the Minnesota foodscape, covering all kinds of topics--it's almost like an essay collection with recipes, rather than a cookbook (although there are tons of recipes too).

The book is organized in a thoughtful way. Each chapter takes on a month in the calendar year, but rather than starting in January, the book opens in April, which makes perfect sense--because isn't that when farmers are starting the process of growing food and when we start seeing signs of fresh life at farmers markets and local food stores?

Along with seasonally relevant recipes, each chapter includes interviews with individual farmers, histories of specific foods, preservation tips, recommendations for pick-your-own farms and pumpkin patches, and how to make the best of the winter months when there's little fresh produce to be had (hint: bison chili is just the thing).

Author Shelley Holl traveled all over the state in search of hidden gems, family tips, little-known techniques, and everything else she could find. As if that wasn't enough, she also provided not just most of the photographs, but several beautiful and playful original watercolor illustrations that liven up the book. The recipes were developed by B.J. Carpenter, and as far as I can tell, their partnership was ideal, because this book is a gem.

(FYI, Shelley Holl will be at the Edina Art Fair all weekend, and B.J. Carpenter, along with editor Maurrie Salenger, will be at the Minneapolis Farmers Market Saturday morning. Stop by, say hello, buy a copy, get it signed!)

What's a recommendation for the fine month of June? Try this:

Minted Sugar Snap Peas
Serves 4

1 lb. sugar snap peas
1 bunch fresh mint leaves, spearmint if possible, stems removed
2 tsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 tbsp. water; mineral or charged will add a little zip
Coarse sea salt

1. Top and tail sugar snap peas by pulling off stems and threadlike strings. Slice peas on the diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces. Remove mint stems, layer leaves on top of each other, and finely mince.

2. Place peas, mint, butter, 2 tbsp. water, and a sprinkle of salt in a medium saute pan; bring it to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook about 3 minutes. The peas should be bright green, tender, and coated with emulsified butter and water.