17 February 2009

Local Food and Co-ops Are the Golden Thread

Just a brief note today, on inspiring links and information. Michael and I are so passionate about food, specifically shopping and eating locally. Local consumption, in general, ties into this of course, and what better way to do that than through a co-op. They were, after all, founded on the idea that people would have a place to shop for local goods. I can't believe it took the internet to bring me such satisfaction and enthusiasm, but it has. So, I'm sharing some of the things I've stumbled upon...

First, my friend Andy sent me a link to The Heavy Table. I am so grateful; what a wonderful site! It's the perfect source for staying connected to everything involving eating in and supporting Minnesota and Wisconsin. It's oh-so-inspiring to see, in print, someone else talking about the things we're excited about, like the St. Paul Farmers Market, and how best to eat locally during a Minnesota Winter!!

Second, I learned of some wonderful classes taking place at a few of the local co-ops. I kind of always knew that this sort of thing was happening, but never knew to what extent. Mississippi Market offers some really great classes, for not a lot of money (or free!), like "Shopping Co-op on a budget" and "Extending the Life of Perishable Foods".

One class I'm really excited about over at Seward Co-op is "Urban Chicken 101", all about raising chickens in the city, something we've been talking about doing once we acquire a house of our own.

Finally, if you haven't heard (and are as excited about this stuff as we are), Lynn Rosetto Kasper of The Splendid Table is speaking at the U of M, on March 8th, about our relationship to food as Americans, among other interesting food-related topics. Sponsored by Slow Food Minnesota (which, by the way, is a great resource to bookmark).

Hope this inspires!!

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