By Al Batt I spit sunflower seeds for distance. It was a contest. I did OK. I’d have done better, but it had been a dry year. I could have been in a pie-eating contest that day, but the two events had been scheduled for the same time. Pity. That was the year Emma Torvaldson hit a pie judge in the face with her signature lemon meringue pie after she’d finished in second place … [Read more...]
The Working Mom
Remember when Remember when we carried on with our lives without a care in the world about catching a virus? I remember being on a plane traveling for a work trip when a mother with three young children boarded and clogged the main aisle as she spent a good 10 minutes using Lysol wipes to clean the seats, arm rests, and flip down tables before she allowed her children to sit … [Read more...]
38th Annual Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign
“Food insecurity means access to adequate food is inconsistent and limited by a lack of money and other resources throughout the year. Food insecure households report their diets to be of reduced quality, variety, or desirability and/or experience disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake.” In Minnesota, food insecurity affects nearly one in 11 people, 12.5% of … [Read more...]
Equipment grants available for access to healthy foods
Funding for equipment that increases availability and access to affordable, nutritious and culturally appropriate food to underserved communities is now available. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for the 2020 Good Food Access Program (GFAP) Equipment and Physical Improvement Grants. A total of $225,000 is available to help … [Read more...]
Cooking contest returns
Do you smell that? That’s the smell of a cooking contest in late October. From 2010 to 2015, the staff at the Fillmore County Journal along with staff from Harmony Foods, Preston Foods, and Rushford Foods, coordinated an annual cooking contest. There were nine categories. 1.Appetizers & Beverages 2.Soups, Salads & Vegetables 3.Main Dishes & … [Read more...]
Mabel Area Food Shelf seeks volunteers
The Mabel Area Food Shelf is looking for volunteers. There are volunteer opportunities for youth groups, or anyone over 18. Some of the duties that volunteers would have the opportunity to help with include stocking shelves, light cleaning, organizing of outerwear, making up school or family bags, or assisting when the food shelf is open. Due to confidentiality, volunteers … [Read more...]
Empty Bowls 2019
The community of Harmony will host its tenth Empty Bowls event this fall on Sunday, November 10 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Empty Bowls is an International Project to fight hunger. Bowls created by local potters and artisans are used to serve a simple meal of soup and bread. Guests/diners choose a bowl for the meal, which they then take home afterwards. Money collected from the … [Read more...]
Tap in to Carlin’s passion
Spring brings warmer weather, birds singing, flowers blooming and sap. The sap of the maple trees in southeastern Minnesota make sensational maple syrup and few know this better than Dave Carlin of Lanesboro, Minn. Carlin’s Sugar Shack produces some of the richest tasting maple syrup in the area thanks to a lot of knowledge, experience and investment. Dave started … [Read more...]
Annual Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign
Some people face food insecurity every day, while others struggle after an unexpected expense or decrease in income. Hunger can lead to poor health or illness in addition to poor performance at school or work. During 2017, Semcac food shelves in Rushford, Preston, Caledonia, and Kasson had 7,686 visits from 1,258 households and distributed 361,926 pounds of food. Clients are … [Read more...]
Home Sweet Home Cafe and Cakery opens
After spending their vacations in beautiful Lanesboro, Minn., each year and not wanting to leave when it was time to go, Alan and Elizabeth (“Liz”) Mason are finally “Home Sweet Home” in every sense of the phrase, especially with the launch of their new business, Home Sweet Home Cafe and Cakery in Lanesboro. The Mason family, which includes Alan and Liz, along with their … [Read more...]