No, U-Pick

It's our third day and I still haven't convinced the kids to go cherry picking with me. If they don't go tomorrow, I may need to go on my own. After all, this is, according to a number of signs I've seen, the cherry capital.

Indeed, there seems to be a U-Pick cherry or blueberry operation around every bend in these parts of Northern Michigan.

But cherries are king in Traverse City: Cherry salsas (tried it), jams, dipping sauces, salad dressing, chocolate sauce (bought that) and whole lines of cherry wines (bringing home several).

Still, I want some fresh cherries and I'd like to pick my own, preferably with the kids seeing exactly where those maraschino's are from.

I'm leaning toward King Orchards, largely because they have a website and I can see that, in addition to having cherries left to pick, they have apricots in and they're ready for picking too. And if I pick 25 pounds, they'll wash and pit them for me for free.

I can't blame the kids for their anti-cherry picking stance.

It's admittedly hard to resist the draw of the beach, especially when the weather's in the low 80s and the water's in the mid-60s. Our beach of choice today was in Traverse City proper, Clinch Park Beach, right off the main strip.

Our local find today was in view from the beach: Mackinaw Brewing Co.

The iFarmer sent me on a mission to buy a growler for later and pop it into the cooler when I checked out the downtown. I ended up leaving the brewery with two growlers, one filled with a magnificent full-bodied Summer Amber and the second filled with the brewery's Peninsula Pale Ale (haven't tried that yet).

After our beach adventure, we hit the water park, ordered room service and are settling in for the next couple of days. Time for some R&R.

Michigan Day 2: Sandy & Sun-Kissed

A pool, a sandy playground, two dune climbs and two beach visits later, we're a bit sun-kissed and happily lodged beach side on the sleepy end of Ludington, Mich.

We made our way up from Holland by hugging the coast as much as possible.

That route up Shoreline Trail (B-15) took us through blueberry patches, apple and cherry orchards and past the largest fields of asparagus I've ever seen. We saw what seemed like hundreds of acres of billowy asparagus greens.

Our pledge to buy local was only met when we stopped at The Fox Barn Agricultural Marketplace & Winery to do a bit of tasting and to buy some cherry salsa and wine.

Unfortunately by the time we washed up from our late evening lake dip and walk to the Ludington Breakwater Lighthouse, we were too tired to hunt for a local haunt. So we went with Applebees. The only saving grace besides an incredibly good steak (anything is good after a day at the beach) was our waitress, who regaled us with stories of her farmgirl experiences. She'd been up since 6 a.m. canning, what else, cherries.

We're thinking that we will not be happy with our hotel coffee, so we scouted out a Starbucks. But we may try the coffee hut we saw on the way in, Hotte Latte. It's in a tiny shack that reminds me of the remote and compact drive up coffee shacks we'd see in the middle of nowhere in Alaska. In cold weather, there's nothing like a good cup of coffee that doesn't require you to leave the shelter of your vehicle.

Plus it's a fair trade shop and it serves locally made baked goods...so, I'm thinking that'll be our pit stop on the way out of town.

Chicago to Discourage Plastic at Farmers Markets

More on the Great Plastic Bag Standoff today from the Chicago Tribune's blog The Stew.

Apparently, the Mayor's office is behind anti-plastic bag renegade Henry Brockman 100 percent. Indeed, they're ready to roll out a pilot program to encourage shoppers to bring their own bags and discourage farmers from supplying plastic unless it's the expensive (7 cents a piece) biodegradable kind.

The famous Green City Market already is trying that. It's not affiliated with the city markets and must have some dough to spend because it's been providing thousands of the biodegradable bags all season.

But don't expect the generosity to continue. After Green City does some number crunching, there may be a fee next year.

Photo: Daley Center Farmers Market early Spring.

Virtual Farmgirl Hits the Road

After we learned that my nephew would be released from the hospital today (Yay!) and that the iFarmer's late afternoon meetings had been canceled (Yay!), we had a new set of get-out-of-town vacation goals.

We wanted to be on the road by 4:30 (iFarmer), without feeling rushed (VFG). We hit the 290 on-ramp at 4:29 and were across the border into Michigan within 100 minutes (which is the approx time we gave the kids). Not bad for rush hour in Chicago.

One of our goals on this trip, besides the change of pace and time together, is to experience new communities. So we want to try to skip the chain restaurants whenever possible and either buy local or check out local hangouts. We think we hit the mark with our first stop in New Buffalo.

If you ever want a fantastic, juicy burger and crispy homemade chips in under 100 minutes, check out Redamak's. I agree with Future Farmgirl that the logo is "a little creepy." The burgers will indeed haunt you. Mmmm, mmm good.

I wasn't wowed by the kid shakes so I didn't order one for the road. But my cheeseburger w/the works served in wax paper next to homemade chips smothered in cheese and bacon bits was worth the stop. I almost tried the breaded pork tenderloin. But I'm suspicious that anyone outside of Southern Indiana really knows how to make one.

Oh. And don't forget to bring cash or be prepared to swallow the ATM fee with your beer. No credit cards accepted at Redamak's. Has to be the largest family restaurant in a resortish area I've seen that's still cash only.

We're staying the night in Holland and will do a little Net research tonight before winding our way up the coast in the morning. We're taking our time, planning to be in Traverse City by Thursday.

Can't Beat (Roasted) Beets

For those of you who think you don't like beets, I'm going to ask you to erase the memory of all the dull canned or pungent pickled versions you've ever tasted. Then do this: roast some fresh beets from the local market.

A hot oven, plus a little coarse salt, pepper and olive oil will draw out the natural, earthy, sweet flavors of the beet.

I surprised my non-beet eating dinner guests tonight with sliced red bits of goodness topped with a walnut gorgonzola dressing.

Recipe from Epicurious.

For dessert, I served my chocolate zucchini muffins, a take on a Cookie Mag recipe I ripped a while back. My kids love these muffins and it's the only way I can get zucchini in them without a fight.

With this recipe, I actually don't often make the frosting. Honestly, it can take longer to make the frosting, which is excellent, than the muffins. Either way, there are never any leftovers, so I usually don't exert the extra effort.

Greening the Hospital Cafeteria Menu

Having spent a good bit of time in a hospital this week, I was drawn to this story in the Green Bay Gazette about the Aurora BayCare Medical Center's effort to "ruin the image of hospital food."

How are they going to do that?

They're one of the latest of 125 health organizations to take the Healthy Food in Health Care Pledge, which commits the hospital food services to make healthier and greener decisions when providing food to patients, visitors and hospital staff.

The pledge is sponsored by Virginia-based Health Care Without Harm.

In addition to buying local meets and produce, BayCare has begun using rBGH-free milk.

Hat tip Sustainable Table.

Fast, Local, Naturally Raised Food

I'd known for a while that the Chipotle was working to use locally grown and raised produce and meats, but I missed until a tip from the iFarmer's Twin led me to see on Ethicurean that sustainable farmer extraordiniare Joel Salatin was supplying one of the local chains.

According to the Washington Post, the Charlottesville Chipotle has been serving 100 percent Polyface Farm pork since March.

That progress came after a lot of collaboration, investment and patience spanning 17 months.

"There's a huge cost to doing things this way," one of the Chipotle bigwigs said. "We're spending money to find out how and if we can bring small farmers with our values into the system."

I am thrilled to see they're working on the "how" and hope that the "if" is dropped from the equation as more people, like my family, get a taste for fresh, locally produced foods.

Salatin took his straw hat off to Chipotle, saying to the Post, "I'm honored to be part of an aggressive attempt to rewrite the food model."

I haven't seen any local farmers connected to Chicagoland Chipotles. If you know of any, please share.

A Chipotle map notes that all its restaurants in Illinois & Indiana serve naturally raised chicken and pork. Still no beef on the list in a good swath of the Midwest chain stores. However, naturally raised beef is served in the Chicago loop and Indianapolis restaurants.

Image is of Chipotle's no ordinary beanstalk timeline. Cool. I'm now impressed and have no guilt eating there, especially since I got to see CSI's William Peterson walk by while we were there this week.

Plastic Bag Lovers Fight Back

Critics of Henry Brockman, a local farmer who recently began charging for his plastic bags at the Evanston farmers market, might find solidarity with this organization: SaveThePlasticBag.com.

Yes. It's a real group and it's suing Los Angeles, which has moved to phase out plastic bags and encourage the use of paper or reusable bags.

My favorite is the group's logo, a plastic bag with a red heart in the middle. Ahh. How lovey.

Here are their talking points:

-- Paper bags result in 3.3 times more greenhouse gas emissions than plastic bags.

-- Paper bags require far more energy to produce and transport than plastic bags.

-- Paper bags attract cockroaches, which is a major concern in apartment buildings.

-- Paper bags are less reusable than plastic bags.

My answer? Stock the car with canvas bags and snag empty boxes in the store. Then will we see a campaign for SaveThePaperBag.com?

Pledging to Buy Local

I've signed the American Farmland Trust's Keep it Local pledge.

I think the pledge is a great idea, a way for us urbanites and suburbanites in particular to make a commitment to buying local.

This should be easy to do during the summer, when farmers markets are a stone's throw from my house and office.

But in the winter, I'm going to have to do a better job finding local sources of food and...storing up for the winter.

I've already got a couple takers on the canning party. Now I just need to find a teacher.

If you go to the AFT's site, you can also sign up to request free No Farms, No Food bumper stickers to pass out at your local farmers markets or whatever locavore event you're hosting. I'm not much of a bumper sticker gal, so I'm probably going to pass on this. But I like the idea.

BTW...I learned about this pledge thanks to Twitter and Farmland's Twitter feed.

Perfect Evening for Supper in the Outdoor Kitchen

A cool summer breeze and break in the humidity made for a fine evening outside.

And this gave us a chance to try the refreshingly sweetWild Blossom Meadery & Winery's Green Apple Riesling that we bought at our church's winter market.

It's pretty good. Not saccharine, but more of a true dessert wine compared with the Illinois Cellars Apple Wine.

The wine pretty much delivers the promise of tasting like you've taken a bite into a crunchy green apple...without any eye-watering tartness.

For the locavores, the winery boasts using local fruits and bees to produce "the world's most sustainable wine."

We paired the wine last night with sesame grilled chicken and farmers market fresh zucchini. Delish.


Photo by Future Farmboy.

Bugs Alive! It's a Firefly

Getting buggy this summer.



I don't think these Future Farmkids would ever get tired of catching, then releasing lightening bugs.

Farmer Irritates Some With Plastic Bag Fee

Few things surprise me when I read the paper, but this story in the Trib about a brouhaha over one local farmer charging for plastic bags, just stuck with me.

I think I feel most sorry for the customer that sustainability expert farmer Henry Brockman outed in the press for strenuously complaining about his decision to charge 25 cents for up to four plastic bags.

Here's what she said:

"While I admire your dedication to trying to change the environment for the better, I have to tell you I find your plastic bag policy offensive. You are in the business of selling produce. If you don't provide something for the people to take your produce home with, you are not good businesspeople."

Um. I'd be humiliated, in the Sunday Trib no less. But, on this one, I'm going to have to side with Brockman.

I'm frankly amazed that any of the farmers have plastic bags without charging. I just got back from Costco and there are no bags there...only boxes to re-use. I loaded my dairy in the same canvas shopping bag I keep in the car to take to the grocery...and my farmers market. And, what about that little German chain, Aldi? Plastic bags are a quarter. A nickel for paper.

Brockman's well-thought out decision for his bag policy is here.

And, you can't argue with success:

...Last year I was dumping over 1000 plastic bags into the environment per market, we have been to seven Evanston Farmers markets this year and I still haven't reached the bottom of my first 1000-count box of biodegradable plastic bags.

Photo from Flickr.

Apples! Fermented & Fabulous

Finally! A Midwest grown and produced fruit wine that isn't syrupy sweet!

I can hardly believe how much I like the Apple Wine under the Illinois Cellars label in downstate Carrollton, Ill. It's very Rieslingesq. A perfect pairing for cheese and crackers...or just on its own on a lazy summer weekend.

Turns out it's a Mary Michelle creation, a venture by California investors who wanted to take advantage of the fruit-rich Illinois River valley and produce an inexpensive wine from the region.

It's only $7 from Whole Foods, $6 if you buy direct.

Yay for us from the Land of Lincoln! Can't wait to try the others.

Summer Bounty

Even in the pouring rain there was plenty of foot traffic at the Oak Park Farmers Market.

There was NO line for the donuts. That was good for sopping wet me, but made me sad for the folks who were likely there to raise money for an event. And, of course, there was no bluegrass, so that was a bummer.

Still, I ended up with just about everything on my produce list, plus some kohlrabi. I don't know exactly what I'm going to do with that. I'm told you peel it and eat it raw or grate it onto salads.

Kohlrabi's in the cabbage family though, so couldn't I saute it and toss it in my vegetable soup?

That's where the rest of the veggies and potatoes (pictured) are going tonight.

Photo by Future Farmboy.

A Hot Idea This Summer

A new Chicago Locavore compatriot proposed a great idea for those of us who didn't pay close enough attention to our grandmothers come harvest...

Let's have our own canning party! I so love that idea. Now I just need to find some sage canning expert to drop in and teach.

If I could sucker Photo Farmgirl up here...even though she's, um, we'll say, half my age, I'm sure she could be the teacher.

Even though I've never canned on my own, I do have fond memories of my grandmother orchestrating a busy kitchen and a supremely hot gas stove. We still have her wide-top Roper with a double oven, though it's in a slight state of disrepair. At the moment it's serving as an extra countertop.

It was in that kitchen that I uttered my first words, a parroting of regular warnings from all the mommies: Hot.

I think we should plan the party to coincide with the fruit harvests. Apples or cherries are excellent canned as themselves or as fruits and savory salsas and with chutneys.

So any volunteers to come teach? Any RSVPs for a canning extravaganza?

New Farmgirl Gear On the Way

The iFarmer and I are trying to come up with some fresh designs and slogans for the Farmgirl Gear pages.

I'm taking requests...so if you have a t-shirt idea, please share!

I'm definitely going to have something for the farmkids this time around.

Pickling Isn't Just for Cucumbers Anymore

If, like me, you've had fears of canning and pickling, just read today's Good Eating section in the Trib to get inspired.

I love that the Trib quoted a state fair champ:

Linda Amendt, author of several preserving books and a frequent state-fair prize winner, says: "The perception that home canning is old-fashioned and a dying art could not be farther from the truth. Home canning is actually experiencing a resurgence in popularity."

Now that's a statement I can believe, especially as the popularity of CSAs increases. I can't tell you how many people I talk to who hate to waste food and are left wondering what to do with the abundance of produce they get each week from their CSA share.

It's no wonder that canning is being explored as an option.

For classes on pickling, the Trib provides a local resource list. I'm walking distance to the "Get Pickled" class at The Chopping Block at the Merchandise Mart. But the class at Kline Creek Farm in DuPage County looks the most interesting, from a history perspective.

The photo in Damascus is a Flickr find and shows that just about anything can be pickled.

Local Summer Wine, With Fruit to Boot

Another fun wine from the Grayslake, Ill.,-based Glunz Family Winery & Cellars.

You and, especially my Christmas tree-trimming party guests, already know I'm a big fan of their winter Vin Glogg. But warm wine just doesn't sound appealing in the heat of summer.

So I was very excited to find the iFarmer brought home de la Costa Sangria, a fruity rosy wine. It's fine on its own, but even better with Gas City, Ind., strawberries (frozen like ice cubes) and Michigan cherries. Glunz recommends serving it with a touch of club soda or orange or lime...We'll try that next time.

Plus...who doesn't like the extra fun of eating sangria-soaked fruit after the last drop is gone from the wine?

It was the perfect accompaniment to the sesame chicken salad I whipped up from some leftover teriyaki chicken from the Sunday grill.

New Addictive Artisanal Cheese...and It's Local

I've been a bit under the weather this weekend, but I'm coming out of it, I hope. I've been sleeping more than 12 hours for the past couple of nights. That's made a big difference.

Now that I'm turning a health corner, I need to catch up a bit with some VFG posts.

Last week I meant to make note of a cheese vendor I saw for the first time at the Daley Center Farmers Market: Prairie Pure Cheese from Belvidere, Ill. I actually was trying not to buy any dairy that morning. I was only at the market for asparagus, heirloom tomatoes and herbs.

But who can pass up a free artisanal cheese tasting? All the cheese I tried was good, but the swiss was irresistibly tangy. So, of course, I forked over $5.21 for a little over half a pound.

The Prairie Pure company is a pretty interesting collaborative operation, with three small dairy farming families working together with a master cheese maker in southern Wisconsin to produce high quality local cheese.

They also sell gift boxes and will ship via UPS.

That's good news because I've sadly had no luck trying to buy gift baskets from Seedling Orchard in Mich. No one is apparently either answering or monitoring e-mail. And their Web order system is definitely malfunctioning. Will make a note if I ever hear back from them. For the time being though...they're off my favorites list.

Introducing New Foods...With Limited Success

I have this great book "Char Siu Bao Boy" written by the talented Sandra Yamate.

I've been reading it to my kids for ages, but only recently has it clicked that these delicious Chinese dumplings are real food.

They've been practicing their chopstick skills with ramen noodles. But they haven't ventured much further into our favorite Asian foods.

Finally, Future Farmgirl decided she must have some char siu bao and now. So, I stopped at Wow Bao today and bought a whole bunch of the dumplings...a variety pack and some BBQ pork (as close to the book as I could get). I also had a pack of coconut custard bao and, for the rest of us, brought home some pad Thai salad.

Well...I'd like to report that the meal, served on my fancy sushi dishes, was a big hit. It was for sure with us adults. But the Future Farmkids were only impressed with the dumpling breading and the dessert options.

Oh well...progress I suppose. At least they tried something new and had fun with chopsticks. Future Farmboy even managed to eat a few peas without first reaching for a spoon.

BTW...for the adventurous cooks, Sandra's book includes a family recipe for the dumplings and pork filling.

New Gift Basket Source: Seedling Orchard

I've been looking for a good organic gift basket to either assemble on my own or order online.

So I was pleased to find yet another lead on the Chicago Locavores site...this one steering me to Seedling Orchard, an organic farm near South Haven, Mich.

Gotta love their credo:

• We sell only locally grown fruit
• Our fruit is left on its tree or vine until ripe and ready to eat
• We grow carefully and hand-pick to ensure the most natural piece of fruit
• We test and taste to ensure we deliver great tasting fruit

I'm certain I've tried their fruits and ciders and their gift baskets look super cute.

Seedling is yet another reason for me to play hooky on a Wednesday so I can check out Chicago's Green City Market...where all the with-it chefs shop for the choicest locally produced produce. Seedling apparently is among the vendors mid-week, when the market is at its best.

Buy Local Tip: Irv & Shelly's Fresh Picks

I'm so psyched to be a member of Chicago Locavores now. The group's blog does these great little interviews with local businesses that focus on buying local.

I'm definitely intrigued with Irv & Shelly's Fresh Picks. This couple has this great to-you-door fresh produce delivery business that rivals the idea of a CSA. Not only do they get the produce from local farmers with sustainable practices -- when possible -- they also deliver.

They've basically done all the hard worked...tracked down the organic farmers, forged the relationships and developed a sophisticated delivery system, that I'm happy to learn reaches in to my zip code.

What a fantastic idea, especially now that there is more and more competition to even join a CSA. I'm hearing there's a waiting lists for the CSA that delivers to our neighborhood.

Lawmakers Are Catching the Locavore Craze

Today's Tribune headline "Support your local farmer" caught my eye.

It's always good to scan the local paper and see something about farming or healthy food initiatives.

I had to read past the jump to see that local Farmgirl Nina Interlandi Bell, from our old Rogers Park stomping grounds no less, has started a group called Chicago Locavores.

Being a locavore or localvore, which essentially means you get all or as much of your food as possible from within a 100-mile radius, is actually pretty difficult in Chicago.

That's why, as the story also notes, we see so many farmers market vendors from Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin. I love that regional diversity at our markets and feel like it's yet another benefit of living in a centrally located big city.

But I'm also supportive of what folks in Michigan and Iowa, and now Illinois, are doing to try to encourage more local farmers to grow for the local population.

Have any of you, like Betsy Zinser of Batavia, noticed a frozen veggie label indicating your produce has been shipped from oversees? That's a major drawback of stores such as Aldi and Trader Joe's.

The more these states do to support food-producing farmers (small and large scale), the happier and healthier we'll all be.

I took the photo at the Daley Center FM a couple weeks ago. Note that this farmer - Lehman's Orchard, selling strawberries that week, is from Niles, Mich., which is 101 miles from Chicago.

A Thief is Captured, We Hope

Lots of activity at The Farm.

Just in time for the 4th, all the planting for the season is through, including a native garden complete with black corn, pole beans, squash, pumpkin and gourd.

Also, I got word this week that a trapper nabbed a thieving mink at a Grant County CSA, but not before she got hold of 55 laying hens.

Wow. That's a lot of eggs they won't be seeing this year.


Photo from Flickr.

Summer Farmgirl Reading

One of my inspirations, the "lifestyle brand" MaryJane Butters, has a new book that the NYTs described as a "dilly," whatever that means.

“MaryJane’s Outpost: Unleashing Your Inner Wild” is the third for the Farmgirl queen and sounds like it has some potential.

Butters certainly knows how to marry the Tomboy/girlie girl concepts with her pink biodiesel truck and catch phrases like "glamping" for "glamor camping" or "tramping" for "trailer camping."

The book lists for $30 on the MaryJane's site, but is less than $20 on Amazon.