read part one here
2008
In January, Locavore was named 2007 word of the year, an indication of the acceleration of the local food movement. Luhning, Rasikas, and I attended the DATCP Value-Added Conference that was now combined with the 2nd annual WI Local Food Summit.
Unknown to us, Rick Beckler of Sacred Heart Hospital, Eau Claire also attended this conference, with the express intent of procuring local food for the hospital. (See March 2009 Pea Soup) That meeting resulted in the creation of the Chippewa Valley Consortium. Later this year the first BLBW grants were made available, and the Consortium received funding to support its formation.
In September VFC participated in the second Eat Local Wisconsin Challenge and the first NCGA-sponsored Eat Local America Challenge, and partnered with FFI to host a sold-out Community Harvest Dinner (featuring all local foods) at the Viroqua High School 
cafeteria, with over 200 attendees.
The FFI steering committee was working hard on the community food assessment. Quickly realizing that they did not have the economic expertise needed, VSN hired Ken Meter of the Crossroads Resource Center
to complete the economic assessment. While they had no intention of starting any other projects until the research was done, Americorp grants to provide positions for Farm to School projects became available, and with strong support from local schools, they jumped in.
2009-2010
In January Rasikas, Lind, representatives from two other Food Co-ops and I participated in a panel presentation “Retailers and Your Local Product” at the Value-Added Conference in Rochester, IL. While at the conference I met Rick Beckler at the Sacred Heart Hospital Booth. I learned that the hospital had committed to buying 10% of their food ($200,000) from local sources, had formed a consortium of buyers & producers and received the BLBW grant. By June the consortium had transformed into the Producers and Buyers Co-op, a multi-stakeholder cooperative. This would prove to be a vital piece in providing VEDA with a working cooperative model of scaling up local food systems
In May FFI completed the Community Food Assessment
(an impressive study well over 100 pages, available on the VSN website). Luhning stated that VSN gained a much better understanding of the food system through the assessment process, but “the number one benefit was the relationships we developed.”
The study was presented to the community on May 21st. Ken Meter, who had done reports in 38 regions of 18 states, praised the efforts in the region, saying he believes “local food may be the best path toward economic recovery.” For example, consumers in Southwest Wisconsin spend $208 billion on food from outside the region. If those consumers would purchase 25% of their food directly from local farmers, it would produce $33 million of new farm income every year - enough to offset current farm production losses.
“The discussion here has been one of the more advanced discussions I’ve had on local food anywhere in the country,” said Meter, “With the success of CROPP in this county, and other organizations and people, you have a lot of foundation to work with.”
Now that the assessment was complete, FFI decided to focus on a Gleaning Project, one that they could do with the resources they had – volunteer labor and relationships with the schools and farmers. Luhning had volunteered for a gleaning project back in Bellingham, and Becky Comeau, FFI member, had visited a gleaning project in Vermont. Through the gleaning project FFI learned first hand about surplus food in the area going to waste – they harvested 3000 lbs. of produce that season that otherwise would have rotted in the field. (See Sept. 09 Pea Soup). These “seconds” are high quality, sometimes odd-sized, but in the case of bumper crops, are simply “firsts” that would cost the farmers more to harvest than they would be able to sell them for. The lack of a market for seconds was very evident.
The Ohio-based NCR closed its Viroqua manufacturing plant in March. In July VEDA acquired the 100,000 square foot facility and its fifteen acres of land.
“Our attention now focuses on locating and working with regional businesses, farmers, producers, processors, manufacturers and community members interested in participating in this innovative, multi-business facility.” said Noble. Luhning and VFC’s Jan Rasikas became a part of the steering committee for this project.
Over the summer Sonya Newenhouse of Madison Environmental Group had been hired by WTC-La Crosse to facilitate conversations with other La Crosse institutions that wanted to increase local food in their food service programs and invited Sue Noble to participate. FFI had identified the need of a processing facility for seconds and developed relationships with area schools that were seeking local food through the Farm to School Program. All the pieces were coming together when the BLBW grant funding was announced. With the example of the Chippewa Valley Producers and Buyers Co-op in mind, they applied for the grant.
Luhning and Noble put the initial proposal together in two weeks and were one of 70 applicants. They were one of 30 invited to submit a full proposal. 22 letters of support from local institutions, business, NPO’s and Farms were included in the grant proposal that would form a Local Foods Initiative to serve a five county region - Vernon, La Crosse, Crawford, Richland and Monroe.
A key part of the proposal was the development of a multi-stakeholder cooperative consisting initially of five local producers, three large producer groups (Organic Valley, Harvest Moon Farms and Keewaydin Organics), four processors (Keewaydin Organics, CROPP Cooperative, Westby Co-op Creamery and Premier Meats, Inc.) and six institutions (Western Technical College, UW-La Crosse, Vernon Memorial Hospital, Three Rivers Waldorf School, Viroqua Area Schools and Pleasant Ridge Waldorf School) to market, sell and distribute fresh and value-added food products. Four of the five institutions committed 10% of their food budgets to purchasing local food. VEDA received the largest grant of the nine proposals that were funded: $40,000 for two years.
Premier Meats opened in December, a 12,000 square foot facility between Westby and Viroqua. A $1.9 million dollar success story from VEDA’s Entrepreneur Club, it added tremendous momentum to local food activity in the region. Two-thirds of the building is dedicated to the processing of meat while the other third includes a retail shop hosting many local food items: fresh and frozen beef, pork, lamb, dairy and additional products. It has the capacity to process 150 head of beef, as well as hogs and sheep.
Plans for the use of the former NCR building continue - the building will serve as a central distribution point for local produce in the BLBW grant. It will also house other local food businesses and provide space for local food community activities
Nicole Penick, who is now the coordinator for FFI, has been hired as the coordinator for the new Western Wisconsin Local Foods Initiative. Nicole has a BA in Community Leadership & Development, and is working on her thesis project on Farm to Institution Food. Her work for FFI will also apply towards her Masters degree.
Even with the example of the Chippewa Valley Producers and Buyers Co-op, developing a multi-stakeholder cooperative is really breaking new ground. While this type of co-op is common in Europe and Canada, it is extremely rare in the US. Producers, Buyers, Processors, Distributors and Employees will all have a seat at the table in determining fair prices and co-op policies. It truly is a new paradigm for building a sustainable food system.
Noble and Luhning are excited about the prospects. “We have the opportunity to be a showcase region for rebuilding rural economies in a sustainable way,” says Luhning.
“The motivation to go for the grant was based on more than a year of work, planning and discussions about local food together,” adds Noble. “The grant is also a great next step for a lot of the local businesses I’m working with, who focus on food and agriculture.”
In addition to the crucial leadership provided by Luhning and Noble, nearly all the work from the Valley Stewardship Network’s Food and Farm Initiative to this point had been done by volunteers - and without those committed enough to roll up their sleeves and
take action, our community wouldn’t be ready for the next steps in the Driftless Good Food Revolution.
Part One: 2006-2007
“I don’t call this a movement anymore, I refer to it as a revolution.”
Thus spoke Will Allen, founder of Milwaukee’s urban agriculture 
project “Growing Power.” Allen was the opening keynote speaker of the recent Midwest Value-Added Conference and Wisconsin Local Food Summit in Eau Claire that VFC produce manager Dani Lind and I attended. If one is going to be a part of a revolution, this is one that is exciting, intellectually stimulating, full of relationships with all kinds of people, and tasty. The Good Food Revolution.
Here in the Driftless we are ahead of the curve in many ways, but the challenge of the missing distribution and processing infrastructure needed to market our products to local grocers, schools and institutions remains.
We are preparing to meet that challenge, now assisted by the award 
of a $40,000 Buy Local Buy Wisconsin Grant to VEDA (Vernon Economic Development Association). You may have seen the photo of the ribbon cutting at Premier Meats in the Vernon County Broadcaster, with a short article announcing the award, presented that day by Wisconsin Ag. Secretary Rod Nilsestuen to develop the Western Wisconsin Local Foods Initiative. It is a story worth expounding on, one that is transforming our local food system and our local economy.
2006
In January of 2006 VEDA was formed by a group of community leaders and business executives from throughout Vernon County. VEDA hired Sue Noble as Executive Director, whose philosophy of economic development is to grow communities from within by creating the environment for economic development to occur. As a way to capitalize on the creative people and entrepreneurial spirit here, Noble partnered with Laura Brown from Crawford County UW Extension to start the Vernon/Crawford Inventors and Entrepreneurs Club.
2007
In April Jessica Luhning moved with her husband Macon to Viroqua 
from Bellingham, Washington. Luhning had finished her graduate work in Rural Land Use & Agricultural Planning and had managed a farmland preservation program. She and her husband wanted to move back to the Midwest, and found Viroqua through online research. Jessica was hired by the Valley Stewardship Network days after arriving; Macon found a position with Organic Valley.
At this time, VSN was a quiet organization. Its focus was on water quality issues, and Luhning’s 15 hours a week was plenty of time to accomplish her work.
In October of 07 the State of Wisconsin Legislature unanimously passed the Buy Local Buy Wisconsin Bill. The first statewide program supporting local food, the goal of the BLBW initiative was to shift 10 percent of the state’s consumer and business food expenditures to foods grown by Wisconsin’s producers.
In the spring of ‘07 Vernon County was faced with its first CAFO issue. Luhning was passionate about preventing the contamination that industrial agriculture could wreak, and made a case to the VSN board that as an organization, they needed to take a stand. Suddenly the controversy thrust this quiet, unknown organization into the limelight.
The VSN board quickly realized that the CAFO issue was very divisive. Rather than focus on what they were against, they formed the Food and Farm Initiative in November 2007. “We want to support our small farmers, so they remain viable,” says Luhning. “If we’re doing something positive, we bring awareness to the issues.” Sara Martinez and her husband Matt Urch were instrumental in the creation of FFI. VFC’s Dani Lind became an active member of the FFI steering committee, and Sue Noble and VFC General Manager Jan Rasikas came aboard as members of the advisory board.
The first task of the newly formed FFI was to complete a community food assessment. “Although VSN had a strong knowledge of water quality,” Luhning said, “We didn’t have a solid background or understanding of our local food system. We needed to do the research to legitimize ourselves so we could really be a strong voice against industrial agriculture; at the same time providing a strong foundation from which to develop a sustainable food system.”
Read Part 2 here.
by Charlene Elderkin, Marketing & Membership Manager
In the coming months, local community members, Michelle Workowski and Alena Mack are 
heading off to Uganda to volunteer with a small, community-based organization that works with people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS. The organization, RWEYOWA, which stands for ‘Rescue Widows, Elderly, Youth and Orphans with AIDS’, was started after a group of concerned citizens became aware of the conditions of people living with and affected by HIV. They started the organization to work toward improving the living conditions of people living with HIV/AIDS and increasing HIV education and sensitization opportunities in their community of Namasuba. Namasuba is a semi-rural community close to the capital city of Kampala. RWEYOWA reaches out to community members through donations of food and clothing, vocational training opportunities, and the procurement of scholarships for orphans to attend primary and secondary school. They also help to administer treatment for people living with HIV/AIDS through a partnership with a local treatment center, and by providing home-based care and health status checks to individuals and families who are unable to make it to a clinic.
Michelle and Alena will be spending their days supporting the organization in any way they can. Michelle will be focusing mainly on vocational training, community outreach and will also be teaching English in a local primary school. Alena, as a Public Health practitioner specializing in health education and outreach will be working with the organization in a professional manner to help build the capacity of the organization while taking part in all of their organizational activities.
The mother-daughter team is hoping to take as many donations for the organization and community as possible. The main donations that they are seeking are monetary and medical supplies. As the organization performs health status checks during their outreach programs and works with individuals in all stages of HIV disease and AIDS, they are in need of many medical supplies. Any monetary donations will go straight to the organization for use in their outreach programs and for donations to the community; none of the donations will go to administrative expenses or travel expenses, as they are covering these themselves. In order to raise funds, Michelle and Alena are holding a raffle, kindly sponsored by local businesses: The Nature of Things, The Viroqua Food Cooperative, and Driftless Fair Traders. Tickets are available at numerous businesses throughout Viroqua, and the prizes are on display at the VFC.
For more information on the organization, the ladies’ trip, or how to donate in other ways, please contact Alena or Michelle at (608)627-1952 or alenamack@gmail.com. Or see the following websites: www.rweyowa.org,
www.alenaandmichelleinuganda.blogspot.com.
Ideally we would get all the nourishment we need for optimal health from our foods. Unfortunately, modern life is not always conducive to doing so. VFC’s Wellness department comes to the rescue with immune enhancing supplements to help fill the gap. I want to introduce you to a few of them; probiotics, aloe vera juice, essential fatty acids and olive leaf extract.
Probiotics
Most people are familiar with the use of probiotics during and after a course of antibiotic treatment. Probiotics can also be useful at other times to maintain a healthy population of intestinal flora; after all we want to be sure to absorb our nutrients whether they are from our food or supplements. VFC has a variety of probiotics available in liquid or capsule form, most are found in the cooler at the end of the supplement isle and a few are on the shelf in the aisle.
Aloe Vera Juice contains polysaccharides that help build the immune system, balance blood sugars, are anti-viral and possess anti-inflammatory properties. The Co-op carries three brands of aloe vera juice. My favorite is Pharm Aloe’s certified organic whole leaf extract, available in quarts at a reasonable price and gallons by special order.
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are called essential because 
they are not manufactured by the body, are essential to good health and must be provided by food or supplementation. EFAs are beneficial to the heart, brain, eyes and have demonstrated benefits to the immune system (Meyers). These EFAs are present in fish oils as well as in hemp, borage, evening primrose, black currant and flax seed oils. VFC has many choices of EFA supplementation. Look for them in the cooler alongside the probiotics and on the aisle shelves.
Olive leaf extract is in the news these days. Olive leaf is used around the world as a health tonic to promote general health and for immune support in the event of colds, flu or infection. Barlean’s Fresh Pressed Olive Leaf Complex is available in 8 oz bottles at the Co-op at introductory special prices in January and February.
If you feel your immune system needs an extra boost, we have many choices in the Wellness department that include ingredients such as Echinacea species, various medicinal mushrooms and many other herbs, vitamins and minerals that may be helpful.
Supplementation to maintain health can be very useful, but remember that stress takes a great toll on our immune system as well. So take the time to relax, get some exercise and enjoy friends and family and your life here on this sweet earth.
Carol Willis, Wellness Buyer
Sources
1 Meyers, Steve. Natural Products Marketplace. Dec. 2009: 12-21
2 Barlean’s 2009. http://www.barleans.com/olive_leaf.asp#.html
Since last March, I have been making my own fresh juice every day. It helps that I have a Champion Juicer, albeit over 30 years old, which my husband inherited from a friend. We had used it on occasion without getting into the habit. Back when there were two or three kids at home, it took a lot of prep work to make enough juice for everyone to have just a little bit. Being a jubilant empty-nester, I can now make fresh raw juice as a part of my morning routine in very little time, plus I get a full 12 to 16 ounces instead of a shot-glass full. Another nice perk is my husband gets up after me, so he cleans the juicer after he’s made his juice.
If you have never juiced, start by preparing a small amount and figure out a base recipe to work from that tastes good to you. Then you can make additions of other vegetables a little at a time without having any big swings in flavor that you may not like.
My foundational vegetable juice recipe is
4 medium carrots, cut off the green tops, wash but do not peel
2 stalks celery, cut into chunks to reduce strain on juicer
½ - 1 apple, remove the stem but do NOT core or peel.
chunk of beet 1" to 2" square
chunk of ginger to taste
As time went on I learned I could substitute cucumber for celery and add small amounts of spinach leaves or other greens and still have a good tasting juice. Knowing I was going into the gardening season as a raw juicer gave me a mental boost. I looked forward to incorporating fruits & veggies straight from the garden; talk about LIVE FOOD! With any gardening success at all we have more food than we can eat, a nice problem to have. I knew I would consume more of what’s good for me out of the garden as a juicer.
Once early spring arrived, I bravely added my garden asparagus in place of celery to my basic recipe, and found it was still very good. (The orange foam on the top of my juice had a bright lime green swirl added to it - reminding me of rainbow sherbet.) Then as other garden crops came up I added small amounts of lettuce, then spinach, broccolli, kale, cucumbers, or beans to the recipe, each adding another dimension of flavor to the juice, but always good. I never made anything that was undrinkable, as I was conservative in adding small amounts to be sure I liked the flavor.
Eventually I found I could make a green drink with an apple base (leaving out the carrot) that was very good. And I was so thrilled when I made my basic recipe straight out of my own garden - save the ginger. I learned to like more ginger and add a chunk of hot pepper for an extra zing. I still have a few of our garden hot peppers in my fridge to add to my daily veggie juice.
I’m not a big tomato juice lover, but I eventually got up the courage to try using a gazpacho recipe (a cold chunky tomato soup) and juicing it rather than eating it as soup. Wow! I was sorry I’d waited so long.
A very good reference book on juicing is Raw Juices Can Save Your Life by Sandra Cabot, MD. It contains an A-Z reference guide listing the fruit or vegetable, available nutrients & phyto-chemicals in the juice, and the healing properties of the juice. So when you’re guzzling down your very ALIVE beverage, you can read about all the good healing vitamins, minerals, and enzymes you’re getting and what they’re doing for you.
Charlene Elderkin, Marketing & Membership Manager
As human beings we thrive on patterns. These patterns are
great when we need to be on time for work or appointments, but tend to get us
nutritionally stuck when we continue to eat the same old things. A raw foods
diet doesn’t have to be “all or nothing”. I have had great success in making a
couple of simple changes that make sense for me.
The first change I made was implementing “Green Smoothies” 2
to 3 days a week for breakfast. If I were still hungry I would also eat the raw
sunflower and pumpkin seed cereal (see recipe below). For lunch I would have a
raw salad and then dinner would be cooked. For me a slow introduction to eating
raw works. I paid attention to signs and symptom changes in my body and
adjusted the raw eating accordingly.
Soaking Grains & Nuts
The second change I made was soaking grains and nuts. There
is a good section on soaking grains on the website; http://www.naturalnews.com/025648.html
and also on
http://www.healthy-green-lifestyle.com/healthy-whole-grains.html.
Grains and nuts contain enzyme inhibitors. Grains also
contain phytic acid. Enzyme inhibitors prevent proper digestion to take place. Phytic
acid, which is in the bran of the grain binds phosphorous and blocks absorption
of some nutrients like calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. Soaking grains breaks
down enzyme inhibitors and phytic acid so they are no longer harmful. As grains
soak their vitamin content increase especially the B vitamins. Soaking nuts
also breaks down enzyme inhibitors activating their full nutritional benefits
and aiding in better digestion.
This is one cold cereal you need not worry about wilting
before finishing.
Raw Sunflower Cereal
1/8 cup raw pumpkin seeds, soaked
1/8 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked
1/8 cup raw buckwheat groats or oat flakes, soaked
pinch of stevia or sweetener of choice
1 Tbsp. oat bran, soaked (optional)
1 Tbsp. coconut
cover with nut milk of choice
In a small bowl, combine seeds, groats, sweetener, oat bran,
and coconut. Cover with nut milk. Chew slowly and enjoy.
I have tried several different versions of the above raw
cereal. I’ve used soaked spelt berries, instead of the groats, eliminated the oat
bran and added soaked oat flakes. Also adding a heaping teaspoon of raw nut
butter or/ and raw nuts will increase the protein. The addition of your
favorite fruit is also an option.
There is an excellent chart for soaking grains and nuts in
the Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine Book
by Gabriel Cousens, M.D. I soak my pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, thick oat
meal, buckwheat groats, and oat bran at least overnight. I drain the water off
in the morning. I dehydrate the seeds at 116˚ to dry them or they can be spread
out on a cutting board and left to air dry.
by Zeba Due
Recipes from Chef Kim Sandker
CHIPOTLE CRANBERRY SAUCE
12 – 14 oz. of fresh/frozen cranberries
1 c sugar
1/3 c honey
3 Tbs lime juice
2 chipotle chilis, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cumin
METHOD: Combine all ingredients except spice in a small sauce pan, simmer until cranberries pop. Continue stirring until slightly thick, add spices, stir 5 minutes, cool.
MAKES 2 CUPS
SOUTHERN STYLE STUFFING
1 large whole wheat loaf cut into
1 inch cubes (about 10 cups)
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 1/2 lbs breakfast style pork sausage
2 c chopped yellow onions
1 c chopped celery
3 c chopped collards
1 tsp minced fresh thyme
1Tbs minced fresh sage
2 large eggs
3 c chicken stock
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
METHOD: Preheat oven to 350, toss bread cubes in vegetable oil. Spread cubes on a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper. Bake until crispy, 10 – 15 minutes. When finished, place cubes in a large mixing bowl, set aside. In a large skillet, brown sausage, add onions, celery, herbs, and collards over medium heat for ten minutes. Add this mixture to the bread cubes, along with the chicken stock. When cooled, add 2 beaten eggs. Mix well, place in buttered glass pan (13x9x2) baking dish. Cover, bake for 25 minutes. Uncover, bake until golden brown (about 20 minutes longer) SERVES 8 - 10
Recipe from Baker Dahna Labelle
APPLE CRANBERRY CRUMB PIE
1 universal pie crust
4 c sliced apples
1 1/2 c cranberries
1 1/2 c sugar
2 Tbs tapioca
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
CRUMB TOPPING:
1 c universal whole wheat crust
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbs butter
METHOD: Prepare pie crust. In a large mixing bowl, combine apples and cranberries with tapioca, 1 tsp of cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar. Pour this mixture into prepared pie crust. Dot with butter, then sprinkle the whole wheat crust mixture on top. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.
Recipe from Baker Ted Parrish
CHALLAH
1 c WARM water
1 1/2 Tbsp yeast
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1/4 c vegetable oil
1/4 c plus 1 1/2 tsp sugar
4 c bread flour
2 tsp salt
1/2 c egg wash
1/2 c poppy seeds
cornmeal
METHOD: In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the water. Add the egg, egg yolks, oil, sugar, flour and salt. Mix until the dough comes away from the side of the bowl.
Remove mixture from bowl to a floured work surface and knead. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky or too soft. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
Transfer to an oiled bowl, turn to coat the dough, then cover and let rise until tripled in size. Punch the dough back down, cut in half, cover and let rise for 15 more minutes.
Punch down again, then on a lightly floured surface, roll the pieces into two ropes. Cut each rope into 3 equal pieces and braid. Brush the braided loaves with egg wash, sprinkle with poppy seeds.
Place the two loaves on a baking tray that has been dusted with corn meal. Set aside in a warm area to rise till doubled in size.
Pre heat oven to 350. Bake for 35 minutes or until the highest part of the braided loaf is firm. Let cool on a wire rack.
YIELD: Makes two loaves.
Recipes from Chef/Baker Jenny Nundahl 
JENNY’S DUMPLINGS
1 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 Tbs shortening
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c milk
1 egg, beaten
METHOD: Combine dry ingredients in one mixing bowl.
Combine wet ingredients in another mixing bowl.
Gently fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
Drop by teaspoon into your favorite chicken or potato soup.
STUFFED BUTTERNUT SQUASH
1 lb butternut squash
1/2 lb firm tofu
1 c broccoli florets
2 c sliced button mushrooms
1 onion, medium dice
1/2 c bread crumbs
1/4 c cheddar cheese, grated
2 Tbsp parmesan cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp olive oil
METHOD: Cut the squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds. Place meat side down on a baking tray with ½ inch of water, cook at 350 for 45 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion. Cook until translucent, add mushrooms and broccoli. Saute’ until tender.
Scoop out cooked squash, combine in a mixing bowl with tofu, breadcrumbs, parmesan and veggie mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place this mixture back into squash rinds and cover with cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
This year at the VFC we’re super excited to be getting our first 
regular direct deliveries from Hoch Orchard of LaCrescent, MN. As a primarily wholesale orchard without an on-farm store or U-pick, Harry & Jackie Hoch sell most of their apples to food co-ops in the Twin Cities (although you can find them at farmers’ markets in La Crosse).
In the past we’ve been able to get some of their apples and cider through a cooperative distributor in St. Paul, MN but this year Hoch offered us a once a week direct delivery, giving us access to dozens more varieties of apples than we could get in the past.
I (Dani Lind) hadn’t ever been to Hoch Orchard, so this fall I invited myself (as the VFC produce buyer) out for a tour. Harry had my husband and I come out on a Saturday in mid-October when they were having some potential interns for next year visiting. He plied us with hospitality, good homemade wine, and gave us an extensive tour of his home, packing, washing, and cider facilities, and ridiculously gorgeous expanse of fruit farm and orchards.
A family run affair, Hoch Orchard lies on a ridge top about nine miles out of LaCrescent and encompasses 25 acres of apple orchards (over 8,000 trees and 50 varieties!), over 2 acres of raspberries and strawberries, 2 acres of wine grapes, and additional acreage in gardens, other fruit trees (including cherries, plums, apricots, and peaches) and fruit nurseries. Most of the orchard is newly certified organic through MOSA, with the rest in transition. They use a variety of cultural practices to produce beautiful fruit organically, including planting disease resistant varieties, introducing beneficial insects, pest traps, applying clay-based, sufur and neem oil sprays, bird houses, and soil management. They’ve also experimented over the years with running geese, ducks, & chickens through the orchards & berry patches to assist with weeding and pest control.
Harry and Jackie also produce an impressive amount of value-added products made on-farm from their own fruit. Their delicious fresh cider is filtered and run through an ultraviolet light “pasteurizer.” Some kind of pasteurization is necessary for selling cider retail - traditional pasteurization uses high heat to sanitize the cider, destroying nutrients, enzymes and fresh flavor in favor of safety and a longer shelf life. In contrast, the Hoch’s method kills any pathogens that may exist while keeping the cider cool, thus preserving the enzymes and flavor that people desire from fresh cider. They also produce fruit sauces, jellies, & preserves, partially sweetened with their own apple cider.
With so much going on at the orchard, Harry and Jackie employ up to 7 interns - many of them through international programs - and a couple of employees. Interns live, work, and eat on the farm with the family and help pick, wash, sort, and pack the fruit and make the value-added products (and wine!).
We hope you enjoy Hoch’s local apples, cider, and other products throughout this holiday season! I’ve always enjoyed their apples, but after seeing their operation I am truly impressed by their ingenuity, hard work, and dedication to their product!
Try one of their red apple varieties in the following elegant Apple Almond Torte recipe.
Apple Almond Torte
Crust:
1/2 c salted butter, softened
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c all-purpose unbleached flour
Filling:
8 oz. neufchatel/cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/2 tsp almond or vanilla extract
1/4 c sugar
Topping:
4 medium sized red apples, cored & sliced very thin (don’t peel)
1/3 c sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 c sliced or slivered almonds
Grease a 9” springform pan. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Process butter, sugar, & vanilla for crust in a food processor. Add flour & pulse a few times. Press into greased pan, forming a 1” lip on the sides. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove & cool while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Combine sliced apples, sugar, & cinnamon in a bowl, toss to coat, & set aside. Process filling ingredients to a smooth consistency. Pour filling into crust & carefully spread apple slices over it, overlapping in a spiral design. Reserve any remaining liquid in bottom of bowl.
Sprinkle almonds over the top. Bake for 10 minutes, pour reserved liquid over the top, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 15-20 minutes, until apples are softened & filling is firm. Cool before serving.
Written by dani lind, produce manager
Written by Zeba Due
Stevia pronounced (steevya) is a genus of about 240 species
of herbs and shrubs. The species Stevia rebaudiana commonly known as sweet
leaf, sugar leaf, or simply stevia is grown for its sweet leaves in subtropical
and tropical South America and Central America. As a sugar substitute, raw
stevia’s taste is slower when first ingested, but lingers, and can have a
bitter aftertaste at high concentrations. Stevia doesn’t raise blood sugar
levels and is safe for diabetics and hypoglycemia.¹
Stevia is an all-natural herbal product with centuries of
safe usage. It has been tested in dozens of studies around the world and found
to be completely non-toxic. The stevia leaves and herbal green powder are 10-15
times sweeter than table sugar. Refined white powder extracts are 200-300 times
sweeter than table sugar and should be used sparingly. Stevia has been
available as a dietary supplement in natural food stores for a long time;
however it has been slow to catch on partly because of a bitter licorice
aftertaste.
In December, 2008 the FDA approved stevia product
Rebaudioside-A as a general purpose sweetener. Coca-Cola and Pepsi want to
incorporate stevia into new products, however be aware that makers of new
sweeteners vary in their processing and purity of products. Some stevia
products contain added flavors, bulking agents, or fiber.²
In my experience every brand I buy is different. I bought
one brand that added fructose. Be sure to read the labels and in the case of
soda companies, call and ask about their processing. When using stevia begin
with a very small amount, a pinch to less than 1/8 teaspoon. The same rule
applies to the Sweet Leaf liquid stevia. I’ve used stevia in baking, and in
both hot and cold foods for several years. It has a distinct different taste
and if overused will leave a bitter aftertaste.
You can locate stevia in aisle 2 at theVFC. We handle Sweet
leaf liquid in a 2 fl. oz. bottle and the white powder in a 50 packet box, and
.9 oz or 4 oz shakers. We also offer the green herbal powder in our bulk
department at the back of the store above the bulk nut butters.
Carob Chip Cookies (unsweetened)
¼ cup spelt, rye, or oat flour
¾ cup brown rice flour
½ cup millet flour
2 Tbsp. Amaranth flour
¼ cup oat flakes
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup carob chips
pinch stevia powder
12-15 drops stevia liquid vanilla creme
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium egg white
1/2 cup water
Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium mixing bowl
stir together flours, salt, baking powder, walnuts, carob chips, and stevia. In
a separate bowl stir together extract, oil, egg, and water. Stir into dry
mixture. Drop by heaping tablespoon onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Lightly
moisten fingertips with water; flatten and shape into 12- 2” to 3” cookies. Bake
15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.
¹ Wikipedia,
the free encyclopedia. En.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia
² Excerpted from Stevia Rebaudiana: Nature’s
Sweet Secret, Vital Health Publishing by David Richard. www.stevia.com/SteviaArticle.asp?ID=2269.
Written by Zeba Due
There is an abundance of greens coming from the earth and
teaming up with more fresh vegetables to add to the Eat Local Challenge
opportunities here at the VFC.
Some are so new, specific nutritional information is scarce but
all dark leafy vegetables have similar nutritional properties. Dark leafy
vegetables are rich in iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium as well as
vitamins K, C, E, and many of the B vitamins. They provide phytonutrients
including beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which protect our cells from
damage and our eyes from age related problems. Dark 
greens even contain small
amounts omega 3.
Another not so familiar green food is the “Broccolo
Spigariello”. These scalloped
green leaves have a combination of broccoli, turnip, and kale flavors. These
petite greens are ideal as a salad mix, edible garnish, and also in soups or
casseroles.² They are here for a limited time only, so be sure to give them a try while they are available!
A very familiar green leafy vegetable is the Kale. A few of
the many nutritional qualities of kale are calcium, iron, magnesium,
phosphorous, potassium, sodium, zinc, Vitamins A,C, B6, K, thiamin, riboflavin,
niacin, pantothenic acid, folate, omega 3 and 6.³
Kale is also an excellent addition as a salad mix, edible
garnish, in soups and casseroles. Individuals like to sauté kale in hot oil
with a little tamari, salt, and pepper. Other people like it sautéed in butter
with fresh garlic, salt, and pepper. I have also been informed that it taste
great after pressure cooking for about 7-10 minutes. Blanching kale for about
3-5 minutes, straining, and freezing, preserves it for future use.
Sources
http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/lowcarbsuperfoods/a/greensnutrition.htm.
- www.specialtyproduce.com
- www.nutritiondata.com