June 4, 2011, Saturday - Mill City Farmers Market

Time: 8:00am - 1:00pm

Location: 704 South 2nd Street

Today at Mill City Farmers Market:

3rd Annual Grazefest Minnesota with the Sustainable Farming Association

Grazefest is all about grazing and pasture-raised foods that result in healthy animals and healthy people. In addition to the health benefits of pasture-raised foods, there are also the positive environmental impacts of grazing, the economic benefits of local foods, and the improved living and working conditions for farmers and rural communities. Pastured foods produced in Minnesota include grassfed beef and lamb, pastured pork, and dairy products from sheep, goats and cattle, including some award winning artisan cheeses.

The Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota hosts:
* Local author, Catherine Friend, who will do a signing of her new book, “Sheepish: Two Women, Fifty Sheep & Enough Wool to Save the Planet”.
* Grass-based farmers to answer your questions about pasture products – everything from chicken to beef to cheese – and the environmental benefits of this natural system of raising livestock.
* And, a wealth of information on local foods and family farms, as well as future events, like Festival of Farms, the “on-farm” GrazeFest events, and MN Garlic Festival.

Mill City Cooks, 10:00am – Noon

 Join Market Chef and hostess-for-the-day, Heather Hartman for a cooking demo series featuring guest chefs paired with local pasture-based farmers. Guests include:
- Chefs Mary Jane Miller, Joe Hatch-Surisook of Sen Yai Sen Lek
- Jason Blair of the  Red Stag Supper Club

They will be preparing products raised by Larry Donner at MN Valley Organics (Belview, MN), Shannon Malzahn of the pasture-based pork farm, Sweet M’s Farm (Osage, MN) and Sylvia & Dave Toftness of the holistic beef farm, Bull Brook Keep (Amery, WI). Have a seat in the Market Cafe, learn from the farmers “why grassfed?” and how to best prepare it from the chefs!

Pasture-based Farmer’s at MCFM:
■Singing Hills Goat Dairy
■Prairie Hollow Farm
■MN Valley Organics
■Shepherd’s Way Farms
■Real Foods
■Braucher’s Sunshine Harvest Farm
■Wild Idea Buffalo

Mini Farm, all day: Come visit the animals on their urban adventure from Gale Woods Farm and the Three Rivers Park District

Live Music, 11:00am – 1:00pm: Light of the Moon Band

Art Market, All Day: Featuring Hmong ABC, Matthew Krousey, Spring Finn & Co., and Jim Benson