organic food minnesota

Last night's Simple, Good, and Tasty local food event at Lucia's was truly amazing. Sure, there was the menu, created by Lucia Watson herself and perfectly executed in every way. And there was the great service, attentive and generous. There was the opportunity to meet and mingle with an astounding collection of people, just over 60 of us in total. There was the beautiful setting, the terrific organic wine, and the t-shirts that Lucia sent us all home with that said, "We know our Farmers better than we know our Doctors."  But what really made the night so especially fulfilling wasn't any of that.

It was the farmers.

I can't remember an event I've been as excited about as the one I'm co-hosting with Lucia Watson this Sunday, 10/11. The Twin Cities' first official "Know Your Farmer" event, fittingly held at Lucia's, is a chance to meet - and eat with - some of the best, most interesting farmers in our state. Even better, Lucia has designed a menu entrely from the foods these farmers have produced.

Are you a farmer who's considering going organic? From Minnesota's Land Stewardship Project:

There is a new federal source of funding for landowners who want technical and financial support as they convert their farms to organic production or add certain practices to their already-certified operations. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Organic Initiative has just been announced with a 3-week sign-up period that ends May 29, 2009. All applications must be turned in to your home county Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office by that date.