It’s easy to get cerebral and abstract about wine. But let’s remember one thing: it comes from grapes farmed in a vineyard—it is an agricultural product. And there is perhaps no better reminder of this than the actual grape harvest, which is taking place all over the Northern Hemisphere in these early-to-mid-autumn months. In the … [ Read more]
‘Every Tractor Has a Story’: Al Deiss is on a mission to restore heirloom tractors to their former glory
August 29, 2019 by
Every tractor has a story.” Al Deiss smiles a bit under his salt-and-pepper mustache and puts his hands in his pockets as he tries to find the words to describe the tractor culture he’s spent decades preserving. “Ask about someone’s tractor, and you’re going to learn more than you ever expected to,” he says. He … [ Read more]
5 Exceptional Minnesota Wines for the Harvest Season
August 29, 2019 by
September is harvest time for our local grape-growers and it’s an excellent month to head out to the vineyard. You might catch a glimpse of the harvest in progress, and some wineries even organize days for the public to help out. It’s hard work but a satisfying experience—being out amongst the vines on a breezy … [ Read more]
Artist Profile: The Natural and Vivid Watercolors of Xee Reiter
August 29, 2019 by
Xee Reiter’s backyard is bursting with life, with three gardens, a hen house, an in-progress worm farm, and a beehive. Some may think it looks chaotic, but to Reiter, who grew up with fresh produce from a garden and helped butcher the chickens her family raised, it looks like an organic canvas. “I grew up … [ Read more]
The Funkiest Man In The Room: Topos Ferments’ Jim Bovino on how to stay ahead of the mountain of produce overwhelming your kitchen
August 29, 2019 by
You didn’t mean for this to happen. Like that time you got sunburned during a long beach read, this incident snuck up on you—in this case, a couple of pounds of beautiful green bunches at a time. Now your kitchen counter is covered with more produce than you’ll ever be able to eat in the … [ Read more]
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Chris Qualley
August 29, 2019 by
Chris Qualley is mostly your normal type of guy. Grew up in Lakeville, now lives in Otsego. A wife, four kids, and a puggle named Dolly. A solutions manager at St. Cloud Financial Credit Union, which isn’t the sort of job title that begs explanation from the people he meets. Recently organized a funeral for … [ Read more]
Growing Hope: The HAFA Farm gives Hmong Minnesotans a long-term stake in agriculture
August 29, 2019 by
In Laos, as soon as the first rain falls in April, farmers rush to sow their seeds in the ground. The terrain is sometimes rocky and very hilly for these farmers who have worked the land for hundreds of years, growing crops to feed their families. On a 155-acre plot of land in Hastings, Minnesota, … [ Read more]
Keepsakes of a Season: The homegrown ciders of Nate Watters and Tracy Jonkman
August 28, 2018 by
See? Not every apple is created equal,” Nate Watters says before launching into a story about the “spitter” apples he just had me try. I quickly grasp his point—their flavor is horrible for eating, and I promptly and predictably eject from my mouth the small bite I’d taken, just as Nate knew I would. “The … [ Read more]
Artist Profile: Michael Slagle brings his bold aesthetic to ordinary life
August 28, 2018 by
Alot of lines.” This is the simple description Michael Slagle offers of his art, but the reality is much more complex. Delicate clouds and bright colors are interrupted by bold black lines, combining flatness and volume to alter the perspective from something recognizable to something more abstract. From bridges to flowers to farmlands, where most … [ Read more]
Celebrate the harvest at these 10 Minnesota wineries
September 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Across Minnesota, the nights are getting cooler, the days are getting shorter, and grapes are ripening on their vines as harvest season pushes summer out the door. All the hours spent tending to their vineyards come to fruition at harvest and beyond for Minnesota vintners, so it’s no wonder many of them mark this time of … [ Read more]
Poor hops harvest in 2015 has breweries worried
March 1, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Drought conditions in Europe and the U.S., and disease in the UK, led to a poor hops harvest in 2015 that has some brewers scrambling to source the ingredient, according to a report by CNBC. With the number of breweries exploding across the U.S. and Europe, the fight for quality hops is all ready intense and increasingly … [ Read more]
Napa Valley Concludes Earliest Harvest On Record
October 5, 2015 by Leave a Comment
The Napa Valley Grapegrowers released some info on the 2015 crop: The harvest is the earliest on record, with most growers set to finish sometime this week. This thanks to a scorching hot summer—one of the warmest seasons Napa has ever known. The volume of the crop is down, something like 10-20% below average. A … [ Read more]
Lift Bridge Brewing Celebrates 5 Year Anniversary
August 28, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The typical gift for the 5th anniversary is wood, but at Lift Bridge’s 5th Anniversary party on September 7 hops might be more appropriate. In conjunction with Hippity Hops Farm, Lift Bridge is celebrating the occasion with this year’s Pickin’ & Grinnin’ event. This anniversary is a major milestone for Lift Bridge which began in … [ Read more]
