Filed under: Organic dairy
Edible Twin Cities announces their 2010 Local Heroes – PastureLand Cooperative is proud to be Best Food Artisan!
Best part about this is the other winners are all folks we work with throughout the year. Congrats to Riverbend Farm, the Craftsman Restaurant, Morgan Creek Vineyards and Land Stewardship Project!
Best Farm/Farmer
Riverbend Farm • Greg and Mary Reynolds
Best Restaurant/Chef
Craftsman • Mike Phillips
Best Food Artisan
PastureLand Cooperative
Best Beverage Artisan
Morgan Creek Vineyards
Best Non-Profit Organization
Land Stewardship Project
Filed under: Organic dairy
Our favorite local food blog Heavy Table talks about the new cheeses from our co-op friends at Rochdale Farms. The blue cheese they mention near the end of the article – it’s made from PastureLand milk, and it is heavenly – a really lovely raw milk grass-fed blue cheese. Let us know if you get a chance to try some.
Filed under: Organic dairy
We are of course, interested, to see any study examining costs and production on organic farms. Till now, researchers haven’t really asked enough of the right questions to really compare organic production to conventional. We know it’s better, but having a gut feeling isn’t enough!
New USDA Data Offers In-Depth Look at Organic Farming
The nation’s organic farms and ranches have higher average sales and higher average production expenses than U.S. farms overall, according to results of the 2008 Organic Production Survey released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
“This was USDA’s first wide-scale survey of organic producers, and it was undertaken in direct response to the growing interest in organics among consumers, farmers, businesses, policymakers and others,” said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. “The information being released today will be an important building block for future program and policy development.”
Go here for the full story.
Filed under: Organic dairy
Check out our new recipe collection, Gourmet Recipes From Pastureland, featured on the PastureLand homepage. Chef Bret Bannon rolls out a recipe specially developed for PastureLand every month.
This month’s creation is Saturday Morning Breakfast Crepes, perfect for wintry weekend mornings with a crowd to feed.
Inspiration – new ways to use butter and cheese. Compound butters with fresh herbs, savory Mac and Cheese, Grandmother’s Poundcake. Check back for new recipes every month!
Let us know how you like the recipes, and send in pics of your own creations. We’d love to see what you’ve been up to!
Filed under: Organic dairy
The new pasture rules are set to be released in late-January or early February 2010, and may have a major impact on how dairy producers can describe their grazing practices.
We do not anticipate any challenges for us since we have always been 100% grass-fed. It may be hard for larger producers to meet the new standards, though. As Ed says in the interview, farmers with large operations may find they need to reduce the number of cows they graze, or may have to buy new certified organic land nearby so they can increase their organic grazing acreage.
Filed under: Organic dairy
Corner Table Potatoes Poached in PastureLand Butter, originally uploaded by PastureLand Cooperative. Photo by Kris Hase.
We had some terrific meals in 2009, but the topper was New Year’s Eve at Scott Pampuch’s Corner Table Restaurant. The final Tour de Farm meal of the year was an incredible meal in a heated tent on 43rd Street outside the restaurant. Truly one of the best meals we’ve ever had, and an incredible way to end the year.
Filed under: Organic dairy
PastureLand Winter Breakfast Crepes, originally uploaded by PastureLand Cooperative.
New recipe at PastureLand – perfect for a crowd on a cold weekend morning! Lots and lots of butter… 
Filed under: Organic dairy
We have a new order page
at Pastureland! See the story here.
As we say in the story, if you’ve ever tried to order but wanted to see what your shipping cost would be upfront, or didn’t want to have to send a check, this will be a welcome change.
Check it out, we’d love to see you there!
Filed under: Organic dairy
Say good morning to Dutchess, 12 weeks old, a Blue Heeler/Border Collie mix. Didn’t you always want a new puppy for Christmas?!
We have to say a sad goodbye to Wylie, the Benrud’s Blue Heeler. Wylie was the first friend I made at the Benrud’s farm. She was an enthusiastic greeter, every visitor got a lick and a sniff, even if Wylie had been tangling with a skunk earlier (which is how I got greeted). The gentle aroma of skunk and dog followed me all day, around the farm and back to the city, a humorous reminder of the new friend I’d made. Wylie was hit by a car on the road to Thoten a few mornings ago. We hope she was chasing something good, and that she’s up in cow dog heaven now, herding her heart out. We’ll miss you, Wylie.
