Healthy foods = healthy lives

Lake Country is dotted with farms where you can pick your produce right in the field, and farmers’ markets, where they pick it for you. Either way, the shorter the distance between tiller and table, the fresher—and healthier—your food will be.

Local foods, local plants, local fun!
That’s the tagline on the Minnesota Grown website. The program is a partnership between the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the people who raise specialty crops and livestock. Minnesota Grown was started more than twenty years ago, and today represents individuals, associations, and organizations that share the vision of increased market opportunities for local food products.

Find the “Buy Local” opportunities nearest you by visiting the Minnesota Grown home page and typing in your zip code. You can also sign up to receive a free directory and/or a free monthly e-newsletter.

Another statewide group that’s dedicated itself to the support and promotion of local foods initiatives is the University of Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships. A visit to their website can put you in touch with hundreds of local foods producers, processors, and markets.

In Lake Country, you have many opportunities to minimize the distance between the farm and your table. Buy local to keep your food dollars in your own community—and buy fresh to keep the nutrients in your foods where they belong.

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