Recipes and resources connect thoughtfully grown, gathered, and prepared ingredients to a healthy future—for food, farming, and humankind

In The Perennial Kitchen, James Beard Award–winning author Beth Dooley provides the context of food’s origins, along with delicious recipes, nutrition information, and tips for smart sourcing. More than a farm-to-table cookbook, this book expands the definition of “local food” to embrace regenerative agriculture, the method of growing small and large crops with ecological services.

The food regulatory landscape in Minnesota is complex, but there are pathways for farmers and other local food entrepreneurs to sell what they grow and make – and for local businesses and institutions to buy it. Learn how federal, state, and local laws and agencies interact in the realm of food licensing. Understand the basics of food regulation to ensure food safety. Gain insight on how to navigate the system and how to access help if you get stuck.

Most of Minnesota lies within the USDA hardiness zones 3 and 4, and gardeners often wish they could grow a larger variety of fruit. Cold winters kill or harm trees and branches, while short growing seasons prevent certain crops from properly maturing. In spite of these shortcomings, a surprising diversity of new and unusual crops can grow here.

These days, knowing where our food comes from and how it’s grown is more important than ever. Along with taste and nutrition, we want to be sure that it’s good for the land and wildlife, that it provides our farmers with a sustainable livelihood, and that good food is accessible to everyone. Such is the work of the Forever Green Initiative (FGI); a University of Minnesota and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service Program; which engages teams of experts in genomics, breeding, agronomics, soil health, and commercialization.

Jen Seehof
Minneapolis, MN
jenseehof @ gmail.com

Paul Conklin
Solway, MN 
martonklin @ alumni.duke.edu

Tim Wilson
Chaska, MN
trwilson @ umn.edu

University of Minnesota
omolo004@ umn.edu