Category: Local Focus
Women Powered! Harmony Valley Farm
Andrea Yoder Co-Owner of Harmony Valley Farm in Viroqua, Wisconsin As she sees it, Andrea Yoder’s background as a dietician and chef is a natural complement to her life as a farmer. “I’m still a chef,” says Yoder. “My job now is to nourish people by growing organic food, but I also try to help … Continued
Budget Shopping Tips
Co-op shopping is better for you, the environment, and local farmers, but we appreciate that keeping to your grocery budget is also important. We’re here to help with a list of tips to get the most out of budget shopping the co-op way. Be an owner First and foremost, to get the most of your … Continued
Superior Fresh Atlantic salmon receives non-GMO certification
Genetically-modified salmon will soon be hitting grocery store shelves after recent approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In response, Superior Fresh Farms — providers of organic greens and farmed Atlantic salmon sold at Lakewinds — has been certified non-GMO by A Greener World, a nonprofit organization that verifies that farms meet certain criteria … Continued
Top 10 Holiday Gift Ideas from the Co-op
Americans are expected to spend more than $725 billion on holiday-related purchases during the last two months of the year, according to the National Retail Federation. Just think of the good it could do if even a portion of that amount was spent on sustainable, local gifts, Fair Trade items, or environmentally friendly gifts. If … Continued
Bolton Bees Honey
Chiara and Travis Bolton have beehives throughout Minnesota, extracting and jarring location-specific honeys at their facility in Menahga, Minnesota. Their journey began in China, where Chiara learned the ropes working on a rural beekeeping project. When she returned to the U.S., she honed her new-found passion for beekeeping. Her husband soon joined her, learning … Continued
Local Spotlight: Coconut Whisk Baking
Myles Olson and Bella Lam both love to bake. But as busy students, they were short on time, and couldn’t find baking mixes that fit their dietary needs. That problem led to a partnership. They founded Coconut Whisk in 2018 to produce deliciously easy gluten-free, vegan, and allergen-friendly baking mixes. Interest grew quickly as their … Continued
Introducing Peterson Craftsman’s Limousin Beef
Our meat department is proudly introducing a new line of local, pasture-raised Limousin beef. Raised on the Peterson family farm near Osceola, Wisconsin, cattle are raised with a focus on animal welfare, heritage livestock breeding, and soil stewardship. “We’ve recognized that approaching agriculture holistically creates more life, healthier food, safer resources, and a future for … Continued
Farm to Food Bank
In 2018, Lakewinds and The Food Group, a local food bank, created a partnership we call “Farm to Food Bank.” This partnership is designed to fight local childhood hunger by providing kid-friendly organic produce to local food shelves that struggle to keep enough fresh produce on their shelves, and who serve a large population of … Continued
LOFF Update: Alternative Roots Farm
We spent the summer checking in with some of our 2018 Lakewinds Organic Field Fund grant recipients – touring their farms, learning about what they do and how they operate, seeing the projects LOFF helped fund, and hearing about how it will impact their livelihood. Alternative Roots Farm Madelia, Minnesota Drive through Mankato and keep heading … Continued