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Interested in tasty, local foods? Well then Mary Nosbush is your girl. Mary from Gary Breads, owned and baked fresh by Mary Nosbush of Gary, SD is now on Clear Lake’s Main Street. Mary bakes bread Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays at R Place Cafe. Her breads are used in many R Place Cafe menu items. Mary from Gary’s breads, jams, granola, and other products are also available for purchase in the cafe.
Beyond being delectably tasty and nutritious, Mary’s breads are extra special because the ingredients are locally sourced, making her bread a unique product.
“The thrust of my business is to be able to produce local food, using wheat and honey grown right here. I get the honey from Deuel County producers. I get the wheat from farmers at Milbank and Watertown and other grains from a supplier in Milbank.”
During opening week at R Place Cafe, I had the Chicken Panini on Mary’s Herb Bread. It was delicious. So if you’re interested in flavor and taste and are willing to sample something new, I’d suggest you give Mary’s products a try. I’m certain you’ll enjoy them.
Appealing to a niche market, Mary also plans to sell her products at farmers markets and other craft/vendor events where people may be shopping for unusual and locally produced goods. She anticipates that her products will have a broader regional appeal to people who are interested in local foods.
Be sure to check out Mary from Gary’s Breads great new website! (Designed with help by her talented daughters Jael and Abigail). Here you will find information about her start in bread making, a complete list of products, and locations where you can purchase a loaf (or jam, or cereals, or muffins, or sweet breads, or cookies, or pies)!
R Place on Main Street in Clear Lake will open Monday, October 12th! Come in for a bite and check out the new renovations. I just stopped in to talk to Roberta today, and it’s looking great!
The cafe will have fresh soups daily (soups, stews, chili), build your own burgers, a taco bar, and many other yummy options. Hours are 11am – 7pm. Daily specials will be developed around what the community likes.
It’s really exciting to have a new eating establishment in town. So please continue to support this and our other local restaurants!
The Lake Cochrane Farmers Market has been having a successful summer, but the leaves will soon begin to change and the summer will be no more. You still have a few weekends left to purchase the home grown goodies, but make sure you get them before it is too late!
This Saturday, a wide variety of products are being sold. They include:
- sweetcorn (yes, it is that time of year!!!)
- peppers
- green and yellow beans
- eggs
- cucumbers
- beets
- zucchini
- peas
- a variety of whole grain bread
- caramell rolls
- granola
- red potatoes
- carrots
- tomatoes
- apricot and chokecherry jam
I don’t know about you, but some of those items sound mighty tastey to me! Take a Saturday drive around the lake and stop by the Lake Cochrane Farmers Market! Once again it is located in an area of the Shady Beach parking lot and is open most of the morning. Get your goodies while the gettin’ is still good!
So…I’m sure many of you have heard rumors, and possibly seen some new activity on Clear Lake’s Main Street. And we’re here to confirm it is true! The former Lunch Box of Clear Lake is transition to become R Place Cafe & Catering. The restaurant will be opening soon, so stay posted for more details. In the meantime, go ahead and get yourself excited about a new yummy dining option on Clear Lake Main Street!
Here in South Dakota, we are known for our agricultural products. However, have we ever really taken advantage of our own home grown treasures in this great state? No. One of the major reasons for this may be that people in South Dakota don’t know where to find South Dakota products. Finally…a solution.
Dakota Rural Action has developed a South Dakota Local Foods Directory. The directory was created to encourage locals to purchase local foods and reduce the gap between consumers and farmers down to a minimum. The website is very impressive and has a broad spectrum of material. If you are searching for a product in your area, just click the “Find Local Food” tab. Also, if you just aren’t sure about what to do with all of those vegetables, click the “Recipes” tab! Recipes for new and interesting dishes are available at the click of a mouse!
The directory also shares some of the benefits to buying locally. Out of the list, a few mentioned are energy conservation, freshness & flavor, and food safety. Buying locally truly benefits everyone, and the website is very specific on the issue.
Wondering when to harvest your raspberries? Believe it or not, the South Dakota Local Foods Directory has all that information, too! From apples and asparagus to squash and sweetcorn, South Dakota harvest dates are listed for just about everything. When you get everything harvested, head back to the website and check out how to store your fresh produce.
For more information on local foods in South Dakota, contact:
Dakota Rural Action (605) 697-5204 or action@dakotarural.org
West River Field Office (605) 718-4957
Check out the South Dakota Local Foods Directory at www.sdlocalfoods.org.
~Post written by Angela Kjenstad
Has it always been your dream to be a farmer, but you just aren’t sure how to get started? Well, an amazing opportunity is now available to help those dreams come true! Farm Beginnings, a farmer-led training and support program, will be available in Brookings this year.
Brought to you by Dakota Rural Action, Farm Beginnings is a program with a curriculum developed by a Minnesota-based Land Stewardship Project over a decade ago. Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska, North Dakota, and New York are already taking advantage of the program, and now with the help of DRA, the curriculum has been adapted to fit the needs of South Dakota!
The Farm Beginnings curriculum expands far beyond the basic start-up steps to creating a new operation. Subjects covered by Farm Beginnings include:
Goal setting
Financial planning
Business plan creation
Alternative marketing
Innovative production techniques
All of the classes are taught by experienced, local farmers and agricultural professionals. If you are busy during the year, don’t worry. Farm Beginnings is not a time consuming project. From October 2009 to March 2012, classes are held twice a month in Brookings. On-farm education components are held from April to August, and participants may connect with other farmers for additional mentorship if desired.
If you are interested in this program and would like to learn more or fill out an application, contact:
Dakota Rural Action at (605) 697-5204 or heidiku@dakotarural.org.
The application deadline is August 31, 2009, so don’t wait! Class size is limited!
~Post written by Angela Kjenstad
When driving around the county, do you ever come across an elaborate garden and think to yourself, “Wow, I’d really love some of those potatoes and beans!” Well, now you have the chance to purchase products from your neighbors: the local farmers, gardeners, bakers, etc.
Saturday, June 27th, the GRAND OPENING of the Lake Cochrane Farmers Market is taking place. Vendors will be set up from 8-11 AM in the Shady Beach Parking Lot. Items of all kinds will be sold throughout the summer, but this Saturday a few of the highlights include fresh produce (greens, lettuces, spinach, etc.), breads, handwoven rugs, mug rugs, and much more!
The Farmers Market will be open every Saturday from 8-11am from now until the end of September! Each Saturday a few different products will be introduced to the market, but the traditional favorites should still be on hand and available to you.
Many of you out there may realize you have something to add to the market, and that can be taken care of very easily! There are only a few things you need to know first.
- The fee to become a vendor is $3 per market or $30 for the entire summer. If you are interested in becoming a Farmers Market vendor this summer, please contact Mary Nosbush at maryfromgary@itctel.com or dczoning@itctel.com.
- If you can’t make it a few Saturdays, you may send a representative in your place to sell your products. If this is the case, you will need to fill out a special form that you can get from Mary Nosbush.
Don’t live in regret knowing you went to Hy-Vee when fresh products were available only a few miles away.
Buy Fresh. Buy Local. Visit the Lake Cochrane Farmers Market!
~Post written by Angela Kjenstad
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