 MINCED 2019 Competitors: Mateo Mackbee, Thomas Kavanaugh, Jenna Brower Von Siebolds LITTLE FALLS, Minn. – July 1, 2019 – Sprout’s Third Annual Summer Harvest Dinner celebrates the tastes of local food growing this season and creates a platform where expert chefs showcase their gourmet cooking. Three of the five chefs featured at this year’s dinner competed at Sprout’s cooking contest, MINCED: The Finer Version of Chopped. At the Summer Harvest Dinner, the competition will be set aside so that local food can be the star of the show. The five-course meal will be held on Friday, July 26 at Sprout (609 13th Ave NE, Door 8, Little Falls, MN 56345). Each course is prepared by a different chef and features a local food producer who is invited to attend the dinner and speak on behalf of their growing operation.  Tomas Zimmerman of A.T. The Black & White Restaurant  Ron Lyschik of Zoomski's Midtown Cafe, Tomas Zimmerman of A.T. The Black & White Restaurant The Summer Harvest Dinner event begins at 5:00 p.m. with cocktails, followed by a five-course meal of two appetizers, two entrees, and dessert. Each of the courses is paired with wine, selected by sommelier Scott Lindman of Paustis Wine Company. Lindman is also the host of the evening, entertaining the audience with his take on wine tasting education. The ingredients for the meal are sourced through Sprout’s Food Hub operation which works with a network of local growers to supply fresh local produce to schools, hospitals, co-ops, and restaurants. Local growers who supply their product for the Summer Harvest Dinner are invited to the dinner to enjoy the fruits of their labor and share stories of their work with their neighbors, how and why they produce their meat, produce, grains, and other products.
The expert chefs preparing the menu include all three competitors of the intense culinary cook-off, MINCED, that occurred just two months ago in May. The winner of the 2019 MINCED Master Chef title, Mateo Mackbee of Model Citizen the Restaurant (New London, Minn.) will be preparing an Entree for the Summer Harvest Dinner, while MINCED competitor Chef Thomas Kavanaugh, mentor to the Pillager High School ProStart Program will be preparing a dessert. Chef Jenna Brower Von Siebolds of Prairie Bay Grill (Baxter, Minn) who won the 2019 MINCED People’s Choice award says, “I can’t wait to be in the kitchen with Mateo and Thomas again, especially now that we don’t have to compete.” Chef Jenna will be preparing one of the two appetizers of the meal. “I’m planning on doing a new take on tapas, with six different appetizer bites on one plate,” she says. Two chefs from Little Falls, Minn. will also be preparing a course at the 2019 Summer Harvest Dinner. Ron Lyschik of Zoomski's Midtown Cafe and Tomas Zimmerman of A.T. The Black & White Restaurant participated in the previous year’s dinner and will showcase new local producers in their course this year. The community is invited to attend the meal by reserving tickets which are $60 per person and available online through www.sproutmn.com/harvestdinner. There is a limited number of tickets available and tickets must be reserved in advance. This event is sponsored by Region Five Development Commission, ArtPlaceAmerica, and Prairie Bay Grill. BACKGROUND The Summer Harvest Dinner is supported by a grant awarded to Region Five Development Commission by ArtPlace America’s National Creative Placemaking Fund. The ArtPlace funds are providing Sprout and partners the support needed to host an expansion of economic opportunities, social and cultural experiences, and learning for local growers, artists, makers, producers, chefs, and the public. Sprout and partners will also build out the Marketplace's physical space over the next three years using commissioned functional art from local artists, with priority granted to Latino, East African, Native American, Amish, grower, and youth communities. The community is invited to shop the Sprout Growers & Makers Marketplace vendors selling local food and art on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on October 26, November 16, and December 14. In the months of July, August, and September, Sprout hosts cooking classes, fundraising events, and educational opportunities for growers, makers, and artists. Interested growers, artists, chefs, community members, and educators who want to learn more, visit www.SproutMN.com and follow Sprout MN on Facebook.
0 Comments
À la cARTe Initiative: Putting food and art on the menu through artist-led interactive activities on the road.
Sprout MN is facilitating a cohort of artists to enhance the Mobile Market shopping experience, as well as various community events, using portable artist studios. These portable studios or art carts will be used to engage the community through art and food, with an end goal of lasting healthy behavior changes that support physical and mental wellbeing. The geographic territory of this project are the five Central Minnesota counties of Crow Wing, Cass, Morrison, Todd and Wadena. The four (4) artists engaged in this project are from Brainerd, Staples, Little Falls, and Otsego. Request for Proposals – Scope of Work Expectations of time and deliverables: The overall objective is to capture the story of the creation and implementation of each of the four artists’ carts through high resolution imagery and video. The majority of photography and videography will take place at the artist’s residence / art cart build sites and community events. The project assumes 17 hours of travel within the three-month project period in order to capture on location. 1. Photography - Capture 5 high resolution images per artist during the creation phase. Capture 5 high resolution images per artist during the implementation phase. Photos should be edited and “publish ready” upon final submission to Sprout. 2. Video - Capture and edit video footage into the following deliverables:
Project Budget: Total budget is $5,000. The videographer / photographer can determine how the funds are used to support the deliverables of the project in consultation with Sprout MN. It is estimated that no more than $1,210 would be used to reimburse the videographer / photographer for travel time and mileage, leaving $3,790 to compensate the videographer / photographer for the actual capturing of video / photo and editing. Application Instructions
You will receive a confirmation email within 24 hours of sending your application. If you do not receive a confirmation email after 24 hours of submission, please contact Natalie Keane, natalie@sproutmn.com, 712-899-2268. Announcement of selected videographer will be made by June 20th, 2019. Eligibility Applicants must be 18 years of age or older, residing in Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd, or Wadena counties or within a 100-mile radius of Sprout MN in Little Falls. Selection Criteria
Questions? Natalie Keane, natalie@sproutmn.com, 712-899-2268 About Sprout and the Mobile Market Sprout’s mission is to promote the health, economy and self-reliance of Central Minnesota by facilitating the availability of fresh, locally produced food in the region. The Sprout Mobile Market is a new pilot project that seeks: (1) to increase food accessibility and affordability, creating new retail food access points, and; (2) to integrate local foods, art and culture that bridges cultural gaps, provides significant economic opportunities for growers and artists and support community engagement opportunities. Visit www.sproutmn.com and www.facebook.com/SproutMN8 to learn more about Sprout MN.
Video by Dying to Film. Recipes by Jenna Brower Von Siebolds.
Chef Jenna from Prairie Bay Grill prepares a special menu to show how tomatoes can be used in a variety of cultural dishes. What's on the menu? Click each dish below to get the recipe!
PICKLED TOMATOES - RUSSIAN PEBRE CON YUZU HALIBUT - CHILEAN CAPRESE SALAD - ITALIAN SHAKSHOUKA - NORTH AFRICAN When we share a meal together, we share our stories. Who's at your table? Share your story with us here! Sponsored by Region Five Development Commission and ArtPlaceAmerica. PICKLED TOMATOES - RUSSIAN
PEBRE - CHILEAN
CAPRESE SALAD - ITALIAN
SHAKSHOUKA - NORTH AFRICAN
 We're calling all regional artists to create the graphic design that will wrap around the Sprout Mobile Market vehicle. The goal of the design is to beautify the vehicle and make it stand out on its pop-up grocery stops so shoppers get excited about local food and art. The Sprout Mobile Market Graphic Design Contest launched March 1, 2019 and ends at 11:59pm on March 31, 2019 (the “contest period”). All eligible submissions must be received or posted by no later than 11:59pm CDT on March 31, 2019 in order to be considered for the contest. The contest is open to all residents of Cass, Crow Wing, Morrison, Todd and Wadena counties, and residents within 100 miles of Little Falls. The selected artist wins a $1,000 prize: $800 Cash + $200 Marketplace Bucks + Your Design on the Mobile Market. Eligible individuals may enter the contest by creating a design for Sprout’s new Mobile Market vehicle in digital format and posting it on the individual’s Facebook or Instagram pages. Entries must be “public” and must include hashtags #SproutMobileMarket, #SproutDesign, so we can find it when reviewing submissions. View the Official Rules, Requirements, and Restrictions on Submissions. View the vehicle specs here. Stay posted on our Facebook page for contest updates and to vote on the submissions. 
Leech Lake Early Childhood has been making many strides to revitalize language and indigenous foods. Ryan White Photography & Design, a Leech Lake local company, captures these budding initiatives in a powerful and artistic manner to show the strength within the Leech Lake communities. Using a combined skill set White beautifully weaves together the many parts of this cultural and community revitalization movement.
For more information about Ryan White Photography & Design or the Leech Lake Early Childhood please see the following links: facebook.com/RyanWhitesPhotographyDesign llboearlychildhood.com/headstart Miigwech. Leech Lake Early Childhood Development: Aabinoojii Oshkii Bimadiziiwin Center (AOB)
The creative commissioned projects showcased in the video engaged five local artists:
Sharon Nordrum: Sharon is an experienced artist that started painting in 2012. Her inspiration comes from her dreams, her Ojibwe heritage, language, and stories and the natural world. Her work is filled with traditional Ojibwe symbolism. She is active in the communities of northern Minnesota and they range from art projects, youth work and radio shows. She has been a member of the Indigenous Foods Experts’ committee which keyed the foods highlight in AOB’s Farm to Early Care initiative and has been a key piece to its success in the classroom and in the kitchen. For this project, she created the traditional floral designs with needle felt work and taught of how we use our surroundings in our art and how they connect to tell a story. Lolly Aguilar: Lolly is an experienced artist and has offered various classes with women teaching them different techniques and teachings that go along with her art as well as teaching involving the Three Sisters. She is a lover of mandaamin (corn) and reaches beyond central Minnesota to become known as “the corn lady” in the tribal communities of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. She has been gifted many beautiful corn seeds, teachings and stories from all across Turtle Island and Mexico. One of the teachings she highlighted during this project is how to make the traditional corn husk dolls and the teachings of mandaamin and the Three Sisters. She created a beautiful corn husk doll that is now displayed at Sprout. Wesley Mays: Wesley is an experienced artist whose art gained popularity in 2011 and later evolved into authentic Native American Wearable Art. He views his art as a positive image for ourselves and has provided a positive influence and a positive example with the words and images he shares with everyone he comes into contact with. His art and his businesses help him raise American Indian people up, increase self-esteem, and increase pride in one self. Wesley created a collaborative canvased painting with some of the youth and families that are part of the Leech Lake Early Childhood program. This provided a more modern take on indigenous paintings and highlighted the importance of those teachings and the impact of community. Ryan White: Ryan is an experienced artist with 5 years of professional photography. He currently works with the Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC) as their Multimedia & Marketing Specialist and also does professional photography outside the LLTC and at several community events. He has captured amazing photos from different cultural events and the community of Leech Lake as a whole. He documented the various teachings through photographs and video and compiled them to create the video above. This highlights the intergenerational transfer of knowledge and skills in Indigenous culture as a whole and the methods and the meanings of their stories told through their art. David Northbird: Dave is currently the Director of Operations of the Boys and Girls Club of the Leech Lake Area. Dave is a life long learner of Anishinaabe song and dance culture. Dave has instructed drum teachings in the Leech Lake area for 20 years in the Cass Lake-Bena School District, Boys and Girls Club, and Leech Lake Tribal College. Drum making is an important part of a singers development so learning how to construct ones owe drum provides a high level of respect for his/her drum. This project was facilitated by Claire Chase, Leech Lake Area SNAP-Ed Coordinator. By Faith, Owner of Made By Faith My name is Faith, you may know me from past Sprout Markets. When I first started Made By Faith I didn’t think it would go anywhere. Sprout has made it a dream come true I wouldn’t be where I am now without them. I’ve met amazing people who’ve taught me so much and tried new things. To all kids out there that are creative and talented you don’t have to be an adult to be successful. So to anyone who wants to try something new and fun come to Sprout Market. Faith chats with Sprout after winning "Best Vendor Booth" at the 2017 Vendor Awards.
 Uncle Wheat & Eddie, a musical duo made up of Brad Wallace on cajón and Ed Koehler on guitar, performed at the Sprout Growers & Makers Marketplace on January 26th, 2019. While Brad “Uncle Wheat” Wallace grew up in Indiana, early connections to Minnesota pulled him and his wife to move to Cross Lake in 1977. “My wife vacationed in Longville as a kid and my family spent summers in Cross Lake,” Brad said. “We started dating in high school, got married in 1976, and knew we wanted to live here in Minnesota. We thought, if we were ever going to do it, we should do it right now.” Brad’s bandmate, Ed “Eddie” Koehler, also has roots in Minnesota, growing up in Hibbing and then teaching in Brainerd. Ed continues to teach on Thursday evenings to guitar students at Bridge of Harmony. "It would be hard to find a better guitar player than Ed Koehler, and it is just a pleasure to sing with him,” said Brad, whose stage name is “Uncle Wheat.” Uncle Wheat was a term lovingly given to him by his nieces and nephews. “My sister-in-law is from Chicago and she has a pretty strong accent. She says ‘Brad’ and my nieces and nephews tease her asking, ‘What kind of bread is he?’ And so, I became Uncle Wheat.” Brad and Ed have been playing together for 20 years, but only as a duo in recent years. “We've been friends for 20 years and were both in different bands over the last few years. Both of those bands broke up, so we got together as a duo,” said Brad. While both Brad and Eddie played in large bands of six to nine members, Brad says it became more difficult to find venues for the larger bands. “The band I was in, Decade Seven, had nine members and we really filled out the sound for music by Blood, Sweat & Tears as well as Chicago and Steely Dan. There was a lot of pride in that band because we played a lot of songs that other bands couldn't do. We used to say we played ‘Everything from Chevy Van to Steely Dan,’ and we did that for about eight years. Venues have become more reluctant to take a chance on hiring a bigger band. ” said Brad. Both Ed and Brad played in a six member band called SKATYRS (Still Kids After All These Years), which played music from the 50's, 60's, and 70's. As Brad says, “It was during a time when there were more events happening and people would hire bands for private parties. That band was around for about 15 years.” Brad says he hopes the region gets back to hiring larger bands, and that summer musical festivals in Pequot Lakes and Cross Lake have demonstrated the regional demand for more performance opportunities. Finding more consistent, year-round opportunities is an important factor to being able to keep a larger band together. “Our band Decade Seven practiced a lot, every week. When you have only six to eight opportunities to perform a year, it can be hard to sustain.” When Brad and Ed decided to play as a duo, they knew they would have many more opportunities to perform. “We went into the duo knowing that we could, if we wanted to, play every weekend in the summertime. But, I do still miss that big band sound.” Uncle Wheat and Eddie play a mix of tunes from 60's rock to Summertime by Ella Fitzgerald. New breweries and summertime venues in the region are great places for smaller musical acts. It’s clear when watching Uncle Wheat & Eddie that they are having a blast performing. “We just loved the opportunity to play at Sprout because it was something new to us, and helped give us an opportunity to play in the wintertime to stay sharp.”
Follow Uncle Wheat & Eddie on Facebook for upcoming performances. |
Your WordsHelp us collect our region's stories. Our Stories
July 2019
Categories |
||
RSS Feed