Local Farmers & Chefs Featured at State Fair
Aug. 28 During 5th Annual Minnesota Cooks Event

CONTACT: Jill McLaughlin, Food Alliance Midwest, 651-209-3382

6/28/07
SAINT PAUL, Minn.—Farmers, chefs and consumers will come together for a day of fresh, sustainably-produced food during the 5th annual Minnesota Cooks event Tuesday, Aug. 28, at the Minnesota State Fair. The Minnesota Cooks program will take place in Carousel Park, just west of the Grandstand Ramp. During seven 45-minute shows taking place from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., top chefs from the Twin Cities and throughout Minnesota will demonstrate their talents and interact with emcee and host Andrew Zimmern. A local food critic and host of the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods, Zimmern will interview celebrity tasters and the local farmers who produce the ingredients.

The fare and presentations will vary in style, but the chefs participating in the 2007 Minnesota Cooks event will have one thing in common: they believe ardently in local foods. Participating chefs include Tracy Singleton of The Birchwood Café, Alex Roberts of Restaurant Alma, JD Fratzke of Muffuletta, Scott Pampuch of Corner Table, JP Samuelson of jP American Bistro, Mike Phillips of The Craftsman, Matt Annand of Prairie Bay, and many more.

“The State Fair is the place to show consumers how they are connected to their food,” said Minnesota Farmers Union President Doug Peterson. “They will hear farmers explain how the food is grown, and see it prepared in really creative ways.”

Available for distribution at the event will be the beautiful and informative Minnesota Cooks 16-month calendar, made possible with the production assistance of Renewing the Countryside. The calendar is packed with stunning photography, enticing recipes and stories of chef/farmer relationships.

“The demand for foods grown in environmentally and socially responsible ways has grown dramatically,” said Jim Ennis, Director of Food Alliance Midwest. “Restaurants, grocery stores, colleges, and hospitals are responding to these changes in the marketplace. This event and the new calendar highlight leading chefs and farmers who are bringing local, farm-fresh, healthy foods to their customers.”

This event is co-sponsored by Minnesota Farmers Union, Food Alliance Midwest and Renewing the Countryside. This year’s Minnesota Cooks program will receive support from AURI (Agricultural Utilization Research Institute), which assists in diversifying this event by making connections into greater Minnesota. One example is the addition of Southwest Minnesota State University Culinology students as chef assistants.

Minnesota Farmers Union (www.mfu.org) is a nonprofit membership-based organization working to protect and enhance the economic interests and quality of life of family farmers and ranchers, as well as rural communities.

Food Alliance Midwest (www.foodalliance.org) is a nonprofit, third-party certification program for environmentally friendly and socially responsible agricultural practices, and is dedicated to promoting the expanded use of sustainable farming systems in the Midwest. Food Alliance Midwest, a joint project of Cooperative Development Services and the Land Stewardship Project, is an affiliate of Food Alliance, based in Portland, Ore.

AURI (www.auri.org),created and supported by the Minnesota Legislature, is a unique and innovative nonprofit corporation working to enhance Minnesota’s economy through the development of new uses and new markets for the state’s agricultural products.

Renewing the Countryside (www.renewingthecountryside.org) is a nonprofit organization with the mission of providing inspiration, ideas and assistance to individuals and communities looking for sustainable ways to strengthen rural communities and reduce poverty.

-30-