Wearing red, white and blue buttons proclaiming "I met a Farmer today," about 180 farmers and lake people recently celebrated the Fall Harvest Dinner under a white tent on the green grass outside of the Nisswa Community Center.
The noticeable lapel button of "I met a farmer today!" identified one of the goals of the night - to give lakeshore owners a chance to better understand where our food comes from.
Farmers and lake property owners mingled, chatted and learned from each other at a old-time harvest dinner complete with bluegrass and country tunes from a fiddle, harmonica and mandolin band.
Chairman Ron Meyer of the Pine River Watershed Alliance (PRWA), one of the harvest dinner sponsors, said Mike Sams of the Cass County Farm Bureau had raised the Harvest Dinner idea at a meeting of the Crow Wing River Basin Forage Council.
"The concept was simple: Cass County and Crow Wing County farmers would supply the food, Prairie Bay Chef Matt Annand and his catering team would prepare it and the area lake associations and coalitions of lake associations would sell tickets," Meyer said.
When making welcoming comments before participants headed for the harvest food line, Sams, Cass County Farm Bureau vice president, told the group, "All of the food that you are about to eat here tonight was raised and grown in Cass or Crow Wing counties, except the pasta."
Following the dinner, Professor John Moncrief, University of Minnesota Department of Soil, Water and Climate, presented a review of the Bungo Watershed Water Testing Project that is being conducted by the PRWA.
His presentation point that surprised most people is that the normal total phosphorus concentrations for streams in this area (Northern Lakes and Forests eco-region) is 20 to 50 parts per billion (ppb), while Bungo has concentrations from 30 to more than 200 ppb at times.
Volunteers from the FFA helped with setting up the site, assisted in greeting the attendees, serving refreshments and cleared the tables.
The harvest dinner concept was expanded to include a Farmers Market where about 10 local growers set up tents to display and sell vegetables, herbs, organic foods, flowers and many other wholesome foods.
Music was provided by Hans Blix and the Weapons Inspectors.
An alliance official said the organization is interested in more people getting involved or attending its monthly meetings. Interested persons may contact Meyer at prwatershed@crosslake.net or call him at voicemail: (218) 692-1020 for more information.
