Juli Montgomery and Mike Noreen of Burning River Farm, on a busy Saturday morning earlier this summer at the Mill City Farmers Market.

The other night I caught up with Burning River Farm’s Mike Noreen for a few minutes over the telephone. For Farm Report newcomers, Mike is the farmer who supplies my CSA share. He also sells every Saturday morning at the Mill City Farmers Market.

This is Burning River Farm’s third year. In 2006 Mike sold the farm’s output at the Mill City Farmers Market. In 2007 he added a CSA component. Last fall he moved his operation from Osceola, Wis. in the St. Croix River valley, where he was renting land at Foxtail Farm, and bought a farm in Frederic, Wis., which is about 30 miles northeast of Osceola. The farm follows sustainable, organic practices but is not certified organic; the farm carries the Certified Naturally Grown label. Here’s our conversation.

Q: How did you get started in farming?
A: I guess the short answer is that it was a progression of different things. I traveled around and volunteered on different farms. I ended up working for Paul and Chris [Burkhouse] at Foxtail for a year. Then I didn’t farm for a year and a half. I decided I’d try to give the city once last chance, and I worked in a cafe. Eventually I decided to do work that I really wanted to be doing, so I went back to Paul and Chris with a more serious intent, to try and find a way of living that seemed to fit. I worked at Foxtail for three years. The last year that I was there I started Burning River. We worked out an agreement where I worked for them for three days out of the week, then used the rest of the time to work on my own thing. As a part of their mission statement they work to get other people farming. Since I was there, other people have had a similar agreement with Paul and Chris, and that is really cool to see.

Q: What does it mean to be a volunteer?
A: It’s different for different farms. There was a place in Arizona that I stayed at, a permaculture place in the desert, where they provided food, and a tent, and I worked for them. It was a lax environment because you weren’t getting paid. I volunteered at a blueberry farm in Gainesville, Florida, where I stayed in a tent by a lake and got my feet wet, working four hours a day. You don’t get paid, but you get experience. It’s an inexpensive way to travel, you have a place to stay when you can’t afford a hotel. You’re working outside, it’s a good experience. With people here, it feels really good on all sides. They’re happy to do the work, and I’m happy to have the help. I just try to make sure that they’re well-fed. I don’t have a program; people just approach me and I say, ‘Yeah, that sounds great.’

Q: How different is the CSA model versus the farmers-market model, from the farmer’s perspective?
A: I started out with the market, and I feel like that’s the best way to start out. With the CSA, it’s expected that you’ll have things every week. It’s already been paid for, so the pressure is on. At the farmers market that first year it was great, I could just bring what I had. Of course you want a good presentation, but if you didn’t have something for a week, it wasn’t a big deal, it’s not like someone had put their money down. Sometimes I feel like I should have done just the farmers market for a longer period of time, but the CSA has other advantages. It comes down to a question of where am I putting my energy? Am I putting it into the farm, making it a good place for people to work, making it a good place for people to get their food from? Or do I put all my energy into marketing, trying to sell every week? Some people love that work, they love the sales side of it, but I’m not very good at it. [Laughs]. As far as wholesale goes, I’ve never done a lot of it. I’m not the greatest at getting on the horn and tracking people down, and all that footwork; I’d have to get someone to do that for me. I’d rather be out on the tactor, doing actual farm work, that’s why the CSA is nice.

Q: You bought your current farm last fall. How is your first growing season working out?
A: It’s been rather overwhelming. There are more things that need to happen that I haven’t made the time for. Next year I should be able to do more. This year I did more than last year. That’s the evolution. I won’t lie, it’s been a pretty overwhelming experience. [Owning] is a different world. I’ve always rented, or traveled. It wasn’t until I came back to Paul and Chris and said that I needed to be farming that I really decided to stick it out in the Midwest and put down some roots. It’s nice to put your energy into something. I’ve talked to farmers who have quote-unquote made it, and they say that you have to jump and take big risks, you have to invest. That’s a huge part of it, getting a farm that’s up and running and functioning and has systems, and that’s difficult to do. Especially this kind of farming, because you go to an agricultural lender and you can’t tell them how many bushels of soybeans or corn you harvested last year.

Q: How many people are working on the farm?
A: Three full-time this summer, and if anyone out there is thinking of starting a farm, that’s not enough. [laughs].

Q: Is labor the biggest issue at the farm?
A: It is, on two counts. First, I don’t have the money to hire any more people than that, and I don’t have the space to house a lot of people here. And there aren’t a lot of people who are willing to do this work day in and day out. It’s hard to find people who are willing and excited to do the work, I don’t have a bunch of people banging down the door. I’ve been pretty blessed with who has been here this year. We spend so much time around each other, and working out in the field. I can’t hire the number of people that it really takes, or pay them what they’re worth. We’ve gotten by with a lot of great help outside the farm, people wanting to help out, putting in a day here and a day there. That’s made all the difference in the world.

Q: How have gas prices effected the farm? How far away is Frederic from Minneapolis?
A: It’s about 70 miles. Every time I drive the route it’s probably costing $75 in gas, plus the trips to the market. I’m sure I’m spending $500 a month on gas, which is a little insane. I certainly didn’t plan on that. [laughs]. It’s bringing the cost of everything else up. I was joking with another farmer earlier in the year, saying that our CSA customers are getting their food at 2007 prices. Now I’m looking at winter and thinking, oh dang, I’ve got to heat this house. [Rising gas prices] does affect things, but on the flip side I also feel that I’ve been doing things more efficiently this year than last year. I’m doing 160 [CSA] members instead of 57, but the delivery route has stayed nearly the same, so I’m delivering about three times as much food with the same amount of gas.

Q: What kind of feedback are you getting from your CSA members?
A: It’s been really excellent, which feels good because I freak out so much, because of course you want people to come back year after year, you want people to really enjoy their food. There’s nothing worse than people not eating what they’re getting. So far everyone this year has been really happy, and you can’t ask for anything more than that. That definitely helps me, knowing that people appreciate it, that makes it a little easier to keep at it. There’s a reason that no one does this [laughs]. But I like the work.

John Sietz and Julie Aponte are the farmers of Uptown Farmers.

At least someone is benefitting from the nation’s housing industry meltdown. Meet John Sietz and Julie Aponte. They’re exceptionally good-looking produce is all farmed in a little hamlet called Minneapolis, perhaps you’ve heard of it?

They’re not kidding when they play the “local card” because their farm is about three miles from the Mill City Farmers Market.

The first-year farmers are raising more than 50 varieties of vegetables in three south Minneapolis plots. One is a community garden on Clinton Av. S. near the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The other two are on the 2500 block of Aldrich Av. S.; one is an empty lot, the other is Aponte’s back yard.

“We didn’t lose our empty lot to a condo, so that’s good,” said Sietz.

They may be first-time farmers but they’re both long-time gardeners. This summer marks their first foray into commercial gardening. “We’ve been wanting to do this for a while,” said Sietz. “It was just an issue of finding the land. We’re both really interested in urban gardens. Cuba runs off of them, and they’re very big all over Europe. There’s so much space in the metro area that isn’t being used. And the carbon footprint is almost zero, because we’re so close to the market.”

It’s been an exhausting summer; both work full-time jobs at the Wedge Co-op. “It’s been a good experience, but it’s also been a lot of work,” said Sietz. “A lot,” said Aponte, underlining it with a laugh.

What I like about their stand is the variety. The partners are raising four varieties of beets, eight kinds of heirloom tomatoes, eight different types of carrots and four versions of onions. Their salad mix features up to 10 lettuces and greens.

The heart and soul of the city, every Saturday at the Uptown Farmers stand.

The tomatoes ($4 per pound) really knocked me out; the one I brought home was so fragrant that my car felt baptized by a lovely tomato perfume, and when I cut into it, well, that was one juicy and succulent specimen.

Aug. 30th marks their last appearance at the Mill City Farmers Market, but they’ll be back next year, and they’re already thinking about expanding. Sietz would like to try a variation on a crop share program, one for single urbanites who can’t possibly consume an entire box of produce every week, or those who are confounded by a dozen kohlrabi unexpectedly landing on their kitchen counters. “More like Simon Delivers,” he said. “We tell our customers what we have available, and they can order what they like.”

Uptown, it seems, is prime agriculture country. Who knew? “When the soil is free of arsenic and lead - and we had it tested, and it is - then it turns out that it’s great for growing things,” said Sietz. “It used to be a swamp, so the soil is really rich.”

Although the only reason anyone needs to visit the Minnesota State Fair is a hankering for a corn dog, here’s a great one for anyone looking for an excuse to play hooky on Tuesday: It’s Minnesota Cooks Day at the Great Minnesota Get-Together.

From 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., a long list of chefs from Minnesota restaurants will be strutting their stuff - and showing off locally raised ingredients from Minnesota farmers - at Carousel Park. Another reason to visit: You can pick up a copy of the 2008-2009 Minnesota Cooks Calendar, always a memorable state fair souvenir. Oh, and it’s free (well, you have to pay the fair’s admission price at the gate, but after that it’s free).

Here’s the lineup:

8:30 a.m.
Tracy Singleton and Marshall Paulsen of the Birchwood Cafe, with Annette Gilbertson of Gilbertson Farms: Omelet with wild-rice sausage
Dick Trotter of Trotter’s Cafe , with Mike Dekarski of Apple Jack Orchards: Maple cornmeal pancakes with lemon curd and fresh raspberries

10 a.m.
Nathalie Johnson from Signature Cafe, with Chris Sandwick from Pepin Heights Orchard: Apple cider-scented chicken with fresh vegetable slaw.
Nick Schneider of Cafe Brenda, with Dave Massey of Northwoods Organics: Roasted eggplant salsa with pita chips

11 a.m.
Lucia Watson of Lucia’s Restaurant, with Lisa and Eric Klein of Hidden Streams Farm: Spinach fennel pesto.
Mike Phillips of the Craftsman, with the Kleins: charcuterie

Noon
J.D. Fratzke of the Strip Club, with Todd Churchill of Thousand Hills Cattle Co.: Swedish meat balls
Alex Roberts of Restaurant Alma, with Dave and Florence Minar, Cedar Summit Farm: Creamed-corn corn bread with slow-cooked red beans

1 p.m.
Jorge Guzman, Tejas, with Brian and Leslie Axdahl of Axdahl’s Farms: Tomato and crab salad
Ann Christoforides, Gardens of Salonica, with the Axdahls: Braised chicken with okra

2 p.m.
Judi Barsness of Chez Jude, with Gary Pahl of Pahl’s Farm: Lake Superior whitefish with Meyer lemon butter
Donna Lovett of Marriott City Center, with the Pahls: Ratatouille in a roasted acorn squash

3 p.m.
JP Samuelson of jP American Bistro, with Charlie Johnson of Whistling Well Farm: Butternut squash creme brulee
Peter Ravinski and Jillian Forte of Chester Creek Cafe, with Johnson: roasted chicken and grilled plum salad

4 p.m.
Brian Hauke of Red Stag Supperclub with Don and Bev Struxness of Double D Natural Meats: Liver and onions
Jeff Klemetsrud of Savories Bistro, with Jim and LeeAnn VanDerPol: Pepito-crusted pork

We had BLTs for lunch today.

Heaven.

This morning I picked up a big-old heirloom tomato at the Loon Organics stand at the Mill City Farmers Market. That’s the secret to a mind-blowing BLT: A fantastic tomato. I paid $4.50 for it, and it was worth every sheckle. I mean, look at it:

Then I made sure that I got all of my other ingredients in order. I fried up some Nueske’s bacon: thick, smoky, salty, divinely porky. I toasted some of the dense Mediterranean White sandwich bread from A Toast To Bread, which I picked up at Mississippi Market (I should have visited the St. Paul Farmers Market this morning, but I got lazy and didn’t want to make the drive to downtown St. Paul). I washed some of the fine salad greens from my CSA box from Burning River Farm. I ferreted the jar of Hellmann’s mayo out from the back of the refrigerator. Then I put a knife to that awe-inspiring tomato.

Add a tall stack of greens, three or four slices of barely crisp bacon, and both inner sides of the sandwich liberally swiped with mayo, and there it was: August lunchtime perfection, if I do say so myself. The bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwich; is there a better combo? Certainly not during Minnesota’s all-too-brief tomato season.

Saturday is the day for garlic lovers: the third annual Minnesota Garlic Festival is going to hit the Wright County Fairgrounds in Howard Lake, starting at 10 a.m. and going to 7 p.m. The fairgrounds about an hour west of downtown Minneapolis.

Naturally, the fair features all kinds of garlic raised by Minnesota growers, including Dakota Garlic, Joel Girardin, Living Song Gardens, Hawk’s Brain Garlic, Sunfresh Foods, Coffman Garlic, Hixton Blue Collar Cafe and Earth Star Farms.

There’s also lots of food, games, kids’ activities, live entertainment and a full schedule of cooking demonstrations from Minneapolis chefs, including talent from the Modern Cafe, Lucia’s Restaurant, Birchwood Cafe and Common Roots Cafe and more.

Other events include master gardener talks, an appearance by Minnesota author Catherine Friend (who will read from her new book “The Compassionate Carnivore“), all-ages yoga and belly dancing classes and more.

Sounds like a good time. Danny Schwartzman, owner of Common Roots Cafe, seems to think so.

“I think it’s going to be a great opportunity to see local food in a completely different setting,” he said. “There are going to be a lot of farmers there, celebrating a local food item that we don’t celebrate enough.”

Save gasoline by taking the Garlic Express to the festival: The bus leaves the Mill City Farmers Market at 10:15 a.m. and returns at 5:45 p.m. Cost is $12 for kids and $17 for adults.

Just some of the harvest, after about 45 minutes of diligent picking.

My pals John and Dana and I made our annual trek to Rush River Produce in Maiden Rock, Wis. (about 90 minutes southeast of the Twin Cities) on Thursday. It was the U-pick farm’s first day of the season, and the blueberries were ripe for the picking.

I’ve been coming to this farm every July for about six years. Part of the reason that I’ve made it a much looked-forward-to excursion is that the blueberry crop is extraordinary (there are also currants and gooseberries), and also because the farm itself has more scenery than a big-budget Broadway musical.

The Cuddy family has quite a green thumb, so along with raising a rich variety of cold weather-hardy blueberries, they also tend to beyond lovely flower gardens and one of the handsomest vegetable patches I’ve ever laid eyes upon. The hills usually catch a cool breeze even on the most sweltering of summer days, and sometimes it’s hard to know when it’s time to stop picking and spend a little time with a camera. It’s that beautiful.

Don’t take my word for it. Take a look at these pictures. It wasn’t a sunny day, and still the place was a stunner.

My buddies Dana (foreground) and John (background), picking blueberries. The farm has nine acres of blueberry bushes.

Here’s John doing what all good U-pickers do: Sample.

When our bliss was interrupted by raindrops we called it a morning and brought our haul in to be weighed. Price: $4.19/lb. for U-pick, $7/lb. for pre-picked.

The farm’s one-of-a-kind setting in the Rush River valley is a major draw.

The scenery is spectacular in every direction. My friend John, who, unlike me knows what he’s doing with a camera, shot these last three photographs.

Most of my handiwork went straight into the freezer, to be pulled out for smoothies, muffins, coffee cakes, pancakes and other uses. Here are a few blueberry tips:

Choose berries that are firm, plump, uniform in size and dark blue with a white bloom cast. Do not rinse until ready to use. Blueberries can be refrigerated, preferably in a single layer in an uncovered container, for up to five days. When the bloom has faded, the berries should be discarded. Blueberries and the freezer are a solid marriage. To freeze, spread berries on trays in a single layer, freeze and then transfer berries to rigid, airtight containers for storage. When ready to bake, leave berries frozen.

I’ll spend the next few days posting blueberry recipes. Some are old favorites, some are new to me. Hopefully all will be a hit.