Fall is a fabulous time to enjoy cooking on the grill!  In our next Facebook Live event, Ashley Uphoff from The Bluffs Grass-Fed Beef will share tips on grilling the perfect flank steak while Elise Carey from EJ Terra will cook up a side dish to complement the meat.  Tune in on Monday, September 21 at 7:00 p.m. for fall cooking ideas with two of our producer-owners.

​After fine-tuning your grilling skills with our cooking demonstration, be sure to come by our next Pop-Up Market because we will be featuring that very same beef from the The Bluffs.  The Market is on Tuesday, September 22 from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.  Once again we will be in the parking lot behind the Purple Carrot Market Building (53 E Broadway) with four of our producer-owners offering fresh, local foods. 

Something special about this Pop-Up Market:  the Purple Carrot will have an apple press so that you can press your own apple cider.  Just bring a jug or container in which to bring your cider home. 

​Need some apples to press?  Ron from the Foothills Orchard (Owner #324) says they will have bushels of Sweet Tango, Cortland, and Honeycrisp apples.  Some of the apples are slightly damaged, but they will be perfect for pressing into cider and are ½-off the regular price.  In addition to their beautiful apples, the Foothills Orchard will have a variety of squash (from blue hubbards to pumpkins) that serve double duty:  they make wonderful fall décor as well as good eating.  They also still have  tomatoes (Roma, cherry, and heirloom varieties) and peppers (from sweet bells to the ultra-hot peppers).  If you are looking for something special or need larger quantities, please contact Ron at 320-420-7622 for more information or to pre-order items.

Ashley & Ross Uphoff from The Bluffs Grass-Fed Beef will have steaks, roasts, ribs, ground beef, stew meat, and beef sticks as well as chickens and free-range eggs. Learn more about the Uphoffs and their Scottish Highland cattle with our producer profile below.  All of their meats is in stock, so check out their order form to see all they have available.

Elise with EJ Terra (Owner #275) and Joelle (Owner #126) will bring a variety of jams and jellies, pickles, salsas, and salves.  In addition, Elise will have her homemade soaps and Joelle will bring her pickled beets, corn relish, sauerkraut, dip mixes, herbal seasonings.

To help our community stay safe, we ask the everyone maintain proper social distance and remember their mask during our Pop-Up Market.  Hand sanitation will be available and part of the apple pressing operation.

We look forward to seeing you at both events!

​Their commitment is not only to the health and well being of the animals but to the land, and in a larger sense, the planet itself. The Uphoffs employ regenerative farming techniques such as rotational grazing, and no-tillage cropping giving special attention to the health and biodiversity of the soil.  “It isn’t just about what you take from the land, but also what you give back,” Ross explains. Well-managed grazing is the key. By locking carbon in the soil, it can offset or even completely compensate for methane and other greenhouse gases associated with raising beef cattle. With careful attention the pasture is never overgrazed and the vegetation soaks up, or sequesters, carbon, preventing carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. All the animals; the beef, the Icelandic sheep, the foraging Gloucestershire Old Spots pigs, and even the turkeys and chicken, are moved around to forage in different areas at the farm. Ashley and Ross tend the animals and tend the land as well.

The results are good quality meat, ethically raised and with environmentally friendly practices. Although they have grown their herd from seven to 130 head of cattle, they are still a relatively small operation selling direct to consumers on their website and at local farmer’s markets. They sell to Sprout and have been featured at Purple Carrot pop-up markets.  As owners/producers, Ashley and Ross believe in the benefits of buying local and being part of a community like Purple Carrot Market. They appreciate that when you buy from small, family-run, local farms like theirs, much of your money stays local. Supporting local farmers means supporting your neighbors and caring for your local economy. Constantly learning and with long range vision, Ashley and Ross are thoughtful caretakers- of their animals, their land and their community.

To learn more about The Bluffs and their product availability, visit www.thebluffsbeef.com or download their pre-order form.*

*Pre-order form is subject to change due.

As a democratically run business, board members are elected by our owners. Annually the Purple Carrot Market holds an election to fill positions on its governing board. You must be an owner as well to serve on our board.
This year, we have five candidates running for the Board (see below). Our bylaws allow for a board of seven to eleven members, meaning all five candidates could be voted onto the board. One vote is allowed per ownership household, but you can vote for as many candidates as you'd like.
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Have questions about voting? Contact us at purplecarrotmarket@gmail.com

The Purple Carrot is in a very busy and exciting stage of planning the opening of our locally-owned grocery store in downtown Little Falls! We're striving for a Board comprised of community members with a passion for the co-op, time to commit, and skills/experience in any of the following areas:

• Communication/marketing skills
• Leadership/strategic thinking skills
• Finance skills
• Technology/business systems knowledge
• Building/construction management
• Capital Campaign planning experience

Our Annual Ownership Meeting will be held virtually on Tuesday, September 22, 7PM. At this meeting, we'll share a status update on a number of topics related to co-op development from ownership, education, marketing, and finance.

By: JoAnn Dahl, Owner #66