Harvest North

Each year, deer hunters in Minnesota can opt to donate whole deer to the Hunter-Harvested Venison Donation Program. The program, co-run by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, helps bring venison to food shelves across the state. On this Harvest North, Jennifer Stephes, a meat inspection supervisor for the MDA, talks about the program, how dona...

We're back with a new episode of Harvest North! With fall in full swing, this episode focuses on deer season. Kalli tells us all about her experience in the deer stand this year, and what wild harvested food means to her. Harvest North is hosted by Kalli Hawkins and Kirsten Wisniewski, and produced by Kirsten Wisniewski for North Shore Community Radio. Original music was composed by AZ LeGare and...

On this episode of Harvest North, we hear from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture about support for beginning farmers. There are are over 1 million farmers in the U.S. who are within their first 10 years in the industry, and the 29,000 in Minnesota make up about a quarter of the state's total farmers. Kirsten spoke with Assistant Commissioner Patrice Bailey about how a new grant program showe...

In this Harvest North Short, Kirsten tells Kalli about a brooder box set-up. Any human-raised poultry will need a brooder box after they hatch, and until they are fully feathered out and able to thermoregulate. Kirsten keeps quails for their eggs, but the general setup for a brooder box is consistent across poultry types. Harvest North is hosted and produced by Kalli Hawkins and Kirsten Wisniewski...

In this Harvest North Short, Kirsten talks Kalli through selecting eggs for a hatch and setting up an incubator. Kirsten keeps quails for their eggs, but the hatch process is similar across domestic poultry. Check back for an update on the hatch! Harvest North is hosted and produced by Kalli Hawkins and Kirsten Wisniewski for North Shore Community Radio, with support from the Minnesota Arts and Cu...

On this episode of Harvest North we talk to local farmers Rachel and Ian Andrus about the transition from winter into spring. It's already growing season at Creaking Tree Farm in Lutsen, MN, as the Andrus family gets seeds started and plans for a busy summer of raising produce for the farmers market, the local Co-Op grocery store, and their CSA. Learn about their approach to seed starting, and hea...

It's midwinter in northeast Minnesota, and this episode of Harvest North we talk to three local growers who keep livestock. Mari LaMoore, Eric Edgin, and Amber Pederson all farm at different scales and have experience keeping a variety of animals. They share insight on their particular approaches to getting their stock safely through the extreme cold and snow that are hallmarks of a Minnesota wint...

In our inaugural episode we kick it off with a profile of a local farm and the approach that those farmers take to food production. Good Nature Farm has been a family-owned farm east of Grand Marais for 16 years.  Nick Wharton, who runs the farm with his wife Kristin DeArruda and their children, spoke with us about how he got into farming, and how the family manages their land in a sustainable way...

Welcome to Harvest North, a podcast exploring how the people of Northeast Minnesota connect with their food systems and our unique landscape. From commercial growers to subsistence foragers, each episode dives into the practices of cultivating, harvesting, and wildcraft to highlight the ways individuals engage with their food and community.  Harvest North will feature Farmer profiles on an individ...