Since 1995, Birchwood Café in the Seward neighborhood of Minneapolis has been "at the crossroads of hot food and cool comfort." Formerly a dairy and then grocery store, Birchwood was lovingly rebirthed by owner Tracy Singleton into not just a café, but a gathering place. Tracy stylishly adheres to values of freshness and community established long before her time.
Tracy and Birchwood chef Marshall Paulsen take good food seriously. Crafting their unique menu requires that they know the land and the animals and together, they put a new spin on your favorites by creating new offerings weekly and by sourcing local, sustainable, organic, and fair trade ingredients whenever possible. During his four years as co-executive chef at Creamery in Menomonie WI, Marshall established many ties with local producers, not because he was aware of any specific "local foods movement," but because seasonal, local produce was more readily available and of much higher quality.
In the family since 1913, Garden Farme in Ramsey focuses on specialty market gardening and custom growing for restaurants and caterers, supplying wildflower honey and vegetables to Birchwood. Farmer Bruce Bacon uses a hand tool system in lieu of tractors, resulting in quality, flavorful, beautiful produce. One of Bruce's current projects is "Elastic Gardening," whereby he provides and encourages a custom growing option and restaurants supply an intern, forager, or community member to procure food for the restaurant. He is a strong advocate of the concept, as he wants consumers of fresh, local food to take a more active role in production. With a deep and mutual sense of community building, Birchwood and Garden Farme seem to be a perfect match.
