GRAND MARAIS — As the late-summer harvest ramps up across the North Shore, local residents will have several hands-on opportunities to sharpen their northern gardening and food preservation skills.
The Northwoods Food Project, a Cook County nonprofit dedicated to building a sustainable regional food system, has announced a late-summer lineup featuring a homestead garden tour and a four-part practical workshop series. The events are designed to help both novice and experienced growers make the most of the region’s short, cold-climate growing season.
“Whether you are an experienced grower looking to connect with others or a beginner curious about producing more of your own food, these events will help you learn practical skills,” the organization stated in a press release.
Homestead Gardens Tour
On Friday, Aug. 21, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., the Northwoods Food Project will co-host a Homestead Gardens Tour alongside the Cook County UMN Extension.
The afternoon event will take participants inside two homestead-scale gardens located east of Grand Marais. Experienced local growers will demonstrate how they build healthy soil in northern conditions, extend the short season, design large production spaces, and manage high-volume household food production.
The tour is free and open to gardeners, farmers, and local food enthusiasts of all skill levels, though advance registration is required.
Hands-On Preservation & Equipment Workshops
Beginning Aug. 18, the non-profit will also host four free Tuesday evening workshops introducing practical preservation methods and highlighting tools available through the Northwoods Food Project’s Equipment Library.
Unless noted otherwise, all sessions take place on Tuesday evenings at the Cook County Community Center. While free, registration is requested to assist organizers with materials and setup. The workshop schedule includes:
• Aug. 18: Fun with Foraged and Found Fruits (Led by Jennifer Victor-Larsen) — Participants will learn to use dehydrators and food mills to preserve seasonal berries and fruits, returning home with fruit snack samples and techniques for making dried fruit and sauces.
• Sept. 1: Grillo Walk-Behind Tractor Training (Led by Mark Spinler, location TBA) — A practical safety, operation, and maintenance course covering walk-behind tractors and attachments. Completing the training qualifies participants to rent the tractor from the Food Equipment Library.
• Sept. 8: Vacuum Sealing Basics (Led by Eric Edgin) — Covers food preservation using an Anova chamber vacuum sealer to extend shelf life for fresh, frozen, and dried foods, along with advanced techniques like rapid marinating and infusing.
• Sept. 15: Introduction to High-Acid Canning (Led by Sarah Waddle and Carol Bennett) — A hands-on tutorial on water bath and steam canning fundamentals for high-acid produce like jams, jellies, pickles, and tomatoes.
Registration for the homestead tour and all four evening workshops is open now at www.northwoodsfoodproject.org/events.
