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March 10, 2021Coborn’s Inc loves supporting local and today we’re excited to give you an inside look at Revol Greens! In Feb. of 2021, our Registered Dietitians took a field trip down to Owatonna, MN to explore how a local MN grower can provide fresh, leafy greens to our stores 365 days a year. We toured the facility with Chayla Balko, Director of Business Development at Revol Greens, and are giving you the inside scoop on their growing practices including the varieties they grow and their sustainability efforts. Check out the full video for more information and to see the inside of the greenhouse! — How large is the greenhouse? Revol Greens greenhouse is 10 acres (equivalent to about 7 football fields!) Although smaller than a traditional farm, their ability to grow leafy greens 365 days a year is extremely advantageous. How are the leafy greens grown? Revol Greens grows leafy greens using a hybrid-hydroponic system. This combines the best of all farming methods. They use a small amount of soil to get nutrients to the plants right away, but rather than planted in the ground, they are “planted” on a pond. The roots grow into the water to soak up nutrients while they float through the pond. (The video provides great visuals to how this works- check it out!) From seed to harvest, it takes an average of 3 weeks for these leafy greens to grow. What sustainability efforts are in place at Revol Greens? Revol Greens is proud of their strong commitment to sustainability. First off, as a local grower, once their leafy greens are harvested, they are packaged at their facility and sent directly to our stores. This allows the fresh product to be on your dinner table in a matter of days, and reducing the total miles that the produce has had to travel. Another incredibly sustainable practice they have in place is using recycled water. Revol Greens actually captures and UV sterilizes MN rain water and snow, and can utilize that inside the greenhouse. It’s a win-win! On the days when it’s sunny, the greenhouse windows let in natural light for the crops. On overcast days, the Revol Greens team has LED and HID lights to provide the light and nourishment needed to keep their crops growing strong 365 days a year. Revol Greens is a great choice! Eating more vegetables is always encouraged! Revol Greens provides a variety of products that meet the needs of all our guests including both a conventional and organic line. Of course, their products have great nutrition, too! Leafy greens are packed with vitamin K, and also include fiber, vitamins A & C, magnesium, calcium, iron, potassium, and antioxidants. We hope you enjoy the full video to give you an inside look at the greenhouse and more tips from Chayla, their Director of Business Development.  Revol Greens can be found at Coborn’s, Cash Wise and Marketplace Foods stores.   [...] Read more...
April 24, 2020Salad Girl The Salad Girl Organic Dressing Company sprouted from a summer job Pam Powell had as a teenager working as the “Salad Girl” at Madden’s Resort on Gull Lake in Minnesota. Her favorite part of the job was crafting the house-made salad dressings from a variety of delicious, fresh ingredients. She had no idea then that she would someday start an organic salad dressing company. Salad Girl was the first Certified Organic, Fresh Dressing for Fresh Greens on the refrigerated shelves in Minnesota. Their unique varieties, inspired by seasonal garden flavors and made with the finest, freshest organic ingredients, are organic, dairy-free, gluten-free, certified kosher, and non-GMO. Salad Girl’s vibrant flavor combinations complement fresh greens and power slaws and add incredible flavor when drizzled on quinoa, couscous, ramen noodles, and fresh pasta. Our vinaigrettes also provide a marvelous marinade and delectable finishing sauce for grilled meats, poultry, and fish. Additionally, Salad Girl Organic Dressings are fantastic for dipping (think veggies, fruit, wings, fries, potstickers) and as condiments to give new life to your sandwiches wraps, tacos, and burgers. Salad Girl’s Promise: Salad Girl believes eating fresh, organic goodness benefits us individually, communally, and environmentally. Salad Girl is committed to bringing healthy, safe, and tasty organic products to your table. Our partnerships with local suppliers extend beyond the Meat Department. In 1921, Coborn’s began as a local produce market and almost 100 years later we remain true to our roots. We live in America’s heartland so we source as much as possible from our local neighbors. Local sourcing brings the freshest products to your table, minimizes carbon emissions, keeps dollars local and is simply the right thing to do. Try our local apples from Pepin Heights Farm in Lake City, MN, peppers and cabbage from Riverside Farms in Elk River, MN, potatoes, corn and squash from Stoneybrook Farm in Foley, MN, along with dozens of other family farms to bring you the freshest possible produce – only a day’s drive (or less!) away! www.saladgirl.com [...] Read more...
May 28, 2018We headed over to Bowlus, MN to spend some time at the Syrup Ranch. Mike owns and operates the Syrup Ranch right in his backyard. As Winter comes to an end, that’s when Mike goes to work. Luckily, he had a little time to show us around! Have you ever wondered how pure maple syrup is made? Mike tells us all about how he started his company as well as how he makes his award winning syrup!  We’re proud to support local businesses and even more proud to have Four Brother’s Syrup available in all of our stores. Try it today!  [...] Read more...
February 27, 2018American Tulip Day is just around the corner and nothing says Spring quite like a bouquet of fresh Tulips! We visited our friends at Len Busch Roses, which is located in Plymouth, Minnesota, to go behind the scenes to learn how they grow their beautiful tulips! Len Busch Roses grows much more than just Tulips though… Roses, Alstroemerias, Gerberas and  Lillies are all part of the vast variety of beautiful flowers that are grown on the 15 acres of enclosed growing space. Growing more than 8.5 million stems every year it’s no surprise they’ve won awards from the Society of American Florists! For more information on Len Busch Roses, visit their website and make sure to pick up a fresh bouquet of their Minnesota Grown Tulips at your local Coborn’s, Cash Wise or Marketplace Foods store to celebrate American Tulip Day on March 3rd! [...] Read more...
February 20, 2018It’s March and you know what they say about March… in like a lamb, out like a lion. Well, I’m hoping this year that doesn’t come true. As much as I love winter, I sure love spring and can’t wait for those fresh flowers to pop up! In the meantime, there are evenings I just like to stay home cozy up to a roaring fire and grab my favorite blanket. I call those “movie nights” and I look forward to them.  As you have seen in my videos I talk a lot about “Smude’s Sunflower Oil” and it’s an oil I believe in because of the healthy aspects that it has. I use it for baking, to sauté my fish and seafood and it really has become the only oil that I use in my kitchen. Now I’m so excited because Smude’s Sunflower Oil has a new addition to their family. Drum roll please… Smude’s Microwave Popcorn! Popcorn is my all-time favorite snack so when I got the chance to try it I couldn’t believe just how good it is! It tastes so much like the homemade popcorn that I grew up with. It’s a much healthier snack option, plus, it has very clean label. Only 3 ingredients: popcorn, sunflower oil and salt. It also has a non-fluoro bag, no additives, preservatives or chemicals. My favorite movie, The Wizard Of Oz, is what I’m planning on watching tonight. I’ll have the fire going and I’m going to wrap myself up in a soft warm blanket. Smude’s Mirowave Popcorn has become my go to for movie night and anytime I want a snack. I love it and I hope you check it out in our stores in the grocery aisle. Enjoy your popcorn, I’m definitely going too!! Jayne, Coborn’s, Inc. Merchandising Specialist Team Manager – Bakery & Deli     [...] Read more...
November 14, 2017  Hi Everyone!! I’m so excited I just have to share the experience that I had a couple weeks ago.  I’m a city girl and never had the opportunity to visit a farm before so I was pretty excited to get a chance to visit a local farm.  Since 1914, Kemps has been providing families throughout the upper Midwest with wholesome and delicious dairy products.  Kemps is owned by 9,000 Dairy Farmers across the United States.  They are headquartered in St. Paul, MN with facilities in Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota. I visited the Krause Family Farm in Buffalo, MN and this is a family farm that has been operating since 1959.  Coborn’s is all about fresh and providing the best products for our guests and supporting our local farmers. So, I met with Charles the owner of the farm and got the tour of a lifetime.  Charles and his family provide the milk that goes into quality Kemps products that you can purchase at our Coborn’s stores and our Marketplace Foods stores in Wisconsin. So, come along and join me for the tour of his farm by watching my video.  You’ll get a chance to meet “Ditto” the 2,400 lb. cow that was featured on a Kemps commercial and you will find out why it is so important to the Krause family that they provide the best quality products for you. Jayne, Coborn’s, Inc. Merchandising Specialist Team Manager – Bakery & Deli Click Here for more blogs written by Jayne [...] Read more...
October 10, 2017Hi Everyone! I am absolutely excited because I can’t wait to introduce you to a new product called “Four Brothers Fritter Bread” that is made locally right here at our Coborn’s Bake Shoppe in St. Cloud, Minnesota.  Fritter bread is a sweet yeast bread with lots of flavor options, ranging from fruits to spices. It is not only great for breakfast, but is an awesome bread to use when making sandwiches. Just spread on some cream cheese and add your favorite toppings to make that delicious sandwich. My favorite is still using this Fritter bread to make French toast.  All I did was whisk together an egg along with a little milk together. I added the Fritter Bread into my mixture so that it is completely covered and then added it to my skillet and cooked it on both sides.  I can just smell the fresh bread along with the aroma of fresh fruit in this bread.  Now the best part!  I added Four Brother Maple Syrup to this and it just puts it over the top.  I am such a strong supporter of local that I have to tell you that even the Four Brothers Syrup is local too, right out of Bowlus, Minnesota. Both items were named “Four Brothers” after the Four Brothers that got our Company started; Dan, Bill, Ron and Bob.  Four Brothers stands for superior quality and you get that every time you experience one of their products. Make sure the next time you are planning breakfast try our new Four Brothers Fritter Bread for French toast and don’t forget to invite me over for breakfast.  I’ll bring the Four Brothers Syrup!!! Jayne, Coborn’s, Inc. Merchandising Specialist Team Manager – Bakery & Del Click Here for more blogs written by Jayne   [...] Read more...
February 15, 2017    Hi Everybody! February is half over and I can just feel spring in the air since we have had such a mild Minnesota weather. Speaking of Minnesota, I just have to talk to you all about “local”. I just love local and I love talking about local. So I thought I would show you some great recipes using some of our great local products right here in the Midwest. Today I thought I would talk about French Toast with homemade blueberry syrup and homemade whipped cream. This is ‘yummy” no matter which way you look at it. Homemade Blueberry Syrup The first thing I’m going to start with is my homemade blueberry syrup. Now you are probably going to say “you can’t get local blueberries in the middle of the winter” and you’re absolutely right! That is why in the winter months Coborn’s gets many of our blueberries from Chile. They have the optimum climate for growing blueberries in November through April and let me tell you Chile grows product that is the finest and safest for export to us way up north. Of course they are healthy, they score a 100 on the NuVal Scoring System and in just one cup you can receive almost 4 grams of fiber and 25% of your daily requirement of Vitamin C. They are so delicious and nutritious and I just have to use these Chilean blueberries for my homemade sauce. Homemade Blueberry Syrup   Ingredients 1/2 Cup Sugar 1 T. Cornstarch 1/3 Cup Water 2 Cups Fresh Blueberries Instructions In the bottom of a saucepan, stir together sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in water. Stir in blueberries and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cook for 1-minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool (it will thicken more as it cools). Serve warm over pancakes or ice cream. Store cooled leftover syrup in the refrigerator. Homemade Whipped Cream The next step is creating the luscious whipped cream and that is to die for. For the whipped cream I always use Kemps Heavy Whipping Cream not only because of the great quality but here is another local company and what I love best about Kemps is how giving a company they are to our communities. What more can I say? Kemps it’s the Cows! Now after adding the whipping cream you need to also add the sugar and again both local companies. Crystal Sugar is from the Red River Valley area and has factories in Minnesota and North Dakota. The vanilla is a favorite of mine and that is J. R. Watkins and they are right out of Winona, Minnesota! Homemade Whipped Cream   Ingredients 1 Pint Heavy Whipping Cream 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract Instructions Place the cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in a stand mixer. Turn the mixer on low at first, until all the ingredients are fully mixed. Then turn the mixer on medium speed. Whip the cream until almost stiff peaks form.   Notes The most important step before you begin is to make sure everything is really cold. Place the beater and the bowl of the mixer in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Also place the heavy whipping cream in the freezer at the same time. As the beaters whip the cream the coldness of the bowl helps the cream maintain its structure. 3.4.3177   French Toast Now the final step the French toast. I am using Country Heart Bread and it is made right here in St. Cloud, Minnesota. If you are ever in the St. Cloud area you just have to drive by their Bakery, because the smells are to die for. The smell of fresh bread that you will experience, there is nothing like it!  Country Hearth bread is also in the Coborn’s Penny Pinchers a lot too so stock up and freeze it, I would recommend using that bread with in one month of freezing. Now when you are heating up the French toast make sure to check out Smude Sunflower Oil that has a phenomenal buttery flavor and is also produced right here in Pierz, Minnesota. French Toast Ingredients 1 Egg 3/4 Cup Milk 1 T. Cinnamon 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract 1 Pinch Salt Bread Instructions Beat together eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Heat a lightly oiled skillet or griddle over medium heat. Soak bread slices in egg mixture for 10 seconds on each side. Cook bread until both sides are lightly browned and crisp. Serve hot. Local Now I love supporting local and I bet you do to. You can pick up these local products at your favorite local Coborn’s store. You know what I really love about my job at Coborn’s? I love working for a local company. When my son was in baseball as a child, the team was sponsored by Coborn’s and they still are today. So I hope when you think of local you think of Coborn’s because our support center is right here in St. Cloud, Minnesota and we employ almost 8,000 great employees throughout the Upper Midwest, it’s a great company and thank you for supporting us for nearly 96 years. Enjoy your local French Toast and we’ll see you in two weeks! Enjoy!!! Jayne Coborn’s, Inc. Merchandising Specialist Team Manager – Bakery and Deli   [...] Read more...
January 31, 2017  Honeybear Brands is a grower of apples around the world and a developer of new apple varieties. Honeybear is proud to introduce an entirely new apple that is grown in select regions of the United States and Canada. Their orchards in Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York and Nova Scotia have the perfect micro climates and conditions to grown the brand new Pazazz.              • Rich, fertile soil in upper North America              • Ample source of natural irrigation from rain              • Warn summer days and cool fall nights Pazazz wakes up your taste buds with:              • Extremely crisp and juicy texture              • Tantalizing blend of sweet and tart flavors              • Bi colored rich red skin with creamy blush              • Savory and healthy treat for snacks and lunches Meet the Growers Rick and Cheryl Bremer, Bremer Orchards – Lake City, MNIf they handed out long service achievement awards in the apple industry, Rick Bremer would be first in line. He and his wife Cheryl and their family have been hard at work nurturing, growing and building their apple orchard business in Lake City, Minnesota since 1983. Tucked away not far from the picturesque shoreline of Lake Pepin, Minnesota and the quaint town of Lake City, Bremer Orchards today spans 50 well-planted acres of some of the best apples grown anywhere in the Mississippi River Valley. Varieties include RiverBelle, a regional favorite that always sells out in late summer, as well as Regents, Honeycrisp and of course, Pazazz, the star variety from Honeybear Brands, planted across 24 acres. Over the years Rick’s played a key role in local as well as far flung apple growing. In the past his orchards were used by the University of Minnesota and visited by apple producers from France, interested in learning more about growing Honeycrisp. Today like all Honeybear growers in the region, he’s an active participant in Honeybear’s TruEarth program, a new protocol to protect the land. Tom and Andy Ferguson, Ferguson Orchards – Chippewa Falls, WI Tom Ferguson made himself a promise: that when he turned 50 he’d say goodbye to a successful career in corporate America and find a way to become a farmer. Lucky he did. Tom’s now the proud owner of a thriving family-run apple business with 100,000 apple trees spanning three locations in Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls and Galesville, Wisconsin where apples have been grown on the same land since the 1870s. Tom and his wife Deb got their start in the apple business when they moved their young family from sunny Southern California to their original Galesville orchard in 2001. They got to work learning everything about growing apples – and their early study paid off big time. In 2014 they became the largest single grower of Honeybear’s exciting new Pazazz variety when they planted 35 acres and 40,000 Pazazz trees. Today Ferguson’s orchards are even more of a family business with their busy staff also consisting of their two sons, their wives and young children. Joe Ferguson, a former marine returned from service and moved to the farm, while his brother Andy, gave up his law practice to become a co-owner of the orchard in 2013. Fred Wescott, Honeybear Brands & Mississippi Valley Fruit Company – Elgin, MN Fred Wescott has been growing apples in the small southeast Minnesota town of Elgin for more than 40 years. In the 1970s, Fred took over his father’s hobby orchard and transformed it into a successful national business that packs, ships and sells the best regional apple varieties to retailers all over the country. Fred is the president of Mississippi Valley Fruit Company, that grows, packs and markets regional fruit for 20 family run orchards in MN & WI. He has taken his passion for apples to another by building one of the industry’s most successful Varietal Development programs, creating new consumer favorites Pazazz and RiverBelle. In addition to distributing some of the finest apples in the upper Midwest, Wescott Orchards is part of a community of family farmers dedicated to being good stewards of the environment. Wescott was the key driver behind the TruEarth program, which was developed to enhance sustainable and holistic farming practices to grow the highest quality fruit. Pazazz Apple Chicken Salad Recipe Nutty Baked Pazazz Apple Crumbled Recipe Find more recipes at PazazzApple.com [...] Read more...
May 16, 2016Buy Local and Eat Fresh!  Every time you purchase Gold’N Plump, Just Bare Chicken, Jennie-O Turkey products, Thousand Hills Grass-fed Beef, No Name Steaks or Compart Duroc Pork, you are supporting your local community and family-owned businesses. Our local meat departments are filled with a wide variety of meats that are from our very own Midwestern backyard. Our local meats are fresh, delicious, and are only of the highest quality. At Coborn’s, Cash Wise and Marketplace Foods we want our meat to taste good without shortcuts or compromises. When you purchase products that are from one of our local partners you can rest assured that the meat will not only taste good, it was raised with high ethical standards ensuring a top quality product. Our partnerships with local suppliers extend beyond the Meat Department. In 1921, Coborn’s began as a local produce market and almost 100 years later we remain true to our roots. We live in America’s heartland so we source as much as possible from our local neighbors. Local sourcing brings the freshest products to your table, minimizes carbon emissions, keeps dollars local and is simply the right thing to do. Try our local apples from Pepin Heights Farm in Lake City, MN, peppers and cabbage from Riverside Farms in Elk River, MN, potatoes, corn and squash from Stoneybrook Farm in Foley, MN, along with dozens of other family farms to bring you the freshest possible produce – only a day’s drive (or less!) away! [...] Read more...