Homegrown

06/15/2026

The ordering window is open and this week's marketplace has something most people have heard of but almost nobody has actually cooked with.

Elderflower is in the hub this week from The Garden Gate. You've probably seen it on a fancy cocktail menu or in a French recipe at some point, but using it yourself is a different story. This is your chance to find out what it's actually like.

Which would you like to try, fried elderberry flower fritters or elderberry flower cordial?

Order by Tuesday at 6 PM. Pickup Thursday at Altered Species or Classic Corner.

06/07/2026

Local food is having a moment in Sioux Falls.

Producers growing incredible food. Restaurants that want to use it. Consumers who want to find it. The pieces are here. What's missing is a way to connect them all and make it visible.

That's the conversation happening at Local Bites tomorrow night. On the table - what a local food certification program could look like for Sioux Falls and the surrounding area. A way for restaurants and retailers to signal to their customers that they are committed to sourcing locally. A way for producers to get the recognition they deserve.

If that sounds like something worth being part of, show up tomorrow.

The National Restaurant Association's 2026 culinary forecast puts local sourcing near the top of the list. Consumers want to know where their food comes from, and restaurants are responding.

That's not news to most of us in this community. It's already happening here. Vanguard Hospitality has been supporting local producers at Morrie's Steakhouse, Grille 26 by Minervas, and Minervas Downtown Sioux Falls for quite a while. Dakota Fresh Food Hub is supplying local food to a variety of restaurants across the area. The foundation is there.

But here's what is still a problem - there's no easy way for a restaurant to show their customers that they use local food. No logo, no signal, nothing that tells someone walking through the door that this place knows where your food comes from.

That gap matters to farmers like me. It matters to the restaurants trying to do the right thing. And it's one of the things we're actively trying to work through.

Dakota Rural Action started something called SoDak Grown back in 2018 - a free certification and logo program for food and agricultural products grown, raised, and processed right here in South Dakota. It's worth reviving. We're in the early stages of figuring out what that looks like, and we need the right people in that conversation.

If you're a producer, a chef, a restaurant owner, or just someone who cares about local food in this community - come to Local Bites tomorrow night.

https://facebook.com/events/s/local-bites-network/1147546443997103/

04/03/2026

04/02/2026

South Dakota has always known how to grow things. The question has always been - can we build a system that keeps that food, and that value, right here at home?

Tuesday in Sioux Falls, over 60 people sat down together to start answering that question. Local producers. Chefs. Restaurant owners. Food advocates. Community builders. The energy in that room wasn't just optimism - it was the beginning of something real.

South Dakota's farmers, ranchers, and local food businesses deserve a community that shows up for them the same way they show up for us - every single day.

Today reminded us why that matters. Share this if you believe it too.

Something exciting is growing in Sioux Falls.

Tuesday, we had the privilege of joining the James Beard Foundation and Invest in Our Land for a powerful round table conversation - and we were blown away by the energy in the room. Over 60 local producers, chefs, restaurant owners, food advocates, and community leaders came together around one shared vision: a stronger, more connected local food system for our region.

We were proud to be represented by so many incredible voices from our hub community - Jamie from Mayborn Acres, Stephanie from Fruit of the Coop, Will from Berrybrook Organics, Kjersten and Dirk from Blue Sky Vegetable Co., and Luke from Little Greens Microgreens. Alongside them were representatives from the Sioux Falls Food Co-op, Pomegranate Market, Startup Sioux Falls, Downtown Sioux Falls Inc., and so many more organizations, restaurants, and individuals that make this community extraordinary.

The conversations were real, honest, and full of possibility. Themes of soil health, local sourcing, food access, and the deep interdependence between producers and restaurants ran through every discussion. We are at the beginning of something meaningful - and the momentum is building.

There are exciting things on the horizon that we can't wait to share. Stay tuned.

Want to be part of what comes next? Reach out to any of us who were in that room today - every conversation is a seed. And if this resonates with you, please share this post and help us grow this movement beyond those four walls.

Because when local producers and restaurants thrive together, our entire community is nourished.

03/30/2026

Sharing this for anyone still looking for an Easter ham. Three left, ordering closes Tuesday at 6 PM. Heritage pork, raised right, picked up Thursday right here in Sioux Falls. Link is in the original post.

Easter dinner, sorted.🐷

has three heritage ham roasts available this week — 6.8, 7.5, and 11.5 pounds.

Outdoor-raised, naturally cured, no nitrates. There are literally only three, and the ordering window closes Tuesday at 6 PM.

Pickup is Thursday in Sioux Falls or Classic Corner in Brookings. Pricing is on the website.

03/02/2026

I remember the potlucks we used to have. There was so much delicious food, and having local ingredients made it all the better!

02/09/2026

Is your moisturizing soap actually making things worse?

If your kids are dealing with itchy, dry winter skin or you find yourself reaching for the lotion three times a day, the culprit might be sitting right in your soap dish.

Most supermarket bars aren't actually soap—they are synthetic detergents. They are designed to strip everything away, leaving your skin’s natural barrier tight and dry.

We believe our community deserves better than synthetic.

That’s why we love seeing Glean for Good on the Dakota Fresh Food Hub inventory this week. Their hand-poured bars are rich in natural glycerin. It’s a simple, small switch that turns a daily chore into a moment of actual nourishment for your skin (and your family’s).

While you’re grabbing the soap, you can also snag fresh-cut microgreens for a nutrient boost in school lunches or raw, local honey (the real stuff) for tea and smoothies.

How to get it: The ordering window is officially open! Our friends at Dakota Fresh Food Hub have the inventory updated and ready. You can choose the pickup location that fits your Thursday schedule—either Sioux Falls or Brookings—at checkout.

The clock is ticking: Get those orders in by Tuesday at 6:00 PM to make sure these staples are ready for you on Thursday.

Check out the original post below to see the beautiful new photos of what’s available this week!

P.S. Planning your dinners for the week? One of the biggest wins for busy people is skipping the mystery meat at the grocery store. The Hub has an incredible selection of local, pasture-raised meats available right now. It’s the easiest way to get nutrient-dense protein on the table without the extra trip to a specialty butcher.

01/30/2026

Look no further! Get your shares to this chicken subscription before time runs out.

If you’re waiting until the first market to buy your chicken breasts... you’re already too late.

I’m looking at my 2025 data, and the numbers are clear: Most of our boneless/skinless breasts were sold before the birds were even processed. Our bone-in thighs and broken-down birds followed shortly after. Even full sized whole birds were in short supply at the end of the year.

Because I treat our farm with the precision of a manufacturing plant, I hate telling a customer "we’re out." That’s why we’ve built our 2026 Subscription to act as your private reserve.

The Build-Your-Own System: We don't do mystery boxes. You know your kitchen better than I do, so you can customize your monthly share down to the exact quantity:

Boneless/Skinless Breasts: Secure your stash before the general public.
Bone-in, Skin-on Thighs: The chef’s favorite, and always the next to sell out.
Broken-Down Birds: All the convenience, none of the knife work.
Whole Birds: For the traditionalists and meal-preppers.

Example: You can reserve 5 shares of breasts, 3 shares of thighs, and 2 broken-down birds. That is your inventory, held for you every single month.

The Reality: I can only raise as many birds as my systems and pasture allow. Once our subscription slots are filled for these specific cuts, they are gone for the season, supply for the remains is unpredictable.

Don’t play the market lottery this year. Secure your private reserve and lock in your 12-month bonuses (like that free ground chicken and November bone broth) before the Feb 28th deadline.

What do you use most often in the kitchen?

01/17/2026

We are thrilled to see our friends at Mayborn Acres opening the presale for their 2026 chicken subscription. If you’ve been looking for a reason to know your farmer, this is it.

Why should you care? Because Mayborn Acres is part of a new standard. While the industry moves fast, they move slow—giving their birds a full 12 weeks on pasture. This isn’t just about food; it’s about supporting a local system built on integrity and transparency.

Why sign up now? They aren't a factory; they are a small-batch farm with a limited season. Securing your spot now means you’re guaranteed a place at the table for this year's harvest.

Support local. Eat well. Subscribe.

01/17/2026

How many people have done this?