Britta Greene

Latest Stories (7)

Local butchers seen as key to bolstering the food supply chain

Dec 15, 2021
The pandemic exposed weakness in the United States’ meat processing infrastructure. Now, there’s interest in boosting capacity at the local level.
Brian Schatz is production manager at Schmidt's Meat Market. Customers have been traveling greater distances to access Schmidt's butchering services has grown in recent years, he said.
Britta Greene

Voters in St. Paul, Minnesota, to decide on strict rent control proposal

Oct 27, 2021
If enacted, the proposal would be one of the most aggressive rent control policies in the country, applying to new construction.
St. Paul resident Emily Lynch says the rent on her single-family home is going up by $400 per month in January, an increase of more than 30%. She’s now looking for a more affordable place to live.
Britta Greene

Minnesota restaurants prepare for winter as the pandemic drags on

Oct 22, 2021
This summer's patio season gave a boost to many restaurants. Colder weather means new arrangements for outdoor diners.
Christina Nguyen, chef and owner of the Minneapolis restaurants Hai Hai and Hola Arepa, stands in an expansion of Hai Hai’s patio space, constructed to accommodate more outdoor diners during the warmer months.
Britta Greene

Pandemic drives backyard ice rink boom

Jan 18, 2021
Families in the Upper Midwest are getting creative as they look for outdoor activities for their kids during the cold winter months.
Shea Finnegan, age 6, skates with friends on Dec. 13, 2020. Allen Ratai built this rink outside his family home in Duluth and has been helping friends build their own rinks this year, as well.
James Napoli

As cider market grows, a push to appeal to higher-end consumers

Dec 12, 2018
Cider sales in the U.S. have grown over the past decade. But some cider makers say the the market still isn’t valuing their product for what it’s worth.
Orchards in Lebanon, New Hampshire belonging to Steve Wood, of Farnum Hill Ciders, where he grows apples specifically for cider making.  
Britta Greene for Marketplace

Farming morels, the pricey gourmet mushrooms, is proving elusive

Jul 10, 2018
Unlike other mushrooms, morels are incredibly difficult to grow. That’s part of the reason why they’re so expensive.
Tad Montgomery holds up a handful of fresh morels, picked just that day. The mushrooms will get ground up and distributed over the soil, in hopes of seeding another generation next year.
Courtesy of James Napoli

Entrepreneurs starting to see opportunities in other people's food scraps

Feb 12, 2018
The Environmental Protection Agency is looking to keep food waste out of landfills. One entrepreneur in rural New Hampshire is pinning her business to that goal.
Jessica Saturley-Hall, founder of the Upper Valley Compost Company, picks up a bucket full of food scraps in Grantham, New Hampshire. 
Britta Greene/Marketplace