(soft upbeat music) - Hello and welcome to "Praire Pulse".

Coming up a little bit later in the show, we'll learn about women gaining the right to vote just over 100 years ago.

But first joining me now is Megan Myrdal, one of the founders of Food of the North.

Megan, thanks for joining us today and also the Red River Market and the Little Free Garden so, a lot of things you started.

But before we get started with some of that and what you're here to talk about, tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.

- Sure.

Well, thanks again for having me back on the show.

It's an honor to be here today.

So I am a North Dakota farm girl, grew up in Northeast North Dakota and have been spending about the last 10 years of my life in the Fargo Moorhead community doing education as well as working on a few projects that you've mentioned before, Food of the North, Little Free Garden and the Red River Market.

I'm a person that's very passionate about food, nutrition, health.

I am a dietician by trade and I work full-time with the SDSU Foundation doing fundraising for the College of Agriculture there.

So, I have my hand in a lot of different pots but it all kind of coalesces around food, nutrition, agriculture, and health.

So that's kind of my, I guess my mission in life.

- All right, well, it sounds like you're a busy.

But you're here to talk about sort of a new project and a book and the book called "Midwest Mediterranean".

Tell us about that.

What's the project and what's the book about?

- Yeah, so it is a new project of Food of the North which I'm really excited to be here to chat about.

So Food of the North is an organization and our mission is to celebrate, connect and empower our local food community and beyond.

And one of the ways that we do that is through a monthly event that we put on called First Fridays at B.

And at First Fridays we invite awesome people from our local food community to speak about different food and agriculture topics in our region.

So a lot of those topics that we have had have focused really heavily on local food and encouraging people to think more about what is grown locally and sourced locally and produced locally.

But in those conversations, we've also had discussions about how there are really amazing foods that are produced in other parts of the world that we don't wanna live without, right?

Things like olive oil, coffee, chocolate.

And so, about a year ago had an event, one of our First Fridays and the topic was global sourcing, local impact.

And we had a couple of presenters who talked about how they are procuring ingredients from other parts of the world and bringing them back to our community.

And one of those presenters is a gentleman by the name of Peter Schultz and he imports olive oil from Greece.

And in that conversation, he was talking a lot about how the foods of the Mediterranean and this delicious cuisine that they have over there, that is based in olive oil and nuts and red wine and these things.

And when we talk about the Mediterranean diet, it has such a, well, it's very well-received and well-respected from a research perspective but it's also a super delicious diet too.

And so, he and I started chatting about the Mediterranean diet and how people in our community and our region could really make that work blending the aspects of that diet with the foods that are grown here.

And so, that was really the birth child of "Midwest Mediterranean".

We know that our region of the world produces so many amazing foods and many of those fit perfectly into the Mediterranean diet.

So we wanted to take what we know about the Mediterranean diet and make it specific to our region and our place and that's how "Midwest Mediterranean" diet oh, excuse me, not diet, "Midwest Mediterranean" came to be.

- Well, give us a little more, you know, so what is, of course when you think of diet, people think, oh, I'm gonna lose weight.

Well, that's not what we're talking about.

- No.

- What is that Mediterranean diet?

- Yeah, so we say Mediterranean diet because that's just kind of the common phrasing that's used but the main thing that people are trying to say with the Mediterranean diet is that it really isn't a diet, it's a lifestyle.

So as a dietician, I have talked to so many people who hate the idea of dieting or look at dieting as a short-term fix.

It's something that I'm gonna do for a couple of months because I have a wedding or a place that I'm going and I wanna lose weight.

That is not what this is about.

This is really a pattern of eating, a way of living, a way of enjoying food that you can do every day of your life.

And one of the things that I like to tell people about that I so love about the Mediterranean diet is that, not only is the research super solid in terms of it being nutritional and promoting heart health and all different aspects of your health, but it's also delicious.

And that's what really is the distinguishing factor with the Mediterranean diet from so many others.

We're not going to be living deprived and you're not gonna have to be eating bland food.

It's really wonderful, delicious food.

- Well, that may be a good answer to what I was about to ask, is why should people in the Midwest look to the Mediterranean for a way to eat?

I mean, we grew up on meat and potatoes and whatever from here so, why?

- Yeah, you know, so one of the reasons the Mediterranean diet gains so much notoriety is that in the 1960s and 70s is when a lot of the nutrition research was really starting to happen.

And looking at regions in the world where people had better health outcomes.

Where they had lower instances of heart disease.

Where they lived longer, healthier lives.

And they discovered that the Mediterranean was one of those regions.

And thinking about our population here in the upper Midwest, I mean, I'm a Midwest girl, I am proud of so many parts of what it means to be a North Dakotan but unfortunately, we don't have great health outcomes in our place in the world.

We suffer from a lot of chronic diseases and we suffer from a lot of issues of weight and obesity and things that really are attributed to the lives that we're leading.

And you know, I grew up eating meat and potatoes too and hot dishes and all of those things.

And unfortunately, those foods are really filled with a lot of things that aren't great for our health.

So as we're moving forward and thinking about what we can do to live longer, healthier lives which I think everybody wants to lead, we can look to a lot of the foods that we have here and that are grown here, but how they're prepared.

And I think that that's one of the distinguishing factors that we get with the Mediterranean diet is the emphasis on how those foods are prepared that produces the healthiest foods as well as the most flavorful delicious foods.

- Okay, what foods are grown in our region that are part of the Mediterranean diet principles, I guess.

- Yeah, so I think that when people hear Mediterranean diet, you know, immediately your mind goes to olive oil which is an awesome part of it as well.

But there are so many foods that are overlooked in the Mediterranean diet that are really key tenants of that diet.

One is whole grains.

I have here some oats on the table that are produced by one of our contributing authors, Noreen Thomas.

She's an organic farmer just North of Moorhead.

And she produces these amazing oats that are super flavorful.

And the Mediterranean diet has a lot of quinoa and different grains.

But here in the Midwest, we grow barley, we grow wheat.

And one of the things that I really like to stress as a dietician is that, grains, they get a somewhat negative reputation because a lot of the ways that we eat grains is in the processed forms, meaning that the grain is refined and processed.

And it's used for flour to make things like baked goods and breads and those things and those can still be healthy but when we're looking at what really creates the healthiest way to enjoy grains, it's in their whole intact form which I have some examples of here.

And what that does is that the more intact the grain is, the more work the body has to do to break that grain down and digest it It improves your glycaemic levels.

It keeps the body fuller.

It gives you more fiber.

So grains are something we produce a ton of here.

Another thing that we grow in abundance in the Midwest which is a key part of the Mediterranean diet is beans and legumes.

So that's beans, peas, chickpeas and lentils.

Between North Dakota and Minnesota, we are the top producing region of those foods in the whole country.

We grow tons and tons of beans and they are plant-based sources of protein, fiber, rich in a whole array of vitamins and minerals so, that is another key part of the Mediterranean diet and a food that we grow very well here.

And the other thing I just wanna say too about what we grow here in the upper Midwest that fits into the Mediterranean diet.

It's really interesting that you know, our place in the world, we are amongst the most richest farmland in the whole world.

And in our growing months, we can produce almost anything, right?

In those four months where the sun is shining and the days are long and the air is warm, almost anything can grow here.

And what we've really excelled at in our place in the North is learning different preservation techniques for the foods that we grow, through root cellars, through pickling, through fermentation and canning.

And so, all of those fruits and vegetables that we can produce up here in abundance in those months, taking that and then using those different preservation techniques so that we can extend those and enjoy them in the winter, that's an awesome way that we can enjoy our foods while enjoying those fruits and vegetables that are key to that Midwest Mediterranean diet.

- What's your favorite Mediterranean food?

- Gosh, that's a great question.

And would you say dish or food?

- Well, okay, whichever is easiest for you, I guess.

- Well, the recipe that I contributed to the book, 'cause our book in addition to having this nutrition information and what the Midwest Mediterranean is, we also have a bunch of recipes contributed by local chefs and others in our community.

And mine is called a Midwest Mediterranean Salad.

It has couscous and beans, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, a balsamic vinegarette, feta cheese.

I really like feta cheese, I think that adds that good tangy saltiness that is a great flavor in the Mediterranean.

So that's probably, I'll say that's my favorite dish.

- Okay, well, let's step away from that a moment and talk about COVID and the impact COVID has had on the food industry.

You know, restaurants have been hurt financially obviously, but what about your organization?

So the ones that of course, you've been working with and founded.

- So yeah, so with Food of the North, we do a lot of events typically but like everything else, we've switched to the virtual environment.

Our Little Free Garden project you know, our emphasis there is trying to get people to go out and harvest food from garden boxes which some people were lenient of when we didn't understand how COVID was transmitted so, we provided guidance to our owners.

I'm not as involved with the Red River Market today as I used to be when that market was originally founded.

But thankfully, because so many of our farmers markets are open air outdoor markets, most were able to be open and function last summer and I think it's looking the same that it will be for this summer.

But just in terms of what COVID has done broadly for the food industry, it's really been amazing to kinda watch this transformation that's happens from March till today.

I think what we saw when COVID first started was, when people were home, there was some novelty to this idea of being at home and doing a lot of home cooking.

Sourdough bread baking was an absolute craze.

People were pulling out their pasta makers and making all these elaborate dishes.

That's kinda tempered down a little bit but some of the things that I have seen that are trends that were already starting before COVID but what COVID has accelerated.

The first being foam food delivery.

You know, we saw the HelloFresh and the Meal Kits, those things were already on the rise, that only increased exponentially as a result of COVID.

And from everything I have read that is here to stay; grocery delivery, takeout delivery, home meal kits, people are going to capitalize on that convenience factor and maintain that.

And then the second thing is people's interest in gardening and local foods Garden sales, garden seed sales, people establishing first-time gardens, that hit an all time high last summer with people's interest in creating more food security for themselves and their families.

And that was a trend we were already seeing and more people jumped on that wagon with COVID.

So I think that that's something that we're going to hopefully be one of the silver linings of COVID is that, people are caring about reconnecting with their food on an even deeper level than just, it's trendy to eat local.

It's now something that people really, they care about their food security more than they ever did before.

- Well, they do and food habits obviously changed during COVID.

I mean, some restaurants went out of business just for lack of business but the salad bars, you don't see much anymore.

And so, do you think the future holds that we'll continue with that or well, do you see that maybe some of that will change or do you think it will.

- You know, that's a great question in terms of, you know, the people's fear of dining together.

That's been something that I've heard from a lot of folks in the restaurant industry in terms of how to help people feel dining together again.

And so, I've heard a lot of restaurants talking about really communicating all the different measures that they're taking to maintain social distance.

To make sure that everything is clean and sanitized.

And I think if anybody has gone out and done any dining with places that are open for indoor service again, they've seen that our restaurant industry has really stepped up and is really trying to provide the highest level of security for folks to be able to come out and have those dining experiences while also maintaining their personal safety.

In terms of what's going to happen for the future, I mean, going back to, there was kind of interesting thinking about some restaurants.

There was a trend there where it was kind of that French style dining, where it was these close tables that were really tight together.

And when you talked about buffets, in terms of if for when we'll be able to go back to that, I have doubts.

Just from what you hear and read and see from what people's comfortability is.

But I think that we will get back to some sense of normal or at least semi-normal in terms of being able to be together and eat together.

Hopefully, in the nearest future as the vaccine continues to unfold.

- Well, now a recent study found that over 40% of well, parents it says here, and they're probably talking about them and their kids, say that they are snacking more during COVID.

And that an astonishing 85% of people surveyed said their eating habits were impacted by COVID.

Can you comment on that?

- Gosh, I was not familiar with that statistic but that is fascinating.

I guess, you know, from what I have read and experienced in my dietetics career, you know we make our eating decisions based on a whole variety of things and you eat to nourish your body but there is also such an emotional component to eating too, right?

We eat for comfort.

We eat when we're stressed.

We eat when we have anxiety.

We eat when we're bored.

And thinking about people being trapped in their homes for the hours and days and weeks and months that we have been, I would imagine and a personal experience too, that sometimes you're like I have nothing else to do.

I'm gonna go grab a snack or I'm going to cook something or make something.

So, yes, I would imagine that eating habits have changed significantly when we just have that additional time.

And really I've read a lot of articles in terms of really trying to, well one, give yourself grace through all of this because this is a stressful time for people.

And if you're not thrilled with your eating habits right now or it's caused some weight gain or weight loss depending on where you're at, give yourself some grace because times are tough right now.

But also really be thinking about other ways that we can take care of ourselves besides eating food, whether that be finding alternative ways to de-stress with baths, with meditation, with yoga, whatever it might be the calms you in and gives you comfort but we know that food has been one of those things that people have looked to.

- You've talked a little bit about this but can you talk about how the foods supply has been impacted?

- Yeah, it's been amazing to see.

Well, one, I think one of the things that was most surprising to folks when COVID first happened and it's almost seems that crazy to think back on how concerned we were at times in the spring and early summer about getting certain foods and what we would have access to and what we wouldn't.

But one of the things that COVID really showed was the fragility of our food system, particularly our national and globalized food system that is so efficient and really incredible when you look at it but it is so vulnerable to slight glitches that can throw it off whether that be our meat supply or a whole number of things.

So in terms of what we have seen, one of the things that I think is really interesting is the response that has been made by people to try to find alternative sources to not be so reliant on that national and global food system.

At the start of COVID, there was a Facebook group that emerged called North Dakota Farm to Fork or Farm to Table and I just checked it this morning and today that has like 28,000 members and it started in April at the start of COVID.

And it's a place where people are sharing all the things they're growing locally and processing locally and making available to people locally and then what people are looking for in that too.

So people are really trying to find alternative supply chains and I think that that's gonna be a really interesting thing to watch as this continues to move forward.

How this local and regional food scene evolves.

And there's probably a lot of entrepreneurial opportunities out there for folks as well who are interested in creating new businesses that are providing that local food, that healthy food, as well as that local security piece as well.

- Well, Megan, we are just about out of time but going back to your book especially, if people want more information about "Midwest Mediterranean", when will it be out?

And where can they go?

Who can they contact?

- Awesome, yeah, so the book will be out this summer.

Will be getting that launched and hopefully the summer of 2021.

And if you want more information on it you can visit our website foodofthenorth.com.

- [John] Megan, thanks for joining us.

- Thanks for having me - Stay tuned for more.

(soft upbeat music) It's almost astonishing nowadays to think that just over 100 years ago, women couldn't vote in the United States.

An exhibit at the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead Minnesota provided background on the national and regional fight for justice.

- Clara Dillon Darrow, Anna Gates, Helen de Lendrecie of Fargo, those women that went out and fought for the right to vote.

They rock the boat a little bit and if you rock the boat politically, you're not looked favorably upon.

(soft orchestra music) - This exhibit was created by the League of Women Voters of Minnesota.

And it's a really fantastic traveling exhibit looking at women's suffrage across the country and also within kind of Minnesota and the red river valley.

- 1848 is kind of the official start of the women's suffrage movement.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, she became incensed with how she was treated in the world.

In a two week time period, she was able to organize hundreds of people coming for this convention.

There were just a long list of grievances that she was interested in addressing and they included women's property rights, abolition was another issue that they were concerned about and then women's suffrage.

And at that convention, the majority of the issues that were brought before the people were voted on unanimously but the issue on granting women the right to vote, that was a split decision.

There was the National Women's Suffrage Movement and then the American Women's Suffrage Movement and they split in part because of Susan B. Anthony lobbying for the federal amendment for granting women's suffrage and you know, the other group saying that we need to approach it state by state.

They finally mended fences towards the end of the 1800s and became the National American Women's Suffrage Association.

- Both North Dakota and Minnesota had some early attempts to pass women's suffrage before it was passed on the national level and in North Dakota, they were able to pass some partial suffrage for women.

So women can vote for things like school board but they weren't able to vote in national elections like for president or for U.S. House or Senate.

- Moorhead was a pretty typical Prairie town so if you're looking at the history of women suffrage in Moorhead, you're looking at the history of women suffrage all across the country.

So this is something that really ties Moorhead to the national narrative.

- With Fargo and Moorhead, one of the things that happened in 1912 is that one of the militant suffragists from Great Britain, Sylvia Pankhurst, she was on a lecture circuit in the United States.

And she was approached by people in this area to come and speak in Fargo at the Grand Theater Sunday Lecture Circuit and it was standing room only.

And while Sylvia Pankhurst was here in Fargo, the North Dakota Votes for Women's League was founded.

Helen de Lendrecie, she and her husband came to Fargo in 1870s and started the De Lendrecie department store.

And she was an active suffragist.

When the North Dakota Votes or Women's League was founded, she and her husband gave office space at the De Lendrecie building for that state organization to have a place to organize.

- I admire these women because back in the 19th century there were these social constructs that didn't allow women to even work outside the home.

One of the suffragists actually stated that she was raising citizens so, why does she not have a role in her government?

Why doesn't she get to vote?

- You know, one of the things that anti-suffragists would say is that women didn't want to vote or they didn't need to vote because their husbands or fathers would vote for them.

There was a concern that if women voted, that they would become he-men, you know, they would lose their femininity.

If women had the right to vote, then men would be the ones raising children and cleaning houses and cooking.

Men were the ones that were deciding whether or not women had the right to vote or would get the right to vote.

And so, it was kinda scaring trying to scare men into thinking that they would become lesser.

- To think about half the population of your country not having the right to vote and not being involved in decision-making really does seem ridiculous to us.

It's been a long time for all people in our country to have that right to vote.

20 million new voters were basically created with the 19th amendment in the United States To us now, women having the right to vote seems obvious and fundamental but at the time it really was not.

It's a place where all Americans are equal.

You know, a lot of people that in their regular lives they don't have as equal access to voice or opportunity as some other people do.

Whereas voting is a place where we all have the same voice to make our values and opinions known.

- Well, that's all we have for "Prairie Pulse" this week.

And as always, thanks for watching.

(soft upbeat music) - [Announcer] Funded by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund with money from the Vote of the People of Minnesota on November 4th, 2008 and by the members of Prairie Public.