I stopped by to chat with co-owner Jim Spaulding earlier today and I asked him why others had not tried it. The ordinance has been on the books since 2008. He didn’t  know and neither do I.

See all the sidewalk dining-related blog posts going back to 2006.

I noticed that the HideAway Coffeehouse and Winebar put out its tables and chairs this weekend so it seems a good time to revisit the issue of sidewalk dining in Northfield (that’s a Tag link to all our blog posts on the subject since 2006.)

Plus, there are two more Division St. eating/dining establishments opening this year.

I blogged last November that “Northfield’s sidewalk dining ordinance has been in effect since early 2008 but only one establishment has taken advantage of the alcohol clause: the HideAway Coffeehouse and Winebar. Five others have not. It might be helpful to find out why.”

Ross sent me a link a week ago to a blog called cooltownstudios that has a series of posts on outdoor cafe districts. (The blog is part of the bigger CreativeCrowdSource project.)

One of those blog posts is titled How to crowdsource an outdoor cafe district and it links to a forum thread on related attempts.  The overview of how to do it:

Pre-Phase. Start with identifying what kind of outdoor cafe scene to crowdsource, whether it’s a walk, alley, square, stage row, or even plaza if you’re the ‘change the world’ type. Or a convergence of two or three types.

Phase I. Develop a defined vision based on the previous phase to attract a beta community of 500 supporters of people who would frequent such a place if it were built. You can build this through monthly events or gatherings, or just a strong campaign. Ideally, the regular events would be held on the proposed site.

Phase II. Identify either an anchor or lead restaurant/cafe/coffeehouse business willing to be the first recipient of the beta community’s energy, such as with Elements in Washington DC. It’s not a hard sell, considering you’re asking a business owner if he/she is willing to have the community ensure an established customer base before opening day.

Phase III. Here’s the fun part. Now that you’ve got a participating business as a precedent and a growing beta community (0.5-1% of the city proper population is effective), you now have Long Tail leverage to present the same opportunity to a collective of businesses around a compelling outdoor cafe space that is positioned to become a cultural destination and institution in the city. Not only that, but this also provides significant momentum to secure support from the local government in terms of helping fund the public space itself.

While walking around the intersection of 28th and Nicollet, I noticed how the in-ground trees, the planters, and the tables, chairs, and umbrellas for sidewalk dining all made for an attractive urban landscape.

And I noticed that the less-than-five-feet of clearance between the tables and the buildings does not seem to be an issue. 

Why do I mention it?  Because the issue is back before the Northfield City Council this week as staff have brought back two options for trees on 4th St. reconstruction, one of which seems to include some faulty assumptions.

I’ve closed comments here. Join the discussion attached to the blog post,  Council directs staff to include sidewalk trees on 4th St. reconstruction.

Customers sit at tables outside of the Cocoa Bean prior to the ordinance. Photo by Griff Wigley.

At least one Division Street merchant is experiencing disappointment and some financial hardship because of an outdoor seating ordinance city councilmen approved in May, and she is hoping the councilmen will consider amending it before next summer.

Eileen Seeley said on Monday her customers were disappointed when she hauled her outdoor chairs and tables back inside the Cocoa Bean following the ordinance enactment. But, she could not afford to pay for the additional insurance coverage she would need to qualify for the new outdoor seating permit.

She pays for a $1 million policy now, she said. But, she would need to pay $500 more a year leap to the $1.5 million tier in order to qualify for a permit. Seeley explained she would technically only need a $1.2 million policy, but her insurance provider would not sell her a policy between standard tiers. Seeley said she felt city officials did not recognize how that repercussion could negatively affect businesses like hers.

Eileen Seeley removed the tables and chairs mid-summer. Photo by Griff Wigley.

When councilmen approved the ordinance in May, they did so with the knowledge that the ordinance might have to change later on to accommodate the concerns of at least three different downtown merchants, according to an article published at that time in the Northfield News.

The ordinance remains unchanged so far, but councilmen are scheduled to review the ordinance again in May, Brian O’Connell, Northfield Community Development Director, said on Wednesday.

“The ordinance was enacted for a period of one year, so it dies at end of that year,” O’Connell said.

The concerns Seeley had about the ordinance when councilmen first discussed it are largely the same today. The primary goals of the outdoor seating ordinance are to regulate the consumption of food and alcohol outdoors on public property, O’Connell said.

Seeley’s business serves food but not alcohol. She said the city should consider regulating only the consumption of alcohol. Food-vendors that do not serve alcohol, she said, should be considered more like the adjacent retail businesses, which may have outdoor seating and sidewalk displays without obtaining the new permit.

O’Connell said he has been aware of Seeley’s concerns and has recognized the unfairness of regulating the sidewalks in front food and alcohol vendors but not those in front of retail stores. O’Connell explained that at the time councilmen enacted the ordinance, they only had time to discuss regulating food and alcohol consumption. The matter of regulating the sidewalks in front of retail stores could be something the councilmen address in the future.

“First and foremost, it’s the city’s responsibility to manage property that the city owns,” O’Connell said of the ordinance. “The sidewalks are public property. The city wanted outdoor dining and wanted to have people sit outside and have a glass of wine or beer. But, we felt we needed to have some standard requirement in order to allow that to occur.”

Should the ordinance remain in place, Seeley said she would explore a possible loophole in the city’s statutes that could allow her to place objects within a 5-foot distance from the front of her store without additional permitting.

• There’s a special Northfield City Council meeting tonight at 5pm to interview the interim city administrator candidates.
• There’s another special Northfield City Council meeting at 7pm to A) approve an outdoor dining permit; B) approve board/commission appointments; and C) consider proposal for Al Roder’s separation agreement
• A Council Work Session follows to discuss: A) Commuter service; B) Energy Task Force; and C) Nonmotorized Transportation Task Force

And see the Northfield city calendar for other public meetings that are scheduled this week.

Update 7/30, 10:30 PM: Here’s the audio of Monday night’s Council meeting, courtesy of KYMN 1080.

Click play to listen or download the MP3. 2 hours, 20 minutes.

After recording yesterday’s podcast at KYMN, Ross, Tracy and I sauntered down Division to the HideAway Coffeehouse and Winebar to be among the first to imbibe alcohol on the sidewalk, courtesy of the City’s new sidewalk dining ordinance.

Jim and Joan Spaulding’s establishment was the first in town to complete the required paperwork, and set up tables and chairs with the proper boundary. They began serving alcoholic beverages last weekend.

Alas, we were told by one of the HideAway’s staff that Northfield City staff told them on Monday they had to stop. Some sort of approval was required by the City Council. Huh?

I phoned Joan this morning to confirm. She said was contacted by the City of Northfield’s Housing and Redevelopment Division staff person Michele Merxbauer on Monday and told that the City Council had to approve the deal before they could begin serving. She appealed to Community Development Director Brian O’Connell, to no avail. It was too late to get it on the Council agenda for Monday’s meeting, so they’d have to wait another two weeks till the next Council meeting.

The Spaulding’s busted their butts to get this in place for today’s Crazy Daze, so naturally, they’re angry. I’m angry that Brian and Michelle did not inform me or Ross (with his NDDC hat on) about this since we’ve worked on this for over two years. Nothing about this approval-of-each-applicant-by-the-Council requirement was mentioned when the ordinance was approved (May 19 minutes) nor when the fees were approved at the July 7 meeting (agenda packet p. 31). The Northfield municipal code has not yet been updated as per the Council’s directive:

ORDINANCE NO. 878 – AMENDING NORTHFIELD CODE CHAPTER 6, ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, ARTICLE II, RETAILERS, DIVISION 2, LICENSE, BY ADDING NEW SEC. 6-70, TEMPORARY EXPANSION OF LICENSED PREMISES; OUTDOOR SALES AND SERVICE, AND AMENDING NORTHFIELD CODE CHAPTER 14, BUSINESSES, BY ADDING NEW ARTICLE V, OUTDOOR FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICE.

The March 17 version of the Temporary Expansion of Licensed Premises ordinance (PDF) has language that could be interpreted to meant that the Council has to approve every single application but I’m guessing that the Councilors had no idea that they’d have to do this… and that it would add at least two weeks to the process for a business owner. If I’d known, I’d have lobbied to have the language changed. It’s a Mickey Mouse requirement for businesses that already have gotten approval for their liquor licenses. City staff should be able to make the decision.

And worst of all, I have to eat crow. Ross was right.

Finally, let us remember that this process continues. We should follow the implementation, gather feedback from the businesses affected by the new ordinance, note the anticipated “sunrise” that follows the “sunset” of this ordinance next Spring, and be alert to any additional ordinances that may be proposed to change the way that the private sector may share the public space. Our work is never done.

Left: After I left the Council meeting, I found some of the NDDC board members at the Cow, socializing a bit after a meeting. I told them the news. See the happy thumbs.
Center: Division street could soon be looking like 14th Av. SE in Dinkytown, in front of the Loring Pasta Bar.
Right: Eventually, sidewalk dining could spill out onto Division St. like this restaurant in Monterossa al Mare in the Cinque Terre region of Italy.

We raised the issue of sidewalk dining (with alcohol) in a 10-minute discussion on Locally Grown podcast #7 back in Feb. of 2006. The NDDC raised the issue way back in April of 2005. They added it to their agenda for downtown and we’ve both been pursuing the issue ever since. Here’s an index of blog posts:

Locally Grown

• Locally Grown podcast #7: (topics included outdoor dining on public spaces in downtown), Feb.11 2006
• Locally Grown podcast #16: Sidewalk dining; Northfield Library expansion report, May.5 2006
• Locally Grown podcast: downtown streetscape, library expansion, sidewalk dining, etc., Oct.9 2006
• Podcast: real estate guide wars, news racks, sidewalk dining, outdoor smoking, May.21 2007
• Whither the changes to the sidewalk dining ordinance?, Jun.20 2007
• Sidewalk dining on Division St: two ways to do it, Jul.8 2007
• New issues arise with the proposed sidewalk dining ordinance, May.8 2008
• Let’s Stage a “Sit-Out”, May.22, 2008
• Are you willing to be arrested? Sign up now!, Jun.20 2008

NDDC

• NDDC Seeks Stakeholder Input, April 8, 2005
• Interim City Administrator Shares Perspectives at NDDC Forum, Oct 30, 2005
• Forum Attendees Agree, Sidewalk Dining is Worth a Try, May 2nd, 2006
• Sidewalk dining in Italy, May 9, 2006
• Arts Consultant Recommends Outside Dining, May 16, 2006
• Barbara Flanagan, My Soulmate, April 26, 2007
• Decline and Fall of Western Civilization, May 3, 2007
• Rehearsing Outside Dining?, July 7, 2007
• EDA Joins Chamber and NDDC in urging the City Council to try sidewalk dining this summer, March 13, 2008
• The End of Sidewalk Dining?, May 20, 2008

Democracy works, albeit slowly.

So which Northfield eating and drinking establishments are likely to offer sidewalk dining yet this year?

“Similarly, and as provided by chapter 14, article V of this code, a purveyor of food and beverages on premises located in such districts who is not a liquor licensee may, on an annual basis, apply for a permit to use such an area for the sale and service of food and beverages other than alcoholic beverages.”

Would it matter if customers just carry out their purchases for consumption on the sidewalk, but the establishment’s wait-staff don’t sell or service on the sidewalk?

Also, in the Nfld News story, Outdoor dining passes first round with council, Victor Summa raised other issues at Monday’s Council mtg:

Speaking before the council Monday, Summa wondered why the proposal didn’t include the word “sidewalk,” requires a landlord to consent if their tenant takes advantage of the ordinance, and asks business owners to carry more than $1 million in insurance.

See Pages 36-40 of the May 5 ouncil Agenda Packet (PDF) or the plain text here:

City Council Meeting Date: May 5, 2008
REGULAR
ITEM #: 12
Ordinance #878

ITEM: First Reading Approving Ordinance #878 Amending Chapter 6: Outdoor Sales and Service (Outdoor Drinking) and Amending Chapter 14 Outdoor Food and Beverage Service (Outdoor Dining).

ACTION REQUESTED:

Proposed Motion For Consideration: ____________Motion ___________Second

The City Council of the City of Northfield hereby approves Ordinance #878, which will amend Chapter 6 and Chapter 14 of the Municipal Code and provide for Outdoor Sales and Service and Outdoor Food and Beverage Service

SUMMARY:

The City Council is being asked to approve Ordinance No.878, which will allow outdoor dining and drinking on sidewalks located in the C-1 and C-2 zoning districts of the City of Northfield. The Council has reviewed this proposed ordinance at the Council workshop meetings of February 11, 2008, and March 24, 2008.

At the March 24th meeting of the City Council, the Council asked that the City Attorney research the ability of the City to restrict persons who are sitting at an outdoor dining or drinking location from smoking. The City Attorney has determined that Section 114.413 Subdivision 4 provides for the authority of the City to restrict smoking in these outdoor dining and drinking areas.

The Council was also interested in knowing what the implication of this outdoor dining and drinking ordinance has related to the Defeat of Jesse James Days activities. The ordinance has been written such that business owners who have an outdoor dining and drinking permit are also required to obtain a permit from the Defeat of Jesses James organization to be able to conduct outdoor dining or drinking business during the Jesse James Days event.

The Northfield Downtown Development Corporation has coordinated a review of the ordinance by local stakeholders and they have suggested that the requirement to have a barricade for a business that is only involved in outdoor dining not be applicable. The ordinance has been revised to reflect this suggestion from the NDDC.

A copy of the proposed ordinance is attached to this Staff report for review by the City Council. Staff recommends that the City Council approve this ordinance on first reading.

SUBMITTED BY: Brian P. O’Connell, Community Development Director

ATTACHMENTS:

1. Ordinance No. 878
ORDINANCE NO. 878
AN ORDINANCE AMENDING NORTHFIELD CODE CHAPTER 6, ALCOHOLIC
BEVERAGES, ARTICLE II, RETAILERS, DIVISION 2, LICENSE, BY ADDING NEW
SEC. 6-70, TEMPORARY EXPANSION OF LICENSED PREMISES; OUTDOOR
SALES AND SERVICE, AND AMENDING NORTHFIELD CODE CHAPTER 14,
BUSINESSES, BY ADDING NEW ARTICLE V, OUTDOOR FOOD AND BEVERAGE
SERVICE.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORTHFIELD, MINNESOTA, DOES
ORDAIN THAT CHAPTER 6, ARTICLE II, DIVISION 2, SEC. 6-70, AND CHAPTER
14, ARTICLE V, AS FOLLOWS, ARE HEREBY ADOPTED AND ADDED TO THE
NORTHFIELD CODE OF ORDINANCES (new material is underlined):
Chapter 6
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
Article II. Retailers
Division 2. License
Sec. 6-70. Temporary Expansion of Licensed Premises; Outdoor Sales and Service. The purpose of this section is to allow temporary expansion of the licensed premises of a liquor licensee, to temporarily include limited outdoor areas directly adjacent to and contiguous with the permanently licensed premises, subject to such conditions as the council determines will protect the public health, safety and welfare. The city council finds that allowing outdoor sales and service in the downtown commercial areas is beneficial to the creation of a vibrant and prosperous business community so long as adequate review, controls and accountability are in place. Accordingly, both liquor licensees and purveyors of food and beverages who are not liquor licensees shall be entitled to apply for the benefits available under this section. Therefore, the holder of any retail liquor license for premises located in the C-1 or C-2 zoning districts of the city may, on an annual basis, apply for a permit for temporary expansion of its licensed premises, for an area directly adjacent to and contiguous with the permanently licensed premises.

Similarly, and as provided by chapter 14, article V of this code, a purveyor of food and beverages on premises located in such districts who is not a liquor licensee may, on an annual basis, apply for a permit to use such an area for the sale and service of food and beverages other than alcoholic beverages. The city council may grant such a permit on the terms and conditions specified in this section and such other terms and conditions as the city council may determine are necessary or advisable to protect the public health, safety and welfare. Such a permit shall authorize use of any temporary expansion area on particular days, dates and times and shall be valid for a period of time as specified in the permit, not to exceed one year. If approved by the city council, a temporary expansion area may include defined areas on public property including public sidewalks. Application for a permit for temporary expansion of a licensed premises or other unlicensed premises shall be subject to the following requirements and procedures.

(a) Application. Application for a permit for temporary expansion of a licensed premises or other premises shall be made on a form provided by the city and shall contain the following information and such other information as the city may require from time to time:

(1) The names, addresses and telephone numbers of the license holder and of all managers of the licensed establishment or of the owner and manager of an unlicensed premises.

(2) A specific description and diagram of the area in which the temporary expansion activity is to occur. The description and diagram must include location, dimensions, barriers proposed to be used, ingress and egress arrangements, seating capacity, and other pertinent information.

(3) Written consent of the owner of the expansion area or of a person with lawful responsibility for the expansion area, if the owner is someone other than the licensee or business owner.

(4) The purpose for which the temporary expansion is sought, a description of planned activities, including food and beverage service, entertainment, if any, security plans (including lighting, sanitation, liquor control, etc.), and days and hours of operation including beginning and ending dates.

(5) Proof that any necessary auxiliary permits have been obtained.

(6) A detailed description of the planned staffing of the temporary expansion area during hours of operation, and methods the licensee will use to ensure that consumption of alcoholic beverages is restricted to the licensed premises and the temporary expansion area and that alcoholic beverages are not removed from those areas.

(7) Such other information as the city may deem necessary.

(b) Fees. Each application shall be accompanied by an application fee in such amount as may be determined by the city council by resolution from time to time.

(c) Review. Applications shall be submitted to the community development department and shall be reviewed by such staff persons as may be appropriate in the circumstances, including the chief of police in all applications which involve the outdoor sale of liquor. Review of applications shall include consideration of all pertinent building code, fire code and other life safety issues, applicable zoning ordinances, history of the licensee with regard to maintaining order on the licensed premises and complying with applicable laws, potential impact of proposed outdoor service on adjoining properties in terms of light, noise and liquor control, and other considerations.

(d ) Conditions. Approval of an application may be made subject to any appropriate restrictions or conditions, which may vary from establishment to establishment depending on the circumstances. At a minimum, the following restrictions and conditions shall apply:

(1) A temporary expansion area must be compact and contiguous to the permanently licensed premises and must be contained by approved physical enclosure devices. The enclosure requirement may be waived if no alcoholic beverages will be served in the area. An expansion area located on public property shall not unreasonably impede visibility of or access to a neighboring premises or business without permission from the neighboring premises or business owner.

(2) Hours of operation shall be limited to between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., subject to other limitations imposed by law and subject to any greater restrictions which the city council may determine should apply to a temporary expansion area due to its particular circumstances.

(3) Days or dates of operation shall be as specified in the permit and no permit shall be valid for more than one year.

(4) Service of alcoholic beverages and other food and beverages shall be only at tables and limited to the approved seating capacity in a temporary expansion area, and food service shall be available in the temporary expansion area during all hours when liquor is sold.

(5) The city council may specify the type of beverage containers which may be used in a temporary expansion area, may require a specific type and number of refuse containers to be provided within the area, and may require sanitary facilities in addition to the facilities located within the permanent premises.

(6) An approved temporary barrier at least 36 inches in height shall be in place between the temporary expansion area and any other public or private property during all hours of operation, provided that the city council may require a higher and more secure barrier depending on the circumstances. This requirement may be waived if no alcoholic beverages will be served in the expansion area.

(7) The city council may require that access to and egress from a temporary expansion area be only through a door connecting it to the permanently licensed premises or to other property controlled by the licensee.

(8) The licensee shall have submitted adequate plans addressing liquor control and other public safety concerns and shall at all times comply with all such plans which have been approved by the city in issuing a permit under this section.

(9) If the temporary expansion area includes a public sidewalk or other walkway, at least 3 ½ feet of walkway must be maintained outside the temporary expansion area for barrier-free (including wheelchair accessible) pedestrian traffic.

(10) All temporary barriers, tables, chairs, and other property of the licensee shall be removed from any public property within a temporary expansion area, or shall be stored in some defined and secure area approved by the city, at all times other than hours of operation.

(11) The licensee shall be responsible for picking up trash and litter, whether generated by the operation of the temporary expansion area or not, within the temporary expansion area and within a reasonable distance (a minimum of 20 feet) from the temporary expansion area.

(12) All applicable liquor laws shall be faithfully observed by the licensee and the licensee’s employees.

(13) No smoking, as defined by Minnesota Statutes Section 144.413, Subd. 4, shall be allowed within a temporary expansion area on public property.

(14) The licensee or owner shall have secured any other permit or license which may be required for the use, area, and period of time proposed.

(15) The council may prohibit or may authorize entertainment to be conducted in an outdoor area, in the discretion of the council, and may restrict any authorized entertainment as necessary or desirable for the protection of the repose and welfare of the public and adjoining property owners.

(16) The licensee shall maintain commercial general liability insurance expressly covering any temporary expansion area, with a limit of not less than $1,200,000 each occurrence, and shall name the city of Northfield as an additional insured thereon. The licensee shall provide proof of such insurance to the city prior to issuance of any permit under this section and from time to time thereafter upon request of the city.

(17) By applying for and receiving a permit hereunder, the licensee or owner shall be deemed to have agreed to defend, indemnify and hold the city, its officers, employees and agents, harmless from any claims, damages, losses, costs and expenses which may arise as a result of the use of the temporary expansion area by the licensee, owner, and/or the licensee’s or owner’s employees, agents and customers. Specifically, but not by way of limitation, the licensee or owner shall

I’d like to see the new sidewalk dining ordinance that Ross Currier and colleagues at the NDDC are working on allow restaurant owners the option to place a removable structure for sidewalk dining in the street in front of their business. (The photos above are from Levanto, Italy, where Robbie and I visited a couple years ago.) There will soon be four restaturants in this area of downtown that might be interested in doing this.

Imagine if Northfield became known far and wide because of its culture of sidewalk dining. Good for tourism, good for residents.

In May, 2006, the NDDC hosted a downtown forum on this issue of sidewalk dining. Ross Currier blogged about it and wrote:

Panel and audience members offered some ideas, including defining a 42 inch clear zone for the sidewalk in the ordinance, specifying closing times for outside seating, temporary use of parking spaces for seating during special events, and creating a green buffer of potted plants around the outside seating.

Downtown business owner and [then] EDA member Tracy Davis seemed to sum up the sense of the group when she said, “It doesn’t sound like there are any concerns that can’t be addressed, shouldn’t we just give it a try?”

On May 16, 2006, Ross blogged about ArtsPlan ’06 consultant Tom Clough’s support for the idea and wrote: “David Hvistendahl and Maren Swanson are circulating draft ordinance language right now.” (I also posted some of my photos of sidewalk dining structures in Italy to the NDDC blog.)

Robbie and I ate dinner last night on the sidewalk tables (left photo) in front of the James Gang HideAway but of course, we couldn’t have a beer or a glass of wine with our meal. Nor could the patrons down the street at Hogan Brothers. Nor the patrons up the street at the Rueb.

Meanwhile, the Nlfd News reports quotes Rueb owner Joe Grundhoefer as saying, “We’re in the works of having a smoking patio built out back but we don’t know if it will be ready by fall.” I’d much rather see a sidewalk dining structure that smokers and non-smokers could share. There appears to be plenty of room for it on either the Division or 5th St. side of the building (photos below).

So here we are, a year later, summer about to begin, and I don’t think anything has happened to move the ball along. With two and maybe three new restaurants opening this summer on Division (two serving liquor) it would seem that the time is right to have the ordinance changed.

What’s holding things up?

Click play to listen. 30 minutes.

Our show, Locally Grown, airs on Tuesdays at 4:30 PM, KRLX, 88.1 FM. You can also subscribe to the podcast feed, or subscribe with iTunes. We seek your comments and suggestions. Attach a comment to this blog post or use the Contact Us page to send us email. See the show archives for audio of other episodes.

I’d like to see Northfield follow Stillwater’s lead and crack down on motorcyclists (as well as drivers of other vehicles) who come through downtown, deliberately revving their engines. Rather than trying to measure decibels, the cops ticket for the illegal exhaust modifications.

For more background on Stillwater’s approach, see this coverage: Strib editorial, WCCO, and Pioneer Press. For more on loud motorcycles, see Noiseoff and Noisefree America.

And for a clever ad, view this “I have a small penis” YouTube video:

Issues covered in episode #16 of Locally Grown, recorded this afternoon (May 5): The “Northfield Public Library Preliminary Report on Community Needs Assessment And Space Needs” with guest Adam Gurno, library board member; also, a brief recap of Tuesday’s NDDC downtown forum on sidewalk dining.

Click the play button to listen (30 minutes), or download the MP3 File, or subscribe to the feed, or subscribe with iTunes. Join the ISSUES discussion list to continue the conversation on these and other issues. Attach a comment to give us feedback. See the Locally Grown page for previous episodes and more on the show.