Not that we ever need the excuse of a holiday celebration to indulge in excessive amounts of chocolate….Valentine’s Day will soon be here….and the Market has tons of beautifully hand-crafted, decadently delicious chocolate for you and your loved ones. Also, as an added bonus and further reason to eat more chocolate, medical research has shown that eating dark chocolate has healthful benefits.

According to medical research from Johns Hopkins University dark chocolate contains powerful antioxidants. Among the most beneficial is a flavanol called epicatechin. Flavanols are compounds found in plants that fight inflammation and protect against cell damage caused by free radicals. Further research has shown that eating dark chocolate can provide the following health benefits :

Six Reasons Why You Should Eat Chocolate

1. Increases heart health: The antioxidants in dark chocolate have been shown to lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of clotting and increase blood circulation to the heart, thus lowering the risks of stroke, coronary heart disease, and death from heart disease.
2. Balances the immune system: Flavanols prevent the immune system from going into overdrive and reduce oxidative stress, which is an imbalance caused by cells fighting against free radicals and a common cause of many diseases.
3. Combats diabetes: Epicatechin protects cells, makes them stronger, and supports the processes that help the body to use insulin better, which might prevent or combat diabetes.
4. Improves brain function: Flavanols in dark chocolate has a positive impact on brain function, including better reaction time, visual-spatial awareness, and stronger memory. Though research is ongoing, one reason for this may be that flavanols increase blood flow to the brain.
5. Boosts athletic performance: The epicatechin in dark chocolate increases the production of nitric oxide in the blood, which supports circulation and reduces the amount of oxygen an athlete uses while engaged in moderately intense exercise. This allows the athlete to maintain workout intensity for longer.
6. Reduces stress: People who ate dark chocolate reported that they felt less stressed, and researchers confirmed that after eating dark chocolate, there were reduced levels of the stress hormone cortisol. This may be related to dark chocolate’s effects on heart health since stress is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease

The 2022 growing season was the most recent extreme weather battle our farmers and growers wrestled with. Last April was especially cold, wet, and muddy delaying planting in fields; the delay decreases growing times and yields at harvest. The cold and wet conditions also make it harder to keep livestock healthy. And then there is the mud to navigate; it gets on and in everything. Bedding the livestock and keeping them clean and dry is a daily struggle. Getting a tractor or skid-loader stuck in the mud…can make for a very stressful and challenging day. After getting hit with the cold wet Spring, 2022 dealt another blow to farmers with extreme drought conditions across a large swath of the state. September 2022 was the driest on record for the Twin Cities. These extreme weather conditions had a significant impact on our farmers and growers reducing yields and profit. It also reduces the amount and variety of fresh produce we have available at our markets.

Checking in on one of Livestock Farmers: After a long day of plowing snow, Craig Fischer of Sleepy Bison Acres graciously took the time to share some thoughts on Wintertime farming in Minnesota. Craig’s farm is located outside of Sleepy Eye, a small town in rural Brown County with a population of 3,428. Roughly a two-hour drive Southwest of Saint Paul. The Fischer family has been farming the area for 5 generations. On his farm, Craig’s pasture raises Bison, Pigs, and Poultry. The recent storm has found Craig spending a lot of time in his skid-loader plowing and piling snow. While the Sleepy Eye area didn’t receive the heavy dump we got in the Metro, there is plenty of blowing and drifting to contend with in the area. 

When I asked Craig how his Bison get by during the Winter, he said they are uniquely adapted to the climate in Minnesota. The Bison are a native keystone mammal that has roamed America for millions of years. Their thick wooly coats are the perfect armor against bitter-cold winds and blowing snow. Under cold stress, a Bison’s metabolism slows to conserve energy and minimize nutritional needs. Craig supplies supplemental nutrition to the Bison while their grazing pastures are covered in snow.

Craig reminded me of the good that the snow brings. Moisture for the topsoil to ward off drought and fuel re-growth. Craig’s pasture raises his animals and skillfully cares for the health of his soil. He incorporates sustainability practices such as rotational grazing, no-till, and the use of cover-crops which leads to nutrient-dense food for the livestock, and nutrient-dense meat and eggs for the consumer. Craig also shared an interesting and important positive side to the Winter snow: as the snow falls it collects atmospheric nitrogen, and when the snow melts the nitrogen naturally fertilizes the soil, how cool is that!

Craig’s work ethic, passion, and intelligence are on display in the beautifully crafted products he brings to the Saint Paul Farmers Market. You can find him on select dates at the Downtown Winter Market or order online at their company website

Ameeta Jaiswal-Dale is CEO and Co-Founder of Panache. She believes having functional ingredients in beverages is a key trend for consumers looking for health and wellness in everyday food and drinks. 

Panache infuses apple juice with ingredients like ginger and turmeric for anti-inflammation purposes. The category of functional beverages is dominated by energy drinks and sports drinks, but Ameeta’s apple-juice based product avoids using caffeine and keeps the sugar count low. She believes that, “Every food group has a function. Food is something that has to be suitable for your body, so we have to customize our intake.” 

For more insights on the functional beverage category, check out the article inside the Star Tribune: