News & Views of Phillips Since 1976
Monday December 22nd 2025
Eat Your Leafy Greens!
By MARY ELLEN KALUZA
Summer is in full swing, and our local farmers markets are bursting with the first produce of the season. For several weeks now, enterprising farmers with hoop houses have been supplying us with breathtaking spinach, stunning kale, lovely arugula, and delicious Hakurei turnips, with their yummy greens (a great twofer vegetable!).
Fresh vegetables at the local farmers markets are almost always less expensive than in grocery stores, not to mention far more nutritious, as they haven”™t languished in a far-off warehouse for weeks before reaching our refrigerators. Most vegetables start to lose nutrients the minute they are picked, and can lose 50 percent or more in less than a week. So, buying directly from the farmer who was up pre-dawn picking those leafy greens gets you the maximum goodness for your dollar.
WHY EAT GREENS?
Greens are probably the most nutrient packed food group. They are a great source of important minerals (iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium) and vitamins C, B, E, and K. Plus, greens have phytonutrients like beta-carotene and lutein. Lutein, for example, is shown to promote long term eye health, lowering the risk of cataracts. So, just like saving now in your 401K for retirement, eat your greens today to save your eyesight for those golden years.… Read the rest “Eat Your Leafy Greens!”
Keep citizen journalism alive!
In This Time of Need, Minnesotans Have Stepped Up; It’s Government’s Turn
By Allison Sharkey, Felicia Perry, and Chad Kulas
This guest commentary first appeared in the Minnesota Reformer
The civil unrest that unfolded in the wake of George Floyd”™s murder has had a deep and lasting impact on the Twin Cities. Buildings burned, family-run shops were robbed, and local health care clinics and nonprofits were broken into and damaged. The places where people lived, worked and relied on for essential services were destroyed and entire communities were left reeling.
In this moment of pain, Minnesotans did what they do best: They lent a hand and got to work. Volunteers swept the streets and sidewalks. People organized pop-up food shelves. Donations ”” of $5, $20 $50 ”” came in from across our state and the country to help small businesses.
This generosity has accomplished a lot. Thanks to these donations, local nonprofits like the Lake Street Council, the West Broadway Business and Area Coalition, and the Midway Chamber of Commerce have been able to provide more than $10 million in grants to more than 400 small businesses.… Read the rest “In This Time of Need, Minnesotans Have Stepped Up; It’s Government’s Turn”