Local food specialist Katie Cassidy details farm-to-table projects and cookbook in Aitkin County interview

Katie Cassidy, owner and operator of Explore Healing Food and Movement, discussed her culinary training and a series of local food projects during an episode of Coffee with the County.

Cassidy said she trained at the Culinary Institute of America and worked in private-chef roles and farm-focused food programs in places including Calgary, Alberta, before returning to Aitkin County to renovate a family property and build what she described as an "edible acre." She said that experience led her to shift from private-chef work into full-time food-business contracting focused on connecting farmers to consumers and supporting community food education.

Why it matters: Cassidy’s work aims to increase access to locally produced food while helping residents use seasonal harvests. Her projects include workshops on farms, partnerships with local businesses to sell prepared items, and volunteer-driven farm events — efforts that local advocates say can boost agritourism and strengthen small farm viability in the county.

Cassidy described several ongoing efforts. She said she is partnering with the Beanery to stock a central refrigerator with prepared grab-and-go meals and seasonal products sourced from nearby farms; "we have the grab-and-go options and then right now we have greens and eggs in there from two of our farmers on the farm trail," she said. The project is intended to give residents quick access to farm-fresh meals and to promote producers on the Aitkin Farm Trail.

She also runs workshops at local farms — including Clear Lake Gardens and Kelly's Farm — teaching food-preservation and cooking techniques timed to the growing season. Cassidy said these events are part of a broader food-education series and a possible culinary incubator concept to help residents and small producers build food skills and market-ready products.

Cassidy is writing a 'Farm Cookbook' she said contains 85 recipes designed to help people use CSA (community-supported agriculture) boxes and other seasonal produce that can be unfamiliar or difficult to store. She described the book as a practical resource to reduce waste and help consumers make the most of local harvests.

She also described a planned collaboration with Farm Buds, a Twin Cities volunteer program that brings community volunteers to farms. Cassidy said organizers hope to host a multi-farm event in Aitkin County that could draw roughly 40–60 volunteers to support farm projects and build community connections.

Cassidy made a public-health related claim about pesticide persistence, saying studies indicated glyphosate can remain in the body for "two to three weeks." She did not cite specific studies during the interview; that claim is presented here as her assertion from the conversation and was not independently verified in the episode.

The episode closed with the host encouraging listeners to visit explorehealingfoodandmovement.com for event listings and purchase information for Cassidy’s existing cookbook. No formal votes or government actions were taken during the program.

"I am literally a professional food nerd," Cassidy said, summarizing her motivation to teach and build local food systems.