Fresh pizza is a learning experience at Chisago City Friday farmers' market

Vegetables and other goods you’ll find at the Chisago City Farmers Market, would make some nice pizzas. Shoppers could, if they were so-inclined bring fresh market food home, take out a knife and a cutting board, heat the house on a summer evening by turning on the oven (or fire up a grill outdoors) and be ready for a taste of Italy in a mere hour or two. Or, they could get their hot pizza fix this season in just five minutes, without ever leaving the farmers market in Moberg Park, open 2 to 6:30 p.m. every Friday into October.

As Chisago City’s weekly event for area farmers enters its second season, a new attraction near a live music stage finds area youth preparing organic pizza dough, to be topped with the consumer’s choice of fresh meats and vegetables, baked within minutes in a stone brick oven, then sliced and served either for sharing or to be enjoyed alone. The project making it possible for youth learning business and cooking skills, is made possible through an Initiative Foundation grant, which was secured by farmers market manager Cecilia Coulter and board members. “We want young people to attend farmers markets. We want young people to run farmers markets,” Coulter said. “If we’re going to have farmers in the future, we need to help them now.” Guidance in building the new, NSF-certified brick oven came from Darrold and Marty Glanville, of rural North Branch, who built their first brick oven for private use eight years ago. Participating youth registered early for the program, coming from Cambridge, Wyoming and Chisago City.

They trained for up to 10 hours with the Glanvilles, whose Sunrise Flour Mill also provides flash-frozen balls of dough for the pizzas. Armed with a state seasonal food license, along with their new knowledge, the youth opened the oven and pizza booth June 14. They are offering many regional tastes with donations of organic sauces from Brink’s Market, sausage and Canadian bacon from Deutschland Meats, a cheese blend from Eichten’s and seasonal produce (recently spinach and oregano) from Natura Farms. “We have had a lot of amazing cooperation to get this happening here,” Coulter said. A 6-inch cheese pizza is priced at $5. Other toppings, including each meat and vegetable, are available for an additional $1.

The workers have access to gluten-free dough from another market vendor, and those specialty pizzas are available at a 12-inch size for a starting price of $15. Coulter said that financially, their goal is to meet costs while also being able to generate some dollars for the youth workers. Marty Glanville attended the farmers market for her students’ first night, and she said she was pleased by their output. “I’m just so impressed with how well they’re working together,” she said. Coulter said there are opportunities remaining this season for other youth, minimum age 14, who would be interested in working hard with others to create and serve quality pizza on Fridays. They should email [email protected] for more information.