6/6/2011 MinneCulture

1. Wise Acre: farm-owned, farm-to-table eatery
Produced by Nancy Skalkos
The distance from farm-to-table will be closer than ever with the opening of Tangletown's Wise Acre Eatery in South Minneapolis. Owners Dean Engleman and Scott Endres have added 17 acres of vegetables, chickens, Scottish Highland Cattle and Berkshire pigs to their ornamental plant production in Plato, Minnesota. The farm will directly supply ingredients to Chef Beth Fisher and Manager Caroline Glawe for what may be the first farm-to-table restaurant owned by the farm. KFAI's Nancy Skalkos reports.

2. Fulton Beer: Minneapolis' latest craft beer
Produced by Jessica Folker
What could be better than brewing beer with your closest friends? Selling it as a wildly successful microbrew! One of the Twin Cities' up-and-coming local companies, Fulton Beer, will open its brewery just blocks from Target Field this fall. KFAI producer Jessica Folker talked to the guys behind Fulton Beer about their journey from being a garage brew, to one of Minnesota's most successful craft beers.

3. Ruth Adams: leader of the world's most dangerous polka band
Produced by Marya Morstad
Ruth Adams had been the accordionist for The World's Most Dangerous Polka Band at Nye's Polonaise Room for 35 years, when she passed away in March 2011. Featured on Jon Stewart's The Daily Show, ABC's Good Morning America, and in Sonny Tormoen's short documentary about her life, The World's Most Dangerous Polka Band (www.dangerouspolkafilms.com), Ruth was a Northeast icon and Minnesota treasure. KFAI producer Marya Morstad paid a visit to Nye's to reminisce about Polka Queen Ruth Adams with former pianist Lou Snider, hostess Evie Radke, and bandmate and trumpeter Joe Hayden.

4. Sweet Lou Snider: a life at Nye's Polonaise Room
Produced by Marya Morstad
Nye’s Polonaise Room is a Northeast Minneapolis relic. With its swanky dining room, classic piano bar and jam-packed polka lounge, Nye’s has been serving crowds for six decades. Earlier this year, accordion queen Ruth Adams, leader of the World’s Most Dangerous Polka Band, passed away at the age of 79, and long-time pianist Lou Snider retired after 45 years behind the keys. Collectively, these women entertained patrons for 80 years. In the next two pieces, KFAI’s Marya [MAR-e-ah] Morstad pays tribute to these two indelible performers: Ruth Adams and “Sweet Lou” Snider.

5. Exotik-a-GoGo
Produced by Nancy Sartor
Exotik-a-GoGo is the house band at Psycho Suzi's Motor Lounge. Every Friday and Saturday the sextet sets the mood in the upstairs bar with tiki, lounge and exotica numbers. In this segment, meet the band: Craig Gallas, Clint Hoover, Vince Hyman, Bob Ekstrand, Chris Johnson and Tom Cravens. Produced by Nancy Sartor.