By Summer Kelly – The Watershed Café
Located in the heart of the beautiful St. Croix River Valley, you will find The Watershed Café – a rustic, locally and sustainably-sourced restaurant perched above the St. Croix River in Osceola, Wisconsin. As a neighborhood cornerstone, The Watershed Café is a vibrant hub of local activity.
Since the restaurant’s start in 2014, owners Rita and Steve Rasmuson have been on a mission to make wholesome comfort food accessible to all people. For Rita, that means using simple and fresh ingredients. “We are a whole food restaurant,” she says, “which means we bring in beautiful food and simply create dishes for everyone to enjoy.”
The down-to-earth nature of The Watershed Café is rooted in the local, slow-food food movement. “Because of processed, packaged fast-foods, we as a society have become so far removed from the abundance of good food our Earth provides. By creating intentional, made-from-scratch dishes and building relationships with local small-scale farms, we are closer to the people growing our food and more deeply connected to the land,” Rita emphasized.
Inspired by garden produce, seasonal ingredients and local flavor, Rita cultivates partnerships with small farmers and sustainable sources to bring fresh-grown food directly to the table. “It’s important for each of us to be mindful of where our food comes from. We are fortunate to be surrounded by hard-working people who are passionate about farming and land stewardship,” Rita shared. “Supporting our local farmers improves the lives of everyone around us. It builds our local economy, provides support for small families, neighbors, friends, and community members in our rural areas, and allows each of us to eat fresh, clean, healthy food.”
Rita upholds those standards with a mindful, whole foods mentality. The Watershed Café works closely with farms within 10 miles of the restaurant to source much of its fresh produce, dairy products, meats, and cheeses. Other products are sourced from within a 100-mile radius whenever possible. Striving to support small, family-owned-and-operated businesses with shared values is key.
The Watershed Café is proud to partner with Peterson Craftsman Meats, Common Harvest Farm, Morning Sun Farms, Blackbrook Farm, Crystal Ball Farms, Cosmic Wheel Creamery, Sister Crave Bakery, Skinny Jake’s Fat Honey, Peace Lutheran Pure Maple Syrup, Duluth Coffee Company, and Zenith Tea Works. These wonderful, sustainable sources provide the homegrown ingredients that are the flavors of The Watershed Café!