The digital phenomenon has changed the way many people cook, but it has an Achilles' heel: food. More to the point, food spilled on keypads or batter-smudged touch screens. The Chef Sleeve comes to the rescue. Made in Minnesota, this protective plastic casing is custom-made for the iPad. The individual sleeves are food-safe and recyclable, and seal with an adhesive strip that sticks to itself, not your iPad. Sleeves come 25 to a pack, but you can extend the life of each by wiping them down. Inventor Santiago Merea of Minneapolis says the sleeves are thin enough to keep the screen touch-sensitive and easy to read. The package can be used as an iPad stand. Available online at www.chefsleeve.com, ($19.95 for 25) and at Epitome in Galleria in Edina.

Dirt under our nails Mississippi Market's annual plant sale runs through May 31 at 1500 W. 7th St., St. Paul. First out will be cool-hardy plants such as Minnesota natives, potting annuals and cool-crop vegetables, plus hanging baskets for Mother's Day. Then they'll add the bulk of perennials, tomatoes, peppers and more then 65 heirloom varieties, plus starts for cucumbers and melons. Organic soil amendments, worm castings and potting soils are available at both Mississippi Market locations.

Raw milk symposium The Farm-to-Consumer Foundation and the Foundation for Consumer Free Choice are cohosting the third Raw Milk Symposium from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Bloomington. The public event will cover the health benefits of raw milk and the relationship between producers and consumers. To register, visit RawMilkSymposium.org or call 1-703-208-3276. Cost is $40, and there is a fundraiser and dinner for $100 that evening.

Grand View partners with COCH Grand View Lodge Resort in Nisswa, Minn., is working with Cooks of Crocus Hill to offer a new series of wine tastings, dinners and classes at the historic lodge. The first weekend is May 20-22, with sommelier Timothy Edmunds and executive chef Michael Manders from Grand View Lodge. It will begin with a Friday night tasting and tapas event. The following day, COCH chef Mike Shannon and co-owner Karl Benson will lead a brunch cooking class. An afternoon session will be about salsa and cocktails, culminating with a final cooking demonstration and wine pairing that evening. For more information, visit www.grandviewlodge.com or www.cooksofcrocushill.com. Space is limited, so reservations are first-come, first-serve.

KIM ODE