Meet the Minnesota Makers

16/07/2025

A fun first for Meet the Minnesota Makers!

We were delighted to be a sponsor at Renewing the Countryside’s Summer FUNdraiser this June.

Renewing the Countryside is some of the best of the best when it comes to building community, lifting up small producers, and encouraging local food and food producers.

Through Local Feast! and their outreach work at the MN State Fair, I have learned so much about their work to improve our regional food system. Every time I attend an event, I discover new local food innovators.

Renewing the Countryside is on a mission to strengthens rural areas by championing and supporting rural communities, farmers, artists, entrepreneurs, educators, activists and other people who are renewing the countryside through sustainable and innovative initiatives, businesses, and projects.

Their work includes: field days

*coordinating volunteer labor

*creating food hubs

*providing support for farm transitions

*training underrepresented farmers

*offering support for sustainable practices

*connecting local produce into schools

*engaging women in conservation

*giving access to technical support

*facilitating thoughtful investment in farming and food

They also partner with a variety of organizations to increase their reach and support of our regional food system.

Thank you Elena Gutierrez Byrnelena Gutierrez Byrne for introducing me to Renewing the FEAST Local Foods Network Local Foods Network You were absolutely right that I would be interested in the work that you do.

Meet the Minnesota Makers is an enthusiastic supporter of Renewing the Countryside and Local Feast! (watch for the newest edition of their magazine coming later this summer). We’ll be volunteering this August at their State Fair booth and look forward to this fall’s Feast! event in Rochester on Saturday, November 1.

Registration is now open for sampling through their State Fair Booth in the Eco Experience Building or to be a vendor at November’s Feast! event. Comment State Fair or Feast! below and I’ll send you a direct link to sign up for the events.

Eat well. Eat local!

(Pictured plate is full of goodness from Gardens of Salonica who catered the RTC FUNdraiser)

10/07/2025

A little bit of magic…

That’s what it felt like to visit Bucheron for the June Women Who Really Cook meeting.

In the midst of their James Beard award winning whirlwind, Jeanie and the rest of the Bûcheron team welcomed Women Who Really Cook (including several of our inaugural Sue Zelickson scholarship winners) to their oasis.

This team exudes hope and determination. The story of how the restaurant came to life in our own Minneapolis is a beautiful one. It’s a testament to the importance of local farms and knowing where your food comes from. It’s built from international experience and the centering power of home. It’s a commitment to hospitality in every sense of the word. I left the meeting excited about how the Bûcheron team will continue to advocate for local food and intentional dining from their wonderful corner of the world.

Women Who Really Cook is a networking organization for women who are in the food business in the Twin Cities area and greater Minnesota. Monthly meetings are held in-person and virtually at various locations where members work to share successes, ideas, dreams, desires, products and possibilities in the food world.

The mission of Women Who Really Cook is to provide our members with hospitality and food industry information, resources and on-going promotional opportunities that will help them in reaching their personal and professional goals. It’s a powerful network for those seeking jobs in the food and hospitality industry or for employers seeking talented additions to their staffs.

I’m proud to be a board member of this forward-thinking organization. In my current role, I work directly with our scholarship students to build bridges with mentors to contribute to their success beyond our financial contributions. Wonder if Women Who Really Cook is a good fit for your goals? Comment “Cook” below or send me a DM to learn more.

Congratulations to Bûcheron and here’s to the power of local food!

04/06/2025

Dad wants you to shop locally this year.

The Meet the Minnesota Makers “Shop Minnesota” gift guide is ready with fresh updates from our curated list of Minnesota small businesses.

Swipe through for a preview of fresh local finds for summer. Choose among experience gifts, yummy treats, treats for the kitchen or reasons to get outside.

Not only will you make your dad, grandfather, uncle, nephew, husband, or partner, and all the special men in your life feel loved, you’ll also give a local small business owner a reason to do a happy dance.

Explore the full guide at meettheminnesotamakers.com. Search by category or the type of business you want to support.

Share the news with a friend. Drop a hint for a loved one. Save a list of your favorite makers on our website to customize a gift list.

Newsletter subscribers have access to exclusive discount codes for these Father’s Day treats. Sign up at meettheminnesotamakers.com or comment gift guide below and we’ll add you to the list.

Which of these local items is at the top of your list?

Follow along Meet the Minnesota Makers for more local suggestions for Father’s Day and all year long.

30/05/2025

We’ve moved!

Meet the Minnesota Makers has a new corner of the world to call home.

I’m SO excited.

Our address hasn’t changed.

Our view of the world and our business’s place in it has.

This move is an intentional step towards permanence.

We reimagined our family’s space to give Meet the Minnesota Makers a fixed place in it. As a bonus, we’ve reclaimed our dining room for family gatherings and giant puzzles.

Once the move happened, it seemed so simple. We shuffled around some kid furniture, pulled a desk out of basement storage, and set up a filing system. “Moving in” took an afternoon.

While I still work from the home, coming to work feels different in this corner of it. This is my space to grow this little business of mine that serve our diverse entrepreneurial Minnesota community.

To my fellow entrepreneurs working in the margins of your personal space — have you found a space of your own?

I find that It feels good to take up this space. While my kids weren’t so sure about having their stuff moved around, they’re excited about Mama’s office now.

Look forward to a fresh round of features, new maker services, and summer gift guide updates from our new world headquarters.

Come join our newsletter community at meettheminnesotamakers.com or DM me your email and I’ll add you to our list.

To be continued (from my fabulous window office)!

30/05/2025

Honored to be in such good company. We are very proud to be sponsoring (our first time ever!) Renewing the Countryside.

We are 1 month out from our Annual Fundraiser on Thursday, June 26 and want to give a huge shoutout to our main sponsors and in kind sponsors: West Central Initiative, Lakewinds Food Co-op, Meet the Minnesota Makers, Begin & Associates, Far North Spirits, Lake Monster Brewing, Sweet Haven Tonics, and Haskell's Wine & Spirits.

We are so grateful for all these generous businesses supporting our work and mission! If you'd like to join as a sponsor OR secure your tickets to RTC's fundraiser today, visit https://www.renewingthecountryside.org/renewing_the_countryside_annual_fundraiser for more information.

RTC's Annual Fundraiser & Celebration is Thursday, June 26 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Dodge Nature Center in West St. Paul. We can't wait to see you all there. Stay tuned for highlights of our silent auction items 🙌

28/05/2025

Cannon Falls flavor is coming to the Arboretum!

Registration is now open for our first Taste Makers “road trip” edition.

Spend your morning in the Farm at the Arb’s Myers Education center for a culinary roadtrip to Cannon Falls with CannonBelles Ferndale Market and Tilion Brewing

Join Chef Beth Fisher and Michelle Sharp, founder of Meet the Minnesota Makers, as they introduce you to three local, innovative, small business owners from this beautiful area of southeastern Minnesota.

The Makers provide demonstrations, prepare samples and share the passions that inspire their work.

Experience a unique behind the scenes glimpse of these Minnesota businesses as you eat and drink your way through some of the best of Cannon Falls.

In this class you will:
🚗 Explore local flavor available just a short drive from the Twin Cities — discover the rich food and drink traditions of southern Minnesota.

🦃 Hear the story behind Ferndale Market’s success in carving out a niche for free-range turkeys and building a standout independent brand.

🧀 Taste award-winning CannonBelles cheese and learn how they craft their signature flavors using local ingredients.

🍻 Sample small-batch craft beer from Tilion Brewing Company, brewed steps from the scenic Cannon River Falls.

😍 Be among the first to try a brand-new collaborative product from CannonBelles and Ferndale!

Date: Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

As always, your registration fee includes a full day’s admission to the sumptuous MN Landscape Arboretum. (Discounted registration for arboretum members.)

Register through the Arboretum’s website: https://arb.umn.edu/learn/taste-makers-cannon-falls

Comment “Taste” below to receive the link in your DMs.

23/05/2025

We loved exploring Heath's Resort during our March stay. Explore the Meet the Minnesota Makers feature about the traditions that make this corner of Minnesota the gathering place. https://meettheminnesotamakers.com/the-gathering-place-live-the-lake-life-at-pine-rivers-heaths-resort/

🌟 We’re honored! 🌟

Heath’s Resort had the incredible opportunity to welcome Michelle M. Sharp, founder of Meet the Minnesota Makers, for a lakeside stay—and she captured the heart of what makes our resort so special! 💛🌲

Meet the Minnesota Makers celebrates the amazing small businesses, artisans, and makers that make our state shine—and we’re thrilled to be part of it. Michelle’s story highlights the beauty, tradition, and joy of lake life at Heath’s Resort. 🛶🔥

🎉 Read all about her stay and what makes Heath’s “The Gathering Place” here:
👉 https://meettheminnesotamakers.com/the-gathering-place-live-the-lake-life-at-pine-rivers-heaths-resort/

Thank you, Michelle! 💫
Meet the Minnesota Makers

20/05/2025

Want to stop chasing likes & follows- and instead do marketing that actually helps you grow customers?

Join Greener Pastures and Meet the Minnesota Makers for a live, virtual workshop designed to help sustainable farmers and farm educators sharpen their storytelling and digital marketing skills.

Whether you sell at farmers’ markets, through a CSA, or direct to local retailers- or support farmers who do- this training will help you connect with your audience in ways that drive customer conversion to increase revenue.

What You’ll Learn:

🔵 What makes websites and social media actually convert viewers to buyers

🔵 What farm photos and videos you need to tell you farm’s story

🔵 How to make the most of product descriptions so customers will “add to cart”

🔵 How to create content that inspires loyalty and builds community support

🔵 How to use social media platforms to benefit your business without becoming an “influencer”

Led by Sarah Carroll (Greener Pastures) and Michelle M. Sharp (Meet the Minnesota Makers), this interactive training blends live demos, guided work sessions, and personalized feedback. You’ll leave with a marketing strategy tailored to your farm or organization—and confidence in what to do next.

Bonus: After the workshop, you’ll be invited to a virtual peer networking session with Sarah and Michelle. You’ll receive support and accountability to implement your plan and to-do list, receive a practical outreach toolkit, and keep the momentum going.

Details:

⚪️ When: Thursday, May 29th, 9 am-12:30 pm

⚪️ Location: Virtual (Zoom)- link provided upon registration

⚪️ Cost: $20 registration fee

Spots are limited.

Fee Waivers Available: We never want cost to be a barrier. If the registration fee is a hardship, contact us to request a waiver.

This workshop is funded by a Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) grant and designed for farmers and educators in the North Central SARE region.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to fine-tune your outreach, this workshop will equip you with skills that help your farm or program grow.

Comment “Stories” below and I’ll DM a link to register.

Info also at link in bio.

19/05/2025

Ever wondered what the best part is of sharing your home with hundreds of people every summer?

Heath’s Resort in Pine River, Minnesota, has welcomed guests to the Brainerd Lakes Area since 1938. Featuring boat rentals, lake vistas, and its signature wide sandy beach, this corner of the world is a happy place for many throughout Minnesota and beyond.

Heath’s Resort is the sort of place where generations of families gather to celebrate summer and each other. They boat to dinner, play volleyball, watch kids play on the beach from their porch, debate which fishing spot is the luckiest, and soak up lake season magic.

This is the sort of place where the ice cream cooler is an honor system, there’s time to read in the screened gazebo, and someone is always ready to set up a bonfire for s’mores.

Erica and Ken Meitz are the new stewards of this MN tradition. They purchased the property from Dave and Carole Heath, who have been instrumental in their transition. “The Heath Family and our legacy guests have been generous teachers about the rhythms and value of this resort,” shares Erica.

Lodging options range from cozy lakeside cabins to the multi-bedroom reunion houses at the top of the hill.

As Erica and Ken have learned, the history of the place is equal parts the physical space and the people who visit. “We have families who have vacationed here since they were children and now return with their children or grandchildren to pass on traditions,” smiles Erica. “We know of a number of couples who met through their vacations here as well.”

Ken’s favorite part is their guests’ stories. “Our guests want to connect with us. They want us to know what this place means to them, to their families. It’s such an honor to be a part of their memories and summer routines.”

Visit www.heathsresort.com or email [email protected] for cabin availability. Erica and Ken invite you to come set your own special memories from a trip made to Heath’s Resort.

Follow Heath's Resort for events like the MEA harvest weekend.

Meet the Minnesota Makers thanks Erica and Ken for their warm hospitality during our March 2025 visit.

Full feature at meettheminnesotamakers.com https://meettheminnesotamakers.com/the-gathering-place-live-the-lake-life-at-pine-rivers-heaths-resort/

06/05/2025

Pine River Bakery is a cozy oasis that beckons you to imagine your dessert possibilities with inviting glass cases filled with breads, cookies and donuts of every shape shape and size. The air is rich with a delectable combination of ye**ty warmth and house made soups.

Whether for special occasions or a quick weekday lunch, Pine River Bakery has you covered. Lunch specials change every month. There’s biscuits with gravy on Saturdays. Two soups—one rotating and always their signature chicken wild rice—and fresh made deli sandwiches are always available.

Kristy’s favorite part of owning the bakery is knowing that she brings joy to the community. Their unofficial motto is “happy donuts.” How can anyone possibly be cranky while sitting down with a fresh treat made on site?

Our family tried six sweet treats: the raspberry Bismarck, key lime Bismarck, Homer donut, salted nut roll donut, the sawdust, and the fried croissant. The mix of sweet and salty elements on the sawdust and salted nut roll donuts are especially yummy. The fried croissant is rich with buttery goodness. The filled donuts have bright flavors that are true to their fruit. The pillowy yeast exteriors yield to gentle pressure for a delicious bite or breaking off a piece to share. The Homer donut was my youngest kiddo’s favorite. It’s a classic balance of the ideal yeast donut with a bright pink frosting with sprinkles.

We took a quarts of Italian wedding and Chicken wild rice soup home for dinner. Both soups boasted rich broths and were packed with meat and veggies.

The love of food and a desire to share their family’s reputation of being a good cook came through with every Pine River Bakery bite.

Pine River Bakery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 6am-2pm. Make a stop a part of your next trip to the Brainerd Lakes Area.

Keep up with their current specials through their page https://www.facebook.com/Pine.River.Bakery

Thank you to Heath's Resort for introducing me to Pine River Bakery!

Full feature at meettheminnesotamakers.com https://meettheminnesotamakers.com/pine-river-bakery-the-land-of-happy-donuts

01/05/2025

It’s May!

Celebrating the start of Minnesota spring with four fabulous small businesses on Minnesota Live TV was a great way to start the month.

We celebrated gardens and flowers. Planting them yourself or enjoying flowers that others have grown are all fair game with this bunch.

Highlighted products:

Wool mulch and wooly pellets from Get Bentz Farm—a natural way to feed your plants, control water absorption, and aerate the soil. These byproducts from making Badgerface Fiber locally- sourced yarn will make your plants happy and all but guarantee that your garden will thrive and grow.

Plant sale and gardening classes with Brakstad Family Farm. We shared the pots that our family planted a month ago in the Brakstad Farm greenhouse. Their classes in partnership with Pequot Lakes Community Education are one of many ways the farm connects with their community. Plant sale coming May 10!

Acrylic and watercolor botanical paintings from Lime Street Creative + Co. Jamie Rae Miller is a master gardener and artist. Her paintings are small bites of the natural world. Jamie will soon offer classes through the Plymouth Community Center. Her originals are available also as prints, cards, and stickers.

Floral goat milk soaps to keep your skin soft and clean from Preserving My Sanity. We also shared her bug deterrent lotion bar that’s packed with herbs that bugs don’t like. A member of Minnesota Grown, Darcy uses goat milk and beeswax from Minnesota farms in her products.

Thank you to the Minnesota Live team for giving us space to share our stories. Watch the full segment at https://kstp.com/special-coverage/minnesota-live/meet-the-minnesota-makers-2/

Find these makers, and many more, at meettheminnesotamakers.com

30/04/2025

Brakstad Family Farm’s ecosystem thrives with stately Red Poll cattle grazing on pastures. Beillah, the 2024 bottle calf, intends to welcome all visitors, assuming that she is the real reason they’ve come to the farm. Macy, the farm dog who doubles as a cucumber thief, and a trio of farm cats round out the welcoming committee who monitor the many comings and goings of the farm.

Robyn and Lance Bragstad along with their daughter Stephanie Kirkham love sharing their farm with the community. This takes the form of supplying fresh, nutrient-dense produce and grass fed beef that nourishes their customers. All of their beef, typically sold in quarter and half shares, is processed locally. This nourishment reaches people through CSA subscriptions, on site farm store visitors or through the food shelves, grocery stores and farmers markets.

“Our business really did start as a simple hobby,” shares Robyn. “This was something we could enjoy together as a pastime. As it grew, we realized that there is a great need for local produce. This led to us growing produce including our hydroponic lettuce to supply the local food shelves as well as being present at farmers markets and three local grocery stores.”

During their off season, Lance and Robyn volunteer at the food shelves where they share their products as a part of the Farm 2 Food Shelf program. “It’s a rewarding and eye-opening experience,” explains Robyn. “It’s so powerful to meet the people you help feed with food you grow yourself.

Their community involvement also takes the form of classes that highlight the fun and magic of growing food. The family organizes classes in partnership with Pequot Lakes Community Education to make planting approachable for all levels of gardeners.

Visit the farm on Saturday, May 10 for their annual plant sale. There will be products from many vendors to kick off the growing season.

Planning to visit the Brainerd Lakes Area? Make a stop at Brakstad Family Farm & General Store part of your getaway to stock your refrigerator or enjoy a class.

Visit https://www.brakstadfamilyfarm.com for events.

Full feature at meettheminnesotamakers.com. https://meettheminnesotamakers.com/growing-to-meet-local-demand-how-brakstad-family-farm-feeds-their-community/

Thank you to Heath's Resort in Pine River for introducing us!