home five

Smith + Trade now has three brick and mortar storefronts connecting local makers, growers and doers with community locals and curious tourists. The original Stillwater store celebrates its connection to the St. Croix River from its Main Street perch. The northern Crosby store has a more rustic feel that fits in with the relaxed north woods cabin vibes. The Red Wing store celebrates its river influence with a modern vintage feel. 

Welcoming visitors of all ages, Nate and Tracy enjoy being a destination for multigenerational families, fermentation aficionados, or day trippers just looking for a change of scenery — their front porch, also known as the Keepsake Cider Tasting Room, truly is a family-friendly site.

Minnesota’s people are what make this state an amazing place to be.  Minnesota’s people have built and celebrate strong community ties.  Diversity is a virtue, an asset that makes the way we live richer. 

Few people think of vanilla as an agricultural product. “For a lot of consumers, vanilla is simply a bottle that they take off the shelf,” explains Sara. “When I first did sampling at local co-ops, I was surprised by how many shoppers had never thought about the origin of their vanilla. They never thought about where it came from, how we make it and why that matters. Few people realize that there’s a seasonality to vanilla. The international market opens at a specific time. The fruit is not always available.” 

Coffeewomple fans notice how Nicole and Zach’s process highlights the natural flavors of the beans in nuanced ways. “You can make good coffee just by starting out with a good bean. That will get you 90% of the way there,” explains Zach. “That final 10% requires a lot of testing. The palette is huge. One thing you learn early on is that you can’t add a flavor that’s not there. If it’s not in that green bean to start, you’re not going to find it.” 

Mark Petersen of Stillwater’s Facepunch Foods fell in love with heat when he was six years old.  Facepunch has since produced tens of thousands of bottles of sauce, both as Facepunch and as white label recipes for other businesses.