Local Food

Kelsey’s rich flavor palette for Eat Me Bakery's custom cakes, bundts, buns, and bars ranges from basil to pistachio. Vanilla and chocolate are consistently the most popular cake and cupcake flavors.

Pettit Pastures, its people, animals, and plants, demonstrate everyday that agriculture and nature can coexist. Through the practice of regenerative agriculture, the Pettit Family restores a healthy balance to their land while raising premium beef and pork for their community.  

“We are just a family farm working at preserving our livelihood that is built on a love for good tasting food and creating memories with our family on the farm or around the table,” reflects Tina of Backstreet Market in Gibbon. “We want people to have a great experience eating together. We are so lucky that our products have a place on our neighbors’ tables. That personal connection keeps us going and makes all the work worthwhile.”

Alex Green and Vanessa Gillman are the hardest working lazy people you’ve ever met.  That’s why Alex and Vanessa believe in the power of regenerative agriculture. 

The very legalization of Minnesota’s cottage food enterprises is a major accomplishment. The 2021 amendments increased the sales cap per registered individual and added pet treats for dogs and cats as a cottage food product. “We’ll keep working to educate the public about the importance of registering and how to run a business safely,” said Shelley Erickson. “It’s essential to recognize what it means for a business to have registered and why that’s important both for the business owner and their customers.”

“My biggest surprise in running Blackberry Ridge Farms is how much failure is involved in farming. Nearly every day we say, ‘Okay, that didn't work, what will we do next?,’” shares Erin Gervais. “We are constantly pivoting and innovating. It's so humbling and at the same time incredibly rewarding because many times we do succeed, and success is far sweeter after some failure.”