“Growing food is stressful,” explained Jade and Carrie of the artist-led Black Radish Urban Farm in Minneapolis. “It’s also a beautiful thing. Local food can build community.”

Working summers at Madden’s on Gull Lake taught Pam Powell, founder of the Salad Girl fresh organic dressings, a love for local food. 

Jamie Levenhagen found her joy again when she started making sourdough bread during the pandemic. Baking sourdough was more than a passing hobby for Jamie. It became a calling. 

Heather Mahoney found her garden paradise in Embarrass, Minnesota. With her husband of 20 years and her little guard dog Storm, Heather has established an oasis for her family and her Embarrass and Virginia-area community.

A former French teacher who spent several years of her childhood living in France and traveling through Europe with her parents, Therese Moore wants to bring an international flavor profile to Minnesotans’ oatmeal experience. “Savory oat bowls are common in Scandinavia. I thought that Minnesota, the bold north, would enjoy these flavors too.

Retirement from military service led Matt Rosen to an unexpected kitchen adventure. Since “trading in my combat boots for cookbooks, I now stand ready to report for cookie duty!”