Family Farm

“At its heart, Rolling Forks Vineyards is still about the same thing it was from the beginning: bringing people together around Minnesota wine, beautiful surroundings, and memorable experiences,” shares Melanie. “From the vineyard rows to the finished bottle, it’s a tangible result of patience, craftsmanship, and the seasons.”

Redhead Creamery currently produces 14 varieties of artisan cheese in addition to a drinkable yogurt and bottling cream line milk. Alise is the head cheesemaker and her husband Lucas is the head distiller. “Lucas and I make a good team,” smiles Alise. “I’ve always been fascinated with how things are made. I always want to learn more or figure out what’s not working, how to make things better. Lucas is very good at writing, researching grants, and sorting through the regulations we need to follow.”

The Olberdings bought a neglected piece of farmland in Alexandria. Removing the decaying farm equipment and taking care of the land itself allowed them to establish their award-winning garlic crop.

With over 70 years of combined experience, Tyler Saemrow of Morristown’s Ty’s Ginseng learned to grow ginseng under his grandfather’s tutelage starting when he was 10 years old. “I love being out in the woods and simply watching our plants grow. It takes time, lots of it, but it’s so worth it.” 

The only thing that can make one of Aaron Brand’s favorite apples, the Haralson, better is turning it into a caramel apple. “The caramel apples are my favorite item in our farm’s store. It’s good to snag one every now and then.”

Thompson Family Farm has been an active farm for over 130 years. “The first parcel of land was about 100 acres square,” explained Laura. “The barn was originally built in 1898. The house is at least 120 years old. It’s really awesome to be able to be a part of that kind of history.”