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Meet the Minnesota Makers

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Sandy soil. This natural attribute of the Cannon Sandy soil. This natural attribute of the Cannon Valley makes ideal terrain for raising turkeys on pasture. For three generations the Peterson Family has raised turkeys in Cannon Falls. The family works with local independent processors to bring delicious and humane turkey to market. Since 2008, when John Peterson moved back to the farm and recognized the unique nature of their practices, @ferndalemarket has been an independent brand selling their products directly to consumers in partnership with regional retail partners, local restaurants, and co-ops. A visit to Ferndale Market’s on-farm store is a wonderland of locally-produced food from chocolate to marshmallows, soup mixes to jams, frozen strudel to maple syrup and, if you’re really lucky, turkey pot pies. It is Ferndale Market‘s mission to be a regional food space partner. Sausages, snack sticks, smoked turkey legs, turkey stock and gravy await your kitchen or grill. The store carries more than 300 items from Minnesota plus a selection of cheese and cured meats from Iowa and Wisconsin. Fern and Dale Peterson started raising free range turkeys in the rolling hills of the Cannon River Valley in 1939. Their turkeys have always been free range and antibiotic free. As trends in commercial turkey farming changed, Ferndale Farm didn’t. Ferndale is a MN Farm to School partner with ground turkey and hot dogs being popular items for school menus. With founder Dale coming of age during the Great Depression, keeping their quality high and the price point accessible has always been a top priority. Turkey that’s been raised outside moving its muscles has a richer flavor than conventional birds. It’s a lean and healthy protein that can be the center of your plate well beyond Thanksgiving and its coveted leftovers. Ferndale Market is one of three makers presenting at the September 20 Taste Makers Class at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Sample their new collaboration with CannonBelles Cheese and taste turkey like you’ve never enjoyed it before. Register through the Arboretum website https://arb.umn.edu/learn/taste-makers-cannon-falls Full feature at meettheminnesotamakers.com
Forget debating whether Minnesota or Wisconsin has Forget debating whether Minnesota or Wisconsin has the most lakes. It’s time to dig in on a cheese competition. @cannonbelles in Cannon Falls produces hyperlocal cheese using milk from the Square Deal Dairy, located five miles from their plant. CannonBelles Cheese award-winning cheese curds were the top scoring cheese entry in the MN State Dairy 2025 cheese competition. Their Gouda took third place in its category. Their Grim Reaper Cheddar took State Fair honors in 2024. With all these awards under their belt, Kathy Hupf’s greatest joy comes through the Farm to School program. “The schools that we work with will oftentimes invite us to join them for lunch on the day that they’re serving our cheese. It’s just really, really rewarding. It’s the connection that we make with the families and knowing that so many children are getting a good product.” With the surprise triumph of their queso fresco in its first international competition in 2017, the Belles had their foot in the door to start selling their cheese. Since 2022, all these cheeses come to life at their Cannon Falls plant. They produce 800-1000 pounds of cheese a week, using milk from the fifth generation Otte Family’s Square Deal Dairy in nearby Randolph. CannonBelles also serve fresh sandwiches, coffee, and ice cream at their downtown Cannon Falls shop. When you enjoy CannonBelles cheese know that Deeann, Kathy and Jackie treat every batch with great care. It’s truly a Minnesota flavor that makes a wonderful locally-made gift that is always the right size. CannonBelles Cheese is available in over 100 locations around MN. Visit www.cannonbelles.com to find all of their locations. CannonBelles is one of three makers presenting at the Sep 20 Taste Makers Class at the MN Landscape Arboretum. Sample their new collaboration with Ferndale Market, go behind the scenes and taste their award-winning cheese. Register through the Arboretum website (https://arb.umn.edu/learn/taste-makers-cannon-falls). https://arb.umn.edu/learn/taste-makers-cannon-falls Explore more of their journey: https://cannonbelles.com/cheese Full feature at meettheminnesotamakers.com
Want to eat well? Eat local. HOMEGROWN Concess Want to eat well? Eat local. HOMEGROWN Concessions A cornerstone of Farm Aid’s concert experience. Food and beverage served on site is sourced from farms and producers near the concert venue. Meet five of your locally-grown producers whose food will be at the 40th anniversary of Farm Aid in Minneapolis. 🍻Broken Clock Brewing —Minneapolis The only member-owned cooperative brewery in Minnesota! The Fam is now available on tap and to go at their taproom. Brewed specifically for Farm Aid, this clean and crisp beer makes family-farm grown hops and malt shine. 💛Hazel Heart Farms—Viroqua, WI A collective of Midwest farmers growing really good hazelnuts.

Hazelnuts have grown wild across the Midwest for thousands of years. They’re tapping into nature to feed our communities a rich, local source of protein, nutrients, fiber and heart-healthy fats. 🥩MTRY & Co—Mankato Trusted farmers and skilled butchers come together to deliver chef-worthy proteins. Founded a Minnesota farm-rooted family, MTRY grew from a simple idea around the table: to share the meats raised on farm heritage and crafted with care for tables everywhere, building an online marketplace where consumers shop directly from producers we know and trust. 🐄Thousand Hills Lifetime Grazed—Becker What began as a passion to simply share the nutritional benefits of Lifetime Grazed 100% Grass Fed Beef with more people has evolved into a full embrace of regenerative agriculture—with its many critical benefits to people and planet. 🌽Whole Grain Milling—Welcome Organic oats, buckwheat, white and yellow popcorn, spelt, barley and rye since 1989. Their organic tortilla chips are from corn grown on three farms in southern Minnesota. The processing plant is located about six miles from where the corn is grown and cleaned. Thank you to Chris, Megan, C.C., Kate and the Minnesota Live crew for sharing your space to bring these Minnesota Maker stories to your viewers. Starting my morning with you all was a highlight this week. Find these makers at your local co-ops, food stores, and through their websites. Watch the segment at https://kstp.com/special-coverage/minnedota-live/farm-aid
It’s time to plan your winter markets! Reach ne It’s time to plan your winter markets! Reach new customers and share your story through the signature local foods celebration of Feast! Meet other makers, industry supporters, support cooking demos, hundreds of guests as they kick off their holiday shopping and join our flavor-filled community in Rochester on November 1. There’s honor and glory on the line with our People’s Choice Awards. Who will reign supreme this year?  Just 16 spots left for food exhibitors at FEAST!, and 9 spots for craft alcohol makers. Now is the time to sign up to be a part of this 12th annual local foods marketplace festival—a fantastic way to:  ✔️meet 1,000+ customers and make them fall in love with your brand, ✔️get feedback from real people sampling your products, and make sales to seal the deal, ✔️ lock in on the vast FEAST Network of technical assistance and connections to grow your business  💚See the exhibitors list at local-feast.org/directory 💚Learn more & apply to exhibit at local-feast.org/registration FEAST! is a nonprofit event supported by sponsorships from @smifound @renewingthecountryside @minnesotagrownmda and many others Photos: Gabriel Saenz @gabos8   #localfeast #localfoodfest #shopsmall #buylocal #knowyourfarmer #onlyinmn #rochmn
Bold Flavors. Inspiring Voices. Making Local Cr Bold Flavors. Inspiring Voices. Making Local Creatives’ Dreams a Reality. DameIt! Women Makers Market is a festival & fundraiser for Les Dames MN, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides scholarships and grants to women in the food, beverage & hospitality industries. Help @lesdamesmn raise funds for their next round of scholarships. Take advantage of the most delicious bake sale you’ll find anywhere! Explore the culinary rummage sale—incredible finds donated by chefs and cooking pros. Try your luck at the raffle. Raffle bundles are stacked with local love—think gift cards to top Twin Cities restaurants, cookbooks from hometown authors, a cheese party in a box, and plenty more surprises. Ticket holders do not need to be present to win. Explore, taste, and be inspired by a vibrant showcase of local women revolutionizing food and agriculture at the Women Makers Market! Featuring @bangbrewing & Wooden Ship Brewing. Admission and parking are free! Saturday, September 20  11am - 4pm 2321 Wycliff St. St Paul, MN 55114 As a past recipient of a microgrant (which I used to offset some of the cost of upgrading the Meet the Minnesota Makers website for the updated gift guide format), I am grateful for the outreach work that Les Dames MN provides. This fundraiser is a fun and tasty way to get involved and give back to our Minnesota Makers. Search “Dame It! Women Makers Market & Fundraiser” on EventBrite to claim your free ticket!
A tasty morning with Chris and Ken on @minnesotali A tasty morning with Chris and Ken on @minnesotalivetv ! We talked uniquely Minnesotan meat, heat, and flavor combos. Elevate your grilling game with: @thegardnerfamilyfarm —Ellen and Jim produce pasture-raised chickens, eggs, lamb and turkey. Find them at the NE Mpls, Rochester, and Winona Farmers Markets. Consider a CSA of their pastured-raised meats. Shipping available! Highlight—turkey wings and chicken leg quarters —two under appreciated grilling cuts. Love Chris and Ken’s enthusiasm for digging into the barbecued wings on air. @hartcountrymeats —Jessica and Tony take a hands-on, soil-to-steak approach to beef. High-quality, nutrient-dense beef raised with integrity, transparency, and a whole lot of heart. On-farm pickup or shipping with @mtry_co Hart Country Meats produces the official hot dog of the Rochester Honkers baseball team. Find their burgers, brats, and brisket at the stadium. Recipe for the flat iron steak bites on meettheminnesotamakers.com. @northlandvinegars —Alex of Minneapolis is a middle school geography teachers and a kitchen tinkerer. These small batch vinegars use MN craft beverages for distinctive flavor profiles. Try them in a mocktail (like cherry bourbon vinegar, soda water, and simple syrup). Find at Surdky’s, @thisisfoodunion , @vivront_edina or NE Mpls and Eagan Farmers Markets. @baptismriver_barbecueco —Kaylee and Dan create Northwoods Barbecue. Dedicated to local sourcing, Baptism River feeds the North Shore summer weekends from their food trailer. West Branch Sauce and the Fries, Wings, and Things rub for the turkey wings. The Two Steps Beef Rub finished the Hart Country Meats appetizer. @facepunchfoods —Mark Petersen of Stillwater fell in love with heat when he was six. Mark’s been known to travel internationally with hot sauce in tow—great conversation starter. Facepunch rubs bring smokiness with Hatch Chili Powder. The Six Pepper and Spicy Dill blends are pure spice—no sugar, no fillers. Find Facepunch Six Pepper Pretzel Balls at the MN State Fair Bandstand Concessions. Find in store at Fresh Thyme. Join in on the fun: https://kstp.com/special-coverage/minnesota-live/elevate-your-grilling-game/
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