MN Small Business

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.

“Cannon Falls has been an amazing partner for building our business,” shares Chris. “They worked with us from the beginning to help us succeed. We have a wonderful synergy with the winery across the street. We’ve worked with CannonBelles since they opened and sell a lot of cheese curds in house. We are grateful to be a part of the Cannon Falls community and are humbled by their support of our work.”

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.

Discover how one Avon, Minnesota farmer is transforming soil, cattle, and lives through nutrient-dense, allergen-friendly, pasture-raised meats. Meat is available at farmers markets, area drop sites, and for on-farm pick up.