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Rural Innovation

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A real live wool baroness! Theresa Bentz of @get A real live wool baroness! Theresa Bentz of @getbentzfarm builds an interactive agricultural experience in the hills outside Northfield. Grass-fed sheep battle invasive species, on-farm fiber art days encourage community, discard wool becomes garden food and two city kids experiment daily with their hypothesis about a different way to live. At the start, the farm focused on pasture-raised direct-to-consumer sheep and lamb meat sold at farmers markets. They raise their flock following sustainable practices of rotating pastures and allowing the sheep to browse a diverse array of plants. Their lamb is regularly on  Northfield’s Ole Store’s menu, including custom brats. Being recognized as an agricultural producer when the farm shifted into fiber arts proved to be a challenge. “I had to fight pretty hard to get into farmers markets and not be seen as a crafter,” states Theresa. “Textiles are agricultural products. We’ve largely become very disconnected from our textile production just like we have with large scale food production.” Theresa uses both wool from her flock and fleece purchased from shepherds throughout the region to create her signature products. “I love that I’ve become a producer of yarn in our industry,” smiles Theresa. “I enjoy having control over the end product. I get to collaborate to create something that people use.” Get Bentz is a graduate of the 2024 cohort of the @ruralbusinessinnovationlab . Founded by @ceda_usa , RBIL is a cohort-based, entrepreneurial program that redefines the narrative of rural decline. The content and interactions of the RBIL program helped Theresa recognize what she did and, perhaps even more importantly, what she did not want to do for their business. “The coaches at RBIL helped me push myself into areas where I didn’t think I was going to be comfortable,” says Theresa. “The coaches helped us sort out what parts of our business we wanted to scale up and what was as big as we want it to be.” Sign up for the newsletter at https://getbentzfarm.com Find Get Bentz at Linden Hills and Mill City Farmers Markets. Full feature at meettheminnesotamakers.com Post seven of nine in the rural business series.
Tyler Saemrow of Morristown’s @tysginseng learne Tyler Saemrow of Morristown’s @tysginseng 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 best part about growing ginseng is that I am able to work with my grandpa, mom and dad every day,” shares Tyler. “Not too many people can say that.” Every year Tyler assumed more responsibility with the process. Accompanying his grandfather on a sales trip during his senior year of high school brought the whole cycle to life. After that trip, Tyler and his grandfather planted a new ginseng field on his dad’s dairy farm. His grandfather told Tyler that that was his woods. When those roots were ready to harvest in 2020, sales trips were not possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking locally for customers, they applied to the Minneapolis Farmers Market. They’ve been there ever since sharing their harvest in both whole root and ground powdered form. “It’s still hard even with our combined 70 years of experience,” states Tyler. “Every year we have a new challenge. It’s like, why did those seeds not sprout? Why did this section not come up this year? You have to be patient and wait. Your plans go through a lot in the six to seven years that it takes for the roots to be ready.” Ty’s Ginseng is a member of the 2025 cohort of the @ruralbusinessinnovationlab . Established in 2022 by @ceda_usa , RBIL is a cohort-based, entrepreneurial program that redefines the narrative of rural decline. The desire to make Ty’s Ginseng a sustainable business made Tyler think that RBIL’s program could pull them closer to their goals. “Meeting with the coaches gives me a different head space, a different perspective on how we could be marketing our ginseng,” explains Tyler. “It’s amazing to have the reassurance of talking with someone who knows the bigger picture and helps you sort through possibilities for moving your business forward.” Find Ty’s Ginseng at the MPLS Farmers Market or order at www.tysginseng.com Full feature at meettheminnesotamakers.com This is post six of nine in the rural business series.
The garlic lifestyle is the cornerstone of the Olb The garlic lifestyle is the cornerstone of the Olberding Family’s @rusticrootsfarmmn in Alexandria, MN. Featured growers since the 2022 Minnesota Garlic Festival and Best in Show awardees in 2023, their 11 varieties of garlic thrive in farmland the family restored to a fertile landscape. Beginning farmers together, all four family members invest in the best practices to let their specialty crops thrive. Since 2016 they’ve built high tunnels, tapped trees for syrup, planted asparagus, powdered garlic to reduce food waste, established mushroom logs, built a farm stand and created custom spice blends. Julie expresses a sense of wonder about their specialty crops, “I find joy in watching the process of growing evolve from working the soil to planting the seed (or clove) through harvest. Each time, I start with a blank slate. With some careful nurturing, I grow something beautiful that can be enjoyed by many.” Garlic bulbs that are too small for retail become one of four varieties of garlic powder, which have been purchased by foodies and home cooks throughout the US. The family peels and prepares all of their garlic for their powders, which are one hundred percent dehydrated garlic for Gourmet Garlic Powder, Roasted Garlic Powder, Smoked Garlic Powder and a beautifully green Garlic Scape Powder. Rustic Roots Farm is a graduate of the 2024 cohort of the @ruralbusinessinnovationlab . Established in 2022 by @ceda_usa , RBIL is a cohort-based, entrepreneurial program that redefines the narrative of rural decline. Rustic Roots applied to RBIL’s program to improve their business management skills. These were instrumental in helping their small farm scale up its operation. “We wanted to increase our overall revenue so that we as owners would no longer have to finance routine operations,” explains Julie. “We haven’t made an owner’s contribution to the business in several months! As self-taught beginning farmers, this is such an incredible feeling.” Join their newsletter at rusticrootsfarmmn.com for on-farm events and seasonal specials. Full feature at meettheminnesotamakers.com This is post five of nine in this series! Check back for more local heroes.
Kalvin and Rachel fell in love with local food, an Kalvin and Rachel fell in love with local food, and each other, while attending college at UW-Stevens Point. The thriving local farmers market scene and opportunities to volunteer provided real world inspiration of what smaller producers could do. Rachel and Kalvin purchased Rachel’s grandparents’ farm when they moved back to Minnesota to establish @fiddleheadknob Both originally from LeRoy, a town of approximately 900, coming home offered an opportunity to build their dream life within their community. Both Kalvin and Rachel work full time on the farm, fulfilling a shared dream. “The idea for our farm was to build this around our family,” reflects Kalvin. “We’ve been building our lifestyle around our family and good food, local food. We’re kind of in awe every day that this is what we get to do as a family working together. It’s been hard sometimes, but building this business around our family is a total joy.” “When you cultivate mushrooms inside, it is inherently not sustainable,” explains Kalvin. “You use lots of power. There are all sorts of filters and fans that run in addition to lighting the space.” The economic impact of installing solar changed their farm’s monthly expenses radically. “We used to have $800 electric bills each month. Thanks to our solar installation we now apply those financial resources to grow our business in other ways.” Fiddlehead Knob Farm is a graduate of the 2024 @ruralbusinessinnovationlab . Established in 2022 by Community and Economic Development Associates (@ceda_usa) RBIL is a cohort-based, entrepreneurial program that reverses the narrative of rural decline. RBIL’s support made it possible for their farm to finalize their business plan, secure funding for their grow room expansion, achieve organic certification and increase their sales goals. “If you put in the work with RBIL, your business will be on a path to success. We can’t give them enough praise for all they have done for our business.” Visit fiddleheadknob.com for recipes, farmers market schedules and to place an order. Full feature at meettheminnesotamakers.com This is post four of nine in this series. Tuesday brings the next local hero!
Let’s Get Local! (And maybe find some pumpkin sp Let’s Get Local! (And maybe find some pumpkin spice?) The fall edition of the Meet the Minnesota Makers “Shop Minnesota” Gift Guide is here! Dozens of local makers have new product listings, retail locations and upcoming fall events in our gift guide. From gourmet honey to luxury candles, hand-carved fishing lures to gluten free treats, canvas laptop bags made from upcycled materials to seasonal greeting cards and prints, small batch vinegars to luscious self care, the gift guide has something for all your special occasions (or maybe just because). Newsletter subscribers—check your email for your exclusive local maker discounts. Supporting local in good taste. Link in bio or visit meettheminnesotamakers.com to browse our current listings. Thanks for spreading the local love!
What happens when two friends—one a shepherd fru What happens when two friends—one a shepherd frustrated by seeing sheared wool treated as a waste product and the other a teacher and librarian concerned by the decimation of the world’s peat bogs, a natural carbon sink—join forces? Meet Elaine Becker and Karen Mayhew, co-founders of @woolletsllc (wool + pellets), two creative problem solvers who converted a waste product into a valued commodity. In its first year in operation, Woollets purchased 18,000 pounds of wool from local farmers. They won the 2024 Wisconsin Innovation Award for Agriculture for their contribution to their regional economy and long-range possibilities. Woollets make it financially-sustainable to raise sheep because they provide a real market for shepherds. Wool provides nutrients and aerates the soil as plants get established. “It brings me joy knowing that we are doing something great for the environment with our product,” shares Elaine. Woollets conducted trials on indoor and outdoor plants comparing their pellets to peat. Their experiment with a cactus is especially striking. In one year’s time, a cactus that had three pellets in its pot grew twice as big as the one without pellets. “Our product is a dream for anyone who tends to forget to water their house plants!” laughs Karen. See the side by side comparison pic! Woollets is a member of the 2025 cohort of the @ruralbusinessinnovationlab. Established in 2022 by @ceda_usa, RBIL is a cohort-based, entrepreneurial program that reverses the narrative of rural decline. Working in MN, IA and WI, RBIL supports rural businesses in their growth to become sustainable drivers of economic health. RBIL provides templates, one-on-one weekly meetings and access to specialists to provide the support that a start up needs. A few months into the program, Elaine and Karen feel confident that, “Applying for RBIL is one of the smartest choices we’ve made for our young business,” states Elaine. Purchase woollets wool pellets at https://www.woollets.net/. Wool mulching fleece and shreds are also available. Full feature at meettheminnesotamakers.com This is post three of nine in this series. Check back Monday for the next local hero!
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