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Meet the Minnesota Makers

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michelle@meettheminnesotamakers.com
I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to be I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to be part of a construction zone. We’ve just archived the 2024-2025 gift guide to start our next phase of preparations for the 2025-2026 “Shop Minnesota” gift guide by Meet the Minnesota Makers. We are so grateful to all the makers, growers, creators and service providers who were a part of this past year’s guide. You were with us as we built out a new section of our website, piloted a year round guide and worked to keep your information current to help connect small businesses with their customers all year long. Thank you to the thousands of visitors who used this past year’s guide. We hope you have found lots of local businesses to love. The Meet the Minnesota Makers team is working through this year’s applications. It looks like we’re going to have some customer favorites returning along with lots of new-to-you experiences and unique Minnesota made gifts. Remember—only Meet the Minnesota Makers newsletter subscribers receive exclusive discounts from select makers in the guide. Sign up at meettheminnesotamakers.com (http://meettheminnesotamakers.com) or comment Newsletter and I’ll send you a direct link.   We’ll have the new guide ready for you before Thanksgiving. Stay tuned! Thanks for being a part of our local maker community. Look locally. It matters. With gratitude, Michelle
We are now accepting applications for the 3rd annu We are now accepting applications for the 3rd annual 2025-2026 Meet the Minnesota Makers “Shop Minnesota” Gift Guide (https://meettheminnesotamakers.com/gift-box-post-creation/).  Minnesota-based art, artisanal, farm, food, experience or service-based businesses are welcome to apply. Retail storefronts dedicated to Minnesota made products are also encouraged. This past year’s guide reached over 15,000 shoppers! I can’t wait to see who we’ll connect with this year.  **Applications are due by Monday, November 10** *We will select this year’s featured makers (those receiving a dedicated maker story to be published on the Meet the Minnesota Makers website along with supporting social media posts) from among the completed applications.  *We will indicate in the guide if a business offers a discount code, but the codes themselves will only be available through the Meet the Minnesota Makers newsletter.   *You may apply to be a part of the 2025 winter holiday guide or you may apply to be a part of the 2025 winter holiday guide AND Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Fall 2026 gift guide updates.  You will receive a confirmation email upon submitting your application (make sure you have one so that you know your application went through!). Check to ensure that you received that email as receipt of your application going through. Contact michelle@meettheminnesotamakers.com to verify your application status. We encourage you to share this information with other small business owners as well, especially businesses that focus on art, artisanal goods, food and beverage, farm goods, toys, experiences and services.  We’re here to make it as easy as possible for people to shop locally this holiday season (and all through the year). We’d love to have you as a part of our local guide. Application at meettheminnesotamakers.com (look for the button at the top of the home page) or comment gift guide and I’ll send you a direct link.
CEDA and RBIL may be two of Minnesota’s best kep CEDA and RBIL may be two of Minnesota’s best kept secrets. Let’s change that. Meet eight rural entrepreneurs bringing fresh energy and strong business development into their communities. These eight diverse businesses have all worked with the coaches and resources available through CEDA’s @ruralbusinessinnovationlab program. Founded by @ceda_usa , RBIL is a cohort-based, entrepreneurial program that redefines the narrative of rural decline. Clear Water Nitrate, @fiddleheadknob , @getbentzfarm , @mtry_co, @rusticrootsfarmmn , @simpleciderco , @tysginseng and @woolletsllc all live and work in their rural communities. Their commitment to sustainability and creative problem-solving is exciting. What began as a small pilot program has evolved into a dynamic ecosystem of partners, mentors, consultants, funders and alumni working together to support rural entrepreneurs. Each year, they expand this network with intention, connecting business owners to new opportunities, industry experts and regional resources that would otherwise be out of reach. Now in its third cohort cycle (with applications for the fourth opening in January 2026), RBIL is a community where peers navigate challenges and celebrate triumphs together. Beyond the program coaching and workshop sessions, its alumni network fosters ongoing support. Wondering whether RBIL is a good fit for your business? They welcome applications from business owners located in rural areas who produce a scalable innovative product or service. RBIL wants to know where they can best help solve the problems your business faces. How do the RBIL alums feel about their experience? Nick Revoir from Simple Cider Company shared the following feedback after a coaching session, “Your push and motivation helped so much this week! You give me (and likely everyone else) so much energy to be rockstars on our businesses. There is no way I would have gotten close to this far without your help.” Contact Cameron Payne cameron.payne@cedausa.com at RBIL. Visit https://www.cedausa.com/ruralinnovation/ for a program overview. Find all nine maker features on meettheminnesotamakers.com. As always, follow the link in bio!
We are now accepting applications for the 3rd annu We are now accepting applications for the 3rd annual 2025-2026 Meet the Minnesota Makers “Shop Minnesota” Gift Guide (https://meettheminnesotamakers.com/gift-box-post-creation/).  Minnesota-based art, artisanal, farm, food, experience or service-based businesses are welcome to apply. Retail storefronts dedicated to Minnesota made products are also encouraged. This past year’s guide reached over 15,000 shoppers! I can’t wait to see who we’ll connect with this year.  *Applications are due by Monday, November 10.  *We will select this year’s featured makers (those receiving a dedicated maker story to be published on the Meet the Minnesota Makers website along with supporting social media posts) from among the completed applications.  *We will indicate in the guide if a business offers a discount code, but the codes themselves will only be available through the Meet the Minnesota Makers newsletter.   *You may apply to be a part of the 2025 winter holiday guide or you may apply to be a part of the 2025 winter holiday guide AND Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Fall 2026 gift guide updates.  You will receive a confirmation email upon submitting your application (make sure you have one so that you know your application went through!). Check to ensure that you received that email as receipt of your application going through. Contact michelle@meettheminnesotamakers.com to verify your application status. We encourage you to share this information with other small business owners as well, especially businesses that focus on art, artisanal goods, food and beverage, farm goods, toys, experiences and services.  We’re here to make it as easy as possible for people to shop locally this holiday season (and all through the year). We’d love to have you as a part of our local guide. Application at meettheminnesotamakers.com (look for the button at the top of the home page) or comment gift guide and I’ll send you a direct link.
Ever think of drinking as an agricultural act? T Ever think of drinking as an agricultural act? The founding of America’s only certified Bee-Friendly Farm Distillery began with a homework assignment. Cheri Reese and Mike Swanson, owners of @farnorthspirits , were living in St. Paul following careers in marketing and communications. Mike was pursuing an MBA from the University of St. Thomas where his entrepreneurial class project included a business plan for a distillery that grew its own grain. A few years later, Cheri and Mike moved to his family farm in Minnesota’s Red River Valley where the Swansons have farmed since 1917. There, they planted rye and corn in the midst of longstanding wheat, soybean, and canola fields. They also built a distillery. “Sometimes it feels like that scene from Field of Dreams where they plowed the corn under to build the baseball field,” says Cheri of the distillery they named Far North–a tribute to its remote location 25 miles from the Canadian border. It’s unique enough for a distiller to make spirits using locally-sourced grains but for that maker to grow the grain themselves is extremely rare. To develop the best rye for their whiskey, Far North partnered with a small-grains specialist at the University of Minnesota. “We taste-tested the varieties with about 200 people from all over the country. The study helped us definitively answer ‘yes’ to the question: ‘does the rye variety alone affect whiskey’s flavor?’” Far North’s pursuit of incredible spirits doesn’t stop there. Their commitment to agriculture also includes certified, sustainable farming practices that promote soil health and ecological diversity. “There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors in this business,” says Cheri. “We actually grow the grain and distill it ourselves. We know our grain and have chosen it intentionally. We’re changing the conversation about how whiskey is made.” Full article and a recipe for “The Farmer’s Handshake” in Vol 8 of @localfeast magazine. Links at meettheminnesotamakers.com Join Cheri and Mike in their Scandinavian-inspired tasting room in Hallock or meet them at FEAST! Local Foods Marketplace, Nov 1 in Rochester.
Feast! on these numbers!! (There’s still one mi Feast! on these numbers!! (There’s still one missing!) *82 food and non-alcoholic beverage booths from Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. *17 unique craft alcohol makers under one roof. *500 limited-edition commemorative glasses *5 cooking demos *1 bag check *15 volunteers at bag and bottle check *60 dedicated volunteers for the full festival *143 volunteer hours *$0 admission for kids 12 and under *10 giveaways throughout the day *800 limited edition tote bags *4400 public parking spaces *5000+ miles Our vendors have made Rochester their destination for Saturday, November 1. Collectively they are traveling more than 5000 miles from all over Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin to meet you and bring you their hand-crafted products. What will they bring? Snacks, Sauces and Seasonings, Meat and Poultry; Cheese & Dairy products, Bakery and Grains; Non-alcoholic Beverages including Coffee & Tea; Confections, honey & syrups; Fermented/probiotic/wellness; and Plant-based proteins *Our missing number…. YOU! We have built it. You should come. This is a great event for families, friends and foodies of all ages. We guarantee that you will find something new to love. Join us Saturday, November 1 from 10am-4pm at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, MN. There’s still time to grab a volunteer spot for free admission and a 2025 t-shirt—find the link at local-feast.org/festival. Get tickets in advance for a discount at https://www.local-feast.org/buytickets until 6pm Friday 10/31, or at the door.#meetthemnmakers #mn #mnfood #minnesota #mnmade #mnfoodie #mnsmallbusiness #knowyourfarmer #localfeast #mnroadtrip #shopmn
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