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  • Serving Rural Entrepreneurs: CEDA and RBIL Empower Rural Economic Development

    CEDA and RBIL may be two of Minnesota’s best kept secrets.  Let’s change that. 

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The Drager Family is always up for an adventure. The Drager Family is always up for an adventure. Their joy of gathering around good food inspired them to found The Meatery MN, now rebranded as MTRY & Co, LLC, in 2022. The Drager Family is a multi-generational crew operating a livestock and crop farm that calls Minnesota Lake, MN home. Their experience with the meat packer shutdowns and grocery store shortages during the pandemic inspired them to directly connect consumers and producers. The @mtry_co online marketplace, based in Mankato, offers beef, chicken and pork specialty boxes along with cheese, spice rubs and bacon socks that are shipped directly from producer farms in sustainable packaging. Colette Drager, one of 11 cofounders, shares, “All the people involved in the MTRY & Co bring me so much joy. Our family works so well together. I love getting to know the producers and our consumers and then connecting them.” The MTRY & Co’s mission is simple, “It’s all about bringing the delicious world of small producers directly to you, making the farm-to-table experience accessible and delightful for everyone, and connecting an inspired community with access to top quality small producers,” explains Colette. Every producer within the MTRY network is unique. These are family farms. Their stories are the cornerstone of the MTRY’s mission. The MTRY & Co is a 2023 cohort graduate 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 Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin, RBIL supports rural businesses in their growth to become sustainable drivers of economic health. “I don’t think we realized that these connections, the people we’d get to meet, would be such a big part of starting a business,” reflects MacKenzie. “There are so many positive things about starting a business. We’re grateful that the resources from RBIL help us build a stronger base.” Explore producer collections and sign up for the MTRY’s newsletter at https://mtryco.com. Full feature at meettheminnesotamakers.com This is post two of nine in this series. Check back Thursday for the next local hero!
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. CEDA (Community and Economic Development Associates) works in and for rural communities. As non-profit, CEDA provides economic development services to rural communities, counties and organizations throughout rural Minnesota, northern Iowa, and western Wisconsin. @ceda_usa , through programs like RBIL(Rural Business Innovation Lab), restores the idea that small towns are thriving economic engines. Supporting entrepreneurship is a strategy for rural resilience. With the right support, rural business owners stay rooted in their communities while positively shaping the regional economy. Cameron Payne and Joshua Schuetz, RBIL’s team leaders, empower rural entrepreneurs to thrive right in their own rural communities. One of @ruralbusinessinnovationlab greatest strengths is its growing network. What began as a small pilot program has evolved into a dynamic ecosystem of partners, mentors, consultants, funders and alumni working to support rural entrepreneurs. RBIL cohorts include businesses in agriculture, agricultural technology, clean energy, regenerative agriculture, agricultural technology, clean energy, food and beverage, education, government work, textiles, and more. Now in its third cohort cycle (with applications for the fourth opening in Jan 2026), RBIL is a community where peers navigate challenges and celebrate triumphs together. Wondering whether RBIL is a good fit for your business? They welcome applications from business owners located in rural areas who produce a scalable product or service. How do the RBIL alums feel? Nick Revoir from Simple Cider Company shared 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 (or evil knievels) on our businesses. There is no way I would have gotten close to this far without your help.” Over the next three weeks, Meet the Minnesota Makers will share stories of eight cohort members in partnership with RBIL. Meet rural innovators and see how RBIL makes a difference. Full feature at meettheminnesotamakers.com
Taste Makers hit the road! Our first road trip-th Taste Makers hit the road! Our first road trip-themed Taste Makers class this past Saturday was a tasty adventure. Thank you to @cannonbelles, @ferndalemarket and @tilion_brewing for sharing your passion, your process, and your delicious products with our guests. We talked local cheese, turkey and beer, snacked and sampled, shared recipes and celebrated the rich food hub of Cannon Falls. This was our eighth Taste Makers class. Each and every class has had its own, well, flavor. The people, the stories, what Chef Beth Fisher prepares with the ingredients on hand—each has been an experience to savor. Being in the room as makers share their process, their products and their passion—what drives them—it’s a special space. We’re working on a Warm and Cozy themed class for this November. I hope you’ll join us. Registration is open now: https://arb.umn.edu/learn/taste-makers-warm-cozy Did I mention that @chefbethfisher cooks for you? It’s a great way to spend a Saturday morning (and makes a thoughtful experience gift!). Go behind the scenes of what it means to be part of Minnesota’s food system.
Chris Larson thought brewing beer with his brother Chris Larson thought brewing beer with his brother Scott would be a fun thing to do before his brother deployed to Afghanistan with the US Army in 2008. With a home brew kit from Northern Brewer on Grand Avenue, Chris set to work. “I figured I would learn how to brew beer and that would be that,” reflects Chris. “Like most hobbies, it either catches you or it doesn’t. When it catches you, you’re all in. I quickly became one of those people who told everyone I knew—hey, I home brew. Do you want to try my beer?” Fast forward several years and Chris, his brother Scott Larson, and friend Ryan Seabright teamed up to launch Tilion Brewing Company in Cannon Falls. Their search started in St Paul, but a series of happy connections, coincidences, and a bit of luck brought them south to a scenic spot overlooking the Cannon River. Tilion brews a wide variety of beer in order to have something for everyone in their audience. On a summer day you’ll find a mix of locals, day trippers, and cyclists who stop for a drink before returning to the trail enjoying the patio views. Chris has found that they’ve become a popular rest stop for people traveling between the Twin Cities and Rochester. The name of the brewery is full of flavor as well. During a trip to Iceland, Chris and his wife visited a craft beer bar in downtown Reykjavik. A discussion about the Icelandic word for “craft” inspired linguistic massaging of an old Norwegian word into Tilion. The menu always includes hoppy things, a few lagers, some ales and something hazy. While their light lager is consistently a crowd pleaser, Mango Milkshake, Peanut Butter Cocoa, and Key Lime Pie have enthusiastic fan followings. “We invite everyone to give us a try,” concludes Chris. “We’re part of this makers’ community here in Cannon Falls. We have a really unique small town with a lot of producers for its size. Simply put, we’re an awesome place to live and visit. Come and see for yourself.” Visit tilionbrewing.com for more about Tilion’s craft beer for crafty people. Follow @tilion_brewing for trivia nights, what’s new on tap, and local food specials. Full feature at meettheminnesotamakers.com
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
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