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The Medley Blog

Community Partner Spotlight: Grand Hand Gallery

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Nestled on Grand and Dale, the Grand Hand Gallery isn’t just a place to admire art—it’s a growing hub of community engagement and artistic diversity. Since Rachel Hartzler and Jim Jacobson took over in September 2022, they’ve taken on the mantle of caring for this dynamic space, while nurturing a…

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A Trip to Harmony Valley Farm

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Presented by Amanda Paa, Heartbeet Kitchen Side winding back and forth down country roads, nestled deep within the hills of the Driftless Valley, you’ll find the most fertile fields and the hands who tend them. Harmony Valley Farm in Viroqua, Wisc., is…

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Community Partner Spotlight: The Coven

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Founded in Minneapolis’ North Loop, The Coven fosters community through intersectional coworking spaces geared toward women, non-binary, and transgender individuals. Their first location symbolically opened on International Women’s Day (March 8), 2018. In 2020, they expanded and opened a second space in Saint Paul’s Cathedral Hill neighborhood, a few blocks…

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Meet Wisconsin Growers Cooperative

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Wisconsin Growers Cooperative (WGC) was founded in 2006 to help 20 local Amish families maintain ownership of their farmland and collectively market their fresh produce. Now comprised of approximately 36 small family farms in western Wisconsin, the farming co-op’s members are dedicated to using approved organic farming methods and practices.

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Meet Roseline of Roseline’s Candles

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Roseline Friedrich didn’t mean to become an entrepreneur. A social worker, case manager and mental health practitioner by trade, she needed something to help her unwind from her high-stress job. She turned to burning candles and began collecting the jars. In December 2019, she hosted a holiday party for people…

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Local Profile: Shiro’s African Boutique

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Kenya native Mary Kuria (in center, above) has been a Minnesotan for almost 30 years. When she became an empty nester in 2017 after her son’s high school graduation, she was inspired to start a side hustle selling fashion jewelry and accessories to stay busy. “But I felt it was…

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Meet Ferndale Market

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A Q&A with John Peterson, General Manager and Farmer   How long have you been in operation, and how did you get started? My family has been raising turkeys on our farm in Cannon Falls since 1939. Our farm was founded by my grandparents, Fern & Dale Peterson, so…

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A Trip to Featherstone Farm

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Presented by Amanda Paa, Heartbeet Kitchen Farmer Jack Hedin is a man dedicated to the soil. As he knelt upon the land in front of me, dirt sifting through his weathered hands, his voice echoed the joys, hardship, excitement, and the unknowns of Featherstone Farm. His passion is rooted…

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Local Profile: Roots Essential

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Roots Essential was started in 2015 by local female entrepreneur Evangeline Stacy. She creates therapeutic bath and body care products in small batches using plant-based ingredients and recyclable, locally sourced packaging. No synthetic chemicals or fragrances, fillers, artificial colors, petroleum, formaldehyde or parabens are ever used. This guarantees clean, safe…

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Local Profile: Gerhard’s Brats

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Gerhard’s Brats has been crafting small-batch, handmade bratwursts since fall of 2012 and selling them wholesale to co-ops and groceries for the past six years. During their first three years in business, Gerhard’s Brats were sold exclusively at local Twin City food co-ops, supported by shoppers…

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