Hmong American farmers have been transforming the local Twin Cities food economy since arriving from Laos and Thailand over 40 years ago as political refugees during the Vietnam War. From an active presence at metro-area farmers’ markets, where local Hmong American farmers now account for more than 50 percent of…
A favorite producer here at Mississippi Market, Rochdale Farms is locally and cooperatively owned. Rochdale Farms is the creation of Mary Bess Michaletz and Bentley Lein. It was created with the intention to foster the growth of small local dairy producers and create delicious, artisan cheeses,…
Pastures A Plenty is third generation family-owned-and-operated by the VanDerPols. Pasture-to-Plate Pork Pastures A Plenty in Kerkhoven, Minn., is decidedly different. This mutigenerational family-owned-and-operated farmstead takes a hands-on approach, focusing on attention to detail. For over three decades, the VanDerPol family has shown strong commitment to the…
Larry Schultz’s family has been using organic farming methods since his great-grandfather first moved onto their land in Owatonna, Minn. Larry Schultz has been supplying free-range, cage-free, certified organic eggs, chickens and turkeys to Mississippi Market for many years. He prides himself on selling the freshest eggs possible — they’re…
Milton Creamery was started in 2005 as a joint venture between local Amish dairy farmers and the Musser family. All of their milk comes from cows on small Amish dairy farms where herds are managed and milked by the immediate family. The farmers graze their cows throughout much of the…
Brake Bread is a local bakery that uses a community supported subscription model to deliver fresh baked goods by bike. After a successfully funded Kickstarter campaign, they opened a retail location on West 7th street in early 2016 for direct sales of their delicious naturally leavened breads and baked goods…
Organic Valley is a farmer-owned cooperative whose central mission is “to support rural communities by protecting the health of the family farm – working toward both economic and environmental sustainability.” Founded over 30 years ago just across the Mississippi River in Wisconsin’s Coulee Region at a time when small farmers…