Our Local Producers

Thorp, WI

Marieke was born and raised in the Netherlands where she grew up on her parents’ 60-cow dairy farm. After moving to the U.S., she started a 350-cow dairy farm and began producing authentic Dutch gouda in Thorp, Wisconsin. In 2015, Marieke was the first woman to win the Wisconsin outstanding young farmer award. The equipment, cultures, herbs and spices she uses are all imported from Holland. Milk for Marieke’s Gouda is rBGH-free and comes from nearby Penterman Farm cows, directly from the first milking of the day.

Milton, IA

Milton Creamery is the result of a dream — a dream of doing something to help others in the agricultural world and beyond, adding value to milk for dairy farmers, creating jobs in the local community, and bringing you a product created with art and passion from Southeast Iowa.

Spring Lake Park, MN

MinnTofu is a local Minnesota startup with a singular focus on producing wholesome and environmentally sustainable plant-based foods, with locally farmed soybeans. MinnTofu was started by Yan Small, a licensed food safety instructor from St. Paul who teaches classes to food handlers and managers. The lack of freshly made tofu in Minnesota inspired Yan to fill the void for local consumers who want fresh tofu in their diet. Yan, as an Asian American woman, is passionate about the health benefits of plant-based foods. In 2018 Yan teamed up with Rafik Moore to make her dream of providing plant-based foods a reality to share with others who are passionate about a healthy diet and lifestyle.

Rushford, MN

Western WI

Organic Valley is a farmer-owned co-op that supports rural communities by protecting the health of family farms while working toward economic and environmental sustainability. Founded over 25 years ago in Wisconsin’s Coulee Region at a time when small farmers were given the message to get big or get out, seven farmers came together on a mission to change the way people thought about food. Today, their co-op has grown to include over 1,800 family farms that produce some of the highest-quality local dairy products available.

Kerkhoven, MN

Pastures A Plenty is a grazing-based farm that uses a holistic agricultural management model focused on environmental, community, and long-term farm sustainability. They specifically raise breeds of hogs that love to be outside. Their hogs are fed primarily on pasture and never receive hormones or antibiotics to promote growth.

Minneapolis, MN

Since 1996, Peace Coffee has been firmly rooted in the business of responsible and sustainable partnerships with each link in the journey that beautiful coffees take. They purchase only organic, fair trade coffees from small-scale grower cooperatives that invest in their farmers to combat unstable markets and shifting climates. They deliver by bike, hand label, and taste each of their coffees to make sure each batch is just right.

Redby, MN

Red Lake Nation Fishery is owned and operated by the Red Lake Band of Ojibwe. The walley is wild caught by tribal fishermen, who use the wisdom from their elders to harvest in a sustainable manner. Red Lake Nation Fishery has provided freshwater walleye to America since 1919. The business started during the First World War, when they offered a supply to American Troops.

Grilled Walleye with Rosemary and Lemon

Brooten, MN

Woman-owned and -operated, Redhead Creamery has been making artisan, farmstead cheese since 2013. Named after co-owner Alise Sjostrom, the creamery is a childhood dream come to fruition on her family’s dairy farm. The term farmstead is indicative of cheese made directly on the farm where fresh milk is collected, allowing the creamery the unique ability to adjust the milks’ fat and protein levels to impact the final cheeses’ rich textures and flavors.

Western WI

Rochdale Farms, the creation of Mary Bess Michaletz and Bentley Lein, is locally and cooperatively owned. It was created with the intention to foster the growth of small local dairy producers and create delicious, artisan cheeses, hand rolled butters, and cream-top yogurts. Rochdale sells all of their creative dairy products exclusively to Midwestern natural food cooperatives. Most of the milk they use comes from a network of over 325 small Amish family farms spread across Wisconsin and Minnesota. These family-run farms take an extraordinary amount of care to treat their animals and land with care.