Makers of Minnesota

Upon completion of my interview with Skaalven Distillery founder Tyson Schnitker, he suggested that someone should interview me, to hear my story and get the background of how the MakersofMn podcast came to be. It sounded fun so Tyson and I switched chairs for this unique episode where the Interviewer becomes the interviewee.

Lindsey Christianson is the  "Elderberry Queen". She started making batches of her immune-boosting Elderberry Syrup in her home kitchen and has since expanded to internet sales and health and wellness stores throughout the midwest. Hear how she brings this ancient syrup formulation based on the Elderberry Flower into our homes.

Jeremy Pryes is brewing "prize" winning beer at Pryes Brewery on the banks of the Mississippi River near the North Loop in Minneapolis.  This is one of my favorite taprooms. The taproom is dog friendly with a huge outdoor patio and a menu full of delicious pub favorites Pryes is not only doing it right in the beer department but in the people department. Hear their story here on this @Makersofmn episode

Laura Muhm created the "Minnesota  Candle" the Sota Crackler!
Actually, the name of the made-in-Minnesota candles is partly derived from the crackling wooden wicks they use!  Laura is hometown proud and names her scents after places & things that are uniquely Minnesotan, like the piney Northwoods scent, or the Mosquito Bite scent made with citronella & mint. Sota Crackler's are high-quality naturally smoke-less soy wax candles, beautifully designed poured by hand, in small batches.

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Rita Katona and her husband, Eric Hall, co-founded So Good So You Juice Company in 2016. The company provides immune-boosting, probiotic, plant-based juice shots that are cold-pressed with natural ingredients known to improve immune system health. In the past 18 months, So Good So You has grown more than 380 percent. 

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Redhead Creamery has been making ridiculously good, artisan cheese on their family dairy farm since 2013.  The dream for this sustainable and eco-friendly creamery has been a dream of the founder (natural redhead) Alise Sjostrom’s since she was 16.  Today you can tour the creamery, host your event in their private space on the farm, or simply hang out to sample some cheese and have a pint in their cheese shop! 

Hear their story about making award-winning cheese with milk from their own cows.

Kate Meier started Craftmade Aprons when her chef son asked her to sew him an apron. After her first attempt, she started working with her other two chef sons to tweak the design and create customizations that fit the diverse needs of the culinary community. Together with Trent Taher, her business partner, they have weathered the pandemic and are moving into chef's coats in a collaboration with US Foods.

Jeff Cerise and his partners at Hobby Farmer Canning Company are passionate makers of delicious, hand-crafted foods and beverages. Their products are based on family recipes and adapted to today’s tastes. What started with pickles, beets, and other vegetables has kept going with Switchels and now their new Hard Switchel.  

Switchel has been considered an amazingly refreshing health elixir for centuries. Like their popular N/A Switchel Fizz,  Hobby Farmer Hard Switchel is gluten-free, made with all organic ginger, ACV and honey, but this new one comes in at a very drinkable 5% ABV. and has one the very prestigious Good Food Award.

Bruce Bacon is a serial entrepreneur having moved back to his hometown of Two Harbors Minnesota to  launch Ruth's Vegetarian Gourmet Meatballs

Ruth’s meatballs are filled with the cleanest ingredients not soy, fillers, dyes, nitrates, MSG, or corn syrup,. The meatballs are made in small batches from real ingredients you can find in your very own kitchen and Ruth's gives back 20% of the family's profits to charity.  Buy Ruth's online here or find them at your local HyVee, Jerrys, The Co-ops, Cub, and Lunds Byerlys, or other stores here. 

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I talked with Harmony Cricket Farm founder Tammy Mann as she works through her product line up on her quest to bring the goodness of cricket nutrition to the Twin Cities.

What’s the deal with all the excitement around crickets and cricket farming? It’s pretty simple. Crickets are a very complete protein. They mature quickly, can be farmed without a lot of natural resources, and can be ground into powders and flours, making them easy to add to baked goods and smoothies, thereby upping the protein content in whatever you are making. Athletes and people looking for ways to up their protein intake without upping their meat consumption can look to crickets as an effortless way to do this. Crickets have more protein than beef, and they are full of healthy fiber and Omega 3’s. When crickets are ground into flours and powders, you don’t have the unpleasant antennae stuck in the throat problem, and it makes people less squeamish about eating them when they are “hidden” in your food.

Shop for all of Tammy's products here including  Tammys Cricket Flour for baking or Cricket Protein Powder for smoothies.