Support these farms and businesses!
Last Saturday evening we had 160 people attend the Butcher’s Dinner and Barn Dance at Medicine Creek Farm outside Finlayson. People from all walks of life, of various political persuasions and religions, both urban and rural, gathered around tables and found common ground, proclaiming the weather perfect and the food delicious.
This was truly a community event in every sense of the word, and we would like to give a huge thank you to the local businesses and farms who helped make it a success! Our generous business sponsors included T. Stanway Carpentry (Finlayson), Twin Pines Veterinary Clinic, P.A.. (Askov/Hinckley), Moose Lake Brewing Company (Moose Lake), Nemadjii (Bruno), Compeer Financial (Duluth), and Lake Haven Meats (Sturgeon Lake).
Our amazing organizational supporters included the Pine County Soil and Water Conservation District, Peace Lutheran Church (Finlayson), the 210 Gallery & Art Center (Sandstone), Climate Land Leaders, the Land Stewardship Project, Minnesota Farmers Union, the Sustainable Farming Association, and Renewing the Countryside.
We were also pleased to be able to offer support back to so many amazing farms and food producers in our area through purchasing for the meal. We sourced pork from Y-Ker Acres (Carlton), plums from Stone Creek Farm (Taylor’s Falls), honey from Uncle Herman's Farm (Finlayson), cheese from Red Cottage Farm (Finlayson) and Shepherd's Way Farms (Nerstrand), arugula and herbs from Abraham's Table Farm (Sandstone), lettuce from the Trapp Farm at Osprey Wilds Environmental Learning Center (Sandstone), sweet corn from Ernie’s Ears (Askov), potatoes and herbs from Rising Phoenix Community Farm (Barnum), bread from Laune Bread, apple cider from Maple Run Orchard (Finlayson), and hard ciders from Sapsucker Farms Yellow Belly Cidery (Mora).
Additionally, our farmers market at the event featured even more local producers including wool crafting kits from Ewe Betcha Market (Hinckley), wild caught Alaskan salmon from Great Northern Seafoods (Barnum), mushrooms and baked goods from The Gothic Farmstead (Pine City), herbal tallow balms from Birth of Venus Botanicals (Finlayson), and beeswax candles and herb salts from Heirloomista (North Branch).
We also couldn’t have pulled off the event without the invaluable processing, cooking, catering, and bartending work of Denham Run Bar & Grill (Denham), Baptism River Barbecue Co. (Beaver Bay), Lake Avenue Restaurant and Bar (Duluth), the Libation Project, Crank & Dasher Ice Cream (Duluth), Lowry Hill Provisions (Minneapolis), Lake Haven Meats (Sturgeon Lake), and of course our namesake butcher, Brian Merkel aka @Merkelations (Duluth).
And a shout-out to Paul’s Portables and the Finlayson-Giese Lions Club Community Center for providing rentals to our local community.
There are so many great farms and food businesses in Minnesota and our region, and so many of them you can buy from directly! We hope you’ll discover new products, meet new farmers and chefs, make a new community connection, and support these businesses and organizations too!