Minnesota Grown

06/26/2026

Farmers' markets support our communities in more ways than one!
Shopping locally uplifts your local farmers, your local economy, and provides the ever dwindling third space we all crave nowadays. 💖

Find your local market and connect with neighbors and nearby farmers this weekend on the Minnesota Grown Directory: https://minnesotagrown.com/member-category/farmers-markets/summer-markets/

06/25/2026

Fresh, crisp spinach tastes and nourishes us best when it's Minnesota Grown 💙💚 Spinach season is beginning! Find it at your local farmers' market or on the Minnesota Grown directory: https://minnesotagrown.com/products/fresh-produce-fruits-vegetables/spinach/

06/24/2026

Tomorrow! ⌚ Celebrate 20+ years of Renewing the Countryside and enjoy great food, drinks, specialty cocktails made from local spirits and tonics, and music. Support their important work by participating in a silent auction of local experiences and goods and enjoy an art station where you can make your own prints, games, and more!

RTC's work supports local farmers and producers and strengthens our local food systems. 🎫 Get your tickets now: https://www.renewingthecountryside.org/renewing_the_countryside_annual_fundraiser

06/23/2026

Break out the BBQ and grill up some locally raised goodness this summer! 🔥

What's on the menu ? Minnesota Grown beef, chicken, pork, or all three? 🐄🐔🐷

06/23/2026

Meet The Berry Field, Happy Critters Farm! The name may be new, but this strawberry farm has been an iconic staple of Carlton County for 40 years. 🍓Formerly Finke’s Berry Farm, after several years of transition the fields are thriving anew, and the new owners are excited to reintroduce the farm to the community that has always loved it, and to new pickers ready to make memories!

At the heart of the farm is Farmer Joe in the fields, Amanda steering the business side, and their three enthusiastic kid helpers (ages 6, 8, and 11) who pitch in wherever their curiosity leads them. As Happy Critters Farm, they’ve been raising and selling meat directly to consumers for over a decade, and with the expansion into strawberry production, Joe was at last able to reach his goal of farming full-time! The Finkes still live across the road from the farm and are supportive mentors for Joe and Amanda. “There was a lot to learn,” says Amanda, “but Joe’s love for soil health and cover crops is very applicable to raising strawberries in a way that is supported by nature. We are producing more pounds per acre than these fields have seen in many years.”

Which leads us to the W**D ASSASSINS! 💪 Because they choose to farm without pesticides, the farm hires an amazing group of local youth (and a W**d Assassin Handler, their adult supervisor) who tend the strawberries “from the time they are baby root crowns until they are lush and ready for picking.” While the picking season is short, around 3 weeks, once it is over, the team shifts immediately into caring for the next year’s baby plants. Customers also play a big part in this pesticide free system. By picking all ripe berries, not just the largest ones, visitors help prevent fruit from spoiling in the field and attracting pests. So remember - Pick them all, big or small!

At The Berry Field, they follow a three-year crop rotation inspired by the Finkes’ decades of experience. In the first year of a field, the strawberries are planted but won’t produce fruit. In year two, the plants produce fruit and then are tilled into the ground. Lastly, in year three, a cover crop is planted to help rebuild the soil and biodiversity. “Our manner of farming is labor intensive,” shared Amanda. “It cannot be done without the right equipment, the best W**d Assassins, and fantastic customers. But we think the product is worth this investment.”

🍓Excited to pick your own berries? 📣 Check out their Facebook, call their berry hotline, or even sign up for texts to get the most up to date information about when strawberry season is going to kick off in Carlton (it’s soon!).

🍓Looking for strawberries in other parts of the state? Visit the Minnesota Grown directory for over 100 locations to get your hands on juicy and delicious berries.

06/21/2026

Have you heard of the Honeyberry or Haskap!? These elongated blue berries have a sweet–tart flavor and tender skins, making them perfect for jam and wine-making, for eating with yogurt or oatmeal, or in baked goods (sub them for blueberries)! Birds love them too, so you'll see the fields covered with protective netting.

They’re one of the first berries of the year, southern Minnesota’s season is wrapping up, but things are just getting started in the metro and are about a week out in northern Minnesota. Savor them while you can! 🌿🫐

Find a farm growing Honeyberries/Haskaps in the MN Grown Directory!
https://minnesotagrown.com/products/fresh-produce-fruits-vegetables/honeyberries-haskaps/?

📸 Haskap Minnesota

06/20/2026

Looking to spend some time with your family this weekend? ☀️ Enjoy the weather and a sweet harvest during a short season by visiting a pick-your-own strawberry farm! 🍓

If picking isn't your thing, you can stop by and take home a flat of pre-picked strawberries to enjoy. 🍓

Find a farm near you: https://minnesotagrown.com/products/fresh-produce-fruits-vegetables/strawberries

📸 Becky's Berries, Strawberries Galore & More, Miracle Strawberry Farm, Dew Fresh Produce

06/17/2026

Cheese lovers rejoice! The biggest cheese event of the summer is here! 🧀

Redhead Creamery's Curd Fest is a great way to enjoy live music, local brews, and (of course) Minnesota Grown cheese 🧀 The pan fried curds are a must-try!

Our CURD FEST weekend is finally here! Big crowds not your thing? Stop in on a quiet day during the week!:

WEDNESDAY 6/17
🧀Cheese shop open 10-4

THURSDAY 6/18
🧀Cheese shop open 10-4

FRIDAY 6/19
🌱St. Joe Farmers Market 3-6
🧀Cheese shop open 10-5
🍔Restaurant open 10:30-4
🐮Farm tours at 12

SATURDAY 6/20
🧀CURD FEST DAY!
Open 11AM-4PM
🍔 Food Trucks, vendors, cocktails, spirits, beer, cider, and music all day
🥃Special Curd Fest Distillery Tours at 11 & 3
🐮Milking Competition at 2:30

06/16/2026

Strawberry season is so sweet! 🍓 It might be our favorite time of year...

Pick-your-own strawberries at Miracle Strawberry Farm!!! Crazy good!!!

06/15/2026

Every Friday afternoon a small‑town gathering becomes a big source of pride. In the heart of Parkers Prairie, Prairie Farmers Market runs on a whole lot of heart, intention, and community. 💞

At the center of it all is founder and market manager, Meghan Jahnke. Meghan coordinates vendors, handles communications and marketing, manages SNAP/Market Bucks, organizes events, and makes sure every detail comes together each week. "But the true soul of the market belongs to the growers, bakers, makers, and artists who fill the park with their talent and hard work," Meghan says. As a producer‑only market, everything sold is grown, raised, baked, preserved, or created by the vendor themselves.

The idea for Prairie Farmers Market came from Meghan’s deep roots in agriculture and her desire to contribute to her new community after moving to Minnesota in 2021. Parkers Prairie lost its grocery store, and local food options were limited. Meghan saw an opportunity to bring people together around fresh food, connection, and resilience and took action. Each Friday, families linger in the shade, kids run toward the playground with a cookie in hand, neighbors catch up, and vendors share the fruits of their labor with a grateful crowd.

Of course, running a market isn’t without challenges. Coordinating a full season of vendors, programming, food access initiatives, and events takes time and passion. Meghan says the purpose keeps her going and that every Friday reminds her why it matters.

Prairie Farmers Market is open every Friday from 3–6 PM, June through October, at Parkers Prairie City Park, right along Highway 29. Shoppers can find fresh produce, meats, eggs, baked goods, canned goods, handmade items, and more. SNAP/EBT and Market Bucks are accepted, making local, high‑quality food accessible to more households in the community.

This season, the market continues to grow beyond being just a place to shop. Expect live music, family activities, community meet‑and‑greets, workshops, and special First Friday programming. Most of all, Prairie Farmers Market hopes people know this is their market: a community space made possible by every shopper, vendor, volunteer, musician, and neighbor who shows up each week.

Follow Prairie Farmers Market on Facebook and Instagram for updates and find more farmers' markets on the Minnesota Grown Directory: https://minnesotagrown.com/member-category/farmers-markets/summer-markets/