Make It Minnesota - The Community Issue - Vol. 1, No 5.

Vol. 1, No. 5 - May/June 2016

COMMUNITY ISSUE - VOL 1, NO. 5 - 2016 | a THE COMMUNITY ISSUE

With a rotating selection of makers, Minneapolis Craft Market is the best place to discover emerging artists and new design talent of the North.

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Editor’s Note

B uilding the C ommunit y I ssue

When we set out to create the Community Issue, we knew we wanted to fill the pages with stories, photographs, and contests that would remind us of the importance of community. The significance and beauty and integrity of connecting with the people, places, and quirky traditions that only exist in the world immediately around us—Minnesota.

I feel a precious spark within me when I think of the possibility of building a community through Make It Minnesota. Through this magazine and our celebration of local and desire to promote a vibrant, localized economy, we hope to inspire meaningful collaborations and connect with beautiful, influential people. We are so honored to be a small part of their creative world.

As we cultivate a greater sense of support and encouragement for creativity in this place, we hope that through creative storytelling, we serve as the channel for building stronger communities. We’re here to voice the journeys of growers, artists, makers, brewers, and beyond. Stories of people who genuinely care—not only about their own craft, but also about their community as a living, breathing entity. Like us, they want to contribute and add to its vibrancy and grow right alongside it.

That’s what this Community Issue is all about. In the pages ahead, you will read stories about a bread maker in Chaska, a Co-op and Community Kitchen in Bemidji, an imaginative maker faire in St. Paul, Community Instagram contest winners from around the state, a clothing designer from Mankato, and so much more. All of these innovative Minnesotans are community-driven and well loved in their own communities. And it’s awfully special to be a part of that.

- Kara Larson COMMUNITY ISSUE - VOL 1, NO. 5 - 2016 | 1

Editor Kara Larson Production Manager Leah Matzke

Contributors Diana Crane Sean McSteen Matt Frank Claire Campbell & Olivia Dropps Lisa Weiskopf Cover Photo Abby Anfinson, 2016 community contest winner

Contributors DIANA CRANE AND EMY CRANE

Diana and Emy felt like little nomads from a very young age—from Arizona, to Arkansas, to Idaho, it seemed they were always on the move.

Now settled in Minneapolis, they’re still figuring out how to put down roots.

Spruce is storytelling, it’s learning, it’s growth—it’s their attempt to weave themselves into this city, and to feel truly at home.

SEAN MCSTEEN

Born and raised in a St. Paul suburb, Sean grew up being exposed to and participating in the rich and diverse culture of the Twin Cities. His passions range from playing cello, filmmaking, Gonzo journalism (on the weekends), and traveling to any new place around the world, near or far.

LISA WEISKOPF

Copyright All images contained in Make It Minnesota are subject to copyright of the artist, illustrator or photographers as named, but not limited to.

Lisa Weiskopf was born and raised in Bemidji, Minnesota on an 80 acre cattle farm on the outskirts of town. There, Lisa developed a love for the outdoors, an appreciation of a solid work ethic, and a realization that cooperation makes all things possible. After attaining her English degree from Bemidji State University in 1995, Lisa began her 21-year (and counting!) career at Harmony Co-op, serving a variety of roles including: Produce Manager (20 years), Community Kitchen Director (4 years) and Product Manager (2 years).

Reproduction of any part of this magazine without prior permission is prohibited.

Copyright 2016. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer The views and comments expressed by the writers are not always that of Make It Minnesota.

While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of the information in this publication, Make It Minnesota accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or resultant consequences, including any loss or damage arising from reliance on information in this publication.

Make It Minnesota (ISSN 2471-6744) Volume 1, No. 5, is published by Make It MN LLC

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MATT FRANK

Matt’s passions for urban agriculture, regenerative landscape design, and food justice issues led to From the Ground Up North’s creation as an educational and inspirational tool for change in the Upper Midwest. He strongly believes in the power of narratives to shape minds, open eyes and shift perspectives.

CLAIRE CAMPBELL & OLIVIA DROPPS Claire and Olivia are the granddaughters of Tootie & Dotes. Their site is lovingly titled with the names of their grandmothers. They are northern womenfolk, cultivating strength and nourishment as they write about the slow and steady lives of midwest farmers and producers.

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Contents Featured Communities

4 6

Local by Local: Emma Olson

Hidden Cities: Northfield

9

Maker Workshop Series

9

Able Seedhouse + Brewery

Out & About

14

14

Minneapolis/St. Paul Mini Maker Faire

Behind The Creative

18 20 24

Meg Sievek of Sakatah Colors Fire & Flour Bread Growing West Side

Instagram Contest 27 Share Your Community

20

Minnesota Style

30

Michelle Raven: Thrift Stylist

30

Minnesota Kitchen

33

Harmony Co-op Community Kitchen

Share Your Project

36

Community Art Project Postcards

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LOCAL LOCAL

BY

Emma Olson,

Founder of Hazel & Rose

By Diana Crane, Spruce MPLS

About Emma: Growing up, Emma Olson moved around quite a bit with her family; she never expected to settle down in Minneapolis. Three years after college, she found herself married, working for Target Corporate, living in Uptown—comfortably rooted but craving a different kind of move. Hazel & Rose grew naturally out of her business background, and passion for furthering the ethical and sustainable fashion movement.

About Hazel & Rose: Hazel & Rose represents Minneapolis’ first contemporary women’s boutique committed to offering solely sustainable goods. Emma opened up shop last March, truly filling a void in the city’s fashion scene. The store, located in Northeast’s Broadway Building, features expansive wood flooring, gold-leaf wall detailing, and gorgeous, minimalistic dressing rooms that actually hang from the ceiling. Emma offers an expertly curated selection of clothing, beauty products and even sweets, including local brands like Winsome Goods, Hackwith Design House, and Meadowlands Chocolate.

Ethical Fashion 101: Over the last few years, filmmakers, celebrities, and activists have thrust the fashion industry’s troubling human rights record onto our screens and into our collective conscious. As Emma meets designers at trade shows or browses their shops, she prioritizes aesthetics and transparency. Are they using natural, recycled, or dead-stock fibers? How and where is the garment manufactured? Emma reflects on this prioritization of values, “I can tell if a designer knows and cares about the story behind their garments… and I make sure that I can pass that story and promise to my consumers.”

Photo of Emma Olson by: Arcade Original | Winsome photo by: Spruce MPLS Indigo & Snow photo by: melissabergphoto.com | déchaîné photo by: déchaîné / Nature Unbridled.com™ | East Fourth Street photo by: Ali Kvidt 4 MAKE IT MINNESOTA

WINSOME GOODS

OK, Minneapolis, we know you love your small batch craft beer, aquavit, bagels, whatever. But what about clothing? Kathryn Sterner, owner and designer at Winsome Goods, produces limited runs of thoughtfully designed garments, and regularly invites her shoppers to consider how they interact with clothing.

In the last few months, she’s hosted two iterations of “The Shoot,” an event centered around capturing photos for her newest lookbook while guests shop local vendors, grab a cup of coffee and mingle. Sitting somewhere between fashion show and local girl boss convention, “The Shoot” asks the community to engage in, and ask questions about all facets of clothing production.

Sterner recently took this concept one step further with an overwhelmingly successful Kickstarter campaign dedicated to funding her renovation of a 1975 Airstream trailer. Once complete, Sterner writes, “The Winsome Mobile Studio will represent ultimate transparency into our clothing design and production practices.”

INDIGO & SNOW

Annabella Sardelis, of Indigo & Snow, specializes in printmaking—hand-dyeing textiles using woodcuts, stones, plants. Through foraging and careful sourcing of sustainable fibers, Sardelis prioritizes the environment in everything she does. “As a designer, my goal is to create pieces that nurture consciousness, connection and bring intention into the consumption habits of our culture.”

Using principles of Shibori, a Japanese method of binding, folding, compressing and dyeing fabrics, Sardelis creates one-of-a-kind designs that feel understated, intentional. Her proclivity for bold, blue hues and simple shapes weaves through all of her work, from scarves and totes, to easy shift dresses and eye pillows.

DÉCHAÎNÉ | NATURE UNBRIDLED

“In my late teens, I discovered essential oils and fell in love. It was astonishing to me how there could be so many absolutely unique aromas…”

Darren DeChaine’s childhood fascination with his mother’s and father’s fragrances has transformed into his life’s work—a line of natural, cruelty free beauty products.

Darren’s label, déchaîné | Nature Unbridled, uses essential oils to create aromas inspired by the seasons. His keen sense of smell allows him to develop complex, refreshing fragrance blends like tangerine, palmarosa, vanilla, and jasmine, elemi, blood orange. Offering a wide array of perfumes, moisturizers and body sprays for both men and women, Nature Unbridled taps into, and magnifies unique essences found in nature.

Darren prides himself on filling a little bit of a void in the Twin Cities, producing small batch fragrances that are always natural, never artificially manufactured or harmful. His commitment to working conscientiously extends beyond his studio, as a portion of his profits benefit global cleanwater efforts, and various humanitarian groups.

EAST FOURTH STREET

Northfield, Minnesota, is a true gem of a town. Stroll down Division Street, and you might feel a little bit like you just stepped into an episode of Gilmore Girls’ Stars Hollow. Really, next time you’re there, you’ll probably run into Rory sipping a cold brew and writing poetry in Blue Mondays.

Part of the town’s charm lies in its incredible arts scene. Enter Susan Crow, of East Fourth Street. Susan specializes in crafting socially responsible, luxury jewelry and accessories, predominantly using Fairmined silver and gold. Fairmined is an assurance label offering responsibly sourced metals from small mining organizations around the world.

“I’m proud of being a Fairmined licensee working with Fairmined Gold, because beautiful jewelry should have a clean, beautiful story that speaks of solidarity and global support.” Susan writes of her commitment to sourcing ethically. The jewelry she crafts reflects her commitment to nature in its clean, slightly-rugged simplicity.

COMMUNITY ISSUE - VOL 1, NO. 5 - 2016 | 5

Hidden Cities

Northfield

By Sean McSteen

For this edition of Hidden Cities, we visited Northfield, Minnesota, a widely-known city—bolstered by St. Olaf and Carleton College—home to a huge variety of artists and makers, businesses and schools, and protected forests and prairie. All of these elements combine to make up a vibrant Minnesotan culture. Our exploration of Northfield was very different than past towns visited; where in the smaller towns, we had to really dive in and try and find every little hidden gem. With Northfield, we found that everywhere we turned there was an interesting store to go into. A cafe to try. Or a park or nature path to explore.

With a beautiful main street, walking through downtown Northfield is a delight. The some 65 buildings that make up Northfield’s most unique businesses are all historically preserved and maintained in order to allow the town’s roots to live on.

And rather than old saloons, drug stores and banks, the town’s buildings house some very cool businesses and restaurants.

After grabbing a delicious coffee at Goodbye Blue Monday Coffee, we began our exploration of the town with a marathon of antique stores that were all just enough different from the next to keep things interesting. I have always loved walking the intricately laid-out paths winding through the space like an antique-ridden maze, trying to not miss a thing lest there be a tiny treasure hidden amongst the rest. We got our first taste of what the Northfield community is like in the first antique store we visited when, after buying a strange dagger and set of Russian

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nesting dolls all painted with a different Communist leader, the store employee recommended we visit the other antique stores in town as well. Another nearby antique store and museum definitely worth checking out is Hot Sam’s Antiques. Located about 20 minutes north of Northfield, Hot Sam’s is a large property comprised of crazy, colorful sculptures and art pieces made from old cars and scrap metal parts. There is even a plane “crashed” into the pond edging the park.

It was on our search for the other stores scattered across the downtown area that we came across Makeshift Accessories, a store loaded wall-to-wall with art, jewelry and other incredibly cool creations made entirely out of recycled and refurbished metals and scraps. One of the most unique things we found in the front of the store was a handcrafted chess set with pieces built from smaller engine parts and other scrap metal. After meeting Devin Johnson, the owner of Makeshift, he took us into the back half of his store to show us the workshop he uses and also allows others to use to work on their own pieces. With the back wall lined with every kind of tool you could think of and the side walls covered with scrap metal, boxes filled with seemingly any and every metal utensil possible, and old brass instruments long forgotten until Devin saw potential within them; the workshop was stunning.

Walking around Northfield, I was surprised at how consistently the intertwinement of arts and community arose. Whether it is the store, SWAG, which sells the works and creations of all kinds of artists; anything and everything from rooster sculptures made from single, strips of metal to intricate quilted portraits. Or, the Northfield Arts Guild itself, which had just opened a gallery showcasing the work of local high school students; the work was incredibly impressive and had I gone in blindly, I would have

thought it was a professional gallery. It was a beautiful thing to see how the town cares for, fosters and shares the art and culture of not only those who were born and raised in Northfield, but also for those who bring in the different influences and perspectives of the world.

Boasting the nickname as one of the Ivy League of schools the Midwest, Carleton College is woven into the Northfield landscape east of the Cannon River. And with St. Olaf resting on the west, the atmosphere of the town has this comforting combination and intermingling of older and younger generations. From speaking with people around the community, we got the impression that those who live—and have maybe lived their whole lives—in Northfield are genuinely interested in supporting and nourishing any spark of originality or ingenuity that arises; whether from an international student attending school at Carleton or St. Olaf or an aspiring artist or musician just entering Northfield Public High School.

One local story that we discovered while exploring Northfield was a relatively new, local distillery called Loon Liquors. We were initially worried we would not be able to see it because was closed the first day we were in town—a Tuesday—but luckily, we were able to return that same Friday to check out their space and meet the co-founders, Simeon Rossi and Mark Schiller. Simeon and Mark have been friends from a young age having attended high school together in Northfield, but it was not until the last five or so years that the two decided to create their own liquor business. Trying to use as many locally and sustainably sourced ingredients, Loon Liquors currently distills whiskey and gin, and were just beginning their first batch of vodka on the day we visited. Making us a few cocktails off their very extensive menu and even pulling a sample from one of

COMMUNITY ISSUE - VOL 1, NO. 5 - 2016 | 7

their aging barrels for us to try, Mark and Simeon made us feel right at home in their converted warehouse space furnished all with pieces that they made themselves. The quality of liquor matched the quality of hospitality and we couldn’t in our right minds leave before buying a bottle of their whiskey, appropriately named Loonshine.

One of the most enjoyable things about adventuring and exploring Northfield was the nature and how close it hugged the city. With the Cannon River running through the center of town, there is already a vein in which to explore, which if you follow, leads you to either more parks or beautiful walking trails through the forest and sand banks bordering the river. Or, if you were visiting Carleton’s picturesque campus, we highly recommend visiting the college’s Cowling Arboretum. You can explore the protected area of about 880 acres on walking paths that wind through the arboretum like branches of a fallen tree. And when you have had your fill of exploring the nature that Northfield has to offer and want a bit of relaxation, there are plenty of places back in town to do just that.

Whether it be Froggy Bottoms River Pub, the balcony patio of Tavern, or the outdoor riverside space of The Contented Cow; when the bugs aren’t bad, an evening drink and/or meal by the river is a perfect way to wind down. And we did just that. The city is truly a place where they love their own and care about both the past and the future of the city, while at the same time promoting and supporting a global community as well as a local one. Should you ever get a chance to take a little break driving and stop off the highway to do a little exploring, we suggest you choose Northfield.

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Helpful side note: Oh, yeah. There’s a town history museum there as well, but all we found was technically a four-roomed space supplying minimal information of the failed bank robbery of Jesse James and his gang. Though, two of the rooms were recreations of the bank itself (for the bank had been where the museum is now) and the fourth differed completely from the rest, highlighting the antique photographs of two former townspeople. So, all in all, at five bucks a person, you are not really missing out should you decide to go ahead and skip it.

T h e C o m m u n i t y I s s u e — M a k e r Wo r k s h o p S e r i e s

By Kara Larson

THE UNMAPPED ART OF MAKING BEER WITH MINNESOTA SMALL GRAINS This is a story about being able. A memento of what drives us, what fulfills us, what challenges us. When I sat down in the off-hours empty taproom at Able Seedhouse + Brewery in Northeast Minneapolis to chat with founder Casey Holley, I thought we’d be talking about beer. And we did; but there’s a whole lot more to the story.

COMMUNITY ISSUE -Werth VOL 1, NO. 5 - 2016 | 9 photo by Brandon

PART I: FROM LODI TO MINNEAPOLIS Years before Able became reality, Casey and his wife lived in Lodi, California. This town is tucked away in the central valley of California and boasts a successful agronomic winemaking community. Here, the impetus of Able was born. Casey begins, “The community truly believed that Lodi had some of the best wine in California; everybody in that little wine region was supporting it to some degree. Whether they were farmers or winemakers or chefs or bottle makers or label makers—everyone around was living and breathing it and had been for generations.”

Living there was more than just learning about it, but being fully present in it day after day. Soon, Casey was thinking about how to take this concept back home to Minnesota to tell a similar story through Minnesota small grains. He looked at how they supplied, how they sourced, and how they produced. He studied the differences between the winemakers’ sources and processes, all the while relating them to the potential of Minnesota grains.

He was also researching malthouses across America and found one micro-maltster in Reno, NV—Rebel Malting, founded by Lance Jergensen—that further piqued his interest. Casey describes Lance as a mad scientist maltster and since he was just on the other side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains from Lodi, Casey would drive over, meet with him, and walk through the malting process, trying to learn everything he could.

Beyond Lance’s expertise, Casey also found a great deal of information and assistance through the Craft Maltsters Guild. “They’re continuing to educate everyone in the craft malt industry in America,” begins Casey. “There are more and more popping up around the U.S. and they’ve organized and provided a lot of guidance, assistance, and education around how to get grain processed and malted.”

With inspiration, know-how, lots of practice malting at home, and an open-ended plan in his pocket, the opportunity to return to Minnesota came about and Casey and his wife moved back east to the land of expansive farmland and craft brewing.

At last, the real beginnings of Able were born. Leading up to Able’s taproom grand opening in November 2015, Casey spent the past few years building a supply chain of Minnesota grain farmers and putting together an elite team, including mastermind brewer Bobby Blasey. As the stories of every individual involved with Able, including the small grain farmers, came together, the true expression of being able to grow, make, brew, and explore was realized. And the best part? It’s a realization best served chilled and in a pint glass. photos by Brandon Werth

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PART II: BLAZING TRAILS (OF BARLEY, WHEAT, & RYE) A short drive to Shakopee will bring you to Rahr Malthouse, one of the biggest malthouses in the world. They provide malt for large-scale breweries that distribute around the globe. The quality and consistency of their grains has made Rahr into a powerhouse malthouse. So much so that if you head back into the production area of most any present day brewery, Casey assured me that you’ll see giant bags of Rahr grain.

In the eyes of the brewer, you know what you’re getting with a large-scale malthouse like Rahr and it’s just a phone call away. However, Casey has a different perspective about what craft malting Minnesota small grains can contribute not only to the flavor of the brew, but also to the systems in which beer is brewed today. Right now, there’s no denying that it’s harder to go build a farm supply chain and to try to figure out how to get small grains into the product. But this approach to beer might also the most interesting piece of Able. And though Casey admits that he isn’t sure what malting at their scale and with small Minnesota grains will do for the consistency of flavor in the beer, he also admits that it’s that sort of inconsistency that he really likes in a handmade product.

“Forget about beer—any handmade product is made more interesting in the inconsistencies.” He adds, “The crop can vary from year to year, so it may give us something new next year. But those inconsistencies are interesting because it poses another challenge that we get to work through. Maybe it makes the beer better or maybe we find a way to manipulate the grain in a different way because of how it comes out of the field.”

So, yes, there are challenges ahead. But for Casey, just because the path isn’t pothole-free or paved or in all honesty, even in existence, it doesn’t mean he and his team aren’t able to do it. “I’m not following a roadmap on how to get grain grown and processed and then into some of our beers—that just doesn’t exist. We have to go at it blindly, trust our instincts, and rely on what the Craft Maltsers Guild and the University of Minnesota have done, keeping our eye on what Rahr has accomplished along the way.”

Their methods might be more difficult and the outcome might be indefinite, but Casey believes in the exploration of the Able approach to beer. “Like food and like wine, we think that if we grow this thing here in this place, it could taste different,” COMMUNITY ISSUE - VOL 1, NO. 5 - 2016 | 11

Casey begins. “It could have a positive impact on flavor and the quality of the beer.

We hope that’s true, but we don’t really know because it hasn’t been done since before prohibition. That’s the exploration in this whole piece.”

One thing is for sure—people are thinking about grains in new, flavor-centric ways and by working toward getting small grains and malts into their beer, Casey and the Able team are part of the new wave of grain innovators. “For the first time in a really long time, farmers are, with the help of the University of Minnesota, trying to find grain that is bred for flavor rather than quantity or yield.” Casey adds, “And that’s a huge shift in thinking. A lot of that is driven by the food industry, but certainly brewing too—at least in our case.”

Able had just received their first shipment of barley the day before Casey and I talked—a day in which he spent three years preparing for, building a supply chain to get to a point where he could finally make a transaction with a small Minnesota farmer. From here, he is hoping to use this barley in their beer, but will first begin with several test batches. “I’m really stoked to finally get that raw material in here and start playing and test-batching with that grain. We will first see how it performs in our malthouse and seedhouse part of the business and then see how it performs in the beer. That’s still the uncharted territory, which is kind of terrifying, but also super exciting and motivating.”

PART III: CONNECTING TO COMMUNITY Beyond the beer philosophies of Able, the taproom functions as a locale focused on education and community connection. In the greater sense of community, Casey explains Able’s role as a connector of like-minded people, organizations, and businesses.

“We want to be more than a spot where people come and drink our beer. We want to engage in a more meaningful way with the community; we want to forge real relationships. I think that’s much more interesting when I start thinking about community.

More than being a part of it, how do we add to it and grow with our own community?”

For Able, it comes back to shared values. As Casey looks at causes, movements, and art that line up with the values of Able, he plans events around them to support those shared values. Able has supported music programs, cold, clean water, climate generation education, and protecting wilderness through the Boundary Waters. It is through community engagement like this—where Able and the neighborhood get to come together and support worthy causes—that anchors Able’s place in the community.

Beyond social causes, Casey also wants to expand the way Able engages with food communities. Thus far, they have bread drops by local bread makers, Laune Bread and Fire & Flour. These two makers have also used Able beer and spent grains in special loaves.

The taproom also serves as the location where Able can communicate with and educate the community. Here, Able has the opportunity to talk to them about what they’re doing, why they think it’s important, how it can affect flavor, how it can impact a farmer’s life or their crop rotations—educating them on what it really means to be able. Casey shares, “It was really important to have a location that worked for us to have access to people who share those same food philosophies and have the same shared values. We wanted to be close to those people and they exist here in Minneapolis in a really big way. It was important that we were here to do that.”

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PART IV: HERE—THE IMPORTANCE OF PLACE We all want to feel connected to where we live. We want to look at the bold skyline before us or the expansive farmland around us and feel energized. We want to know our neighbors and engage in our communities. We want to connect with unique breweries like Able. And we want to know the story behind the beer we drink there.

“In terms of being connected to the land, I look at what was instilled in me at a very young age. My parents and family taking me out to understand what wilderness was and what that meant to me—it was understanding the value of those wild places and what we have here, not just in Minnesota, but in America. And for me, it’s always been a part of my life, so my first connection to the land was getting out there on a trail or on a lake and immersing myself in that thing for a number of days.”

This connection to the land, to this place, translates into the farmers Casey works with to source Able’s barley, red wheat, and rye. “I feel lucky to get to talk to farmers now and get to try to highlight what they’re doing and the place they come from and the people they are and the families and businesses that they’ve built. I feel very lucky that I even get a tiny piece of that to share with people—it’s kind of mind-blowing to me.”

As the Able team continues to experiment with small grains every day, they are tenaciously working towards incorporating them in their beer. And every day, this goal becomes closer to reality. Soon, when you watch the smooth amber pour from the tap at Able, you will know that it was five generations of farmers in Brown’s Valley, Minnesota or in Hallock, Minnesota that made it happen. You will think of Casey connecting with their story and setting up a small grain supply chain previously unmapped. You will grasp that the quality of the beer is the result of years of planning, growing, connecting, forming real relationships. That’s Able.

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By Kara Larson

Mini Maker Faire

at Minneapolis/S t. Paul

Hands-on Creativity

When we set out to visit the second annual Minneapolis/St. Paul Mini Maker Faire at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds on Saturday, May 14, 2016, we didn’t know what to expect. We were met with giant sculptures, unusual vehicles, robots, textiles, lasers, and beyond. Maker Faire MSP proved to be the ultimate showcase the region’s growing maker and DIY community. Buildings and outdoor spaces at the Fairgrounds were filled with a rich variety of imaginative businesses, 14 MAKE IT MINNESOTA

artists, innovators, and most notably, outsiders yearning to get hands-on. We happily explored the grounds while giddy children and eager adults were swinging hammers and learning how to screen print and chiseling at huge rock projects. The creativity was palpable and inspiring.

As we strolled around, taking in the incredible work of 250 makers—tinkerers, coders, woodworkers, crafters, farm hackers, artists, students, designers, chemists,

roboticists, entrepreneurs, scientists, food inventors, metalworkers, educators, green technology creators, inventors and bicycle builders—we felt the buzz of creative energy, innovative making, and hands-on learning.

Beyond being inquisitive spectators, we were lucky enough to take on a larger role at the Maker Faire. Instead of covering the event in a conventional sense, we decided to engage with the talented wide range of participating makers in a slightly different way. The night before coming out to the Maker Faire, we filled a box

with all the names of the participating makers.

Then, at the Fairgrounds the following day, we drew one name at random in front of a small crowd of people on the presentation stage. The winning name was to be awarded a feature in this Community Issue of Make It Minnesota to share their project and journey as a maker.

I reached my hand into the box and pulled out the name‌ John Bisgaard, maker of the Commodore Guitar. Let his project represent the incredible innovation showcased at the Maker Faire MSP!

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John’s Story — building the

Commodore Guitar A delightfully innovative person, John Bisgaard simply began this project as a way to be able to play the guitar.

In the mind of this engineer, mastering an instrument like the guitar is a task best done alongside a computer from the 1980s. He begins, “Honestly, I wanted to be able to play guitar, and in characteristic engineer fashion, I decided the easiest solution was to mechanize it and build a guitar that could play on its own.”

It’s also interesting to note that the Commodore Guitar was John’s first project of the sort. As he set out to coalesce a well-known musical instrument with a formerly leading computer, he began a project that revealed a new kind of maker within him. This project called for the successful execution of innovation, originality, and unique repurposing.

The repurposed material being the Commodore 64. Just in case you are joining me in the group of individuals who hadn’t yet heard of this retro computer, allow me to briefly explain. In 1982, production of the Commodore 64 began. The C64 takes its name from its 64 kilobytes of RAM, it was widely available at retail stores everywhere, and for most of the 1980s, it dominated the low-end computer game.

It would become the highest selling single computer model of all time, selling approximately 17 million systems.

Aesthetically, the C64 is not much to look at, but John chose this once premier piece of 80s technology for a different reason. He offers, “I was doing research into electronic audio synthesis, and I found that the sound chip out of the C64 is pretty well regarded as one of the best sound synthesis chips produced. And I was lucky enough to find a few.”

After transforming and redirecting its purpose, John reflects on how his perception of the C64 has evolved. As a graduate student

studying the complexities of VLSI and system architecture, John has a unique perspective and understanding of how things work, specifically computers. However, this project has certainly altered his view on more antiquated computers. “I certainly have more appreciation for the C64 and computers of the era. Seeing the complexity on the inside is what really makes it exciting.”

After working on this project for over a year, John applied to showcase his work at Maker Faire MSP, and that’s where we first came into contact with John and his Commodore Guitar. He stood beside his gutted, colorfully wired guitar with C64 parts repurposed within it, explaining the complicated mechanics and functions of various components of the project. And then he played a little song for us—alas, the computer-driven guitar makes music!

The guitar may be John’s first proper project, but he has a few more impressive side projects in the works at present. These range from a theatrical lighting remote control, a Christmas light driver for music/light shows, a servo driver/ speaker driver for animatronics, a 16-channel halfbridge driver for motor control which also doubles for lighting, and more.

Beyond the Commodore Guitar and his other side projects, there is certainly more making ahead for John. A curious mind never rests, and after just completing his graduate studies at University of Minnesota in Architecture and VLSI, he is also a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering candidate. For John, making is all about challenging himself, figuring out what he knows, what he doesn’t, and building functional, efficient projects.

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By Kara Larson Talk about the beginnings of Sakatah Colors. What inspired you begin this endeavor? The start was not a paper business plan that’s for sure! We really stumbled into making scarves around winter time that others asked if they could order for a gift. Simple as that. It was flattering and sweet. Then ideas about starting a small online business started to form when it was more consistent.

I have to talk about the name, Sakatah Colors. It derives from the biking and hiking trail—The Sakatah Trail—that runs right through our neighborhood. I hoped it would resonate with the community, as it did to me, a place of recreation and inspiration.

Meg Sievek is the owner and curator of the fabrics and designs at Sakatah Colors. This name derives from the Sakatah Trail, a lovely trail that runs right through Meg’s neighborhood. Sakatah Colors has is more than a hobby for Meg; this beautiful creative outlet is her full-time passion. As the collections change with the seasons, Meg truly loves sourcing her inspiration from nature and making apparel for children 0-24 months and baby necessities. More than that, she loves the connection to community that her Minnesota business has given her.

Photos of Meg taken by Murphy Photography Design.

Large throw blanket product picture by Meg Sievek 18 MAKE IT MINNESOTA

Have you always been creative? What forms or channels have you explored in your creative journey? Yes! I think we are all called to create in some form. Early on, my parents saw a strong creative bent in me. They nurtured this well, even buying me my first sewing machine at age 8! It wasn’t all fabric though, as I went through pounds of ceramic molds painting them, and early on in high school through graduation I apprenticed in Floral Design where I fell in love with color and texture.

How have the items you make evolved? How have you evolved?

Oh yes, wow, we started with just one single style of scarf for winter.

Currently what we make encompasses a line for Women’s scarves and accessories for every season, Men’s winter scarves, a full line of children’s apparel and accessories, and home throw blankets. What that looks like are small collections released at the start of the season.

For myself as owner, I have learned my bent for who I am as a designer and curator of our collections. Growing that confidence has taken time; to put something new together for a season but maintain the feel and integrity of my brand has taken maturity. I

have also learned to trust my instincts. In the beginning, I didn’t even know I had them concerning business, but through the support and advisement of good mentors and others who have taken the time to look in and affirm, I walk in increasing confidence.

Why is local important? This is a fun question for me, as lately, someone told me no one can pronounce my business name online! I laughed, but honestly, I chose a familiar name for local brand identity. At the time I didn’t know I would be shipping my goods all over the world.

Last summer I loved doing a pop up art fair locally where a 75-yearold tells me he bikes The Sakatah Trail every morning in the summer.

Owning a small business has never been just about me; it takes community to build success. Local is where one’s reputation is known in that face-to-face way, where who you are as a person is caught. As I run my business I hire locally and, for as much as I can, purchase locally. My brand is carried by a local store called Salvage Sisters. Salvage Sisters became an incredible platform for my brand just six months into my journey as a small business owner.

are so inspiring. Watching the success of Salvage Sisters has inspired my own business goals to dig a little deeper and grow a little stronger all the time.

Do you feel like Sakatah Colors allows you to contribute to something larger than yourself? Yes! At the start of Sakatah Colors, I wanted to take a portion of sales and give back tangibly. We do so anonymously and nothing gives me more joy, yet I also wanted to work alongside the people in my local community and last year we started our Make Events for chemotherapy hats for donation.

Over 25 people showed up and over 100 hats were made for donation. I’m really excited for what I learned in that process and for what this means for opportunities in the near future.

How has living in Minnesota influenced your creative work, specifically through Sakatah Colors? The changing of seasons is an overwhelming time of color and texture exploration. I love planning such variety in fabrics and color tones for our apparel and home collections. In my opinion, our best work is our winter line, from our scarves to our 6-foot home throw blankets. This summer, our children’s apparel line has something new and exciting for collaboration coming out in the end of April!

What is your home community like? Does it inspire you creatively?

Mankato shows overwhelming support for their makers, this has allowed so many of us to move from hobby to business, the stories COMMUNITY ISSUE - VOL 1, NO. 5 - 2016 | 19

An Interview with Fire & Flour: Community Bread for all

Words and Photos by Tootie & Dotes Ahhh, fresh bread. Is there anything like it really? Straight from the oven, still crackling and warm, perfectly crunchy and yet soft all at the same time. If this is making you hungry, you’re not alone... We first spotted Fire & Flour’s handmade, naturally fermented, community bread on Instagram where we drooled over the prospect of attending a bread drop. However, once we made contact with owner Chris Boles and heard the passion behind his description of the process, we knew we needed to meet him and watch the magic happen in person. So one sunny Saturday, we pulled up to his lovely suburban home to find kids playing in the cul-de-sac and the smell of fresh bread filling the air.

Not only was Chris’s family adorable and incredibly welcoming to us, they were also super supportive of the bread factory that had temporarily taken over their kitchen that day. Chris wakes up as early as 1:00 AM some days (whaaat?) to get the bread rising and ready for an upcoming bread drop. Quality ingredients, time tested processes, and his commitment to freshness all drive him to make bread that he is proud to share with his community as a way of bringing people together while also bringing them back to the slower, finer things in life. What impressed us the most (besides how seriously amazing this bread is) was Chris’s dedication to his craft. Weaving it into the fabric of his life like it was always supposed to be there. As many parents holding down full time jobs and busy social lives know, it can be almost impossible to also pursue your own passions. Thankfully for us, Chris figured out how to pursue his.

Hopefully you all are fortunate enough to catch him at the next bread drop, unless we beat you to it… in which case all the bread will be gone (just kidding… but seriously). Enjoy!

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Chris Boles of Fire & Flour Bread Chaska,ISSUE Minnesota COMMUNITY - VOL 1, NO. 5 - 2016 |

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How long have you been baking bread?

I have been baking bread off and on my whole life, but did not start digging deep and pursuing bread until about 14 years ago.

For my next baking experience, I worked at Rustica Bakery and it is there my passion for naturally leavened bread took off. After I left Rustica, I kept exploring naturally leavened/wild yeast bread and What is your background how did with that, Fire & Flour Bread was born. you get into making bread? I grew up in a very food focused family and my What types of breads do you make? mom did quite a bit of baking while Currently I have three loaves with one I was growing up. Instead of going rotating special/seasonal. to sporting events, we would tour the ethnic neighborhoods of Chicago and Daily Bread: This is my most robust loaf I remembering touring the old Italian with a high percentage of culture and a good bakeries and being amazed by the smells amount of whole wheat and rye flour. This and the equipment. My passion for bread is the bread I eat every day, hence the name. did not really start until about 14 years ago when I started working at Turtle City: This is a mellower, buttery, milky loaf.

Bread. During the few years I worked at It has a lower percentage of culture and Turtle Bread, I lost my fear of bread and only 5% whole wheat flour. This is my wife started to appreciate it as a living and and kids’ favorite bread. breathing organism. After leaving Turtle, I took some time off from bread and Seeded: The City loaf with toasted baking, but it was always on my mind. sunflower, flax and pumpkin seeds.

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Special/Seasonal: The rotating special is a beer bread made with an Indeed Brewing beer and the spent brewing grain from whatever beer I am using. The Seasonal loaf I made was for two bread drops I did at Holidazzle 2015. It consisted of fresh orange zest, cardamom and figs.

What makes your bread different than what’s on the shelf at my local grocery store? This is a great question with many answers. My bread has a heart and soul.

It is bread that is cared for from start to finish. All my bread is made 100% by hand and naturally leavened/fermented.

I use non-GMO organic heritage wheat and rye. All my bread goes through an extended fermentation process, anywhere from 8 hours to 15 hours. The extended fermentation process adds depth of flavor and nuances. I look at wheat and rye as others may look at wine, beer, cheese, chocolate, etc. (any unique fermented product).

How long did it take you to really master your own slow baking process?

I have yet to master my slow baking process, but over the past two to three years, I have really honed the process.

It probably took me about a year to feel comfortable with it and to learn the ‘schedule’ of my leaven culture and baking out of my home. Making bread by hand allows me to know each loaf from start to finish. To pull out as much flavor from the grains, slowing down is the only way to go. Mixing by hand is very relaxing and meditative. I love feeling the mass of dough go from a loose shaggy mess to something taught, smooth and supple.

How are you sourcing your ingredients? All my flours are sourced from Sunrise Flour Mill LLC. Any other ingredients I use I seek out organic and local.

What exactly is heritage wheat?

Wheat that has flavor, a history and personality. Wheat that has not been genetically altered.

Why is it important to you to bake with heritage wheat? Better wheat produces better tasting bread. Even though I am only one person, I want to do something to preserve a bit of history and to show others that wheat is not bad to consume. Modern wheat has no flavor and can be consistent from bag to bag. Heritage wheat has a flavor profile and each 50# bag of flour I purchase will have its very own personality. I like the mystery of each bag and finding out how loaves from each will turn out.

You describe yourself as a wild yeast wrangler, what is this and how do we start? All I do is mix flour and water together with my starter culture and in about 4-8 hours I have a very active and happy culture. To wrangler in all the wild yeast that is floating around, all I do is provide it with a food supply and comfortable living situation. Fresh milled heritage wheat and rye have so many vitamins, minerals and valuable nutrients that wild yeast and bacteria are very happy to take up residence. To wrangle

in wild yeast and start a sourdough culture, all you need is fresh milled whole grain wheat or rye and clean water. Starting with whole grain flour is recommended because they contain a higher percentage of nutrients, wild yeast and beneficial bacteria.

How can people support what you’re doing? Bread Drops are how I sell my bread and I do drops all over the Twin Cities. Individuals who are interested in ordering and purchasing my bread can find out about dates, times and locations of future bread drops on my website or social media. Bread drops typically run as follows: date, time and location are posted, individuals can preorder bread, I show up at chosen location (1-2hrs), we can talk bread, fermentation, technique, etc. and try some amazing bread. Bread Drops are not only a way for me to sell my bread but also a way for me to educate individuals about heritage wheat, natural fermentation and all other things bread.

What’s next for Fire & Flour? That is a wonderful question. My main goals are to increase production, sell at Farmers Markets and to teach others about heritage wheat and wild fermentation. When I originally started Fire & Flour, my dream was to have a wood fired oven (hence Fire in the name) in our backyard and bake all my breads in the oven. Past health codes would not permit that so I started baking out of my home oven. Times have changed and now the option of a wood fired oven has come back to the forefront. My hope would be to have a wood fired oven in a year or two. Once we have the oven, my desire is to not only bake bread out of it, but use the oven as a teaching tool and have community pizza parties. Teaching would involve hands-on classes and the parties would be a way for me to serve others in the community. I have thought about baking out of a commercial kitchen but doing that takes me away from my family and would cause me to change my licensing.

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FROM THE GRO

Growing West Side:

Grassroots Food and Social Justice Organization

By Matt Frank

Growing West Side is a grassroots collaborative that cultivates opportunities for learning and building a stronger, healthier and more connected community by providing residents of Saint Paul, Minnesota’s West Side neighborhood with easy access to local, healthy foods. West Side residents who value collaboration, empowerment, diversity, and sustainability oversee the organization. Read on to learn about the food and social justice projects they operate and how they’ve begun to build a more resilient community.

ORIGINS: The West Side neighborhood of Saint Paul is home to a rich cross section of people from diverse cultural, ethnic and economic backgrounds including young families and elderly residents. It is geographically isolated from the rest of city because of sharp bends in the Mississippi River, a lack of more than a few bridge crossings, and light industrial land uses. For over 150 years the West Side has been a mixed income neighborhood and a landing place for many new Minnesotans, including many culturally diverse immigrants. Today, the community is considered a food desert because of a lack of access to major grocery stores and healthy food options, with the exception of a few small ethnic markets. Although grocery stores with larger selections of fresh, healthy produce are located across the river in downtown Saint Paul and 24 MAKE IT MINNESOTA

south in neighboring suburban West Saint Paul, some West Side residents are unable to shop at them because of unreliable transportation or an economic inability to own a personal car.

Growing West Side (GWS) grew out of an informal conversation between West Siders Maureen Hark and Barb Rose.

Maureen, a Master Gardener, is an avid edible gardener and grows food in her backyard urban farmstead while Barb is passionate about community building on both a personal and professional level.

Together, the two decided to utilize their passions and experiences to better serve their local community, especially in the areas of food and social justice.

Since its inception, GWS has been sustained by incredible community

partnerships they’ve built as well as donated time and financial investments from other residents. GWS enables West Siders to build social capital by providing education on growing food, nutrition, and food security and by creating accessible gathering spaces in the neighborhood.

By addressing food issues, GWS seeks to address other social issues in a larger holistic manner, including those of adequate housing, transportation access and human and environmental health.

PROJECTS: Growing West Side currently operates four projects, including the West Side Farmers Market, a gardening and food security project named Beans in the Boulevard, a public Seed Library, and a fruit planting Orchard Project. They also offer gardening and healthy food classes, workshops and community events.

UND UP NORTH WEST SIDE FARMERS MARKET The West Side Farmers Market provides weekly, direct access to fresh produce, creates a centralized communal gathering space, supports local farmers and vendors and allows residents to sell their own value-added goods. Roughly half of market vendors are Hmong, reflecting the neighborhood’s population in order to be inclusive of local residential ethnicities and cultural foods. A booth at the market called The Community Table provides a unique platform for residential engagement where West Siders are encouraged to bring their own homegrown produce such as leafy greens, cucumbers, squash, and tomatoes, and value-added products, such as jams, granola, honey, maple syrup, eggs and

produce seasonality and edible gardening classes) round out the market’s offerings.

pickled or canned goods for sale. Crafts, live music, meals for sale and educational offerings (including food, nutrition,

The market has become a huge success over the past few years and has contributed to West Side pride. An assorted market clientele has steadily grown, further showcasing the cultural and economic diversity within the neighborhood. The market supports local growers and a local economy while providing access to healthy food for residents. It empowers residents to build a positive relationship with nutritious food in order to better understand where it comes from, how it’s grown and who produces it, effectively creating stronger ties between consumer and producer.

BEANS ON THE BOULEVARD Beans on the Boulevard serves as a way to promote vegetable gardening, healthy eating and food access through community involvement in order to raise awareness of food security issues on the West Side of Saint Paul. Boulevards, the publicly owned/privately managed strip of grass between sidewalks and streets, serves as the perfect space for these minicommunity gardens as they’re located in highly visible areas. This public visibility encourages resident interaction while promoting discussions around healthy food, food access and self-sufficiency.

Beans in the Boulevard participants receive a few six-foot pieces of rebar that act as a

share in the harvest with other community members. According to GWS, the Beans in the Boulevard project “seeks to create neighborhood links for those hungry for food, relationships, and health”. The project began a few years ago with 50 interested residents and has since grown.

trellis structure, bean seeds and compost. In exchange for these free materials, residents agree to tend the boulevard gardens and

In addition to homeowner and renter boulevard gardens, GWS works with local businesses, institutions and community gardens to plant Beans in the Boulevard gardens at their respective locations.

These bean gardens can be found in the boulevards located at the site of the West Side Farmers Market and La Placita, a public plaza located in the lower West Side.

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SEED LIBRARY The GWS Seed Library, hosted at Saint Paul’s Riverview Library, is a public depository of seeds available to West Siders. Residents and Seed Savers Exchange have donated a variety of vegetable, flower, bean and herb seeds, which are available at no cost. Neighbors can check out up to three seed packets at a given time to grow in their own yards or at nearby community gardens.

Seed saving techniques and classes are also offered to residents with the hope that it encourages them to save seeds at the end of each season and return them to the library for future distribution.

of our human diversity through the collection of seeds reflecting who we are and honoring where we come from” and cultivates “a culture of sharing in our neighborhood”.

According to GWS, the Seed Library encourages “a celebration

Additional benefits of the Seed Library include access to non-genetically modified seeds, educational materials and a greater connection to the process of growing food from beginning to end. This process instills within residents a closer connection to their food, their environment, and seasonal weather patterns.

ORCHARD PROJECT The GWS Orchard Project is still in its infancy and hopes to one day serve as a project for planting fruit trees throughout the West Side neighborhood. GWS continues to make progress towards identifying locations for potential orchards and performing outreach to interested parties. GWS is in discussions with the City of Saint Paul, its urban forestry department, an alternative high school, and the local community council’s neighborhood economic development alliance about planting fruit tree orchards. The City has also suggested three possible sites that could be used in partnership with GWS.

Thus far, one orchard has been planted at Fire Station #6, near the corners of

Wabasha and Isabel streets, and includes three apple trees. The firefighters have eagerly accepted the task of gleaning the fruit trees and have supported GWS’ Orchard Project by visiting the West Side Farmers Market to promote it. Mounted police on horses and fire trucks have attended the markets’ opening day and are a big hit with neighborhood children. The firefighters also show their support for GWS by shopping at the market. As an added benefit, this partnership has created a stronger connection between residents and public safety professionals.

THAT’S A WRAP! Growing West Side is an awe-inspiring organization that has made a visible impact on their immediate community and has helped raise the issues of food security and social justice to others throughout the Twin Cities. Their food-based projects provide direct access to healthy, affordable food while promoting community connections and local businesses. Their on-the-ground actions are a wonderful example of what can be accomplished from the ground up with community buy-in and grassroots efforts.

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SHARE YOUR COMMUNITY INSTAGRAM CONTEST For the Community Issue, we enlisted the help of Minnesota Instameet and community event experts Rachel Ewell and Jessica Dudas, creators of the incredibly popular social community account, MNCommunity. With their social prowess and eagerness to connect with communities around Minnesota, we began an Instagram contest all about community!

The #MakeItMN_MNCommunity contest gathered more than 600 entries—beautiful, special photographs that showcased the places we love in our communities. From smiling people to scenic overlooks to only-in-Minnesota moments, we found ourselves wowed yet again by the amazing creativity and photography talent here in Minnesota!

The Top 20 winners are featured at makeitmn. com, and in the upcoming pages, you will see the lovely Top 10. But the winnings don’t stop there; Second and Third Place prizes are gift packages graciously donated by A Little reFind—awarded to photographers Rebecca Zenefski and Yahya Rushdi. The Grand Prize, graciously donated

by The Hotel Ivy, is an overnight Stay at The Hotel Ivy, a Luxury Collection Hotel, located in downtown Minneapolis. A prize valued at $299, this #1 photograph was taken by Abby Anfinson—a big congratulations to Abby!

GRAND PRIZE IMAGE ABBY ANFINSON, @ABBYANFIN

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Share Your Community Instagram Contest

2ND PLACE IMAGE Y A H Y A R U S H D I , @YAHYARUSHDI

3RD PLACE IMAGE

REBECCA ZENEFSKI, @REBECCAZENEFSKI

Thank You To Our Wonderful Supporters!

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HONOR AB L E MENTIONS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, TOP TO BOTTOM MARC COLEMAN, @MARCACOLEMAN TYLER SPANGLER, @FIRSTHANDACCOUNT CHANDRA WHITFIELD, @CHANDRA_WHITFIELD SUSAN ESSS, @SUSAN_ESSS SHANNON SVENSRUD, @STORIEDLIFEPICTURES FINNIGAN DELAHANTY, @CHYUPP EMILIE HITCH, @EMILIEHITCH

COMMUNITY ISSUE - VOL 1, NO. 5 - 2016 | 29

minnesota Style An Inter view with Michelle Raven Curator of @thriftstylist Instagram Account & Creator of Personal Shopping Service at Arc’s Value Village

In 2011, Michelle Raven approached the team at Arc’s Value Village Thrift Stores with the innovative idea to offer the same personal shopping services found in highend department stores at a thrift store. The execs at Arc bravely took a chance on her idea, offering her a contract position to trial the service. It was a hit right from the start! Within six months, Michelle quit her full-time job as a quality assurance editor to become a full-time thrift stylist.

The service became Michelle’s baby. She developed it from the ground up, initially as the sole stylist, meeting with clients 2-3 days per week. Today, she manages a team of rotating guest stylists and sees clients five days a week.

Not only has the service been wildly popular with customers, it’s also proven to be a leading differentiator for the local,

The novelty of this concept has garnered a lot of media attention. Michelle has been featured in several local newspapers, magazines and also on local television, including Twin Cities Live. In 2014, Michelle was selected as one of Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Honorees.

Michelle’s success has continued online.

Her @thriftstylist Instagram feed has become a hub for all things thrift fashions.

The page has acquired thousands of followers through Michelle’s smart digital marketing and the number of followers just keeps growing. non-profit thrift store Arc’s Value Village.

Arc’s is the first and only thrift store to provide its customers with complimentary, by-appointment shopping services with professional stylists.

What you do love about being stylish on a budget? Building a wardrobe on a thrift store budget is so freeing! The investment is minimal, allowing me to be more adventurous and experimental with my personal style. Another advantage to creating a thrifted wardrobe is that I’m able to purchase high quality and designer items that would otherwise be out of my price range.

How would you describe your personal style? My personal style is ever-changing and ever-evolving. I have an eclectic aesthetic and I am always on the hunt for new inspiration.

Depending on my mood, I might wear a comfy t-shirt, broken in jeans and my favorite pair of minty green vintage Nikes, or conversely, a frilly tulle skirt and sexy heels—or maybe I’ll pair the tulle skirt with the sneakers—why not!?

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Michelle grew up in Maple Grove, Minnesota. Her and her husband Jon now live in Brooklyn Park with their infant son Sawyer and dog Kato (who’s name is a nod to the couple’s meeting place, Mankato, Minnesota).

The part of thrift that really appeals to my creative side is the availability of so many styles right at your fingertips. There’s a lot to experiment with, which makes thrift styling feel so fun and inspired.

Why is it important for you to engage with community through Instagram? The #VillagerforaDay Instagram takeovers provide an incredible opportunity to connect with a community that Arc has been a part of for over 30 years. Ours is a community that’s teeming with creativity, inspiration and a collaborative spirit and I wanted to highlight that. The takeovers have proven to be a really fun way to develop relationships with community influencers and give them a reason to engage with our brand. Some of the talent featured are already longtime Arc shoppers and experienced thrifters, but others are novices who, through the takeover experience, become hooked on the art of the digging and the thrill of the hunting! Most recently,

Connie Mrotek, Image Creator #VillagerforaDay on 1/24/16 Coat, $12.99, denim, $6.99 (photo by Nylon Saddle Photography)

Mindy Plaz, Editor of The Boyish Girl #VillagerforaDay on 5/15/16 Vintage Chambray Bandana, $2.49

Vanessa McDuffie, Blogger/Educator #VillagerforaDay on 5/22/16 Ralph Lauren blouse, $6.99 (photo by Chris McDuffie)

Erin Francois, DIY Blogger #VillagerforaDay on 3/28/16 Milk glass vase, $2.99

Jahna Peloquin, Style Editor for Minnesota Monthly & Co-founder of MN Fashion Week. #VillagerforaDay on 6/24/16 Brooks Brothers silk dress, $6.99; vintage silk scarf $1.49 (photo by Irv Briscoe)

Jake Steeven, Owner of Quixotic Coffee in St Paul #VillagerforaDay on 4/10/16 Bruce Lee T-shirt, $5.99 (photo by Kirstin Opal) COMMUNITY ISSUE - VOL 1, NO. 5 - 2016 | 31

Michelle’s Tips for

thrifty shopping in Minnesota

Take inventory of what you have and what you need before hitting the racks. There are two shopping habits that can create wardrobe frustration—buying all basics & lacking more visually interesting statement pieces, or conversely, loading up on statement pieces and lacking more versatile wardrobe pieces to anchor bolder accents.

Determine what holes exist in your current wardrobe and shop with intention, focusing only on those needed items. Create a wardrobe wish list to keep you focused.

Recreate looks from your Pinterest style boards.

Pinterest is a great resource for outfit inspiration. Use it to guide your thrift shopping experience. When you’re laser focused on finding the perfect pieces to recreate your favorite Pinterest outfits, you’ll avoid the pitfall of adding miscellaneous items to your cart just because they’re inexpensive. Shopping with intention is key to thrifting success.

Shop like a stylist. I always see customers with heaping shopping carts, stuffed to the brim with a mismatched jumble of items. This is a stylist no-no. Instead of piling up unmatched items, surf the racks more thoughtfully.

Start in one department and find one garment you like.

Then take that garment to other clothing and accessory departments looking for pieces that will coordinate to create an outfit around that single item. This strategy may take more time, but it’s a far more effective use of your time and money.

Anne Hardt, owner and designer of Hardt Jewelry has said that thrifting is a “new hobby” since her takeover experience in May. At the core, the #VillagerforaDay takeover campaign is a marketing tool, but the beauty of it is it doesn’t feel like you’re being marketed to because it’s genuine, it’s authentic and it’s about more than getting you to come in and shop. It’s also a tool for communicating who Arc’s Value Village is—a local do-gooder organization that values this community and strives to foster inspiration, collaboration and community.

What do you offer through your personal stylist sessions?

When a client arrives for their personal shopping appointment, I’ll greet them at the front of the store and escort them to their reserved fitting room. Excited “oohs” and “ahhs” are often heard as clients open the door to their private fitting room to find an attractive display of shoes and handbags picked just for them.

They are then presented with a rack full of clothing items I’ve hand-selected for them, based on the information they’ve provided on their Client Image Profile Form.

Not only is there a wide selection of separate pieces to try on, there are also 5-10 complete outfits for them to try. The completed outfits are a significant value to customers. Most any thrifter will tell you, it’s relatively easy to compile a collection of great thrifted pieces, but the real challenge is creating outfits around those great pieces. By coordinating full looks for clients, I’ve eliminated that challenge.

The client has an hour and fifteen minutes to try on the items. I’m there at the fitting rooms throughout, offering a second opinion and suggesting creative ways to wear and pair each piece. Throughout the appointment, I’ll gladly grab items in a different size or style if need be. I’m also on hand to re-hang any rejected items.

As the appointment wraps up, clients will have the opportunity to weed through their (often heaping) pile of treasured finds. They’ll consider their budget and their existing wardrobe, deciding what to keep and what to cut. There’s no pressure to buy—I always say, “Only leave with what you really love!”

In that short 75-minute timeframe, my clients are able to reinvigorate their look for pennies on the dollar and have a lot of fun doing it!

Why is secondhand shopping the way to go? It’s an eco-friendly approach to fashion; thrift epitomizes the green mantra, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.”

Choosing your thrift stores selectively is also important. I opt for non-profit stores that support a worthy cause. Knowing your dollars have a positive impact on others is another great benefit to shopping secondhand.

Of course, secondhand shopping is easier on your wallet. We can all appreciate that.

And lastly, shopping secondhand allows you to infuse your look with greater creativity, originality and personal expression.

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minnesota

Kitchen Harmony Co-op’s “Value Added” Community Kitchen

By Lisa Weiskopf, Product Manager at Harmony Co-op Illustrations by Rachel Rolseth

In 2011 when Harmony Co-op moved from our small storefront kitty corner from Paul and Babe to our current—three times larger—location just down the street, we had the opportunity to contribute something really unique to the local food community here in Bemidji: our own state certified ‘shared-use’ commercial Kitchen.

Harmony member-owners and staff had been planning the 2011 expansion for several years, always with the idea that we would not only be expanding our retail space with the new location but also expanding our educational impact within the region through the creation of a “kitchen classroom”. As one of our seven guiding ends statements illustrates:

While Harmony had been providing a variety of educational classes throughout our 34-year history, we’d always done it in our Deli kitchen, which was smaller than most home kitchens! Imagine twenty or so people crowded around a four-burner stove learning how to make tofu lasagna from scratch! The need for a larger, separate Kitchen was obvious.

And yet, not just for us, and this is where we realized the unique opportunity with which we were presented.

Partnership (NRSDP) as well as Harmony owners and shoppers, we learned that there was a need for a statecertified commercial Kitchen in our area. The Bemidji Fire Department needed a commercial kitchen in which to make batter for their annual Walleye Fish Fry. Several charter schools in the area needed a certified kitchen in which to make community meals for their annual school fundraisers. The 303 Food Truck needed a kitchen in which to produce their flavorful cilantro chicken burritos.

What emerged was the concept of a ‘value-added’ kitchen; a state certified commercial kitchen that would serve Harmony’s need for expanded educational space and would serve the community’s need for a commercial food processing kitchen.

Through input from a variety of local foods partners in the region including the Headwaters Food Sovereignty Council (HFSC), the Statewide Health Improvement Plan (SHIP), the Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN) and the Northwest Regional Sustainable Development

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MN grown Lettuce Littlefoot Farms Bemidji MN

MN grown Tomatoes Clearwater Woodcraft Leonard MN

MN Grown Radishes Clearwater Woodcraft Leonard MN

MN made vinegar dressing Clover Valley Farms Duluth MN

MN grown Onion Clearwater Woodcraft Leonard MN

MN raised eggs Frenzel Farm Northhome MN

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MN made goat cheese Poplar Hill Scandia MN

Bemidji Brewing Company: In 2012, Harmony’s Commercial Kitchen opened its doors to our first local small business client: Bemidji Brewing Company. Astonishingly, after less than one year producing the most exquisite handcrafted beer in Northern Minnesota right in our very own Kitchen, Bemidji Brewing Company had enough of a following to warrant purchasing their own storefront several blocks away! The ability of Bemidji Brewing Company to build its brand before investing in its own commercial kitchen assisted their success, and is precisely the kind of local partnership Harmony envisioned when initiating this project.

Jack Judkins: In 2014, Jack Judkins decided he was tired of saying “no” every time someone asked him if he sold the jars of his father’s famous pickled asparagus recipe that he gave away as presents each year. After a couple of meetings with Harmony’s Grocery and Kitchen Managers to determine label requirements, product sizes, and costing structures, Jack began pickling asparagus sourced from several local farmers.

Two months later, Harmony’s Grocery department had a new local product on its shelves: Grandpa Roy’s Dill Pickled Asparagus. One year after that, after having sold his entire initial product, Jack decided to add a couple more family recipes to the mix: Gen’s Dilly Mix, Kathy’s Crunchy Carrots, and Rae’s Dill Pickled Garlic. Stop in and see them for yourself !

Bemidji Communit y Food Shelf: In 2015, after watching longtime Food Shelf Coordinator Jack Judkins successfully launch a local product line at Harmony, the folks at the Bemidji Community Food Shelf decided they too would try their hand at producing a value-added food product. Largely reliant on grant money for its operations, the BCFS was looking for a way to create a long-range sustainable funding source, and the creation of a value-added food product aligned with their mission. Since they had a large garden, they had a lot of options to choose from. After meeting with our Grocery and Kitchen managers to get the ball rolling, BCFS became the first non-profit organization awarded Harmony’s Community Kitchen Scholarship, in order to allow them a ‘head start’ on their first product launch: sauerkraut. It sold out quickly enough to warrant them producing another batch for the 2016 season. Be on the lookout!

Cake Bemidji: In 2016, Cake Bemidji became the first small business recipient to be awarded Harmony’s Community Kitchen Scholarship. Specializing in custom made buttercream frosted layer cakes, Cake Bemidji fulfills a niche in the Bemidji area for handcrafted allergy-friendly event cakes. You can find Sarah Linda’s famous buttercream cakes at the Wild Hare Bistro and at Bemidji Brewing Company in Bemidji!

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Creative Challenge—

Community art project What does a community art project look like? For us, it was a big stack of Minnesota postcards!

We invited our followers to take a Minnesota postcard and draw, paint, paste, bedazzle, or illustrate on the backside of the postcard, filling the Minnesota outline with their original art!

Congratulations to Emily Dzieweczynski, our Community Art Project winner! She shares on her instagram page: “Sometimes the process is more satisfying than the product.”

Additionally, we partnered with four fantastic coffee shops around the state—Quixotic Coffee in St. Paul, River Rock Coffee in St. Peter, Tandem Bagels in Northfield, and Amity Coffee in Duluth—to serve as pick-up and dropoff locations for the postcards. These locations served as a temporary home for our colorful homemade boxes, where they would remain for two weeks. The contest was a wonderful success and we want to thank all of the artists who sent in their transformed postcards.

We had a great time watching submissions roll in! These top entries will also be displayed at the Community Issue Release Party held at Able Seedhouse + Brewery in Northeast Minneapolis on June 16th.

2nd place postcard by Neva Foster

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3rd place postcard by Mia Finnamore

ONGOING FREE SUMMER EVENTS ...

Birch Bark Canoe Project

Tues. /Wed. Evenings 5-9 pm

Craft Night Every Thurs. from 6-8 pm

SPECIAL EVENTS THIS SUMMER - JOIN US! Drumming Circle June 20 at 7 pm $5 - Kids FREE!

Concert:Live Music!

August 20 at 6 pm $5 - Kids FREE!

International Dance July 30 at 7 pm $10 ($8 w/ member pin)

Canoe Flotilla to Lac La Croix Pow Wow August 25-29

AMAZING CLASSES ALL SUMMER LONG!

Campfire Songs/Stories Tues. evenings starting June 21 at 7 pm

“I want to live in a society where people are intoxicated with the joy of making things.”

-William Copperthwaite, folk school enthusiast

209 E. Sheridan St., Ely, MN 55731 Email: info@elyfolkschool.org Phone: 218-235-0138

Check out our website for more information >>

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We create a magazine that shares the stories of makers and innovators spanning our great northern state. As we feature bold and inspiring Minnesotans—from craftsman to beekeepers, artists to farmers, brewers to foodies—we’re here to build a timeless collection of tales from each region across the state.

We aim to strengthen and promote sustainable, beautiful, altruistic, unique, and creative communities. We are so proud to share our one-of-a-kind Minnesota magazine with you.

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