Make It Minnesota - The Roots Issue - Vol. 2, No. 5

Vol. 2, No. 5 - September/october 2017

THE ROOTS ISSUE ROOTS - VOL 2, NO. 5 - 2017 1

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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, altruistic, and creative communities. We are so proud to share our one-of-a-kind Minnesota magazine with you.

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Photo by Jennifer Alana Lundgren

The Roots Issue The notion of roots is complicated for a traveler. We find comfort in motion, transition, and change. On the road, with the wheels beneath us in constant revolution—everything makes sense. Our pervasive fears of stagnancy and monotony have no merit in this nomadic existence, encouraging a freedom seldom achieved in our daily routine. The direction is clear: forward. The task is simple: drive. We are the dynamic forces traversing the static landscape, navigating the open road and discovering unfamiliar magic along the way.

I am called to the road—to unknown places and new experiences—and so, I’ve never had much of a desire to develop roots in a singular place. In my mind, that sort of decision requires a resolute level of certainty of exactly who I am and where I want to be. However, the older I get, the less I believe that level of clarity exists at all. We’re all just works-in-progress, walking around like we own the place, trying to convince everyone (including ourselves) that we know what we’re doing.

Our decision to thrive where we are planted has little to do with our place in life, and everything to do with being cognizant of the fact that we’re all in this together. And once we’re in that headspace, maybe growing real roots isn’t such a terrifying idea after all.

The road may enliven me, but I do love my home, Minnesota.

Though I grew up next door in South Dakota, I moved here after graduating college, and in every passing year, I feel a stronger connection to this place. From the pebble beaches of Lake Superior to the rolling bluffs of Southeastern Minnesota to the cozy neighborhood in which we now reside in Northeast Minneapolis—my heart is here.

During each change of season in the North, we are inspired to take part in the evolution of the world around us. We are given an opportunity for reflection and transition—a renewal of self.

As we add or subtract the necessary outerwear to survive, we embrace the change, grow deeper in our roots, and hopefully

take a moment to appreciate the breadth of diversity in this place. We’re all connected here, and in our awareness of the humans both thriving and suffering within our communities, we’re cultivating a place that’s collaborative, inviting, and full of opportunity for all Minnesotans.

And I think… “I could grow some mighty strong roots here.”

The artists, businesses, beekeepers, woodworkers, and mushroom foragers featured in this issue are genuinely rooted in their passions and communities in Minnesota. Through every one of their stories, we find a solid foundation—a root system nourished by hard work, creativity, and authenticity.

Read on, my friends.

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Contributors

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, songwriting, and traveling to any new place around the world, near or far.

Editor Kara Larson Production Manager Leah Matzke

GRETA ALMS

Greta Alms is owner, writer, photographer and pickle-eater for Pickles Travel blog (www.picklestravel.com). Based in the greater Mankato area, she has a passion for all things local and everything Minnesota.

She loves to share her passion for Minnesota through daily photos on Instagram as @gretcholi.

Contributors Sean McSteen Greta Alms Lindsay Strong Alexandra Schulz Colby Wegter Kerry Lambertson Jennifer Lundgren Alan Bergo Cover Photo 2017 Roots Issue contest winner Lindsay Strong Back Cover Photo Shannon Svensrud Copyright All images contained in Make It Minnesota are subject to copyright of the artist, illustrator or photographers as named, but not limited to.

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

LINDSAY STRONG Lindsay was born in Texas, raised in Missouri and Utah, went to college in South Dakota, and upon moving to Minnesota two years ago, quickly adopted the North as home. She teaches yoga, takes pretty photographs, and is in graduate school to be a therapist.

ALEXANDRA SCHULZ

Alexandra Schulz is a licensed teacher and mushroom forager, experienced outdoor educator, artist, and general outdoor enthusiast.

Alex has been fortunate to have had many opportunities to work in a variety of settings as an outdoor educator, working as a naturalist, School of the Wild Prairie/Gardens specialist, University of Iowa wildlife camp coordinator, private school outdoor camp coordinator, and many other experiences both via educational establishments, her own website, and word of mouth clients thanks to the positive experiences people have enjoyed on previous forays guided by Alex.

COLBY WEGTER

From growing up near a town without a stop light to working in NYC’s Chinatown to finally landing in St. Paul, Colby looks to converse, to learn and attempt to tell. He feels more at home in Minnesota than anywhere else and enjoys her beauty on the daily. He’s also the founder of A Look Into (alookinto.com), an online editorial that tells the stories of the people behind the products we love.

Copyright 2017. 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 2, No. 5, is published by Make It MN LLC

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JENNIFER ALANA LUNDGREN Jennifer grew up in Minnesota and is proud to call it home. She started photography on a whim, right before her daughter was born. When she’s not adventuring the great outdoors, you’ll find her nestling up with a book and her dog, Han Solo. The simple things in life keep her heart light. She thinks one of the best things about Minnesota is the great creative community we have. To being true and thoughtful and supportive of each others’ art and authenticity, and it’s hard to beat that kind of community.

KERRY LAMBERTSON Kerry Lambertson lives in the forest lands of northeastern Minnesota, where he plays fiddle tunes, makes things out of wood, and chases wild food harvests across the region. He believes in listening to the land and in making your own life from the things found in your environment. On a good day, he might be found sailing on Lake Superior, boiling maple sap, building furniture, or playing music with friends.

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Contents Creative Essay

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Camping the North Shore

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Featured Communities

7 10

Local by Local: Greta Alms

Urban Roots: Planting Seeds of Inspiration

Behind The Creative

14 18 21

In the Land of the Trees Britta Kauppila Metalsmith

Minnesota Kitchen

25

Demystifying Mushrooms: From Forest to Kitchen

Minnesota Style

32

14

Worker B: Home Is Where the Hive Is

21

A Look Into: Duluth Pack

Creative Challenge

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25

Instagram Contest: Bloom Where You Are Planted

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E R O H S H T R O N CAMPING THE

Words and Photos by Jennifer Alana Lundgren

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We venture out towards the great northwoods where the smell of pine and juniper fill up our nasal cavities, and the gust of wet winds blow cool air into our lungs and mess up our hair.

We take this shoreline adventure North every Summer, rain or shine, with each passing year a new stepping stone—solo; as a couple; as a family; as one year more experienced than the last. Camping the North Shore has changed immensely for us from past to present—from our foolishly youthful selves, boundless and carefree, to a version slightly restrained by parenthood. Being a young family has its setbacks; though mild, it’s true.

Jumping rocks on the shoreline or hiking long distances isn’t of our capacity now as new parents.

We aren’t belaying each other or climbing the rock faces like we use to. The days of taking photos and drinking a six-pack under the Morning stars are behind us.

Now, we’re counting each step on the dirt and sparingly paved hiking path, anticipating the next pain-inducing throwing of our back as our dog lunges for a squirrel far beyond reach for the third, possibly fourth time. Taking another step and pleading with my subconscious that our daughter doesn’t have another sudden meltdown because she can’t touch the river that’s thirty feet below us, or that, we don’t end up having one due to extra weight and worry.

And yet, these are but minor setbacks when camping as a young family. Beyond the worries and difficulties, we experience the importance of scattering seeds of fresh experiences for our daughter to grow from every time we chose to go out and wander, regardless of our own waning wildness. We’re rooting her to the earth, the great outdoors, just as we had through our childhood.

Nick, my husband, and I were raised very differently; him in the cities, I in a southern small town—however different, we were both raised appreciating nature.

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We played in the dirt, climbed trees, held worms and frogs between our fingers, swam and tubed in nearby creeks.

We learned at a young age the significance of the natural world, and how to appreciate the dirt between our toes, the knots in our hair from the day’s play and to leave the Earth as it was—before being called back in for dinner.

the stars. To all the rocks we threw in the vastness of Lake Superior and the seagulls we chased in the hopes of catching, while giggling and screaming with joy.

Grand adventures don’t always require traveling to faraway coastlines, tropical islands, or foreign countries.

Some of the best adventures happen right where you From day one of learning we were pregnant with Sage, are—adventuring the nearby creek, the beautiful lakes of our daughter, we voiced the importance of instilling that the city, the valleys of the countryside in Minnesota. No mindset in Sage, and also, within ourselves through fresh need to journey to the ends of the Earth to find what parent eyes, and in our soon-to-be growing family. Each makes us happy right here and now. year since Nick and I met, we have made this our tradition, trips along the shore. Each year being a new learn- Sometimes the best part of our adventure is coming ing curve, but with every learning curve comes grand ad- home after a long weekend North, smelling of campfire ventures. and having a momentous sense of wonder and wander traced along our hearts. To find these simple pleasures Adventures we’ll look back on and smile; from the songs where we are planted. To be present in what we have and we shared on the road, watching our daughter take in the not always venturing for what we don’t. To realizing that river rushing by, laughing underneath our warm sleeping no matter how far we’ve traveled or how much we’ve seen bags in the morning’s light, and singing lullabies beneath and learned from this world—this is home.

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GRETA ALMS

Writer, Photographer, Pickle-eater

LOCAL LOCAL

BY

Greta Alms is owner, writer, photographer and pickleeater for Pickles Travel blog (www.picklestravel. com) where she focuses on food and family-friendly outdoor adventures across Minnesota. She especially loves Minnesota’s state parks, supporting local businesses and showing others the non-touristy parts of Minnesota. You can follow along on her adventures on Instagram too @gretcholi.

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GRETA’S Morgan Creek Vineyards New Ulm, MN

Morgan Creek Vineyards has one of those picturesque spots that you see on Instagram, but are never quite sure really exists. Nestled back way into the rural countryside on a gravel road somewhat near New Ulm is Morgan Creek Vineyards. The setting involves a small shop built into the slope like an underground house. They have a big red barn and the most magnificent old oak tree you have ever seen. You can order all the personal sized wood-fired pizzas you want—my personal favorite includes sauerkraut on it! Oh, and did I mention that they’re a vineyard? So there are plenty of wine options to go around. On Fridays and Saturdays during the summer evenings there is usually live jazz music and a bonfire going, just in case you weren’t already convinced.

WYSIWYG Juice Mankato, MN

WYSIWYG Juice is probably one of the most community-centered businesses I have visited. The owners, Kristi and Marie, founded the juice company to be a place of hope and positivity after both losing their husbands to cancer. I love Kristi’s attitude that every challenge and hardship is “an opportunity”, plus they make the most amazing chia seed pudding and made-from-scratch almond milks. The street where the juice company sits is now thriving with restaurants and shops galore, but had none of that even a few years ago. Co-owner Kristi was a huge part of some of that rehabilitation of the area.

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TOP P ICKS Amboy Cottage Cafe Amboy, MN

Amboy Cottage Cafe is a bit off the beaten path. Located in the small town of Amboy, where you’d never think to stop, this small restaurant makes it worth the road trip.

Locally sourced ingredients and meals that are cooked from scratch plus a dedication to supporting community make this one of my favorite local spots. Breakfast is served until 11 every morning they’re open and if you’re flying solo, don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with the locals drinking their morning coffee.

G.R.A.C.E. Thrift store Lake Crystal, MN

G.R.A.C.E Thrift Store located in Lake Crystal is my favorite spot for finding just about anything from vintage dishes to books and toys for my toddler to super cheap and cute outfits. GRACE stands for Give Recycling A Chance Everyday, which pretty much summarizes my life motto.

Located in an old bank building, you pass by the bank vault door upon entry and from there, the store winds around into different areas like a maze full of great treasures ready to be discovered. My favorite part about the store is that everything is marked at $5.00 or less, so I’m always guaranteed to walk out with at least one bag full of goodies, plus everything they make goes back into supporting the local community.

Minneopa State Park Mankato, MN

Minneopa State Park is one of about three MN State Parks I grew up visiting regularly. I actually learned how to use an SLR camera by photographing the Minneopa waterfalls. Not only is there a waterfall, old tunnels to explore, an old mill to check out, walking and hiking paths and even a campground, but there are now wild buffalo roaming the prairies. You can take a car drive through the prairie side of the park and more likely than not you will come across the herd of buffalo, including a few babies.

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Urban Roots:

Planting Seeds of Inspiration

By Sean McSteen

Understanding successes of any kind within our lives requires looking back, to every thought had, and decision made that formed the unique path, which we have walked to get to where we are now.

I believe self-reflection and self-discovery go hand-inhand, and I think it is important to occasionally stop and take stock in the journey that has led us to the present. Every thought, every decision and every action we have made that, in some way, have woven together to bring each of us to where we are now. For some, the options provided from an early age were endless. For others, the opportunities to explore, learn and grow were far more limited. But no matter where any of us may fall along that spectrum, there is no denying that, as individuals, who we are today has been directly influenced by the experiences and different possibilities we were given as children and young adults. Like a tree, our roots must grow before we can begin to reach for new levels; and when our roots are not given the space and opportunity to grow, we run the risk of being blown over when the next big storm comes. Becoming strong and tall takes patience, freedom and love; and when those all come together as one, we are able to understand and reach our true potential.

One such organization that has dedicated itself to the expansion and growth of young minds in Minnesota is Urban Roots. This non-profit organization works to employ, educate and train high school students ages 14 to 18 years old from low-income families on the East Side of St. Paul about sustainable agriculture, healthy food practices and business and communication skills.

Working primarily through Right Track—a program in created by the St. Paul public school system designed to provide career training, opportunities and employment for young adults who come from low-income households—Urban Roots employs around 60 10 MAKE IT MINNESOTA

youth each year to work in one of three different programs that they offer: the Market Garden, Cook Fresh, and Conservation.

Each program has its own unique specification designed to teach students a particular side of the food world, while simultaneously working with the young adults to develop business and communication skills.

The students employed by Urban Roots are also placed into different professional skills tracks, beginning with a base understanding of job skills, resume writing and

financial literacy. Once students move through this first track, they continue on to the entrepreneur track, where they work together to create an entire business plan for an idea the group has collectively brainstormed and hashed-out; or the social justice track, in which youths work through a variety of outlets to learn about and support different social justice issues in today’s culture. The agricultural programs and the professional training tracks build off each other, and as Executive Director Lori Arnold explains, “These programs are like the vehicles on learning 21st century job skills…but [they] all address it in a little different way.”

Farmers Market and to restaurants around the Twin Cities, and working with different hunger relief efforts; student-workers employed by Urban Roots are given hands-on training and exposure to the intricacies of the business-side of food.

They also get to bring the fruits of their labor into their own lives and their family’s lives. “We send take-home bags of produce home with them,” says Arnold. “We’re trying to provide food access to a point where we’re not just going to teach you what to do with the food; we’re going to send it home with you and hopefully

There is the Market Garden Program, in which groups of students learn and work on every stage of the growing process; everything from planting, caring for and harvesting produce in Urban Roots’ five different gardens and farm spaces across the East Side of St. Paul.

The organization produces over 11,000 pounds of produce each year that are fed into different business outlets Urban Roots has developed that work as another kind of teaching tool. Running a youth-managed 30-member CSA, selling produce at the Mill City

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then you can work with your families on healthy-eating and cooking and just a whole lifestyle change.” So, the students are given the opportunity to learn the ins-and-outs of what it takes to produce healthy food and create a healthy lifestyle for themselves and their families. Furthermore, they are also simultaneously receiving education and training to develop and hone both interpersonal communication skills and business know-how.

spiring them and connecting them to opportunities.”

With these objectives in mind, Urban Roots has also begun working with youth-workers in the Cook Fresh program on a new way to bring the distance between work and home life closer together. As Arnold explains, the students, “Can bring in culturally specific recipes that their families use, and using the MyPlate standards from the USDA recommendations, they will look to see, ‘are these recipes healthy?’ And if not, how can we revamp them?” The Cook Fresh Crew also works with the different visiting chefs to cater fundraising events and create special lunches that youth-workers from all three programs enjoy together.

In this way, Arnold says, “We are going to expose the youth then to hopefully a whole lot of different ethnic foods because of the diversity amongst our youth.”

The second track Urban Roots offers is the Cook Fresh Crew. This track teaches youths in the program how to take the food grown by the Market Garden program and transform it with other ingredients into a delicious, healthy meal. The roots of healthy living come from a basis of knowledge of how to implement healthy practices into routine; a healthy meal every once in a while is a good start, but encouraging consistent healthy eating is key. Using a combination of staff instructors The last program option for student-workers is the and guest chefs from around the community, the Cook Conservation program, a track in which youths work Fresh program is designed to give students the knowl- with instructors to protect and strengthen natural aredge and skills to create healthy recipes to take home to their families. “The kids are so into it,” says Arnold.

“And then the chefs get really into it because the kids are. So, it’s really contagious.”

Part of the framework for Urban Roots’ education and training model is the celebration of the diversity and different backgrounds of the each student, using both shared experiences and individual differences as an opportunity and tool to learn and grow from one another.

As Senior Program Director Patsy Noble says, “They are learning about each other’s cultures; they are learning different ways to do things. So, it’s really about in-

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eas around the East Side. This involves learning about the many plant species that are native to local parks and habitat in the region, and working to plant new seeds or work to bolster the resiliency of the current habitat. The other key element of the Conservation program is for the students to learn to identify invasive plant species, which are then removed to protect and preserve the native wildlife. Taking the idea of conservation to the next level, Urban Roots was able to work their non-profit magic (will-power and elbow grease) to find, fix and store their own fleet of bicycles that are used by the kids to travel to each work location.

The other aim of the Conservation program is community outreach. Working with Park Rangers and city officials, the students in the program learn about the history of the land in St. Paul and even give park tours to the public.

duction-oriented here. So, while we are doing all this training, we also have all these responsibilities.” She continues, “You know, the restaurant is waiting for their cabbage delivery, and the CSA boxes have to be filled cause they’ve got to be picked up. So, the kids get the seriousness nature of work.”

Should they wish, student-workers have the opportunity to work with Urban Roots throughout their entire high school career, experiencing and learning from all three programs the organization has to offer. All while earning a paycheck. A paycheck that can help buy groceries for their family or even go towards rent.

So, while the income is incredibly beneficial, and often needed for youth-workers and their families, the intangible skills that students who work for Urban Roots come away with are beyond priceless. They are given opportunity, inspiration and options. This engaging Urban Roots is no summer camp. This non-profit is non-profit provides a safe, yet challenging place for far from all play with no responsibilities. The work is its youths to feel prepared for the next step—whether hands-on; both physically and mentally engaging; and that’s post-secondary education or a job—it’s a future often quite dirty. As Noble puts it, “Everything is pro- full of possibility.

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Worker B:

Home Is Where the Hive Is Photos and Words by Lindsay Strong

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The honeybee has long been looked to as a symbol for community, a reminder of the importance of home and the necessary beauty of the natural world as it exists immediately around us. For bees, the local environments from which they come have a direct impact on the honey they make. The flowers and herbs that grow in abundance around the hives create the unique and interesting flavor profiles we can detect when we eat the sweet sticky substance we know and love. For Worker B, operating out of the Northrup King building in Northeast Minneapolis, all parts of the hive operations are important.

Worker B is a small operation run by four people along with a few retail employees at their store in the Mall of America. In many ways, the business started by accident. While working in a honey house, one of the founders, Liesa, noticed that her own skin issues started to heal. With this in mind, she began formulating products in her own kitchen and sharing them with friends and family. It wasn’t long before the hobby blossomed into the business it is today. The cornerstone of Worker B is their face and body products. Every product is still made by hand and with the hope of being actually beneficial. One of the core values of their business is to make products that “simplify people’s lives and that actually work.” Every product is lovingly made by hand because, “the integrity of our products is something we hold very dear.” This homegrown and local mentality is one that echoes throughout Worker B and everything they make and do.

For Worker B, the idea of locality expands beyond the borders of Minnesota and encompasses a wider scope of local bee farmers. Because the taste of honey relies on the kinds of plants bees have access to, the honey that is so sweetly displayed and sold allows customers to become acquainted with flavors from all corners of the globe. For Worker B, it is “the local attitude without being about the geography. A local beekeeper in Kentucky is ROOTS - VOL 2, NO. 5 - 2017 15

local in their own community.” By accessing local farmers from different communities, Worker B is providing access to new and interesting flavors for Minnesotans who might not otherwise know what honey made from citrus flowers or small wildflowers from the mountainsides of the Pacific Northwest taste like. Co-founder and owner Michael refers to this model as being “more about the local mentality.”

The geographic flexibility in this local mentality means that everyone has access to the nostalgia of place and taste. Michael recounted a time in which, after a taste of honey, a woman swelled with pride and joy as she felt transported to her childhood in China. There is a worthy acknowledgement of humanness even in jars of honey, that because we all come from different places, we can be locals in many all at once and connect with nature in all of them.

Every aspect of Worker B is built by a desire to create and sell high quality products and to remind their customers of the importance of the delicate ecosystems involved. The pollinators who work so hard and allow us access to these incredibly healing and delicious products are also on the forefront of Worker B’s mind. Hanging in their retail spaces and going along with them to markets and craft events, are T-shirts and sweaters inviting others to “Protect Our Pollinators.”

Part of the integrity of this company that makes it so impactful is that they care as much about the creatures that make their products possible as they do the customers who buy them.

From their creams and lotions to their face washes, body scrubs, and plethora of honey, Worker B’s products are all carefully and sustainably made by hand and with both their devoted customers and bee friends in mind. Every part of the operation is done with heart and soul and maintains the hope it all started with—that they create options for people that work. I can say from my own personal experience using and loving Worker B’s products that they do indeed work to simplify the process and actually heal.

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In the Land of the Trees

By Kerry Lambertson

It’s often maples that rule the ridge tops of Minnesota’s north shore. Cedars thrive in swamps, ash trees favor floodplains and creek beds, birches are everywhere, from stony cliffs overlooking Lake Superior to cold north slopes up country. The rare oaks are sometimes found on south facing slopes, and basswood and elm are few and dispersed, but will grow where the soil permits.

When I came into this country, I came as a stranger, all of these phenomena bereft of both name and explanation. I wandered the hills and ridges and valleys broadly, slogging upstream knee deep in creeks until they tapered down to a trickle I could no longer follow, merely to try to discern what lay at the source. I began to notice patterns in the landscape; black spruce and tamarack growing together on the long and deeply faceted lakeshores, ash leaves falling sooner in the autumn than all others, and later to return in the spring. There were lessons here, yet I was unsure how to interpret them, and I had work to do.

A cabin built of logs seemed a suitable shelter, wooden bowl and spoon for daily sustenance, a paddle to push the canoe, a chair to sit on beside the wood stove, and billets of split dry wood to feed the fire. Wood revealed itself as the very essence of survival in this place, and I created what I needed with clumsy hands and dull tools, inordinately proud of these rude implements of nourishment.

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As seasons passed I ranged more broadly, observed more sharply. The long dark of winter provided ample time for reading by candlelight, and I became a student of a new vocabulary. Felling and riving, cudgel and froe, axe, adze, gouge, chisel. I learned that maple is fine grained, heavy, and hard, but decays readily; cedar seems improbably light, soft, and fragrant, and its intractable rot resistance is the stuff of legend. Ash wood is tough and springy; it is good for an axe handle or the long curved planks of a toboggan. It can also be pounded apart, one individual growth ring at a time, to create a strong and flexible material for basket weaving.

I honed my tools with files and fine grained sharpening stones; I must have found something similar to strop my brain upon, as steadily the combination of experience, education, and intuition worked magic. Seasons accumulated into years and I found that I knew where to look for the right tree, and how to convince it to yield to sharp steel.

Bows, bowls, baskets, a roof over one’s head, a table where supper is served, music to delight the ears and stir the heart: all are fashioned from the flesh of a tree. I have found myself called by this material, and I am now privileged to spend my days up to my elbows in wood shavings, ever designing, dreaming, imagining the possibilities.

By modern standards, this is an obscure and archaic way of working with wood. There is no room in a fast paced, industrial economy to go wandering the hills, hunting the right tree.

Some woodworkers understand wood as a commodity: order it in the species of choice, so thick, so wide, so long. It seems to make no difference whether the wood in question was cut on the other side of town or on the far side of the planet. It has become a homogeneous material, like bricks and mortar, fiberglass, sheetrock.

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And some foresters have roamed continents, surveying trees and forests, soils, plants, and animals of all description, size, and species. But they seem to see the forest as an entity apart from the material of their own lives, to see trees in percentages and statistics, failing to notice the way a branch or a root curves just so, the way one tree’s trunk has grown straight as a ruler while another twists back upon itself, riddled through with irregular humps and divots.

The interwoven threads of the natural world and of the woodworker’s craft have proven impossible for me to tease apart. I have long believed that what is precious is found in the specific. The birch tree that grows on the north ridge is not the same as the one that grows in the southern valley, nor ever shall be. From each might be made a bowl that holds soup, but it’s not so simple.

These days when I’ve dreamed up a project and it’s time to go hunting for a tree, I seem to know where to look. I might walk a long way, passing acres of trees of the right species and size before finding one suitable. Or I’ll have watched a stand of trees for some years, waiting for the right purpose and the right time to take the one I know will cleave, plane, and bend the way I ask it to.

So it is the farthest thing from burdensome to go wandering the shapes of this land, paying the utmost attention to the sweep of a branch, the twist of a root, the pattern and direction of a tree’s crown. Coming to know these woods has given me a vocation; it’s also lent me a sense of belonging in this place.

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T h e R o o t s I s s u e — M a k e r Wo r k s h o p S e r i e s

Britta Kauppila Metalsmith: Forging Roots in Nature, Metal, Home Words by Kara Larson Photos by Louisa Marion Photography

Britta Lynn Kauppila’s Duluth studio is lined entirely with big windows overlooking the perpetual vastness of Lake Superior. It’s so close that on hot summer days, Britta admits, she’s able to take a quick dip over her lunch hour. Like so many who live near this colossal body of water, Britta is under the spell of Superior’s undeniable magnetism.

Wading in its waves, foraging the pebble beaches for agates, sea glass, and other textural treasures, Britta calls this lake her muse. She draws inspiration from its wondrous presence—and you can feel its influence in her art.

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Britta discovered jewelry as an art form in her freshman year of college at Northern Michigan University. For the first time, she thought of jewelry as art, which felt exciting and even serendipitous. As a kid, she remembers being interested in geology and archaeology and history and art—all of which are connected through jewelry. After transferring to the University of Minnesota Duluth, Britta ended up an art major with a concentration in Jewelry and Metals and achieved her Gemology Certificate at Minneapolis Community and Technical College on the side.

All the while, she was working at a Minneapolis jewelry studio, Studio Vincent, through college, honing her skills with hand fabrication and stone setting and learning the ins and outs of the jewelry business. After graduation, she began working there fulltime as a Design Consultant, then Goldsmith, and then eventually, Studio Director. Her time working for Stephen Vincent and with many jewelry artisans at Studio Vincent would amount to an invaluable experience and a catalyst for her own future business.

Britta began her own jewelry business almost 7 years ago when she and her husband were living in the Twin Cities. Leading up to this decision, she worked tirelessly to build up her name and reputation and found beautiful community in her mentors, fellow jewelry artisans, other local artists, and in her clients. Britta quickly realized how many people were making a living as jewelry artisans in Minneapolis—and how unique a thing that was. She felt support and community and was growing a substantial root system for her budding business.

As Britta officially went fulltime with her own work, an opportunity to move back to Duluth came into the picture. Britta and her husband always knew they wanted to move back to Duluth, but they thought it was going to be very far down the line. Britta shares, “My husband is an engineer and there was a job that came available and kind of fell in his lap. It was a great opportunity and we had to take it, but since it was right when I went fulltime to my own work, I was really nervous.”

Britta had nothing to worry about. Her community followed her to Duluth and her work continues to be as thoughtful and respected as ever. In coming “home,” she tapped into a new set of inspirations that would inform her work in unexpected, beautiful ways.

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“Moving up here, I felt all those romantic notions of going back to Duluth and the northwoods and living off the land,” Britta laughs. “A conjuring of home was really stirring inside of me. It set me on an objective to make what I was feeling. I’m not always the best with words, but I can communicate best visually.”

Having grown up in Duluth, Britta feels a connection to the lake and the earth around it—a place her family has called home for generations. Her dad still lives on the farm that was homesteaded by Britta’s great great grandparents, who came from Sweden. “That land,” Britta begins, “I’ve always felt a connection to. There’s just something special about it.”

She adds, “It’s hard for me to put into words—but it’s that feeling of being out there and thinking…this is where I come from. It’s such a calming and fulfilling feeling.”

Thematically, Britta’s work draws from two major influences, and both are deeply rooted in who she is. The first is the natural world that fuels her curiosity—Lake Superior and its shores. And the second is her heritage—the relatives that came before her and lived on the land she now calls home. One of these influential relatives is her great great grandma—a woman Britta never met. However, her diary has been passed down through generations and through the stories she tells within the timeworn pages, Britta feels a special connection to her life and her spirit.

“Beyond the natural world, what’s really inspiring to me are powerful women. And I think my great great grandma is a big part of that—someone whom I’ve never met before, but just reading about her life and the strength that she had—I like to try to translate that into jewelry. I think about how jewelry interacts with the body and how it makes the wearer feel.

I always want it to be a bold, empowered feeling.”

Part of this empowerment can be traced back to Britta’s values as an artist. She hopes to embolden people through her jewelry. She is honored to create meaningful, one-of-a-kind treasures people are emotionally connected to and feel good about purchasing. And it begins with her materials. “Everything I’m working with comes from the Earth—so it’s very important to be respectful of those materials and sourcing in the most responsible way that I can. All my metal is recycled, my stones fair trade and conflict free, fair trade, and recycled when they can be.”

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Britta is proud to offer an experience that begets a meaningful, sustainable purchase with jewelry.

She thoughtfully obtains every material down to packaging and honors the story behind every commissioned piece of jewelry. “One good thing to come out of the recession is the fact that people are being much more mindful of where their money goes. People are spending more money on experiences, not just things. When you buy from an artist directly, you are getting that experience.

If you were to just go to the store to get it, you wouldn’t be getting that same experience. Being an artist and local small business myself, that’s who I try to support along the way as well.”

In Britta’s mission to carefully and deliberately source every part of her business, she sees it as an opportunity to support other artists, utilizing their work in her packaging, displays, and beyond.

“When people buy from me, they’re not just supporting me. They’re sustaining these other artists.

It’s a way for me to have an impact, which I really enjoy.”

Every aspect of Britta’s intentional creative process is brought to life when her client and their story come into the picture. The magic of jewelry is bound to that spark of inspiration. The experience of an artist like Britta making a power ring, an engagement ring, jewelry for anniversaries, or for no reason at all is special—and it yields a unique token made by an artist who makes a living with her hands doing what she loves. “That’s the thing I love about jewelry—how thoughtful of an art form it is, how sentimental it is, how important it is to people. They’re big symbols in peoples’ lives that they remember and relate to and it’s pretty special to be able to be a part of that.”

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DEMYSTIFYING MUSHROOMS: From Forest to Kitchen Foraging Guide by Alexandra Schulz Majority of Photos by Jeni O’Brien Recipe by Alan Bergo

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Called to the Wild:

I first became interested in foraging about seven years ago. Some of my friends and I decided to take a detour back from a road trip to Madison and spend the afternoon hiking in the Driftless Area of Iowa. It was late May, and as we were walking along through the picturesque spring forest, I noticed a morel on the side of the trail. I didn’t grow up foraging and had never tasted a morel, but I knew enough from growing up in the company of a few folks who did participate in the yearly feverish hunt for this mushroom to recognize it. Immediately it was thrilling to know that I had found something many considered so valuable merely by accident! My friends were also intrigued and we decided to split up and search the area for more. About 15 minutes later, I was making my way off-path along a hilltop, beginning to feel a little frustrated, as I had no idea what I was doing but at the same time motivated by the thought of finding more morels.

That’s when I spotted a dead tree lying on its side in the distance and decided checking out that spot was as good as any other. As I approached the tree, my eyes fell on a huge yellow morel, perfectly situated at the stump of the tree. I stopped dead and I can still see in my mind’s eye the dozens of yellow morels that seemed to become visible out of thin air as my vision zoned in on them. By the time my friends and I finished cleaning out the patch, we had more than forty pristine yellows. To this day I can go back to that forest and find the exact tree—the memory is just that crisp. This first experience triggered the discovery that I had a passion for foraging and mushrooms in particular. I had various interests, but this was definitely my first real passion. I pursued learning about and locating wild species (particularly the edible ones) with the kind of zeal that accompanies intense curiosity.

It seems everyone I know who forages regularly or who expresses interest in learning more about foraging has a specific memory of when they realized their love of foraging. In the seven short years I have been involved in the foraging community, I have seen public interest growing stronger and stronger to the point that I feel Americans are on the cusp of shedding our mycophobic (mushroom-fearing) tradition and are embracing mushroom hunting and foraging as part of the American lifestyle. Although this article is brief and the information I share about the species here is concise, I am also going to include some websites and other resources I have found incredibly helpful for my personal foraging education and I highly recommend using these resources not only to aid you in making positive identifications of your finds, but for recipes, hunting tips, and of course motivation (nothing like seeing a post of someone’s trunk full of hen of the woods to get me out the door, foraging gear in tow).

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Foraging Basics:

Fall in Minnesota‌ there are few things more pleasant than this season and place. Put together the not-too-hot not-too cold weather, the fall colors, and the staggering number of state parks, recreation areas, and other wild places available to the public and you have an irresistible combination of factors that make staying inside in the autumn the last thing you want to do.

Fall is also prime foraging time. Although many people automatically think of the morel mushroom and the spring season when it fruits as the best time to hunt mushrooms, fall is by far the best time to hit the woods in search of choice edible mushrooms. Many more species are fruiting and they tend to fruit in such abundance that almost any trip to the woods will be successful (given that there is enough moisture in your area).

The following is a list of staples needed for successful foraging. Always use the websites or guides to follow up and help ensure you have what you think you have before consuming any wild mushrooms. Be sure to always cook wild mushrooms thoroughly and try a little at first, then wait 24 hours to be certain you are not allergic (something to always rule out) before consuming larger quantities of mushrooms you are new to eating.

What to bring when you go foraging:

-Knife -Basket/breathable carrying container(s) -Shoes with tread -Water/snack -Map/compass -Binoculars -Long pants -Insect repellent -Mushroom identification guidebook (National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Mushrooms is an easy to use, lightweight candidate)

Resources:

www.mushroomexpert.com www.foragerchef.com www.reddit.com/r/mycology/ Facebook groups such as: Minnesota Mushroom Hunting and Foraging Mushrooms and Foraging in MN Mushroom Identification Forum

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Mushroom Ident Shrimp abortive)

of the

Woods (Entoloma Lobster Mushrooms (Hypomyces lactifluorum)

Description: These look somewhat like strangely shaped puffballs. White, irregular but usually somewhat rounded, growing from the ground as well as from the roots of older/dying/fallen hardwoods such as oak and elm.

Description: Bright red/orange, ranging in size from the size of a deck of cards up to the size (and shape) of a folding paper fan.

Where: Growing from the ground, usually in groups, in both deciduous and coniferous (further North) woods.

Where: Hardwood forests, particularly areas that are damp, without direct sunlight and little leaf cover.

Harvesting: These mushrooms can be dirty and often have earth caked inside the cavity on the top of the mushroom. Luckily, they also have a hard exterior surface that make them one of the few mushrooms that can hold up to blasting with water/scrubbing to remove dirt without becoming waterlogged or falling apart. Use your knife to cut off the dirty base of the mushroom in the woods, brush off what dirt you can, and go on your way. Be sure to keep these in a separate container from other mushrooms you are harvesting as they will soil and crush less hardy specimens.

Harvesting: Only harvest the firm, white fruiting bodies. Use your knife to slice off the small stem that connected the mushroom to the earth. These can bruise easily so a basket or other carrying container with a solid frame and base are recommended.

Additional info: A less appetizing name for this mushroom is aborted entoloma. Similar to lobster mushrooms, this is an example of a mushroom that was attacked by another fungus species early on in the fruiting stage, resulting in the white, gill-less, irregular fruiting bodies mushroom hunters seek.

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Hen of the Woods (Grifola frondosa) Description: Brown-tan ‘leaf-like’ protrusions connected to a central white stalk. The underside of the fronds will be white.

Where: Growing at the base or from the roots of mature/fallen Oak (especially white oak trees) Harvesting: Use a knife to gently work your way around the base of the mushroom. Oftentimes specimens will be so large that it is easiest to cut the mushroom free from its base in chunks.

Additional info: Also known as Maitake, which translates to the dancing mushroom in Japanese because people would dance from joy when they find it.

ification Guide: Puffballs (common names: giant puff- Lion’s Mane (Hericium sp.) ball, pear-shaped puffball, skull-shaped puffball, gem-studded puffball)

Description: White spheres, ranging in size from ping-pong ball-basketball or larger.

Pure white, uniform interior when sliced down the middle.

Where: Growing from the ground or from wood.

Harvesting: Simply pick up, use knife to trim base if dirty, and take care not to let other mushrooms or gear smash these shrooms before you get them home.

Description: Three main forms, either rsembling coral, a puffball or pom-pom, or a frozen waterfall (that is actually the best and most accurate descriptor). Fruiting bodies are covered in small white spines that all point down (good way to differentiate from coral mushrooms). Any specimens collected should be pure white, as they age they turn tan/brown and develop a bitter flavor.

Where: Growing directly from dying hardwoods, usually Maple.

Harvesting: These mushrooms are notoriously hard to clean once they get dirty and are very fragile. Use care when cutting these free from the tree to omit any debris from the fruiting body. These seem to soak up any available sand/chunks of dirt/foliage and despite retaining their delicious flavor, chewing grit definitely puts a damper on any dining experience.

Chicken

of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus and Laetiporus cincinnatus)

Description: Bright orange top with yellow pore surface (when fruiting directly from dying hardwoods) or lighter salmon colored pore surface (when fruiting in a rosette formation from the roots of the host tree).

Where: These mushrooms grow on many different deciduous trees and seem to particularly love oaks. Although some Laetiporus species grow on coniferous trees, they are more rare and should be avoided, as they are more likely to result in an allergic reaction if consumed.

Harvesting: Although frustrating, the majority of the time you find this mushroom it will be too old to be any good. Don’t make the mistake of bringing home a bunch of buggy, dry chicken... your time is much better spent searching the area you found past-prime blooms for fresh ones. Like most mushrooms, if there is one fruiting it is more than likely that nearby trees are also hosts for this fungus and chicken fruitings are often sporadic. There is no such thing as a chicken mushroom that is too young, use your knife to cut the mushroom free from the trunk or roots. A good indicator you have a fresh mushroom is when the ‘stump’ left behind when you cut the mushroom free oozes or drips liquid.

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Grilled Hen of the Woods Mushrooms with Ginger-Soy Vinaigrette: There’s no substitute for woodfire, charcoal just doesn’t taste the same.

Ingredients: 2 large 4-6 ounce clusters of hen of the woods, cleaned, trimmed and left whole Dried firewood or wood charcoal for your grill+makings of a fire like matches and paper (I like to stay away from lighter fluid) A rag and some oil or lard, for the grill grates A pastry brush, for applying the vinaigrette Method: Make a fire from the wood. When the embers are nice and hot and the flames have died, about 30 minutes, rub the grill grates with the oiled rag, then grill the hens, turning every few minutes to brush them with the vinaigrette. Make sure not to put too much vinaigrette on the hen steaks or the grill can flare. When the mushrooms are completely cooked through and caramelized, I like to add steamed rice, scallions, chopped cilantro, toasted sesame seeds and extra vinaigrette at the table to make a for a light meal.

Ginger-Soy Vinaigrette Yield: 1 cup Ingredients: 3/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger 1/2 cup lime juice 1 tablespoon Sriracha style hot sauce, or more to taste 1 large garlic clove Method: Put all ingredients in a blender except the sesame oil. Puree the mixture on medium speed, drizzling in the oil to reduce friction and help everything get smooth. Transfer the vinaigrette to a labeled, dated container and refrigerate until needed. The vinaigrette will keep for months.

ŠAlan Bergo 2017 More delicious recipes, hunting tips, and general foraging information at www.foragerchef.com.

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The People Behind

DU LU T H PAC K

By Colby Wegter

When sitting down to write a story you often think, “How does it start?” It’s a pretty simple question. History would say start at the beginning. When talking about Duluth Pack, one of the brands that us Minnesotans may argue is as valuable to the North as Starbucks is to Seattle or Guinness is to Ireland, it would start in 1882, when the first official Duluth Pack was created (it was called the Poirier Pack back then).

Some stories start with the present and if that’s the case, we’d be talking about how Duluth Pack ships to all seven continents—yes even Antarctica—and how it’s still all sourced in the USA, handcrafted in the USA and shipped right from Duluth.

Some stories don’t even start with a moment in time, but feed off a feeling. An inspiration. Something that causes people to find out more, to take photos, to sit down and write about it and to tell others about it.

What’s clear when you walk into the Duluth Pack production facility on Superior Street is that it doesn’t matter where, how or why the story actually began—it’s that it’s still going. It’s a living, breathing and beautiful tale and when you really sit back to admire the work and craftsmanship that takes place in every rivet, every motion of the sewing needle, and all the other intricacies that make a Duluth Pack product, you feel a wave of pride just seeing it being made.

Renowned for its superior durability and quality, Duluth Pack products have stuck in families for decades and most repair requests are second generation from what President Tom Sega tells me.

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So like any other story, someone has sat down to write about it. But it’s not a Made in America story. It’s not a Tom Sega story. It’s not even necessarily a Duluth Pack story. It’s a story about people. People who do amazing work that lasts generations.

People who still believe in the meaning of handcrafted as hard work and not just a novelty term. People who dive in, smile from ear to ear, provide for their families and supply a rich heritage to the city of Duluth and state of Minnesota in a way that no one else can.

On a rainy September day, Kara Larson and I met with Tom Sega, President of Duluth Pack for the last 10 years. It was a first for us both. It’s not everyday that you get to talk with the head of an operation for a company that’s represented in the farthest-reaching parts of the globe. The meeting spot was the production facility that’s been standing since 1911. The awning out front still says, “Duluth Tent & Awning” and much of the facility’s framework is largely unchanged.

There are three levels. Offices on the top, sewing and riveting on the main floor and material cutting and quality control hang out in the basement. The stairs creak with each step, “And no your eyes don’t deceive you,” Tom says as we move from one floor to another, “These stairs are slanted.”

I ask Tom, “Is the Superior Street place just as much about the legacy of the physical location as it is the integrity of the brand?”

“It really is,” he replies. “When we were outgrowing the place [Superior Street] people were saying, ‘Just build a new factory’ but there’s an aura around this place.”

Eighty percent of the cost that goes into any Duluth Pack product is the labor and these same people have approached Tom on numerous occasions with the conventional wisdom to move the operation overseas to save money.

It’s a contentious point not only for Tom but everyone in the company. “People who bring that up usually get a face to face from me,” Tom says with forced grin, implying that they’re in for it when they do. “How can you make Duluth Pack anywhere besides Duluth, Minnesota?”

It’s the only time Tom actually mentions himself when it comes to Duluth Pack.

In every other situation, unless Kara or I ask him directly about his personal experience, he references Duluth Pack as “we” and it’s subtle but noticeable.

“Listen,” he says. “We keep the story simple. Business is tough enough. Especially small business. Duluth Pack is not about me or Mark, my business partner. At the end of the day, it’s about the employees and more importantly the customer. We’ll be fine and we’re very comfortable knowing that we make nothing you need. You can live your life not needing a Duluth Pack. We’d prefer that you would, but you can live just fine not having one. Knowing that you’re OK with that puts you in a different mindset of how you’re going to run a company and how you’re going to grow. You stick to those same, simple core values and you just push harder everyday.”

As Tom lists the core values you get that sense of pride as a Minnesotan, knowing that something so wholesome and important is made right here. So ask anyone

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at Duluth Pack what the core values are and they’ll talk about quality of their premium products, the gratification of being made in America, and of course, the lifetime guarantee.

“So when someone tells me that sending our work overseas will see our profit margins go through the roof, my response is ‘Really? I have to get up and look at myself in the mirror every morning.’ We have to be a company of integrity. The bottom line is that about 80% of all the cost in our products is labor, but we don’t apologize for it. Your friends, your family, your neighbors are the ones we hire here.

Our core values will never change even though we evolve—in that there were 100 products 10 years ago and now we have around 300 products that we make in 13 colors of canvas and 5 leather options and about 5 wool options—it doesn’t matter.

We’re still not going to change. Every prototype meeting starts with the quality of [the proposed item]. Not ‘Is this fitting a market?’ because we can’t be everything to everyone nor do we try to be everything to everyone. We tell people no a lot if it doesn’t fit into our core values and who we are.”

It’s a refreshing statement that is becoming less and less prevalent in business today. “So it’s really not about the money?” I ask.

“It’ can’t be!” says Tom leaning forward in his chair. “This brand is everything. Right there is the gold,” as he points to the Duluth Pack logo on a nearby bag. “Once you start compromising the brand, what do you have? You don’t have anything.”

It’s that initial quality that attracted Tom to Duluth Pack in the first place. Before becoming President, Tom claims he was a “road warrior” traveling over 30 weeks out of the year for a previous job. This lifestyle afforded him a continuous problem with malfunctioning bags, simply from the wear and tear of constant travel.

His conversion story to Duluth Pack is one that I imagine many others have felt.

Running through the Detroit airport trying to catch a flight some twenty odd years ago, Tom saw his briefcase handle snap off, sending papers and a laptop flying. “So I got on the flight and then said to myself, ‘You know what? I’m going to that Duluth Pack store because I hear they build good stuff.’ The briefcase I bought from Duluth Pack back then is still used everyday and looks awesome! It’s so battle scarred. It’s seen a lot of turf. The story behind my bag is that it’s seen 1.5 million airline miles and a plane crash. People hear that and they’re like, ‘What?!’

“So I just fell in love with the product. My ‘aha’ moment was being in the Detroit airport and getting sick and tired of replacing stuff all the time. So the day I walked into the door here [as President], I think I owned 11 Duluth Pack items.

I just love the stuff.”

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It’s a sentiment that you encounter with each Duluth Pack employee. Touring through the production facility, you get first hand love, unprompted passion, from the workers as they demonstrate sewing a handbag, cutting materials or pounding rivets by hand. Each of them just starts talking about their favorite bag, sweater or hunting gear from their employer.

Meeting these people, the inspired individuals working behind the scene, is where the real thrill comes from. They’re humans just like you and I. The Matts cutting canvas, the Annas in sewing and the Tracies in repairs are just a sample size of a larger group that believes in delivering the absolute best. At the end of the day, you see the excitement in them that your average customer might feel.

We wrapped up our Duluth Pack tour at the busy retail store in Canal Park to see smiling faces of people about to purchase items that they know were made by hand and will last a lifetime. Over their heads, hanging on the walls, are some of the very first Duluth Packs ever created, still capable of hauling whatever gear you’d need to and it’s hard to not see the significance of quality once again.

When it comes to a story, it’s not exactly the beginning that matters most. Duluth Pack began on the backbone of quality, integrity and a lot of hard work, and for over 100 years, they have delivered quality goods because they hire quality people. People who care about the integrity of not only a brand, but a city. It’s their determination that will keep Duluth Pack in our hands and our hearts for generations to come.

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Instagram Contest

Bloom

WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED

# M a k e I tMN _ F oxglove As we watch summer cool and slow into fall, our latest Instagram contest is all about roots, growth, and blooms.

In collaboration with contest sponsor, Foxglove Market & Studio, we asked Minnesota photographers a few questions for inspiration. How do you bloom where you are planted? When you explore your roots and reflect on the art they inspire, what nourishes your growth? What brings you peace and strength and inspiration? Photographers entered their photographs via the hashtag #MakeItMN_Foxglove.

We’re so grateful for our partner, Foxglove Market & Studio Studio—a Minneapolis flower studio owned by a lovely Minnesotan named Christine Hoffman. As the Twin Cities first exclusively local and chemical-free florist, Foxglove is more than just a flower studio. Christine is a slow flowers advocate striving to form a strong community of sustainable flower farmers, small business owners, and folks who care about supporting these mindful endeavors. By providing a local, sustainable option to traditional flowers, putting a premium on collaboration, and reaching out to the community, she hopes to foster change. Learn more about Christine’s work at http:// www.foxglovemarket.com/.

In just 10 days, the ‘Bloom Where You Are Planted’ Instagram Contest gathered nearly 200 entries! To view the entire group of submissions, follow the Instagram tag #MakeItMN_Foxglove.

In these photos, we saw beautiful blooms, thoughtful moments in nature, and a ubiquitous sense of roots to this land.

Now, for the winners… The top 20 photographs are featured at makeitmn.com and the top 10 are published in the upcoming pages! Finally, the #1 winning photographer is featured on the cover of this Roots Issue, welcoming readers to an issue full of inspiration and growth. This photographer, Lindsay Strong, will also receive an autumn wreath or handmade bouquet—a big congratulations to Lindsay!

Now enjoy these photos!

WINNING IMAGE: Lindsay Strong @lynzimaries 36 MAKE IT MINNESOTA

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Mike Joslin @darklite33

Sara Taylor @urbanwild.st

Tracy Lund @tlilyl

Will Moss @will.mn

Menique Koos @meniquekoos

Shannon Svensrud @storiedlifepictures

Kelsey Moore @kelseylynnmoore

Kim Pettengill @lewiscreekphoto

Johnathan Charpentier @johnathancharp ROOTS - VOL 2, NO. 5 - 2017 37

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