North & Nest Magazine - Edition 1 - 2024

EDITION 1 • WINTER/SPRING 2024

INTERIOR DESIGN . ART . ARCHITECTURE . CUISINE

Wild Oak

LUXURY CONDOS FOR SALE

6TH AVE N

1,300-2,400+ square feet •

A one-of-a-kind location in North Fargo

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Floor-to-ceiling windows with private balcony

ST N ERTS

4TH ST N

Fully customizable layouts, ranging from

B R OA DWAY

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walking distance to the heart of downtown Fargo.

2N D ST N

views, Wild Oak offers unparalleled living within

OAK ST N

Nestled along tree-lined streets with riverscape

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NORTH

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B E G I N TA I L O R I N G YO U R E X C L U S I V E H O M E T O D AY D AV E N O A H

BARRY GRUCHOW

701.306.4888 dn@legacyr.com

701.200.9801 barry@legacyr.com

W I L D O A KC O N D O S . C O M

505 Oak Street, Fargo, ND 58102

TA B L E O F

CONTENTS Edition #1 JAN.FEB.MAR 2024

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CASSELTON FARMS COURTYARD | BENJAMIN CUSTOM HOMES

CRAFTY PAIRINGS | NOVA EATERY + FARGO BREWING COMPANY

This month, we grazed on a gastronomic journey amid the fermentation tanks at the Nova Eatery + Fargo Brewing Company Beer Pairing Dinner in downtown Fargo. With four perfectly paired courses, Chef Ryan Nitschke and Sous Chef Andrew Dohn poured on the love, winning us over with an artful twist on "backyard BBQ meets church basement."

After a move from Moorhead, MN, to Casselton, ND, Ben and Melanie Anderson envisioned an extraordinary abode where their Southwest travels fuse with Scandinavian minimalism. See how their family business, Benjamin Custom Homes, settled into smalltown charm with a contemporary courtyard embracing the fields of Casselton Farms.

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GRAND GETAWAY | THE OLIVE ANN HOTEL

ART & ALCHEMY | ALICIA HAUFF

If you can't go south, go north and give yourself an unforgettable staycation. Recently opened in Downtown Grand Forks, The Olive Ann Hotel blends Mid-century modern design and boutique sophistication inspired by UND's aviation history and Olive Ann Beech, the “First Lady of Aviation.” Pack heavy, because after experiencing the dining, hotel, and events center, you may never want to leave these “Beech Blue” views.

On the journey of sustainable foraging, Alicia Hauff pursues her passion for art and alchemy, crafting wild ink that graces the raw canvases in her South Fargo studio. A former nurse practitioner and lifelong artist, Alicia took the leap, stepped outside, and followed the call of nature, healing her soul and inspiring her latest works.

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NORTH DAKOTA NICE, MIDWEST MOD | TREVER HILL & JESSE MASTERSON

ALINA COLLECTIVE | BRITT BELQUIST

Alina (ah-lee-nah, Salvic origin), translated to "Light, Bright & Beautiful," is the newest addition to downtown Fargo, a thoughtfully curated home and lifestyle boutique neighboring Mint & Basil. Find out how Alina Collective entices patrons to shop small for the greater good, offering artisan goods sourced from makers and brands that support fair labor, non-profit missions, sustainable materials, and eco-friendly ethics.

In the quest for a new home in 2020, designer Trever Hill and his husband, Jesse Masterson, took one deep step into the grass-green shag of this 1971 abode and fell in love. Moving from downtown Fargo to Casselton, ND, they embarked on the renovation of a perfectly paused Mid-century modern marvel.

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WELCOMING HOMES, GIVING HEARTS | GIVING HEARTS DAY

Before Giving Hearts Day on February 8, meet the local charities that open their doors, provide life-changing services, and fulfill the fundamental needs of families experiencing poverty, hardship, and homelessness. If you're uncertain where to give, here are 27 of the many local charities that facilitate the return of families to stable homes.

CAPTURING

T H E C OV E R

cover photography by jill ockhardt blaufuss 4

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WILD OAK CONDOS

ENCLAVE DEVELOPMENT Nestled within North Fargo's historic Oak Grove neighborhood, Wild Oak landed on our first edition's cover, offering a birds-eye view of Wildflower Grove Park, the Red River, and downtown Fargo. See how the collaboration of Enclave, T.L. Stroh, and Radiant Homes created pristine privacy for owners above, and adventurous outdoor lifestyles for distinguished rentals below.

read the full story on page 54

FROM THE

E D I TO R

new directions

Onward & Upward So, we’ve got some catching up to do!

Almost four years ago, after nearly a decade in publishing, I stepped aside and tried really hard to forget how much I loved telling your stories. My hiatus took me away from magazines, but I never really left the industry.

For the past three years, I’ve been a public relations and architectural writer at JLG Architects, a fantastic firm of over 200 employee-owners in nine Midwest offices. Before you ask, I’m keeping my happy day job... and hoping to keep my family happy, which explains the four issues versus the 12 I’m more accustomed to. These days, life is busy, and my two kids, Elle (14) and Quin (9), are busier, so I prioritize accordingly. As proud as I am to debut this first issue, my greatest pride is being a hockey, soccer, and baseball mom – Go Packers, Huskies, and Stampede!

To make my long story short, I really missed the readers, the thrill of the hunt (for stories), and our brilliant community of creators. Leading up to today, I had given myself an ultimatum (likely inspired by the wisdom of TikTok). I could learn to live without, or I could finally take the leap – either way, I was done living in limbo. I had already mapped out the many logical reasons this venture was a terrible idea, but all it took was one reason to justify doing it anyway – this is what I love to do. Sure, there’s a chance this is the start of my first mid-life crisis, but right now, it just feels a lot like coming home.

North & Nest is a fusion of everything I love about the Midwest, a respectful nod to my publishing past, and a catalyst for my new “direction” forward – onward and upward. This time, I’m thrilled to say that in telling your stories, I have sole ownership of my story, a new chapter authored by a passionate collective of creative minds who care deeply about the people and places in these pages.

North & Nest shares the authentic stories of our families, evolving lifestyles, and unique and diverse neighborhoods, with or without the white picket fence. These destinations don’t build themselves, which is why every story introduces readers to the hardworking people who use their skills to build our community – interior designers, artists, chefs, nonprofits, event curators, architects, builders, landscapers, developers, and overall culture creators. If you like what you see, I want you to know the names of the people who made it happen, all from our own backyard.

Before I officially open this door, I need to sincerely thank my friends and family, longtime readers, our talented team, and all of this issue’s dedicated contributors. To the new readers... let me welcome you home to the warmth of the north!

SAVE THE DATE! Now-Feb 24: Frostival | Downtown Fargo | frostival.com Jan 26: Fargo-Moorhead Vintage & Flea Market | Ivy & Rose Warehouse - Fargo Feb 4: Fargo Hotdish Festival | Drekker Brewing Co. Feb 8: Giving Hearts Day | givingheartsday.org Feb 17, Mar 16, Apr 20: Fargo Masonic Vendor & Craft Show | fargomasoniccenter.org Feb 23-25: RRV Home & Garden Show | Fargodome | homeandgardenshowfm.com Mar 8-9: Unglued Craft Fest | West Acres | ungluedmarket.com Mar 16: Celtic Festival | Hjemkomst Center

Tracy Nicholson Editor | Publisher

Mar 16: Fargo-Moorhead St. Patrick’s Day Parade | Downtown Fargo Mar 23: Fargo Junk Spring Market | RRV Fairgrounds | abeejunk.com Mar 23: She Overcomes Masquerade Ball | sheovercomes.co

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MEET THE

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Dennis is a Midwest-based photographer, graphic designer, illustrator, encaustic/fine artist, and owner of 5foot20 Design Lounge in Moorhead, MN. He received his BFA in Graphic Design from Minnesota State University Moorhead and has spent the past 30 years working on a wide range of creative services for local and national clients. When Dennis is not designing or working in photography, he can be found at Gallery 4 artist co-op in downtown Fargo. View his work at Gallery 4, 5foot20.com, or follow him on Instagram @5foot20design

JILL OCKHARDT BLAUFUSS

MICAH J. ZIMMERMAN

MORGAN ALLORA Sarah is North & Nest's layout graphic designer, web designer, and owner of a freelance design studio in Fargo, ND. She provides a variety of creative services, including brand identity, logo design, icon and infographic development and social and advertising materials. Sarah also brings over six years of magazine design, having been the lead designer and art director for several local publications.

Sarah attended Minnesota State University Moorhead, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. Find her work on Instagram @imsarahgeiger.

As the owner of Amdak Productions, LLC, a creative services company based in Fargo, Micah specializes in providing photography, videography, drone, and Matterport services for clients across the nation.

Amdak is highly regarded for its exceptional work, spanning from Minnesota's northern lakes to New Mexico deserts, Rocky Mountains peaks, and Mexican beaches.

Amdak goes wherever the work is, partnering with companies big and small, near and far, to help them #ownthelook. Micah brings 25 years of experience, alongside a BA in Studio Photography from Minnesota State University Moorhead. Follow him on Instagram @zhotography & @amdak_productions.

Jill is a contributing photographer with 22 years of photography experience. Her award-winning work engages natural light and professionally curated lighting techniques to produce highquality organic and expressive imagery, primarily focused on home interiors, commercial business, and architectural photography. Jill has a BA in Mass Communications from Minnesota State University Moorhead with an emphasis in photojournalism and broadcast journalism and a Post-Bachelor Independent Study in commercial video production. Jill's work can be found at ockhardtphoto.com or on Instagram @jillockhardtblaufuss.

HAL ECKER

By day, Tracy is an architectural writer at JLG Architects in Fargo, ND, specializing in the communication of architecture, landscape, sustainable construction, and interior design. After hours, she is the owner and editor of North & Nest Magazine based in West Fargo, ND. Tracy's work has been published in over 100 magazine editions, earning over 40 local and national journalism awards from the North Dakota Professional Communicators Association and the National Federation of Press Women, in addition to several publishing awards from the Minnesota Magazine & Publishers Association and the ND Chapter of the American Advertising Federation. Tracy earned a BS in Mass Communications - Public Relations/Advertising at Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Morgan is the owner of Studio Freshly, a queer-woman-owned photography company based in the F-M area. Specializing in small business branding, she enjoys documenting products, process, experience, portraits, and events.

Morgan is a firm believer in elevating a business’ special sauce by translating exceptional product or service into visuals that share with the public what she refers to as "badassery." She earned a degree in Graphic Design and Public Relations from Concordia College, later discovering the art of photography in serving her passion for connection, community, and storytelling through imagery.

To find her work, connect with her on Facebook or Instagram @studiofreshly, or view her full portfolio at studiofreshly.com.

DENNIS KRULL

TRACY NICHOLSON

Dan is the lead architectural photographer for North & Nest Magazine and owner of Dan Francis Photography in Fargo, ND. Dan brings 20 years of experience to North & Nest, a Masters and Craftsman degree in Photography, and nearly eight years of experience as a Photography and Photoshop instructor for M-State College.

His architecture photography seamlessly blends precision and artistry to elevate his clients’ brand impact. Dan’s work can be found at DanFrancisPhotography.com or on Instagram @danfrancisphoto.

SARAH GEIGER

DAN FRANCIS m.photog, cr. cpp

C O N T R I B U TO R S

As North & Nest's Circulation Manager, Hal ensures magazines get premium placement at hundreds of local retail locations, grocery stores, events, and outlying markets. Hal, originally from Grandin, ND, is a graduate of NDSU and a super fan of Bison Football. He contributes a background in sales from AmeriPride Services and Sanford Health, along with over 20 years of circulation management experience for The Forum and several other local publications.

M AG A Z I N E North & Nest Magazine is a free, local publication distributed quarterly in print and online, with new issues arriving each January, April, July, and October. North & Nest invites readers on an exclusive tour of the Midwest’s most extraordinary homes, businesses, galleries, outdoor environments, and day-trip destinations. Welcome home to the warmth of the north!

PUBLISHER | EDITOR tracy nicholson GRAPHIC DESIGN | LAYOUT sarah geiger GRAPHIC DESIGN | ADVERTISING dennis krull alison monke SOCIAL MEDIA tracy nicholson CIRCULATION hal ecker WEBSITE DESIGN sarah geiger ADVERTISING SALES tracy nicholson PRINT forum communications printing PHOTOGRAPHY dan francis photography morgan allora, studio freshly jill ockhardt blaufuss britta the photographer riley hallaway CONTRIBUTORS dakota medical foundation austin morris nikki ness berglund christina graalum britt belquist trever hill & jesse masterson sadie gardner alicia hauff ashley hurner ben & melanie anderson NORTH & NEST, LLC 2008 Ann Street West Fargo, ND 58078 North & Nest is distributed in all major grocery stores and hundreds of retail locations across Fargo-Moorhead-West Fargo, Grand Forks, and select lakes area locations throughout the summer. Read North & Nest each quarter online at northnestmagazine.com and issuu.com.

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES | QUESTIONS tracy@northnestmagazine.com 701.640.3284 North & Nest Magazine (North & Nest, LLC) is published by Tracy Nicholson in West Fargo, ND. All rights reserved. Copyright 2024 North & Nest, northnestmagazine.com.

No part of North & Nest may be distributed or reproduced without the written permission of Tracy Nicholson/North & Nest, LLC. North & Nest, LLC is not liable for damages of any kind related to published advertising, reference of or reliance on information, featured professionals, photography, or any general content. North & Nest, LLC accepts no liability for advertising claims, statements, or promotional offerings.

Casselton Farms

Courtyard

B E N JA M I N C U S TO M H O M E S

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B

en Anderson, of Benjamin Custom Homes, has come a long way from his first built home at the age of 15 in Lisbon, ND. Back then, his dad taught him the tools of the trade, and today, he’s still working alongside family. Melanie Anderson, his wife of 17 years, has been instrumental in the growth of their Fargo-based business and the design of every custom home. This dynamic design/build duo recently relocated to the Casselton Farms development, completing their second personal home to be featured in the HBA Parade of Homes, along with several others since 2015.

The Parade was its perfect introduction, because this home needs to be experienced in all its glory, depth, arches, and angles. If you missed out on the tour, now is the perfect time to walk through its countryside courtyard and carefully curated craftsmanship.

BY Tracy Nicholson

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Dan Francis Photography

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Growing Out of the City After seven years in Moorhead and two decades of building, Ben and Melanie couldn’t ignore the buzz building in Casselton, ND. Friends had moved out there, the new school and small town atmosphere was intriguing, and the charm of Casselton Farms’ development seemed to be calling their family’s name.

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Acquiring two lots in the Casselton Farms development, Ben and Melanie chose one of the ²/3 acre lots to build their vision, inspired by their southwest travels. The H-shaped courtyard home expertly balances a more familiar Scandinavian design with the distinctive natural forms of the Mohave Desert habitat in California’s Joshua Tree National Park. “When we started the design, we decided it needed to be either a U shape

that would put the garages at the front of the house or an H shape - the H shape gave us the capability of putting peaks up towards the roof, instead of the overhead doors,” explained Ben. “With the H shape, we were able to create another courtyard near the driveway at the front of the house - it’s become a really great space to have, especially when we have friends and family over.”

Midwest vs. Southwest “I’ve always wanted a courtyard home, something that infuses plant life into our living space,” added Melanie. “The inspiration for this design came from our experiences in the southwest, hotels we’ve stayed at, and places where we love to travel. We brought in the Scandinavian elements to make it feel more like North Dakota.”

Throughout their home, Melanie has chosen a fusion of beloved local, family, and vintage pieces, with new furnishings from CB2, Schoolhouse, Handpicked Goods, and Curated Home by Trever Hill. If Ben and Melanie can’t find what they need, they often repurpose pre-owned pieces or formulate a way to craft it themselves.

The Anderson’s five-bedroom, three-bath home is 5,265 square feet above ground, with 4,000 square feet inside the confines of the envelop. While white oak wood elements flow throughout the home, the Andersons chose a waterproof, white oak-inspired LVP flooring to ensure resilience, specifically in areas near the interior’s cactus and succulent garden.

Ben custom-built all of the home’s rift oak interior doors to be perfectly flush with the frames. This level of craftsmanship and attention to detail extends to the home’s flush vents, returns, baseboards, trash bins, and drains, decluttering space for a clean, seamless finish. “For the baseboards, we worked with Nick Olson at Country Wood Products; it was a ton of work to do the flush baseboards with no joints, but having flush doors kind of required it. I think it gives the home a really unique look. We also added outlets within the baseboards, something you typically only see in older homes now, but it was a great way to reduce drywall noise and create quiet walls and ceilings,” added Ben. For his home, Ben also sought out a more efficient wall system, discovering a fiberglass wall assembly with a one-inch layer of reflective foam on the outside underneath the siding, creating a thermal break in the wall.

“This installation resulted in a much more efficient wall system than spray foam. Overall, we ended up getting about a 15-20% energyefficient gain at about a 30% reduction in cost.

As a prototype, this is the only home I know of that has this exact system.”

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Balancing Life with Less While Ben focused on the finite details of finishes, mechanical, and functional components, Melanie focused on form and shape. “My favorite aspect of design is shape, so I incorporated a general theme of circles and squares with arches, balancing geometric design from room to room,” explained Melanie.

“We were also really focused on being minimal, realizing that we just don’t need or want so much stuff. This home takes us back to the roots of early 19th-century architecture, how 16

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Frank Lloyd Wright built the furniture into the design, making every element of the home purposeful and functional.”

“This architecture was designed to be bare and minimal, and even include some lonely spaces for balance,” said Ben. “In the bedrooms and bathrooms, we built in as much as we could, with the idea to eliminate the need for trash cans, baskets, and dressers. It feels freeing to live with less.”

Form & Function An extension of the foyer and kitchen, this space leans away from the larger living room concepts typically found in newer homes. The Andersons wanted cozy and refined, blanketed with natural daylight and accented with timeless white oak built-ins, a six-foot linear fireplace, and raw-cut Wisconsin limestone.

in, the driver gets hidden within the ceiling,” explained Ben. The two had it specifically designed for the room, installed with precision to complement and fall within the sightline of the cut-out wall shape. This abstract lighting element creates a compelling visual that invites the eye to wander from the foyer to the living room.

The American-made, custom-designed light is from Luke Lamp Company, a company Melanie discovered at the International Builders’ Show. “These strings of light consist of low voltage wires, with drivers built into the end of the cable, so when you screw the cable

Throughout the living spaces, with vaulting from 10 feet to 12.6 feet, Ben and Melanie chose individual Marvin windows, brought together with custom-built boxes, Corian sills, and a Z shadow line defining the home’s modern architectural elements.

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A Living Kitchen A southwest vision with Scandinavian roots, Anderson’s kitchen brings the outdoors inside, including views to the courtyard and three skylights overlooking a cactus and succulent garden.

Throughout the kitchen is a beautiful mix of brushed brass, white oak, and painted cabinetry in Shiitake by Sherwin Williams.

Melanie chose quartz for the kitchen backsplash, perimeter, and three-inch deep island at the center of the space. Remaining true to the biophilic concept, guests on the island face the linear picture window with

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visuals to the front exterior’s planters and hand-crafted pottery. Accenting the space above the cabinetry, the pair used a creative application of painted wood fluting for a mod and inexpensive finish.

“A lot of people think the cabinetry is rift oak, but Chris at Clearwater is so meticulous, he did a beautiful job matching the grains to create the visual as if it was rift,” explained Ben. “One of the reasons we put this home on the Parade was to showcase the talent within our community; a top-notch team of tradesmen working together and constantly communicating.”

“Every home we build is completely different, built specifically for families who want that quality of craftsmanship and prefer a really honest and transparent process. In the earlier years, we were kind of told what to build, but now we’ve gone back to the fundamentals drawing homes by hand and helping guide decisions to create a more original look. We don’t put separation between clients and team, we make it a really personal and rewarding experience. We’re grateful we have an experienced team that can make this kind of personalized collaboration happen and really deliver on our promises, handcrafting homes and staying in touch with homeowners, even years after the build.”

”I’m usually cautious about skylights and humidity, but with our heating source being primarily hydronic, dryness is actually a side effect, which is ideal for a cactus garden,” explained Ben. In the process of establishing floor heat, Melanie took a break from design to lay almost an entire mile of hydronic tubing.

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Creatively designed, the home’s guest bath includes a raw backsplash installation of painted mud over a custom marble sink with surrounding built-in features. Melanie discovered the Turkish sink design on an Etsy site, pairing the concept with a fluted shower tile, reminiscent of the couple’s favorite hotel destinations.

Mastering the View Leading into the master bedroom is a bold vision and meaningful statement piece from California artist, Tyler Ramsey. The 48’x72” canvas is prominently positioned in a way that can be experienced from the back courtyard and the primary living space.

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Entering the master suite is another spectacular vision, with a built-in, seemingly floating under-lit bed, white oak tying floor to ceiling, and stunning courtyard views. Behind the headboard wall, the layout flows into a wardrobe hall, master bath, and a discreet his and hers walk-in closet.

Melanie and Ben custom-designed four of the home’s beds, crafted in-house by Ryan Williams of Benjamin Custom Homes.

Entering the master bath, Melanie designed her biophilic dream, a step up into the master shower and tub room with hand-carved linear drains, glassed off with ledges for live plants.

Outside of the custom glass doors are quartz sinks, white oak cabinetry, and Terrazzo tile flooring.

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For the Boys Walking past the main area’s living room is a den designed for casual family time with their three sons, Jakobi, Maks, and Henrik, along with Ruby, the family’s Mini Goldendoodle. Melanie compiled the room with a nostalgic collection of vintage and thrift pieces, rugs from Schoolhouse, and furnishings from Fargo’s Curated Home.

Each of the boys’ bedrooms is inspired by personal interests and reflected through custom-designed beds with old and new vintage pieces from Handpicked Goods and Schoolhouse, including finds from a few local thrift stores and online markets. Every room is designed with the organization and minimalist elements of Scandinavian and Mid-century modern design, with a place for everything built-in to the beds and the walls to eliminate clutter.

Maks’ room is all about creating calm and embracing the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing. “He loves his bed - he said he feels like he’s floating on a cloud,” laughed Melanie. She found the belted, cabin-style headboard accent at Handpicked Goods in downtown Fargo.

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Their oldest son, Jakobi, has a room designed for his more mature, calm, and artistic character. His space is Mid-century modern with a vintage vibe, from his custombuilt bed to the modern sconce lighting and built-in corner desk where he often hangs out and draws.

Henrik’s room features another custom-built bed with floating nightstands and repurposed maple wood planks, leftover material from a basketball court the Andersons built in a prior home. Melanie found the squared maple headboard accent on Facebook Marketplace and then stained it to match the basketball court planks.

At home, the boys don’t fight over this bathroom.

Central to their bedrooms, Melanie and Ben designed a private toilet room, a separate bathing room, and an open, schoolhouse-style sink space for the benefit of shared use.

One of the boys’ favorite features is just around the corner - a built-in basketball court that leads up to a loft den and rooftop patio.

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Gym Dreams Directly off the den is a spacious gym, offering one wall of mirrors and the other, spectacular views to the entire expanse of the house and courtyard. The wood bench is the first piece of furniture Ben ever built, a gift for his grandmother, made when he was in his early teens. Outside of the gym, the Andersons reserved covered patio space for the future installation of a hot tub, overlooking the back courtyard with an optional drop-down screen.

Uncommon Courtyard Settling into Casselton Farms meant replacing backyard neighbors with grassy fields and sunset views. The paver patio, fire pit, and stepping stone landscape in the H courtyard were designed to capture the view and accentuate the cozy enclosure of the home.

This shoot was done just one day before the season’s first snow. Falling quickly into winter, the Level Landscapes team rushed to finish what the weather would allow, laying down the darker stone as a temporary installation.

In the spring, Level Landscapes will replace the darker stone with an array of native plants.

Don’t miss North & Nest’’s summer edition where we’ll reveal the final outdoor design, including a tour of the home’s spectacular rooftop patio.

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Settling In Vs. Starting Fresh Like so many builders, the Andersons may love where they live, but they never stop dreaming up new ideas for their next destination. The two are already discussing architectural ideas for the lot next door. “We’d love to live here and enjoy what we’ve built, but as a builder, we build to eventually sell. What we do know is that we want to stay here in Casselton,” explained Ben. “We’ve been so impressed with how the school is truly the heartbeat of the community, and everyone has been really welcoming; it feels like Casselton is a city on the rise and we’re happy to be part of it.”

“Casselton has great views and great people; it’s only 20 minutes from Fargo, and we have everything we need here,” added Melanie. “It feels small-town safe and the kids can bike around town to see their friends, just like we used to do growing up.”

“We love this home, but we also love the challenge of starting fresh,” said Mel. “After some time in a home, we see something inspiring and we usually get the creative bug, then we start designing another home right away - we can’t help it, it’s what we love to do.”

DESIGN DETAILS Builder: Benjamin Custom Homes Designer: Melanie Anderson Kitchen Cabinetry & Vanities: Clearwater Custom Cabinets Kitchen Appliances: Rigels - Advantium Café, Fisher & Paykel paneled refrigerator Kitchen Pottery: Livin’ the Dream Pottery, H. Marie Ceramics, Rising Dawn Ceramics Countertops: Northern Stone Drywall & Painting: Weyer Companies Dining Table: CB2 (fiberglass and concrete) Flush Baseboards: Supplied by Nick Olson, Country Wood Products Glass Shower Doors, Frosted Gym Door & Mirrors: Fargo Glass & Paint

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Plumbing Fixtures & Built-In Bathroom Elements: Ferguson Door Handles: Schoolhouse Dining Chairs, Bar Stools, Sofa & Chairs: Curated Home by Trever Hill Living Room Lighting: Luke Lamp Company Flooring: Shaw, Carpet World Tile Installation: Dennis Schonhoff Fireplace: Hebron Brick Supply Masonry: Jack Komrosky Living Room & Exterior Stone: Eden-Valders Stone - Exteriors Direct Midwest Exterior Steel Siding: Zulauf Construction Exterior Stucco: OTXteriors Landscaping: Level Landscapes Audio/Visual/In-Home Technology: Signature Home Tech

Mechanical: J&J Heating & Cooling Windows: Marvin Windows Black & White Canvas Art: Party Grateful #2 by Tyler Ramsey Master Lighting: Palicek - Curated Home by Trever Hill Master Flooring & Ceiling: Engineered hardwood - white oak, Carpet World Master Bath Countertops: Lincoln White quartz - Northern Stone Master Bath Flooring: Terrazzo tile Cacti & Succulents: Handpicked Goods, Botanical Brothers, Baker Garden & Gift CONTACT THE BUILDER Benjamin Custom Homes 4025 4th Ave S #1, Fargo 701.388.9172 benjamin-homes.com

ART & Alchemy IN

the kitchen of Alicia Hauff’s home, it’s not uncommon to find a pot of flower petals simmering on the stove or tree bark steeping for days. After sustainably foraging for native plants in her neighborhood, local parks, farms, and lakes country, Alicia pursues her passion for art and alchemy, crafting wild ink that she creates within her South Fargo studio. A former nurse practitioner and lifelong artist, Alicia took a leap, stepped outside, and followed the calling that had always beckoned her, allowing nature to heal her soul and inspire her latest works. The outdoors is her ultimate destination, a breeding ground for essential native species, our ancestral roots, and crucial medicinal properties that are awaiting their day in the sun. In life and art, Alicia is cultivating a deeper connection with the earth, unafraid to get her hands dirty and share the value of growing our relationship as caregivers to non-human kin.

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BY Tracy Nicholson PHOTOGRAPHY BY Morgan Allora, Studio Freshly, Britta the Photographer & Alicia Hauff

Nature

& N URTURE

Originally from Minot, ND, Alicia and her husband, Matthew, live in Fargo, where they work and raise their three young boys.

Matthew, a residential and commercial builder/ contractor, has been an unwavering support in her transition from nurse practitioner to a full-time artist, understanding Alicia’s need for a release and return to her roots of artistry. In fact, he outfitted a room in his office building for her to lease as studio space. Some of his spare time is spent building Alicia’s canvases from scrap wood and frames from hardwood as part of the change. “He is helping me build some equity and grow my business. I don’t take it for granted for a second,” said Hauff.

For Alicia, deciding to leave healthcare after ten years was a difficult but undeniable choice.

The Artist Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, by author Julia Cameron, was one of the more influential books that struck a chord with her, describing what it feels like to be a blocked creative and the negative impact this state can have on one’s life. The book teaches techniques to gain self-confidence; helping creative beings harness their talents and skills.

Making the transition to a full-time artist, Alicia didn’t feel called to pursue a fine arts degree.

She had already spent her life in a perpetual state of learning, taking countless art classes and practicing nearly every known media, from acrylic painting and watercolor to collage paper and her more recent abstract mixed media and wild ink.

Today, her multimedia work reflects a deep, thoughtful, and more personalized exploration of land and plants, influenced by the book, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, by Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer. “She’s a professor of botany and indigenous herself.

How she explores both Western scientific approaches and the need to bring back indigenous teachings and practices is masterful,” explained Hauff. “I pretty much cried through every chapter. It was heartchanging, something I credit for completely altering the trajectory of my creative work and flow. What really stood out for me was getting to know the local land and plants as community members. It has been proven that plants communicate with each other and indigenous people have worked with plants physically, spiritually, and energetically. I think it’s important to understand what that means, that we have to get back to that connection to save this planet.”

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Ink

MA K E

Another heart-changing influence in Alicia’s journey was Make Ink: A Forager’s Guide to Natural Inkmaking, authored by Jason Logan.

Logan’s expertise in responsible foraging and eco-friendly ink-making kick-started Alicia’s own “kitchen lab,” where she cooks up an array of native, invasive, and seed-grown plants, including tree bark, rose petals, buckthorn berries, acorn cups, sumac, and wild grapes.

Roughly half of her plants, like the Japanese Indigo, are grown from seed.

Alicia also forages for dark clusters of oak galls, which are the aftermath of the tree’s reaction to an egg-laying of a specific wasp.

Alicia grinds up the hardened clusters and mixes them with ferrous sulfate to create a dark brown or black ink, the same ink once used to sign the Magna Carta and Declaration of Independence.

BRITTA THE PHOTOGRAPHER

BRITTA THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Although she has 10 basic recipes from Logan, plants are highly unpredictable; changed by sun, soil conditions, and season. Testing heat, timing, and base additives like copper oxide or iron oxide are part of the chemistry experimentation, which can dramatically change the ink’s color intensity or create crystallization on canvas. While delicate flower petals may only need 30 minutes of cooking with heat, specific plants require base additives, and tree bark can take days of steeping.

This past summer, Alicia also mastered the art of transforming wild ink into a shelf-stable powder, which gives her the ability to make her own plant-based paint that’s archival and eco-friendly. Finally, bringing her passion full circle was an ecoprinting class at the Plains Art Museum, which introduced her to the relationship, community, and play of earthen materials transferred onto paper.

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Now a dedicated artist, she’s excited to share her knowledge of ecoprinting, foraging, and ink-making within her studio’s workshops. “I finally feel like I’ve done this long enough to share and teach from my experience,” said Hauff. “I want to show people how to work with this bioregion of plants, and put the ethics of harvesting front and center.” She plans to launch two new workshops in 2024.

Radical

N OT I C I NG

“In general, I think we’ve grown too comfortable and everything is too convenient,” said Hauff. “Maybe that’s what drives me to slower ways of working with materials – making my own paint, my own ink, and getting to know the land through the seasons, not just the summer. For me, it’s a lifelong journey, and there are different ways to interact with plants – that can mean drawing them, consuming them, growing them from seed, and nurturing them. I want people to take a walk and practice radical noticing – actually looking at things, but this time really seeing them.”

“Now, when I’m out foraging, I take a picture of a plant I don’t know, find out what it is, and even talk to it, considering plants and land as kin. I don’t think about what I can get from it, I now think about what it might need,” said Hauff. “For the last two years, I’ve also been practicing ancestral medicine and lineage healing. I understand that all of this work I’m doing needs to be rooted deeply in my own animist culture. I need to work authentically and consciously, in a way that doesn’t co-opt other cultural influences.”

BRITTA THE PHOTOGRAPHER

She also completed a six-month course on Energetic Ecology, the practice of working with plants and land on a variety of planes. “For me, this is about understanding how the land was impacted by my ancestors; when they arrived here, and how they farmed the land for survival. I’m trying to heal those lineages,

working with the land in a proper relationship,” said Hauff. “I don’t want people to elevate me, I want to elevate the land, the plants, and the people who have already been doing this. I’m just here to do the work and do my part.”

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Spring & Summer

S ERI ES

BRITTA THE PHOTOGRAPHER

“I REALLY LIKE THE JUXTAPOSITION OF SWATHS OF COLOR WITH REALISTIC GRAPHIC DRAWINGS.” - ALICIA HAUFF

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To deepen her connection with the terrain of land and heart, Alicia envisioned not just painting ‘en plein air,’ but truly developing a collection that would showcase the relationship of plants, birds, soils, and rocks.

Her Spring and Summer on the Prairie Series were inspired by a desire to bring some realism back into her practice with drawing, and her springboard was surprisingly a North Dakota Game & Fish booklet. “This booklet detailed spring native wildflowers, then summer into fall native wildflowers. It was perfect, it was all laid out for me,” said Hauff. “I did 15 to 16 for each series this past year, and then pulled in all of the botanical information, and also what they were used for medicinally, historically, where they came from – weaving everything together.”

In her recent series, Alicia displays a preference for the softness of raw canvas, as opposed to the more typical starkness of primed white canvases. She has also moved away from heavier acrylic abstract works to more fluid acrylic media with hand-drawn botanicals, pencils, pastels, and a sprinkling of earth pigments.

“I was doing exclusively abstracts last year, but I missed drawing. I love that in this series, I pulled back some realism, but still kept the abstract color ways,” said Hauff. “I really like the juxtaposition of swaths of color with realistic graphic drawings.” Due to the fluidity

of the paint, each layer must be painted and dried flat. When creating a new series, Alicia’s canvases are everywhere as she works entirely on flat surfaces like table tops and floors.

While she’s working on a painting series, she is weaving in her foraging, cooking, and creating with her wild ink. Her ink works are smaller in scale at this time, but she anticipates scaling these larger, incorporating her earth pigment paints. Her current wild ink sketches are a scientific color portrait, marking place, plant species, and time, ensuring its recipient knows the origin of the earthen gift they’ve been given.

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E THI C AL

Foraging

One of Alicia’s most common spots for foraging is her own South Fargo neighborhood, including her front porch serviceberry, backyard roses, and leftover beets from her kitchen, which produce a beautifully vibrant ink. Alicia also takes fall trips to her husband’s family farm in Galesburg, ND, for black walnut, and lakes country for sumac. Her wild grape and buckthorn berries are often found at places like Buffalo State Park and M.B. Johnson Park.

“When foraging at parks, it’s important to consider the species, if it’s invasive or how abundant it is,” said Hauff. “I refer to the honorable harvest principles from Braiding Sweetgrass – asking how much is present,

AT TA I N ABL E

Art

Although Alicia has been an artist for most of her life, she still considers herself more of an emerging professional artist, pricing each piece by a square inch and multiplier method that takes the emotion out of it. Her wild ink and handmade paper collage pricing is modest and attainable, with smaller pieces starting at $42 and larger pieces starting at $128 – mainly quantifying her labor and overhead to generously share her talent and underlying message with folks from all walks of life. “The most important part for me is to be very transparent about the process, where everything is sourced, and how the inks are made.” Her paintings on canvas cost understandably more, reflecting the majority of her focus and time each year, and she loves to paint large pieces. During the last two months of the year, her focus is on creating a variety of smaller originals for holiday sales. Naturally, her practice will grow and evolve with time.

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BRITTA THE PHOTOGRAPHER

who depends on that plant, and if it’s ready to be harvested. In this case, buckthorn and wild grapes are invasive and found in abundance, so I don’t feel too bad about taking three cups of wild grapes. It doesn’t always take that much though, sometimes I only have a cup-and-a-half of rose petals from my backyard and I can still get quite a bit of color from that.”

BRITTA THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Creative

LANDING SOON: BIRDS ON THE PRAIRIE

CO M MI SS I ONI NG

Commissioned work is something Alicia has been doing organically for years at the request of friends and family. “I welcome commissions and the uniquely fun challenge they present,” said Hauff. “It’s about making that connection and gauging what would be meaningful to that person. I work to channel a mood, a palette, certain details, or a theme, then alchemize it into something new. I want the result to be enduring and take on a life of its own.”

“I don’t know why, but I’m surprised how much healthcare has prepared me to work as an artist with people – to have higher emotional intelligence and empathy, read body language, mirror people, and really see where they’re coming from,” said Hauff. “Deep listening was something that I did constantly in healthcare to diagnose and determine a plan – it’s the same process when working with my clients for commissioned pieces.” She also developed research, organizational, and planning skills during healthcare studies and practice that serve her well in her professional art practice.

By early April, Alicia will launch her Spring Series inspired by songbirds, followed by a Summer Series that pays homage to upland game and waterfowl. To prepare, she will be researching and pulling in elements of their habitat, spending time outside birdwatching, and even catching some species with an AI-powered "Bird Buddy" feeder and camera system outside her home.

To stay informed of upcoming artist and series receptions, follow her on Instagram and go to her website to subscribe to monthly newsletters. Don't forget to check out Alicia's social pages and website for in-person workshop dates and upcoming on-demand classes, walking students through the process of ecoprinting, foraging, plant cooking/ chemistry, and painting with wild ink.

BRITTA THE PHOTOGRAPHER

SUPPORT LOCAL ART

Find Alicia’s work on her website or make an appointment at her South Fargo studio to shop her latest collection. Her work can also be purchased in Fargo-Moorhead at Curated Home, Alina Collective, Dakota Fine Art Gallery, and The Rourke Art Museum & Gallery, with consignment pieces also displayed on the ninth floor of Jasper Hotel in downtown Fargo.

Contact the Artist: Alicia Hauff Studio 5302 51st Avenue South Suite A | Fargo, ND (By Appointment Only) 701.527.5063 hello@aliciahauffstudio.com aliciahauffstudio.com Instagram: @aliciahauffstudio NORTH & NEST MAGAZINE | 35

Midwest Mod I N O RTH DAKOTA N I CE

n the quest for a new home in 2020, designer Trever Hill and his husband, Jesse Masterson, took one deep step into the grass-green shag of this 1971 abode and fell in love. The four-bedroom, one-bath fixer-upper on a quiet street in Casselton, ND, stood out like a shining beacon in a sea of humble Midwestern ramblers. It didn’t matter that Casselton was a 29-minute commute from their Fargo businesses, Curated Home and Trever Hill Design.

Moving from downtown Fargo to a population of 2,459, they’d found a Mid-century modern marvel – a rare find, perfectly paused and preserved in its architectural era.

BY Tracy Nicholson | PHOTOGRAPHY BY Dan Francis Photography

BEFORE

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SMALL TOWN, GOOD BONES

The home’s good bones led back to its original owners, Francis “Hank” and Dona Weber, who designed the home and kept all 2,720 square feet of its rainbow-hued shag and glulam beams pristine until the day Hill and Masterson arrived 49 years later. That year marked the start of a year-long renovation to breathe new life into nearly every inch of their home, moving in just in time to celebrate the home’s 50th birthday and a meaningful transition into its next lifetime.

Hill and Masterson preserved the home’s original architectural character, balancing carefully curated collections with a monochromatic palette – making guests feel as if they are the art on display. The couple set aside passing trends and inessential materialism, letting personalized, one-of-a-kind pieces surround guests and subtly tell the story of their lives and loved ones.

COME INSIDE! To properly greet guests, the two started by overhauling the home’s original front door and foyer, replacing the bulky barrier of solid wood double doors with large glass doors that direct natural light into the main entry. They also created a more expansive foyer by removing the bi-fold closet doors, adding grasscloth wallpaper, and installing a tile floor and ceiling.

From the front stoop and throughout the home, are artisanal displays of pottery the couple has collected over time. The raw expression of the varied pots is purposeful, adding an oldworld level of comfort to an otherwise sharper minimal palette. Hill likens it to a “pair of old shoes you just can’t seem to get rid of.”

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While most of the home’s aesthetics have been re-envisioned, the more distinct architectural elements were accentuated, including the living room’s pine ceilings, beams, brick fireplace, and lofted lounge. Adorned with a stylized monochromatic mannequin, the unusual loft is now one of the home’s very few intentional focal points.

“WHEN YOU STEP INTO A MONOCHROMATIC SPACE, THE CONTRAST OF ANYTHING ELSE BECOMES THE FOCAL POINT.” - TREVER HILL

“When we purchased the home, our only goal was to personalize it, fill it with love, add in curated pieces, and share the space with loved ones,” explained Hill.

“The reason we went in the direction of this aesthetic was because we wanted the people we love to be the focus. When you step into a monochromatic space, the contrast of anything else becomes the focal point.”

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CULINARY REVIVAL

To upgrade the kitchen, Hill and Masterson removed the original cabinets, which were then donated and repurposed by a family member. Although the range and fridge location stayed the same, the flow throughout the rest of the kitchen was reconfigured to allow for a large island. Hill saw the perimeter countertops while working on a design project in California. To find a local company that could source the product, he reached out to Northern Stone, who was able to find the exact stone from the same quarry. “One of the many benefits of working on projects around the country is that I’m able to see products from everywhere, not just what suppliers in our area are currently carrying,” added Hill.

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UNEXPECTED ART

At their Casselton home, a brief glance around the room is not long enough. Look deeper and you’ll find the couple’s character in art installations out of the raw and unexpected – a disco ball melting off the edge of cabinetry, rounded stones lined along beams, and old exposed wiring artfully tied to driftwood branches. Everything that could be fixed is, and everything that couldn’t has taken on a more interesting and artful existence. “In the Midwest, we spend more time indoors than nearly anyone else in the country - we don’t just prefer well-designed interiors, I think we need it,” added Masterson.

“We wanted our home to be a meditative place that communicates calm in a world of chaos,” said Hill. “By surrounding ourselves with subdued reflections of the past, people, and places we love, each space creates its own unique energy that feels like it flows and transcends time. When people first see our home, they often mention the minimalist, calming energy, which makes sense because they’re surrounded by a reflection of everything that calms us.”

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MASTER ON THE MOVE

Hill and Masterson are currently on the second redesign of the primary bedroom, which originally included the installation of a refurbished spiral staircase leading to an open, loft-style closet. In the newest primary bedroom design, the two once again kept a clean, minimalist palette that repeats finishes from the main living areas, like the room’s bamboo grasscloth wallpaper that is also found in the foyer. Naturally, all of the room’s furniture, lighting, and bedding were sourced from their Fargo store, Curated Home. The light is one of the few items the couple purchased early on; a piece from Palecek that was originally planned for the living room. “It’s all right to change your mind on where you want a piece you love, the important thing is that we get to see it daily,” said Hill.

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With the original primary bedroom transitioning to the spare bedroom, their old primary has become the couple’s full-room closet, giving more space to separated clothing displays and the room’s spiral staircase and upper loft.

CULTURED CREATIVITY In between the new primary bedroom and walk-in closet, the couple has worked with family and friends, including Benjamin Custom Homes, on a complete remodel of the bathroom.

As the home’s only bathroom, the two opted for an elegant, spa-like design that would appeal to guests and everyday use. Here, every surface was upgraded, including the addition of heated tile floors and a one-of-a-kind vanity top and drain system designed

by Hill and fabricated by Northern Stone. The custom vanity appears to be missing a sink, yet the soft slope allows water to drain into the middle.

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A fresh perspective has always kept the fastpaced couple far from boredom, traveling often to connect their global lifestyle to their North Dakota roots and favorite Minnesota pastimes.

In the summer, they pack up and head to their co-owned Dead Lake tiny home, a property that is also a very chic Airbnb with a shared beachfront and on-demand amenities. “This is just one of the many places we go to relax and where I find inspiration for my designs,” said Hill. “When we need a bigger change of pace, Jesse and I jump on a plane and head wherever we’ve never been for the weekend.

Sometimes it’s like throwing a pin at a map and opening our eyes to a new adventure.

With each new destination, I like to soak up the culture, colors, and architecture, then bring elements of that experience home.”

MOD CURB APPEAL

The Mid-century modern architecture is what originally piqued the interest of Hill and Masterson, so its original facade only required minimal adjustments. To make a stronger visual statement, emphasizing its architectural lines, they chose a dramatic black exterior finish, only re-siding what was necessary while adding a black steel roof, a new front door, and new garage doors with stone surround. The home already had a beautifully treed backyard, so Hill and Masterson simply cleaned it up and added a firepit area with fully furnished outdoor settings.

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“Traveling allows me to see outside of our own space and bring a spark of interest back home. Even after hundreds of trips to some of the world’s most beautiful places, we love coming home,” said Hill. Since moving in and leaving downtown Fargo, the two have quickly eased into the slower, small-town lifestyle of Casselton; Hill has even taken on a role with the City Council.”There’s just something about rural North Dakota, or maybe it’s the people, that makes a person want to plant their roots.

We just believe that if you want to love your life, you need to design a life you love.”

DESIGN DETAILS Designer: Trever Hill Design Contractor: Benjamin Anderson (BCH) & Luther Holm (Holm Construction) Flooring: Jason Nelson, Floor To Ceiling Carpet One Tile: Bronson Jesme, McArthur Tile Co. Cabinetry: Klearvue Cabinetry Countertops: Northern Stone Wall Coverings: Phillip Jeffries Paint: Patience by Sherwin Williams, Weyer Companies Furnishings & Lighting: Curated Home Spiral Staircase: Refurbished and installed by Mike Nicholson, Level Landscapes Siding & Steel Roof: Benjamin Custom Homes Masonry, Stone & Fireplace: Hebron Windows: D&M Industries

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CRAFTY PAIRINGS

Nova Eatery + Fargo Brewing Company

W

hen the kitchen of a James Beardnominated chef merges with an awardwinning brewery, date night takes a captivating and crafty turn. This month, we grazed on a gastronomic journey amid the fermentation tanks at the Nova Eatery + Fargo Brewing Company Beer Pairing Dinner in downtown Fargo. With four impeccably paired courses, Chef Ryan Nitschke and Sous Chef Andrew Dohn poured on the love, winning us over with an artful twist on what Chef Ryan affectionately refers to as “backyard BBQ meets church basement.” Rest assured, whatever flavors of nostalgia come to mind, Nova’s neighborhood favorites conjure up the complexity of something far more brewtiful.

BY Tracy Nicholson PHOTOGRAPHY BY Morgan Allora, Studio Freshly

Local restaurateur Nikki Ness Berglund and her business partner, Executive Chef Ryan Nitschke, consistently curate unexpected depth in both familiar Midwestern and global cuisine, from Luna Fargo to Sol Ave. Kitchen, Luna Market, Mångata Wine & Raw Bar, Unicorn Park Fine Foodery, Nova Eatery, and their newest Asianinspired venture, House of Noods+Buns in Drekker’s Brewhalla. This unpretentious duo brings the culinary prowess of New York City hot spots, yet departs from the traditional formality of fine dining.

From left Nova Eatery’s Katie Becker, Andrew Dohn, Case Dillon, Ryan Nitschke, Nikki Ness Berglund, and Beth Moses

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Berglund and Nitschke don’t care what you wear to dinner, they’re only interested in your appetite for creative cuisine, a concept that welcomes everyone to the table.

“We’ve been collaborating with Fargo Brewing Company (FBC) since we first opened our doors at Luna. In fact, I think it would be safe to say that they were one of the first breweries we ever partnered with for a beer dinner,” said Berglund.

“We’ve hosted dinners everywhere with their team, including a particularly memorable one at the Coteau des Prairies Lodge in Havana, ND. This just feels like a full circle type event and we can’t wait to do more.”

Since FBC’s founding in 2010, local co-founders Aaron Hill and Jared Hardy have been on a mission to unite the community through the art and culture of craft beer, led by Head Brewer Sean Dunnigan, Production Manager Paul Cote, and team. While FBC and its Hospitality Director, Nick Traynor Quamme frequently team up with Nitschke and Berglund, the brewery also collaborates with local artists and musicians, establishing a connective space stronger than beer alone. The state’s longest-running brewery is responsible for hundreds of craft beers, including the signature “Haze Craze,” a gold medal winner for the “Best of Craft Beer Award,” the infamous “Fargo WoodChipper, and fan favorite, lemon radler “Kenny’s Lemonade.”

From left Fargo Brewing Company’s Sean Dunnigan, Jared Hardy, Nick Traynor Quamme, Aaron Hill, Abigail Burgum, and Jade Nielsen NORTH & NEST MAGAZINE | 47

“Fargo Brewing Company isn’t only about crafting classic, quality beers,” said FBC’s Abby Burgum. “We also strive to brew moments. From simple to large celebrations, we want to be a part of those stories and memories. For us it’s more than just quality beer, it’s also a desire to bring community together.”

SIP & SAVOR MENU Nova Eatery + Fargo Brewing Company

COURSE #1

BBQ Bologna Burnt Ends taylor ham, brassicas, potato chip gremolata Pairing: Elixir de Vie - French Hopped West Coast IPA

COURSE #2

Fried Chicken Thigh apple & bacon frog eye salad, citrus confetti Pairing: Odd Fella - Wildberry Sour Ale

COURSE #3

Beer-Braised Beef Short Ribs beer demi, duck fat sweet potato, horseradish crema Pairing: Lebenswasser - Vienna Lager

COURSE #4

Chili + Chocolate Lava Cake black garlic caramel, cinnamon & espresso ice cream Pairing: Mexican Hot Chocolate None More Black - Imperial Stout with chilis & cinnamon

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Alongside the well-crafted pairings of Fargo Brewing Company, this dinner had us at first bite of BBQ bologna burnt ends with potato chip gremolata. We captured our foodie photos while vowing to remain professional, and then unprofessionally savored and sipped our way through every course, from the fried chicken with frog eye salad and Wildberry Sour Ale to the beer-braised beef short ribs with duck fat sweet potatoes.

Eventually, when we dove into the chili and chocolate lava cake, naturally paired with a chili and cinnamon-infused stout, our hearts overflowed.

"NOVA EATERY IS BACKYARD BBQ MEETS CHURCH BASEMENT – NORTH DAKOTA CUISINE IF WE EVER REALLY HAD ONE. IT'S ELEVATED, UNPRETENTIOUS COMFORT FOOD – FOOD TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY WITHOUT TAKING OURSELVES TOO SERIOUSLY. YOU COULD PAIR IT WITH A WINE BUT RATHER WASH IT DOWN WITH A BEER."

DISTINGUISHED DINING, MIDWEST MODEST Along with an esteemed nomination from James Beard Best Chef Midwest, Chef Ryan Nitschke has been the recipient of countless local and national awards, including two AAA Four Diamond Awards. With his 27 years of experience, he could work anywhere, but thankfully, he stays here, sharing his talent with everyone in the Fargo-Moorhead region.

Nikki Ness Berglund had been mastering the business of hospitality and wine for most of her adult life before opening Luna Fargo with her family in 2014. While her passion was piqued by fine dining and distinguished wine pairings, meeting Ryan was the catalyst to new dining experiences – growing from coworkers to a strong friendship and partnership. “Food and wine pairing has been a passion of mine forever, but once I met Ryan, I realized wine isn’t the only thing that has the ability to transform a dining experience,” said Berglund.

-EXECUTIVE CHEF RYAN NITSCHKE, NOVA EATERY

NORTH & NEST MAGAZINE | 49

CHEF’S CHOICE When it comes to creativity in the kitchen, Chef Ryan refers to his pairing menus as a “wellbalanced dance of confidence in our abilities and a well-thought-out plan.”

“I always have a favorite course, whether I say it or not. It’s usually dessert, but in this case, I loved how the plate and flavors came together with the BBQ Bologna Burnt Ends,” said Nitschke.

“The combination of the different vegetables of the brassicas was fun; pickled, roasted, fried, and fresh. The caramelized mustard BBQ on the bologna was perfect, along with the potato chip gremolata. It was sophisticated, funny, and delicious all at once.”

CRAVING COLLABORATION While so many restaurants have succumbed to the challenges of maintaining adequate staffing, Nikki and Ryan continue to expand, now entering their 10th year of partnership with seven collaborative dining concepts.

“It’s been a mission of ours from day one to be different from all the things we disliked in our experiences in the industry and all the unhealthy and problematic practices,” said Nitschke.

“We admittedly don’t know it all and we crave collaboration. We get bored easily, so we strive to keep things fresh, providing new and unique experiences. We also learn and grow from our team as much as we help them grow. Our staff is our family; it means a lot to us that others choose to create a livelihood with us. They see we care, and I think we’re really fun! I also love that everyone gets excited for Chef Andrew’s specials.

Seeing him succeed and flourish makes me feel like I’ve done right by him and what we set out to do. At this point in my career, to be able to step back and witness his growth is the best feeling I could ever get; I’m very proud of him.”

“For people who enjoy this business and want to learn as much as they can, this is a great opportunity for growth and development,” added Berglund. “We cross-train across concepts and try to promote within as much as possible; we’ve been known to actually make up new positions when the right people come along. We also talk a lot about work-life balance, not as a buzzy word to get people to work for us, but as a real idea that is important to us as people with young families ourselves.”

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For Nitschke, pairing dinners are an opportunity to experiment and have even more fun with the menu.”For this specific dinner, it’s a reflection of what Nova Eatery is at its core,” explained Nitschke. “It’s North Dakota food, the comforts, and the flavors. It’s also a culmination of a longtime friendship with FBC, built on collaboration and beer. We’ve done so many events together, and when we decided to open Nova, it was naturally a reflection of that time together. Plus we have an amazing Sous Chef, Andrew Dohn, who’s worked with me for many years, and our Pastry Chef, Mandy Dolney, who makes amazing desserts. We had a lot of fun developing this menu together.”

FOLLOW THE FOOD

Kicking off their busiest year to date, Berglund and Nitschke have no plans to shut down the kitchen. While they continue to sell out wine and beer pairing dinners, on the horizon, Berglund has her sights set on hosting large Luna farm dinners out on her rural property. If you want a seat at their next table, follow the food!

TO SNAG YOUR SEAT AT THE TABLE, FOLLOW

Luna Fargo - South University, Fargo | @luna.fargo Nova Eatery at Fargo Brewing Company, Fargo | @novaeateryfargo Sol Ave. Kitchen neighboring Junkyard Brewing Company, Moorhead | @solavekitchen Luna Market at Drekker’s Brewhalla, Fargo | @luna.fargomarket Mångata Wine & Raw Bar at Drekker’s Brewhalla, Fargo | @mangatawinebar Unicorn Park Fine Foodery at Drekker’s Brewhalla, Fargo | @unicornparkfargo House of Noods+Buns at Drekker’s Brewhalla, Fargo | @houseofnoodsandbuns

BROWSE THE BREW

Fargo Brewing Company 610 North University Drive Downtown Fargo @fargobrewing

NORTH & NEST MAGAZINE | 51

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ELEVATEDESCAPE Wild Oak Condos Enclave

A tranquil lifestyle awaits just above the tree line at Wild Oak Condos by Enclave.

Nestled within North Fargo’s historic Oak Grove neighborhood, Wild Oak carves out 14 top-tier condos with a birds-eye view of Wildflower Grove Park, the Red River, and downtown Fargo. The result of a collaborative effort between Enclave, T.L. Stroh, and Radiant Homes, Wild Oak condos provide an uncommon fusion of pristine privacy for owners above, and adventurous outdoor lifestyles for distinguished rentals below – sharing only a spectacular skyline and mutual appreciation of unbridled nature.

BY Tracy Nicholson | PHOTOGRAPHY BY Jill Ockhardt Blaufuss

IF

you’re ready to rightsize your lifestyle and reconnect with Mother Nature, North Fargo’s Wild Oak condos are a prime place to own an unobstructed view. Stepping out onto the limb of the fifthfloor condos and private treetop balconies, Wild Oak simultaneously celebrates the skyline and the neighborhood’s beloved roots.

Scanning the skies, residents will find a fusion of views — from the site’s mature treetops to the glowing lights of downtown, the full sail of the Hjemkomst Viking Ship, and the tranquil waters of the Red River — exploring every angle of the historic horizon.

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CAPTURING THE VIEW

“Four years ago, we saw the opportunity to develop something really special here,” said Austin Morris, Enclave’s Co-Founder and CEO of Development. “The idea of five stories above a mature treeline was appealing, but the fact that the neighborhood is walkable and bikeable to downtown Fargo was also a big draw. We love that it’s a really quiet area, with riverscapes on both the east and west sides.”

From Left: Enclave Founders Austin Morris & Ben Meland

Since 2011, Enclave’s founders, Austin Morris and Ben Meland have been synonymous with a thoughtful mentality of developing only what will authentically serve residents, community growth, and city resilience - projects that make a positive impact today and into the future.

PRESERVING PRIVACY & COMMUNITY

For homeowners who desire more than elevated views of FargoMoorhead, Wild Oak’s grounded surroundings will undoubtedly impress. Here, owners come home to a sleek and discreet retreat, welcomed by a private lobby and package room that leads to a dramatic, high-contrast design, flowing from the kitchen and coffee bar to the entertainment clubroom. Owners are invited to relax in a daylit space infused with white oak, acoustical ceiling beams, and natural stone elements alongside a cozy fire-side lounge setting. “The team envisioned this to be an inviting and intimate environment where condo owners can gather and host delightful events, or simply come together over morning coffee,” added Enclave’s Director of Marketing, Christina Graalum.

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Homeowners also have access to two heated underground parking stalls, a private condo elevator, one storage unit, a state-of-the-art fitness center and yoga studio, a rooftop patio, and soon, an on-site 24/7 mini-market.

While Wild Oak activates distinct indoor amenities, some catered to condo owners and others specific to renters, its connection to outdoor activities unites everyone.

The lifestyle development gives residents a designated bike storage room and workstation that opens to an outdoor path, paving the way to the area’s river trails, Wildflower Grove Park, and the community gardens.

ELEVATED ESCAPE

In the Wild Oak model home, Enclave’s founders present an elevated vision of “approachable modern” that leverages collective creativity.

Although Enclave is the developer, builder, and manager of the community, Morris and Meland recognized the potential of collaboration with Terry Stroh of T.L. Stroh Architecture and David Reid of Radiant Homes, both bringing a depth of experience in ultra-custom residential homes.

Christina Graalum Enclave's Director of Marketing

Enclave’s in-house design team, led by Ashley Hurner, worked closely with T.L. Stroh and their interior designer, Donna Wiger. The condo’s square footage is noticeably more expansive than a typical condo, which lends a stronger impression of residing in a stand-alone home.

Enclave also ensured nearly all the condos benefit from morning sun and eastward views, offering immersion into the riverscape, parks, and treetops. Additionally, condos on the south side maximize views by capturing both the riverscape and Fargo’s downtown skyline.

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“Radiant Homes contributed beautiful residential build details to our model unit, and we finished the space with furnishings from our design team and decor by Eco Chic Home. We all worked seamlessly together to bring this project to life,” said Graalum.

“While the other units remain a blank slate for personalization, we aimed for this condo’s design intent and attention to detail to set the stage – showing potential owners what’s possible.”

CULINARY PAIRINGS

Within a dynamic design collab, Hurner worked closely with Cathy Michels, CKD, of Wood Specialists to bring the kitchen’s magnificent riftcut white oak cabinetry and custom paneled appliances to its full height and potential. The design pairs cabinetry in Sherwin Williams Black Magic and Natural Grain dull stain with a quartz backsplash and leathered finish quartzite for a dual waterfall edge island.

Designed to integrate form and hidden function, the kitchen offers under-cabinet lighting and outlets, toe-kick lighting, generous storage on both sides of the island, and hide-away counter cabinetry for appliances.

Positioned for convenience between the kitchen and living room, the team continued the condo’s cohesive finishes with full overlay cabinets and rift-cut white oak shelving within a custom bar and wine fridge entertaining space.

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DAY-LIT LIVING

Framed by expansive windows overlooking treetop and skyline views, the condo’s living room showcases white oak hardwood from floor to ceiling; a design that leans into a seamless connection with nature, from the indoors to the outdoors. Hurner further defined the space with a stone hearth, limestone tops, a limewash entertainment wall, and a sixfoot linear glass fireplace with custom steel surround.

Accenting the space is a beautiful collection of decor from Eco Chic Home, multi-textural furnishings by Enclave’s interior design team, and a large, custom art piece painted by Hurner.

Ashley Hurner Lead Interior Designer, Enclave

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“At Wild Oak, with its positioning just above the tree line, owners get a sense of immersion in nature,” said Hurner. “We integrated biophilic design principles, incorporating elements like natural stone, wood, and textures that enhance the overall living experience at Wild Oak.”

ARCHITECTURAL OUTDOORS

Wild Oak’s balconies were designed to optimize size, privacy, and placement, providing ample outdoor space for a large dining table, a hot tub, and lounge seating. To maximize floorplans, select condos feature two outdoor patios – one accessible from the dining room and another from the primary suite. To ensure privacy, Enclave and T.L. Stroh meticulously integrated architectural solutions for distinct visual separation.

PRISTINE PERSONALIZATION

Wild Oak condos are primed for complete customization, like the model’s primary suite with breathtaking views, a large walkin closet, and a stunning white oak primary bath, including floor heat, a soaking tub, glass-enclosed tile shower, Kohler plumbing, and oversized mirrors.

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The condo’s 14 unique layouts range from 1,300 to over 2,400 square feet, with one- to threebedroom configurations, all able to be uniquely tailored to the homeowner’s lifestyle. The only consistent details are the 12foot ceilings in the main living space, expansive windows, balconies, and primary suite.

DESIGN DETAILS Wild Oak Developer/Builder/Property Manager: Enclave Custom Condo Contractor: Radiant Homes Architect: T.L. Stroh Interior Designers: Ashley Hurner Enclave, Donna Wiger - T.L. Stroh Staging Decor: Eco Chic Home White Oak Flooring: Engineered hardwood - Fargo Linoleum Lighting: Valley Lights

RED RIVER RESTORATION

“We felt like this site was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a new living environment within the historic Oak Grove neighborhood; this entire area is just beautiful,” said Morris.

“Wildflower Grove Park, which extends from Wild Oak, inspired the name and connects residents to the Red River Trail system traveling from Oak Grove Park to Lindenwood Park.” Wildflower Grove Park is part of the Urban Woods & Prairie Initiative with Audubon Dakota, led by local volunteers who oversee and maintain nearly 1,000 acres of restored grasslands and woodlands along the Red River.

“This project was truly realized at the best level of collaboration, really showcasing all of our teams’ capabilities,” said Morris.

“I am so proud of the team for not missing one level of detail. At Enclave, we talk a lot about how that last one percent matters.

Wild Oak was designed to illicit stages of emotions that build up to something truly special.”

Bedroom Carpet: Wool - Fargo Linoleum Custom Bath Tile: Fargo Linoleum Floating Shelves & Bench: Dakota Timber Cabinetry: Slab with 7/8” frame Cathy Michels, CKD, Wood Specialists Countertops: Quartzite, Spalding Stone Kitchen Backsplash: Quartz, Spalding Stone Appliances: Thermador - Rigels Large-Scale Living Room Art: Ashley Hurner Fireplace: Hebron Custom Closet Systems: Wood Specialists Fixtures: Kohler - Fergusons Plumbing: Home Heating, Plumbing & A/C For more information, contact: Enclave 701.478.4300 enclavecompanies.com Wild Oak Condos 505 Oak Street North, Fargo, ND Take a Virtual Tour: wildoakcondos.com 701.997.2569 Explore Homeownership: Dave Noah 701.306.4888 dn@legacyr.com Barry Gruchow - Remax Legacy Realty 701.200.9801 barry@legacyr.com

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GRAND

GETAWAY The Olive Ann Hotel

BY Tracy Nicholson | PHOTOGRAPHY BY Riley Hallaway

A good staycation is hard to find, so we’re not letting this one fly under your destination radar. Recently opened in Downtown Grand Forks, The Olive Ann Hotel expertly blends Mid-century modern design, no-nonsense hospitality, and boutique-style sophistication – inspired by UND’s rich aviation history and the pioneering legacy of Olive Ann Beech, the “First Lady of Aviation.” With a nostalgic tour through time, we’re introducing you to the founders who gave this historic project wings, Sadie Gardner of 322 Hospitality Group and Phil Gisi. You’ll also meet the project’s interior designer, Christina Fluegel of PFW Designs, and its architectural and branding team, JLG Architects. Pack heavy, because after experiencing the dining, hotel, and events center, you may never want to leave these “Beech Blue” views.

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THE MAIDEN FLIGHT

In the spring of 2022, Gardner and Gisi saw their vibrant vision for Downtown Grand Forks come to life, breaking ground on The Olive Ann Hotel’s historic renovation with JLG Architects and PFW Designs. To complete the hotel and event center, the site’s remaining 1915 First National Bank building underwent an extensive renovation and expansion, building on its listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Completed in December 2023, the project has successfully revitalized a multibuilding block once devastated by the city’s 1997 flood and fires.

Today, The Olive Ann Hotel is home to 79 boutique hotel rooms, two dining experiences, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a board room, and five distinctive areas for events, one a 350-person event space.

The building’s retro-glam design concept forged an authentic ‘stay with a story,’ paying homage to Beech’s entrepreneurial spirit and personal penchant for art, elegance, and design. Inside each of the hotel rooms, guests will find a curated collection of art by Jessie Thorson and Kelly Thompson.

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GRAND & GOLDEN

JLG’s architectural pre-design and branding aligned with PFW’s interior design to preserve the building’s character while capturing 50’s glamour in the golden age of flying.

“The vision for The Olive Ann Hotel was based on a desire to establish the most eloquent boutique hotel and event experience between Minneapolis and Seattle,” explained Sadie Gardner, 322 Hospitality Group. “We also wanted to create that strong connection to the local community and the University of North Dakota. We chose aviation, and specifically women in aviation because history is dotted with women who were mavericks in this male-dominated industry – from the early days of aviation pioneering to air racing, engineering, and corporate management and governance.”

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT

Olive Ann’s accomplishments as an American aerospace businesswoman earned her more awards, honorary appointments, and special citations than any other woman in aviation history. Born in Kansas, Olive Ann began her career at the age of 21, working for Clyde Cessna. She quickly moved up the ranks from secretary to office manager, then co-founder, president, and chairwoman of the Beech Aircraft Corporation, founded with a team of four others, including her husband, Walter Beech. After Walter passed in 1950, Olive Ann took over leadership, becoming the first woman to head a major aircraft company. In 1980, she was awarded the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy, with later inductions into the National Aviation Hall of Fame, the American National Business Hall of Fame, and several other recognitions after her passing in 1993.

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“It has been a privilege to be involved with bringing Olive Ann Beech and her story to the Grand Forks area in such a tangible way,” said Christina Fluegel, PFW Designs. “The interior design reflects the spirited and bold nature of the hotel’s namesake through carefully curated details, pattern, and of course, her signature “Beech” blue. Mixed into the modern classic design are aviation references that can be seen throughout the guestrooms and public spaces – a tribute to the First Lady of Aviation.”

SKIES 322 + SWEETWATERS COFFEE & TEA

Within The Olive Ann Hotel, guests and Grand Forks residents have on-site access to Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea, along with Skies 322, a destination dining experience that offers a creative spin on American classics, handcrafted cocktails, and seasonally inspired dishes by Chef Justin Welsh. Inside Skies 322, guests are immersed in a gallery of locally sourced paintings, sculptures, and photography.

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CLOUD 9 EVENTS

Beyond its boutique hotel amenities, The Olive Ann Hotel is ready to celebrate or get down to business. The Hotel’s commercial office and event space features five distinct areas: The Boardroom, which accommodates up to 12 people; The Landing, a second-floor, 1,500 SF space for 60 people; two private rooms within Skies 322; and Cloud 9 Events, a 350-person fifth-floor event space that overlooks the city.

“We see The Olive Ann Hotel as an asset for the public and private sectors to showcase the region, as we continue to recruit the best and brightest to our community for commerce, sports and leisure, and a place to live,” added Phil Gisi.

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“Grand Forks is a great place to live, work, or visit – there are so many amenities,” added JLG’s Andrew Budke. “This downtown neighborhood hasn’t had a lodging option of this quality in years, so it’s no surprise that so many people are excited about it, including retailers and restaurateurs who know the kind of energy The Olive Ann Hotel can bring to downtown. The Hotel also helps showcase the Greenway and its 20-mile network of trails and outdoor recreation. It’s an amazing opportunity for the whole community to put our best foot forward and show visitors what Grand Forks has to offer.”

“The First National Bank building, or Edgewood Plaza as its known, is one the most striking in the neighborhood,” said Andrew Budke, of JLG Architects.

“It’s a timeless, classical design and a fixture downtown. We knew immediately the addition would have to honor the existing building’s formal façade in terms of scale, massing, and rhythm. We mimicked certain elements and reinterpreted others using current building materials to create a modern, elegant companion.”

Staying at The Olive Ann Hotel? Extend your stay to explore downtown’s breweries and boutiques, including Molly Yeh’s pastry shop, Bernie’s, just steps from Olive Ann’s front door.

Downtown, you might even catch the Food Network’s film crew shooting another episode of Girl Meets Farm. Yes, Grand Forks is Grand!

BOOK YOUR GRAND GETAWAY OR EVENT AT

The Olive Ann Hotel

14 N 4th St, Grand Forks, ND 58201 701.670.1354 info@theoliveannhotel.com theoliveannhotel.com

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Alina Collective HANDCRAFTED FOR THE GREATER GOOD

Downtown Fargo | 8th & Main

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BY Tracy Nicholson PHOTOGRAPHY BY Morgan Allora, Studio Freshly

ith a thriving career in hospitality and the culinary arts, it’s only natural that Britt Belquist, one of the founding partners and designers of six local dining concepts, is ready to share the flair. Alina (ah-lee-nah, Slavic origin), translated to “Light, Bright & Beautiful,” is the newest addition to downtown’s 8th & Main Fargo neighborhood, a thoughtfully curated home and lifestyle boutique next door to Mint & Basil.

Shopping Alina Collective feels a lot like shopping for the greater good, more specifically, artisan goods sourced from minority-owned brands and Midwest makers, including several global lines that support fair labor, non-profits, sustainable materials, and eco-friendly ethics.

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Bringing Joy to the Table Britt and her husband, Alex, are founding partners of downtown Fargo’s Brewbird, 701 Eateries, and Brew Kitchen & Catering.

You’ll also find the duo’s entrepreneurial appetite with a visit to Perham, MN’s Brew Ales & Eats, Wahpeton, ND’s City Brew Hall, and East Grand Forks, MN’s Up North Pizza Pub. Britt’s newest endeavor, Alina Collective, may not serve up culinary creations, but her historic storefront is a feast for the eyes.

Envisioning culinary concepts ignited Britt’s passion for design, but it was finishing her home, coupled with a trip to the world’s largest furniture market, High Point in North Carolina, that added fuel to the fire. The final catalyst was a beautiful, historic building on Main Avenue in Fargo,

For Britt, opening Alina Collective has provided a welcoming calm amid

seemingly awaiting the vision of

the fast pace of the restaurant business, allowing her to re-center and

Alina Collective. Almost unheard

bring more joy back to the table. “It’s been fun; I love picking out each

of in the downtown vicinity, her

item and curating a unique look,” said Belquist. “It all started with the

store offers Main Avenue parking,

restaurants – I would have to source different things like bar stools and

in addition to alley parking next to

glassware. For the historic renovation of City Brew Hall, Shelby (Terstriep)

the building.

and I, along with Kristen Williams, did most of the design work. At the same time, we were remodeling our prior house in Perham, and the design aspect of these projects was really exciting to me.”

Scouting out the right pieces to complete her home, now just a few blocks from downtown Fargo, Britt was inspired to create the store she had been searching for. “I have three kids at home, and I was using children’s spoons for my dips and condiments because I couldn’t find what I needed for charcuterie boards and entertaining,” said Belquist. “I also wanted to bring things into my home that would make it feel warm, inviting, relaxed, and colorful, but not overpowering.”

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Elevating Artisans Inside Alina Collective, Britt has built an artisanal shopping experience, starting with vintage Persian and hand-loomed Moroccan rugs, European textiles, handmade ceramics, throws, accent pillows, hand-blown glassware, artwork, and culinary gifts from around the world.

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Just past the allure of the home goods, you’ll find Britt takes the experience full circle, from home to health, with bath and apothecary, handcrafted candles, aromatherapy, sustainable clothing, jewelry, children’s gifts, and handbags.

Within Alina Collective, Britt sets the stage for what she refers to as the “slow down” lifestyle, surrounding oneself in a space that directly and positively influences life, well-being, and mental health. Alina’s unofficial mission is to create a joy-filled experience, empowering community, fair trade, indie makers, and culture creators. Taking this mission one step further, Britt plans to donate a portion of the store’s profits to local non-profit organizations - in 2024, she’s working with the Rape and Abuse Crisis Center on drives for needed supplies, benefit donations, and promoting awareness.

“There are so many awesome stores downtown, so I really tried to find unique lines that no one else was carrying,” explained Belquist. Alina’s Estelle and St. Franks are two glassware lines she quickly fell in love with. “Estelle is a woman minority-owned company inspired by Stephanie Summerson Hall’s grandmother and her antique collection of jewel-toned and soft pastel glassware. Stephanie could no longer find anything like what she grew up with, so she reached out to a glassmaker in Poland. The Estelle Colored Glassware line is beautifully made, all hand-blown in Poland.”

Alina’s St. Franks glassware collection is crafted in a remote town in the central Mexican state of Hidalgo, where the entire community works in a family-owned factory established 30 years ago. Each piece is created through a collaborative process where it is handed from one maestro to the next until the piece is completed.

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Alina Collective also carries Blue Pheasant dishware, candelabras and decor by New York ceramicist Virginia Sim, OYOY pillows, palo santo wood lines, WAAM reusable lunch bags by Minnesota makers, Andrew & Hanna Vomhof, and an eclectic collection of greeting cards, cookbooks, and interior design books.

Aware Wear Alina Collective’s sustainable clothing lines include Emerson Fry, Mirth (California), Greylin, Free People, Marine Layer, Perfect White Tee, Nation LTD, and Citizens of Humanity. These hand-picked pieces are the perfect pairing for Cleobella embroidered bags, a family-run business focused on empowering women through handmade integrity, from California to Southeast Asia. Cleobella is aligned with Bloom India, which contributes to funding pre-college STEM education courses for young women in India.

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Share Gifts & Passions While nearly every Alina Collective line has a story to tell, Britt isn’t limiting patrons to in-store shopping experiences. In fact, patrons can find the perfect gift, starting at $7, without ever stepping into the store. Alina Collective’s team creates customized gift bundles for pick-up or shipping via email, phone, or drop-by – catering to health and wellness, home, beauty, or a fun fusion of all.

With years of design experience building up to Alina Collective, Britt’s more than happy to do what she’s done for all six of her local dining concepts – this time refocusing her creativity to assist homeowners with their design vision. “Beyond the restaurants, I have always helped design for friends and family, and I would love to share my passion in the homes of clients,” said Belquist.

Follow Alina Collective on Instagram to join Britt and her team for monthly events featuring indie artists, makers, healers, musicians, floral design, vintage items, and naturally, in-store culinary experiences!

Shop Alina Collective 716 Main Ave, Fargo 701.532.1173 alinacollective.com @alinacollective [Check the website for seasonal store hours]

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Welcoming Homes GIVING HEARTS

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ay Giving HFeaebrrtuars D y 8, 2024

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ith our very first issue arriving just before Giving Hearts Day, it’s the perfect time to take a step back and step into the shoes of others. While we love showcasing beautiful homes, showcasing the needs of families without homes is profoundly more impactful. Every night, hundreds of families across our community don’t have the luxury of going home. Their aspirations don’t revolve around pristine pantries, open concepts, or master suites; rather, they yearn for basic necessities – food security, the reassurance of four walls, and a warm bed. On February 8th, we have 24 hours to count our blessings and share them with others. This is a day devoted to giving back to our community and supporting local charities that open their doors, provide life-changing services, and fulfill the fundamental needs of families experiencing poverty, hardship, and homelessness.

Giving Hearts & Homes If you’re uncertain about where to begin, here are 27 of the many local charities that have made it their mission to provide basic human needs and facilitate the return of families to stable homes.

Down Home Our mission is to empower lives by furnishing homes for families and individuals emerging from homelessness. Through powerful partnerships with local agencies, donors, and volunteers throughout the F-M region, Down Home transforms four empty walls into a beautiful and dignified home. Down Home is committed to continued empowerment, involvement, and stability in the community by staying connected with clients beyond the move-in transformation. Since 2017, Down Home has served over 156 families, impacting over 500 lives. Down Home is furnishings, decor, and so much more.

Jeremiah Program Our mission is to disrupt the cycle of poverty for single mothers and their children, two generations at a time. We believe that no mother should have to make the untenable choice between investing in herself or her children. Our holistic approach begins with establishing a supportive community for determined single mothers to pursue a career track and college education. With quality early childhood education, a safe and affordable place to live, and empowerment and life skills training, we help families find stability and a path out of poverty.

Down Home Lake Agassiz Habitat for Humanity We envision a community where every family enjoys a secure and dignified place to call home. Alongside our partner families, Habitat builds homes that change lives for generations to come. By supporting Habitat, you support hardworking local families – freeing them from instability and providing a path to affordable homeownership that builds self-reliance for a brighter future.

YWCA Cass-Clay YWCA Cass Clay is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.

With a caring advocate walking beside women and children, we provide safety, food, clothing, and resources for health, employment, and parenting. We also help locate a new place to live, including our own safe, affordable, short- and long-term supportive housing opportunities for low-income families.

UC Hope To help families in Dilworth, Glyndon, and Felton, MN, we work closely with area churches, police, and DGF school administration/counselors to assess needs. We provide food, clothing, personal care supplies, and household items donated at our thrift store to families and students. We also provide an after-school program, college scholarships for DGF seniors, fire department funding, medical bill assistance, and aid for families who have experienced house fires.

F-M Coalition to End Homelessness We are more than 70 organizations and individuals working together to develop innovative and compassionate solutions for preventing and ending homelessness in our community. We have a vision of homelessness being rare, brief, and non-reoccurring. This vision will become a reality by changing systems, lowering barriers, and increasing affordable housing.

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Ronald McDonald House Charit ies Rebuilding Together - Fargo-Moorhead Area Our mission is to repair homes, revitalize communities, and rebuild lives. We provide home repair services free of charge to low-income families, emphasizing help for the elderly, veterans, or people living with a disability. On average, we support 30-40 homeowners each year, helping them to remain safe and healthy in their own homes.

Salvation Army - Fargo-Moorhead We’re a listening ear and helping hand to help those experiencing poverty and living without basic necessities in Fargo-Moorhead. We restore hope by providing free hot meals for breakfast and lunch, assistance with housing and utilities, winter outerwear for families, and holiday food boxes to all who need support.

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Presentation Partners in Housing PPiH is a ministry sponsored by the Sisters of the Presentation, providing a continuum of services for people who are homeless or threatened by homelessness, and all those who are struggling to meet basic needs. We imagine a just and equitable Fargo-Moorhead where the most vulnerable are treated with dignity and respect, having access to a stable home where each person can attend to their body, mind, and spirit to pursue a life of meaning and purpose.

Salvation Army - Grand Forks The Salvation Army has sought to love beyond poverty in the community of Grand Forks by meeting human needs without discrimination.

From meeting the most basic needs to outlining the path to long-term solutions, we help others overcome the obstacles of today and provide hope for tomorrow.

YWCA

Churches United Churches United provides safe shelter, stable housing, nutritious food, and a path toward healing for our neighbors in need.

We serve over 450 people every single day, sheltering over 1,250 unique individuals a year and providing almost 100,000 meals a year, including distribution of over 1.6 million pounds of food a year at the Dorothy Day Food Pantries.

Furniture Mission of the Red River Valley Our mission is to demonstrate love and compassion by connecting gently used furniture with individuals and families coming out of crisis. ​Right now, Furniture Mission is in dire need of beds. We also accept lamps, wall hangings, quilts, and any other type of gently used furniture without tears or stains. If you live in the F-M area, Furniture Mission will arrange a home pick-up of items.

Gladys Ray Shelter The Gladys Ray Shelter provides lowbarrier services to adults who are unable to access other options in the F-M area. We work to provide consistent opportunities for engagement as well as a safe place where people can meet their immediate needs. Our programs serve as a crucial link between the streets and housing.

New Life Center New Life Center seeks to address homelessness and hopelessness in a way that is transformational and Christ-centered.

Meeting broken individuals with hope and healing, we offer a pathway to sobriety, faith, employment, and stable housing. Your gift helps people move from homeless and hurting to whole and healthy.

Centre, Inc. Centre, Inc. serves veterans in several North Dakota communities through Project HART, a transitional program for homeless veterans. We provide rehabilitative services to individuals to achieve social reintegration, addressing basic needs, addiction, and mental health.

Red River Valley Community Action In Grand Forks, RRVCA operates a permanent supportive housing unit that serves homeless families with an adult member who has been diagnosed with a disability. We also offer services for veterans at risk of being homeless, in addition to a senior program, a food pantry, emergency services, home weatherization, furnace/water heater repairs, and rent assistance.

Southeastern North Dakota Community Action (SENDCAA) Throughout Fargo-Moorhead, we fight the war on poverty, empowering our community through a variety of services that lift up our neighbors. SENDCAA has provided hope for thousands of households through early childhood education, affordable childcare, housing services, improved energy efficiency in homes, food boxes for senior citizens, career coaching, and more.

Jeremiah P rogram St. Joseph's Social Care St. Joseph’s Social Care helps meet fundamental needs, inspire hope, and empower neighbors in need to reach their fullest potential through advocacy and promotion of their dignity and self-worth. We offer three units of permanent supportive housing in Grand Forks for homeless families with a disability diagnosis, transportation and household resources, as well as an emergency assistance program for housing crises.

Youthworks At Youthworks, we help ensure all youth have a safe place to belong and be heard. Homeless, runaway, and trafficked youth can find a safe place to call home, whether for a few days or several months while they receive the support needed to resolve conflict, utilize resources, and reach independence. We address complex trauma and behavioral health needs, challenging systems, fighting stigma, and advocating for the youth we serve.

Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Red River Valley When parents find out their child is critically ill and needs medical care miles from home, we help families find comfort in a place to rest, hope in a home-cooked meal, and encouragement from staff, volunteers, and other families experiencing the same uncertainty a medical diagnosis brings. In Fargo, the Ronald McDonald House and Ronald McDonald Family Room are focused on families, so parents can focus on what matters most - getting their child healthy and home.

Golden Drive Homeless Kids Our core mission is to raise awareness of the homeless crisis impacting children in FargoMoorhead and our surrounding communities.

Through Golden Drive events, we seek to connect members of our community to children in need, with 100% of donations raised going to our local homeless shelters, families, and schools.

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Matthew's Voice Project We assist Fargo, Moorhead, and West Fargo public school students who are identified as experiencing homelessness, yet still trying to stay in school and graduate. Much of our focus is on unaccompanied youth (no parents or guardians in their lives), providing them with the support and encouragement they need to complete high school. We help provide senior photos, food, clothing, and day-to-day needs, showing students that our community cares and wants them to succeed.

Red River Valley Habitat for Humanity In the Grand Forks area, we assist low-income families in attaining decent, affordable, and stable housing. Each house is built to fit the family's needs using volunteer labor and donated materials when possible. All money invested in the build is passed along to the family in the purchase price, so each family’s mortgage payments to the organization are used to build more family homes.

Impact - Homeless & Hungry Fund Impact supports homelessness and food insecurity in North Dakota and northwest Minnesota.

Home Builders Care of Fargo-Moorhead We impact our community through building projects, empowering students, and shaping the future workforce to create lifelong careers in the building industry. Over 30 years, Home Builders Care has awarded $378,000 in scholarship dollars to support hundreds of students, in addition to nearly $550,000 in donations to local housing-related organizations.

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February 8, 2024 Northlands Rescue Mission Northlands Rescue Mission is an emergency shelter empowering people experiencing homelessness, housing instability, or food insecurity to live more stable lives. We provide food boxes, an elementary Backpack Program for weekend meals, a family shelter, social support, and outreach to help families secure employment, housing, transportation, childcare items, and more.

United Way of Grand Forks, East GF & Area: Families First Program Together, we are providing parents with the resources they need to succeed at work, school, and home. The Families First program addresses homelessness in the Grand Forks area with an emergency shelter, housing assistance, and case management. Other supportive programs include the Backpack Program, Kidz Closet, and the Larimore Food Pantry, helping neighbors meet their basic needs while providing opportunities to thrive!

Giving Heart: 24 Hours vs 24/7 While Giving Hearts Day may be a one-day “Super Bowl” of giving, the mission for all local charities extends throughout the entire year—an ongoing and enduring effort. Charities participating in Giving Hearts Day acquire essential fundraising skills through programs facilitated by Dakota Medical Foundation (DMF) and Fargo-based Impact. These initiatives assist charities in establishing a sustainable fundraising system that can be applied on Giving Hearts Day and every day after.

How Can We Help?

Go to GivingHeartsDay.org to learn more about the mission of each of these organizations, volunteer opportunities, and lists of physical goods in demand right now.

Remember, every effort adds up.

Contribute what you can, consider sharing your time and talents, donate basic supplies or furnishings, volunteer to support a mission, and check in with charities to learn about their specific needs. If you have an inspiring story to tell, use your social media for good; spreading the word about the causes close to your heart!

Mark Your Calendar!

Early Giving Dates January 2 - February 7, 2024

Gifts made at GivingHeartsDay.org between January 2nd and February 7th will count for Giving Hearts Day, along with gifts made on February 8.

Giving Hearts Day Thursday, February 8, 2024 Choose Your Charities & Submit Your Donations at: GivingHeartsDay.org