Today we’d like to introduce you to Karin Carlson.
Hi Karin, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started selling canned goods and produce at our local small farmers market in 2005. I enjoyed doing that during the summer while working at the MCW school district during the school year. I lost my hearing in 2010 and got cochlear implants. Working in the loud school environment became increasingly difficult, so in 2015, after my youngest daughter graduated, I decided to try having my own business. I started selling at several local farmers’ markets and vendor shows. My husband always wanted to do woodwork, so he started making kitchen utensils. We realized that small utensils made from wood were marketable. I am Swedish, and I moved to the US in 1997. In Sweden, people use butter knives made from wood. This has become one of our big sellers. All wood is locally sourced from around our farm, and all veggies are grown on our two large garden plots. We sell many of our wood products on the Facebook marketplace and at all the vendor shows we travel to, especially during the fall before Christmas.
Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There were many things I didn’t need to learn about when I started canning and growing vegetables. I grew up in a city and didn’t have any agricultural background. I have started my own seeds in a makeshift greenhouse and have learned how to get a good result by trial and error. I use mostly heirloom seeds because the taste is so much better. I love cooking up different kinds of tomato sauces and other tasty things in the kitchen. I have a cottage producer license and have been taking food safety classes to go with that. We still are very much a hobby operation.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
- As a cottage producer, I have to have the feeling of what goes together and what makes a sauce, soup, or jam taste good. I do lots of experimenting; I like to try new varieties, both vegetables and the end product. Having a product that people will return and say: “This was so good I want to buy more,” makes me so happy.
- I’m also an aspiring artist with wood as my medium; I take leftover pieces from my husband’s woodwork and paint birds, animals, and flowers. For Christmas, I paint Swedish Tomtar. It’s fun, relaxing, and unique to find people who want to buy my “porch.”
- My third hobby is weaving; I have a large loom from my mother. On that, I make rag rugs, a good way of reusing old material. I also make picture weavings to hang on the wall. I sell items occasionally, but it takes a lot longer to do, so I only advertise them if I have a rug or wall hanger to sell.
- My husband’s woodwork is artistry, from collecting the wood, drying it, cutting, planing, shaping, sanding, and conditioning the finished product for durability and beauty.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
We live on a small acreage outside of Trimont, Minnesota, by a lake called Cedar Lake. My husband’s Grandparents built the house we lived in in 1919. We raised our three kids here and now have dogs and four cats. Being able to grow our vegetables is fantastic, and being able to share the bounty at farmers’ markets is a pleasure. I want to highlight our small market in Trimont, where we try to build a community feeling for young and old. We have activities every week that can be utilized by all ages. We also fund local charities by offering coffee and treats for free-will donations. Last year, we gave our proceeds towards the new playground equipment in the city park. We have also donated to the Foodshelf and CREST.
Pricing:
- Canned goods $6-$20
- Butterknives $6
- Spatulas $18
- Cuttingboards $20-$60
- Porchart $15
Contact Info:
- Instagram: karincarlson123
- Facebook: carlsonvillegardenandwoodcraft
