Today we’d like to introduce you to Tim & Renae Braun. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Tim grew up dairy and crop farming in Princeton, MN, and has had a successful career as an agronomist while starting his own farming operation. Renae grew up in Chanhassen, MN, and didn’t know anything about farming (or agriculture, for that matter) until she met Tim eight years ago. The idea of farming and producing enough food to feed her family was something Renae dreamed about. After purchasing a farm and convincing Tim to raise beef cattle and chickens, both Tim and Renae quickly realized to diversify their operation, they needed to sell directly to consumers. Tim & Renae have been selling beef and chicken directly to consumers off our farm for the past four years.
The next step to connect consumers to their food was finding a way to sell individual cuts of meat, rather than solely animal shares. In April 2022, Tim & Renae purchased a grain elevator/feed mill that also had retail space available.
They opened Braun’s Market on the 4th of July and the retail space has allowed them to continue selling animal shares but also to grow their business by selling individual cuts of meat raised on our farm, just a couple miles from their store. In addition to selling the beef and chicken raised on their farm, Tim & Renae have partnered with other small Minnesota producers and sell everything from dairy products to corn chips to locally roasted coffee and so much more.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We are both self-taught, so a big challenge for us has been learning how to market a small business in a small, rural community.
Another big hurdle is finding butcher spots with reputable butchers that can produce the high-quality cuts we are looking for. It has also been interesting to see how customer demands change throughout the year.
As you know, we’re big fans of Braun’s Market. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The beef and chicken we sell in our store are produced on our farm and we sourced the remaining products from other small-batch Minnesota or Wisconsin producers. Our main goal is to provide high-quality food to our community.
What matters most to you?
Our goal is to connect our community with food produced here while simultaneously supporting other communities & families throughout the state.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.braunsmarket.com
- Instagram: @braunsmarket
- Facebook: @braunsmarket
Image Credits
Renae Braun
