We recently had the chance to connect with Jeff Cerise and have shared our conversation below.
Jeff , a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: Have you ever been glad you didn’t act fast?
Yes, definitely. We are always thinking of new product ideas and playing around in R&D for what might become a new Hobby Farmer product that we can offer to the public. This process can really take a lot of time and money to develop and it play with your emotions as you work through the process of finding ingredients, calculating COGS, evaluate trends and how you will promote this new brand moving forward.
We recently were about to go into production on a new beverage last spring but a very large production run put a halt on those plans as the funds were diverted to our main product offerings. This break gave us time to re-evaluate that new product launch as the summer progressed. We realized there might be a completely different and better direction to go that fit our brand architecture better that we hadn’t thought of before.
Not acting fast in this instance put us in a position to accommodate the bigger orders we were getting for our established product. Without that growth, its hard to even imagine launching a new product successfully. It also gave us the breathing room we needed to allow other potenial products to enter the conversation as alternative paths forward.
In summary it allowed for more organic growth of the company and other ideas to come to fruition that might be a better direction moving forward with new product offerings. The old carpenter phrase “measure twice, cut once” comes to mind ensuring you take the time to think things through and not make costly mistakes.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Jeff Cerise, founder and CEO of Hobby Farmer Foods. We have recently re-branded our company and with the addition of my wife Gio we are now 50% Indigenous and woman owned!
We produce a heritage pre-biotic beverage called Switchel Fizz. Made from Organic Ginger Juice, Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey blended in perfect proportions we spice it with Turmeric, Cayenne or Cinnamon for additional health benefits and unique flavors that stand out amongst all the other fruity flavored beverages out there. We also produce Campfire Cocoa from an old family recipe that also includes Cayenne, Cinnamon, and a dash of Sea Salt.
We have expanded our distribution beyond Minnesota to now include Wisconsin, Nebraska, parts of ND and hope to expand into Michigan in 2026.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I started out in the 1970’s as a working / touring musician, & songwriter. In the ’90’s I had my own creative Agency where I represented talent (i.e. commercial photographers, videographers, music production & post production) in Advertising.
After 30+ years in that field, I started a side hustle called “Hobby Farmer” where we opened a small store in St. Paul, MN and produced old family pickle and Switchel recipes to the public. After the pandemic Advertising was slow to get back up to speed, but our heatlh and wellness beverage called Switchel was starting to soar…in 2024 I retired from Advertising after 35 years and went full time into the beverage business and will spend the remainder of my working days trying to get people off of “Big Sugar” drinks and into something more in tune with health, wellness, and gut health, where all inflammation in the body starts.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Many times, but being my own boss since the late ’70’s has taught me one thing. Persistence breaks resistance. Self motivation is key when you’re an entrepreneur…there’s no regular paycheck when you own your own company. If you need to get ahead, you go out and hustle for it. No-one is cutting regular checks around here…its either feast or famine and there have been many times when I’ve gone months without getting work or orders coming in and that is my great motivator. Keep hustling, keep knocking on doors, keep your chin up and good things with happen.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
I don’t have a public persona different from who I am in private. In all of my endeavors I’ve loved what I do so I “live” it…its part of who I am, my personal identity is intertwined with my public identity. It doesn’t matter if I’m at a family BBQ, traveling on a plane or at a public event, I’m always a brand ambassador for my company and products…
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: When have you had to bet the company?
I bet the company a few times in recent years. Last year when I gave up a solid career in advertising in favor of going all in with Hobby Farmer is one example…another was this past spring when distribution deals had me producing (and paying for) twice the amount of product that I would normally produce at this time of year.
Competition from well funded / Big Corporate brand now producing so-called health & wellness beverages has cut into my market share, tariffs are adding to my COGS and hurting our every day bottom line and cash flow. I had to give up on importing our products completely. Its an uneasy time to be in business for yourself and small businesses in general need to market more, hustle more and spend more to not get swallowed up in a sea of big corporate ad campaigns…
The general business climate right now doesn’t favor anyone who doesn’t have deep pockets, investors, or corporate sponsorship.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hobbyfarmerfoods.com
- Instagram: @hobbyfarmerfoods_co
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hobbyfarmerfoods/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hobbyfarmercanningcompany/
Image Credits
© Robert McGraw Crawford (headshot)
© Volt Studios
© Jeff Cerise
