The Farmers Market: Where it All Began

The Farmers Market: Where it All Began

Posted by Hannah Barnstable on

The first year I founded Seven Sundays, I sold muesli almost exclusively at the Midtown Farmers Market on Lake Street in Minneapolis. I had a bike with a trailer, a green tent, a couple of folding tables and as many compostable tin-tie bags full of handmade muesli as I could make in a week. Preparing for and working the first few markets was Hard Work, but once we got into the swing of things it was a blast! Some of my favorite memories from the early days include:

  • Spending late nights at the rented restaurant kitchen space mixing, toasting, packaging and labeling bags of muesli. This was pre-kids of course. Brady would join me after he got done with work and we’d listen to music and crack a beer when we were done (IOU Carrie!).

  • Setting my alarm for 5:30 am so I could meet a local farmer with our weekly load of grains. He literally drove a truck from the farm up to the city weekly for deliveries. He’d hand me big sacks and I’d load them into my station wagon right on the street in front of our house. Fun fact: We still work with Doug’s organic farm, we’ll purchase more than [XXX] pounds of organic buckwheat from him this year!

  • Hanging out with the other Farmers Market vendors before the market opened up. It was early, dark and sometimes the sun would rise during set up and other times it would be blowing rain and we’d all share our tent weights with those who forgot theirs. We traded and bartered goods and developed friendships that continue to this day.

Starting at a Farmers Market has influenced many parts of our business. We insist on knowing the farmers who grow our ingredients. We value community and building long term relationships. We embrace our local Midwest roots. And we never lose sight of our most important purpose - that we make food for people.

Cheers,

Fun fact: our Organic Almond Date Currant Farmers Market Mix a nod to these humble farmers market beginnings of Seven Sundays. Inspired by the family farmers at the market as well as many of our organic growers, this mix is packed with organically-grown small grains like oats, buckwheat and sorghum and sun ripened California fruit & nuts. Find it here on our website or on Amazon!

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