By Jayne and Dean Bredlau, owners of The Greensted LLC
Zumbrota (Goodhue County)
How did your business start?
What started as a summer gardening experience in 2016 has turned into a multi-enterprise farm business. In the summer of 2016, Dean planted garden veggies on land at a friend’s farm. Dean learned two things: he liked the planting and nurturing process of growing things and he had a lot to learn.
With the short Minnesota growing season, we started researching season extension ideas. Microgreens were becoming a thing across the nation. We didn’t know what they were, or why anyone would grow them, or eat them for that matter. We purchased potting soil, growing flats and some seeds. Dean planted the flats and Jayne researched nutrition information. We learned microgreens were highly nutritious, pretty and packed a powerful flavor punch. After two weeks, we hand-cut the microgreens into little plastic containers, which amounted to a mere couple of handfuls, and shared them with whomever we could get to eat them. We grew a few more trials, cut them into little sandwich bags, sharing them with chefs at local restaurants. They were great resources of info, and no doubt knew we were in way over our heads.
How has your business grown?
In March of 2018, we were invited to sell at a small, local indoor farmers market. We brought microgreens all packaged up with cute labels, and some fresh over-wintered spinach we’d grown in a high tunnel outside. At an indoor farmers market during a very snowy March, we sold every little green leaf we had. We were beyond thrilled. So we set up went again in April and sold it all.
Microgreens were The Greensted’s flagship product. After starting selling the microgreens at farmers’ markets, they now supply various Hy-Vee stores, co-ops, Kowalski’s Markets and Lunds & Byerlys.
On the wings of so much success (tongue in cheek) Jayne signed us up for four different summer farmers’ markets. This was crazy because we were both working full time jobs. We were producing around 50-60 clamshells (plastic containers) per week.
After a busy summer we decided retail stores were our next target. Our most successful summer farmers’ market was in Northfield. The city has a thriving co-op so we approached the produce manager with our four varieties of microgreens. We are still on their shelves today. They sell roughly 50 clamshells weekly, and we have a wonderful partnership with them. Another co-op in Winona picked up our products and soon we began visiting grocery stores with samples. One by one we were on the shelves in several area Hy-Vee stores. We were hand planting, tending, harvesting, packaging every unit and doing all of the deliveries. We did store demonstrations, several per week, to introduce microgreens, and ourselves, to customers. We’ve never worked harder!
Jayne left her job in August of 2018. We were faced with a decision: Either keep pushing to grow and sell more microgreens, increase and expand business, or this was going to be a hobby we probably would be tired of sooner than later.
In 2019 we headed to the Twin Cities. Having had good success with Hy-Vee stores, we started visiting various locations. Lakeville, Eagan, Plymouth, New Hope, Maple Grove and others were happy to give us a go. Dean continued to work full time, so Jayne did the deliveries and store demos every week. By the end of 2019, we were selling at farmers’ markets in Rochester, Faribault and Northfield, while supplying 15 grocery and co-op stores, and three restaurants.
The Greensted Team summer 2021 workforce.
How has the pandemic impacted your business?
We entered 2020 with many hopes and ambitions. No one pads hope with a global crisis. In spite of shutdowns and much confusion, we decided since we were producing a farm-fresh produce item, and grocery stores were the only things open, we were not stopping. Full speed ahead with our business plans to continue and grow the microgreens market and open the door to vegetable garden production. We hired our first employee in January, and in April we hired one more full-time employee primarily to work with the garden production we’d planned for that year. The summer farmers’ markets were busy, the garden was jamming with veggies, the microgreens were continuing to sell. It was a very challenging but good year for us.
In the fall of 2020 it was obvious we had serious physical space limitations. A local contractor confirmed we couldn’t build onto our home site, but he had another option. He had plans to build a huge “shouse” just five minutes across town. He was willing to add on a spot for our “green things,” and build it to suit, with the right temperature/humidity control, water access, and space for our long growing racks. We’d rent the space and pay the build-out loan. Really, a deal we couldn’t refuse. The building plans came together to have a microgreens grow space, workroom, Farm Store and an acre of land to garden. Dreams do come to life, even if you haven’t yet dreamed them. Clogged supply chains slowed progress, but our builder kept pressing on.
In November of 2020, we approached Lunds & Byerlys with our microgreens. We met with the produce director who loved our story and products. Mid-December we sent our first large order of microgreens out the door – 30 cases (720 2 oz. clams) worth — to the Lunds & Byerly’s distribution center. They made it a stocked item in every store. The was a huge financial boon to us and the break we needed to scale up business.
The Greensted’s new microgreens grow space.
In March of 2021 we moved into our new facility. The microgreens grow space is beautiful, the workroom is amazing. We planted the gardens in June, and our little Farm Store opened in July. The store now offers nearly 200 products from 50 local/area producers. Eggs, dairy products, peanut butter, meats of all kinds, pantry items, coffees, teas, granola, crackers, chips, gluten-free vegan cookies, maple syrup, honey and personal care products like lotion bars, lip balms and skin lotions. We have a limited supply of household cleaning products, and some art pieces from a local artist. Something for everyone.
Vegetable gardening was quite challenging last season, but we produced many pounds of beautiful vegetables. Our garden and microgreens labor force became six high school students one college student and a couple of adult part timers. They all worked so hard! We finished the season strong, and with lots of lessons learned about farming inside and out in our new location. The best part of the season was Dean was able to leave his off-farm job in June and join us full time. As the students all went back to school, we hired two additional full-time help, one part-time, and we retained one high school student on Saturdays. It’s amazing how much gets done with a few good hands to help. We launched a new product to the market, Just Broccoli microgreens – this is an option for customers in the event their store is out of broccoli sprouts, which is often the case.
In the space of five years, The Greensted regenerative project has gone from a curiosity to a multi-enterprise farm business. No one is more surprised than us. Our mission is sustainable food production and regenerative land management. Our heart is community connection. Our vision is to bring our best and all of the very best in regional foods and products to consumers. With global confusion, fears and concerns happening, now is the time for communities to hold strong, support all local business, and eat healthy, nutritionally packed foods.
Jayne and Dean Bredlau, owners of The Greensted LLC.
How did the loans from SMIF help your business grow?
So many ways! Our first loan, a Grow a Farmer Loan in 2019, allowed us to purchase our first piece of equipment – a Quick Cut Greens Harvester. Originally designed for quick harvesting of garden salad greens, someone clever designed a work bench mount which allows it to be used for harvesting microgreens. Complete game changer. Instead of using a scissors to cut them, which took an average of three to five minutes per flat, and caused a great deal of hand and wrist fatigue, we can now harvest a flat in one to two seconds. We also purchased several smaller tools and support pieces that have granted efficiencies while growing the business.
Our second SMIF loan, a Small Enterprise Loan in 2021, has been put to good use for much larger pieces of equipment and tools. We purchased two used cold storage units for our Farm Store – one is a freezer and one a cooler. These were convenience store pieces, refurbished. They have been great! We offer a variety of meat (chickens, beef, pork, organic veggies) in the freezer and dairy items, kombucha, wellness tonic beverages, eggs, garden veggies and of course, microgreens are kept in the large three-door cooler. We purchased our three basin and handwashing sinks, floor anti-fatigue mats and shelving for the work room, garden items (i.e. landscape fabric and trenched-in water lines) and have some items yet to purchase.
Fall Stedfest 2021. Vendor tents set up in front of The Greensted multi-purpose facility. Stedfest is a twice yearly family event connecting the community with local food producers. Winter Stedfest will be Feb 26, 2022 hosting many local CSA share providers.
We cannot say enough about how helpful, and crucial, the loans have been for our business. SMIF came highly recommended and could work with us where we were at in our business. We didn’t have easy-reporting options for our business prior to last year so they took our pieced together information and helped us align with the documentation requirements for the loan process. Marcia is a gem to work with, making all the hard messy details come together to process for the loan application. We are deeply grateful for SMIF.
Why did you choose to start or grow your business in southern Minnesota?
Because that’s where we live! We also engaged with local entrepreneurs and farmers via peer groups and individual relationship-building. They have encouraged and inspired us in our journey. Southeast Minnesota has a tremendous food shed.
We love visitors, so plan a little trip to Zumbrota. We have a thriving downtown business district, great local restaurants and the cutest little Farm Store just up the hill. We’ll give you the microgreens tour and send you on your way with tasty local foods.
Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation (SMIF) offers a wide range of services and financial options to empower new and growing business owners in southern Minnesota. In addition to our lending services, SMIF invests in economic development initiatives through business trainings for entrepreneurs, grants for local initiatives, coaching for minority entrepreneurs and much more.
SMIF is an equal opportunity lender. These loans were funded in part through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration.
