Knowing Your Neighbor: Spirit Creek Farm

WRENSHALL, Minn. — Two farms in Wrenshall Minnesota have been growing cabbage for a Wisconsin based sauerkraut company for over a decade, and after the previous owners decided to step away from the business, the Minnesota farmers have now taken over the creation side of things as well.

“Spirit Creek Farm was an existing business that was run by Andrew and Jennifer Sauter-Sargent out of Cornucopia, Wisconsin, they’re good friends of ours, and we grew cabbage for them for close to 15 years,” said Rick Dalen, Spirit Creek Farm Co-owner and Northern Harvest Farm Owner.

Rick Dalen and Adam Kemp have been farming together since 2008 at Northern Harvest Farm in Wrenshall.

Adam also his own farm just across the street Uff-da Organics. They teamed up once again to take over Spirit Creek Farm.

“One thing led to another and here we are standing in cabbage field,” said Adam Kemp, Spirit Creek Farm Co-owner and Uff-da Organics Owner.

The two are excited to take over the sauerkraut business with their families.

They have been working close with the previous owners to insure that the signature taste remains the same.

“All the products are basically the same products as what they were doing. We took all the recipes that Jennifer and Andrew developed over the years, and we’re doing everything exactly the same to keep the product integrity and quality like exactly the same. We worked with them super closely to make sure that all of that was going to be really consistent,” said Dalen.

The cabbage that is produced at the neighboring farms, as well as the Food Farm, which is also based nearby in Wrenshall.

After it is harvested, the cabbage ferments for four to eight weeks depending on product.

Spirit Creek Farm has around eight different products, from different kinds of sauerkraut, ginger carrots, and even the best seller Kim Chi, which is a Korean style kraut.

“So one of the things that differentiates like our just our regular standard sauerkraut from like the normal sauerkraut you might find in the store is that it’s, it’s lacto-fermented, it’s got probiotics, it’s not heated, so it retains that probiotic integrity,” said Dalen.

The sauerkraut making also adds a more stable work environment for farm employees. Because even in the cold months, there will still be work to be done.

“So we’ll farm in the summer and spring, spring, summer fall, do a bunch of bulk harvesting in the fall and then process that stuff through the winter. And then the product is available. Year round. It’s available in 70, something stores and seven states. So it’s a pretty good sized business that we’re taking on, “ said Dalen.

Wrenshall has a long history of growing cabbage, and the new owners are proud to be bringing back the produce.

“Some of the folks that have been in this area for a long time can remember when you know there was just seas a cabbage in these fields. So I think kind of bringing some of that bringing some of that history back to life here in Wrenshall I think is a really cool thing to do, too,” said Kemp.

The farmers are excited to continue on the legacy of Spirit Creek Farm, by providing nutritious sauerkraut to people across the Midwest.

If you want to pick some Spirit Creek Farm sauerkraut for your own, Whole Foods Co-Op in Duluth has you covered.