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Got Local?
Meet Sailor Mercy!
Did you see Sailor Mercy at FEAST! 2019? Dani Dircks was there for the first time, and she really wowed us with her summery-feeling booth full of blooms. It’s no wonder she earned the 2019 award for Most Engaging Booth—her display instantly drew the eye, pulling you in to learn more about the power of nature in their elderberry syrup.
"I was so intrigued by herbalism,” she recalls of starting her venture just two and a half years ago. “I’m happiest in the garden and felt a calling to take the journey down this road of healing through herbs and flowers.” Dani’s team now includes a dozen other women, most of them mothers who blend the part time work with family time. They mash every berry by hand, and pick up their honey directly from their beekeeper with a smile and a handshake.
Having stepped into Sailor Mercy from her previous gig as a contractor, Dani knows a bit about entrepreneurship. She advises, “if you are reading this and have been playing with the idea of following a dream, I just want to encourage you to go for it, don't let being a mother stop you, don't let age stop you. I’m in my 40's and have never been more on top of my game, the life I’m living is finally my own. Your biggest obstacle will always be your own self doubt, so kick that to the curb and go live your best life.”
Pictured: Dani Dircks at FEAST! 2019 with her Most Engaging Booth Award
Elderberry has been used as a natural remedy as far back as Hippocrates and Ancient Egypt. Sailor Mercy offers three preparations, including one that contains no honey, sweetened with maple syrup instead. Now in 49 regional retail locations in addition to Etsy and their own website, they’re on track to sell 2000 bottles in February alone and have shipped product to 40 states.
Sailor Mercy website
Wondering about the name?
It's all about the kids. Literally! Initially making elderberry syrup for one of her children who was ill, the company is actually named after two of her four kids.
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Eateries
NOSH Scratch Kitchen
NOSH is back! After about 7 months in transition from Lake City to the newly-renovated historic building in Winona, Greg Jaworski is refreshed and re-focused, ready to put his creative skills towards feeding people again.
While the name has changed slightly—adding "Scratch Kitchen" to emphasize that everything is done in house—nothing about the fare will be different from what fans were used to finding at NOSH: delicious food for all tastes and diet needs.
Greg says, "Winona has truly embraced us and it feels great."
He's looking forward to attending the Winona Farmers Market every Saturday, and expects to see many of the familiar vendors he knows from the Rochester Farmers Markets.
Photography: Jennifer Sterling Design / jennifersterlingdesign.com
Congratulations! 
here are the winners:
Local foods tee:
Kristen Martinek
Patty Anstett
Esther Liu
Ribu Goyal
Carmel
$100 GIFT CERTIFICATE
Emily Doskey lives in Rochester and has selected Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery for her local foods dining gift certificate.
Fresh & Tasty
Main Street Farm
Main Street Project's mission is to advance resilient local communities by equipping the next generation of diverse farmers with regenerative agricultural practices that are ecologically, economically, and socially just.
To do that, they have a 100-acre research and development farm located in Northfield, MN for their work with perennials, people, and chickens. The Farm operates as a subsidiary of the nonprofit Main Street Project, and is host to many programs including their land share and community gardens, agripreneur training, and research plots.
Pictured: A 2019 community orchard planting day at the Main Street Farm.
As a production farm they also produce products for retail and wholesale buyers including garlic, elderflower, chickens, and—starting in 2020, a variety of botanical herbs. The garlic is primarily sold through Just Foods Co-op in Northfield but bulk orders are available directly from Main Street Project starting in August 2020. Elderflowers can be ordered through the Midwest Elderberry Co-op, of which Main Street Project is a member, and chicken CSA shares can be purchased on their website year round.
With the addition of new crops and two full time dedicated staff, they're excited to expand the farm's potential in 2020. Updates can be found on their website, by joining their mailing list, and following them on social media.
Pictured: their well-mulched 1/4-acre garlic field just before harvest of the 9,000+ individual plants.
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