Michelle M. Sharp. Photos: Bre McGee Photography
In her annual gift guide, a writer connects Minnesota artisans with shoppers.
Michelle M. Sharp, though she’s originally from Chicago, is now a bona fide Minnesotan—and she’s devoting her work to celebrating the artisans who make our state so great.
The Eagan resident was a Spanish professor and left the classroom when her children were young (though she kept up her academic research). “I was largely researching women in food and community,” Sharp says. “But when the pandemic happened, talking about practices from 100 years ago felt really out of touch when I was looking at small businesses around me that we really cared about and wondering what we could do beyond our purchasing power as a family of four.”
She had a bit of an epiphany while chopping—perhaps not a surprise—veggies from her family’s longtime CSA, Featherstone Farm in Rushford. The brainstorm? A food column for Eagan’s local paper, the Sun This Week, that would feature recipes and human-interest stories about local producers (many of whom Sharp had met at her favorite farmers markets). The editor liked the idea, and Sharp’s column quickly became popular.
So, she expanded her reach and launched Meet the Minnesota Makers on Facebook and Instagram. “Could I create an intentional community on social media of small business owners and people who want to support small businesses?” she wondered. The answer was a resounding yes. She highlighted various makers and events, like art fairs and farmers markets, and offered in-depth interviews with many of the producers to help them tell their stories.
Apple Valley’s Cookies and More by Lisa is one of the local makers that has been featured by Meet the Minnesota Makers. Photo: Chris Emeott
In 2023, Sharp developed the Meet the Minnesota Makers website, featuring a directory of more than 100 local farms, artists and artisans. Selecting businesses involves a mix of personal outreach and referrals. The directory is constantly growing as Sharp seeks out new producers. Sharp jokes, “I have agreements with my family [about] when I’m going to actively look for new makers and when I promise we’re just going to wander and only visit with the makers we already know.” She vets each featured business to ensure that they’re genuinely based in Minnesota, hand-produce their products and are active members of their communities.
A highlight of Meet the Minnesota Makers is the annual gift guide, a curated collection of local products perfect for holiday shopping. Set to be published the week before Thanksgiving, this year’s guide will be built into the website, making it easy to search and sort.
Sharp ultimately sees herself as a connector and a storyteller. “It’s not that people don’t want to support local businesses; it’s just that it’s not as easy” as buying something from a large retailer, she says. “So, whatever I can do on my end to make it as easy as possible, I want to do. I really just was hooked on the stories and loved being able to talk to the people who were on the ground doing this.”
Shop Minnesota
Michelle M. Sharp is a true connoisseur of shopping local—so where are her favorite places to find holiday gifts? Plan a half-day trip to one of her picks (and grab a treat at a local coffee shop while you’re at it, of course). “Virtually, everything you will find in these stores has been sourced from Minnesota,” Sharp says.
- Smith + Trade Mercantile, Stillwater; smithandtrade.com
- The Argyle Moose, Hugo; theargylemoose.com
- The Greensted, Zumbrota; thegreensted.com
- Holly House Boutique; this seasonal pop-up market often has locations in the South Metro; hollyhouseboutique.com
Meet the Minnesota Makers
Facebook: Meet the Minnesota Makers
Instagram: @meettheminnesotamakers
