Jason and Ellen Leigh, owners of Maplebrook Farm in Byron, didn’t plan to start a cottage food business ; it just happened naturally. Jason learned food preservation from his grandmother and later developed a passion for gardening through University of Minnesota Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program . What began as a shared hobby quickly evolved into something more. Initially, the couple grew and preserved food just for themselves. But after moving to the countryside and acquiring 33 acres of land, their harvests quickly outpaced their needs.

Faced with an abundance of fresh produce, they started looking for ways to avoid waste by selling homemade goods alongside their vegetables. They quickly realized customers were more interested in products than raw ingredients. For exampl

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