One of the most important lessons we’ve learned in 2020 is the tremendous value a small business brings to its community. The folks who dedicate their lives to their craft, and in turn do what they can to share their services with their neighbors, deserve our respect and support.
Here are some incredible women, working every day to bring their talents to you:
Bee Tree Farm 
Jones BBQ 
Messner Bee Farm 
Amber Jean Art 
Happy Acre Farm 
Blue Marble Ice Cream 
Greta de Parry Designs 
Blacksmith Elizabeth Belz 
Homestead Wisconsin 
Little Flower Soap Co. 
Circa Ceramics 
Yonder Way Farms 
Woodworker Alexandra Climent 
Amaltheia Dairy Farm 
Woodward Throwbacks 
Seattle Urban Farm Co. 
Live Edge Detroit 
The Elk Coffee Shop 
Five Marys Farms 
Dobbin-Kauv Farm
If you shop online this holiday season,
don’t forget these incredibly hard working folks.
1.) Bee Tree Farm
Leaving dreams of the corporate world behind, Jenna started her very own goat farm. It all started with a few chickens in her suburban backyard and morphed into a full-fledged 15 acre dairy farm and cheese shop outside of Austin Texas.
Jenna, Kathryn, and Filipa work tirelessly with the herd, particularly during kidding season. This three woman-run operation only makes farmstead cheese. That means they never buy milk from other farms. All of their products are 100% created on Bee Tree Farm.
“Farmstead cheese production is, for me, the most connected and therefore beautiful expression of the farm itself.”
-Jenna Kelly-Landes
Click here to find out more about the markets they host every weekend, or schedule a tour.
2.) Jones BBQ
Sisters and pitmasters, Mary and Deborah Jones, have made waves in Kansas City.
These Bar-B-Queens have gone from local celebrities to internationally renowned culinary artists. Their no-frills approach inspired people to make the pilgrimage to Jones Bar-B-Q from places all over the globe, even as far as Australia.
Jones Bar-B-Q is a complete barbecue experience, it boasts an authenticity only found from a humble, family-run joint operating in a roadside parking lot. The sisters’ pit prowess draws a crowd, creating a friendly line of characters as flavorful as the reward for reaching the end of it.
“Our motto is freshness, freshness every day. It has to taste that way today, tomorrow, next week…
-Mary Jones
Click here to order a bottle of Jones BBQ secret sauce straight to your front door.
3.) Messner Bee Farm
Rachael Messner of Messner Bee Farm in Kansas City spun her hobby into a flourishing business. Her operations began as a 900 square foot urban farm. Over years of never giving up despite what different seasons showered upon her, Rachael and her family now live on their very own bee farm. You can even stop by for a tour if you’d like to know more about where your honey comes from.
“The best way people can help bees is by minimizing their use of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides, and supporting other organizations that do the same. Buy local honey, support your local beekeeper.”
–Rachael Messner
Shop some of Rachael’s products here.
4.) Sculptures by Amber Jean
From giant sculptures made from entire trees to carvings that fit in your hand, the interplay between humans and nature is the driving force behind Amber’s work. She put herself through college, finding work in the great outdoors that fueled her passion for earth and art.
Amber helped build the Continental Divide Trail, was part of the first all female crew at the Forest Service in Bozeman, fought forest fires in West Yellowstone, and was the first female wilderness ranger based out of the West Yellowstone District.
Amber was also the first woman to carve in the country of Bhutan for the King’s palace. She’s created many large scale works that have earned her great recognition in the art community. And she even gave a Ted Talk about her work.
“I never wasted energy grumbling at, whining about or looking for prejudices. I just got to work, stayed curious, made lots of mistakes, and kept after it.”
–Amber Jean
Shop Amber’s sculptures here.
5.) Happy Acre Farm
Helena is a first generation farmer originally from Oakland, CA. She taught herself the ins and outs of ag life through volunteer work and digging her hands in the dirt. She approaches farming with her own unique style, greenhouse disco ball included. Follow her and the family on instagram for a way to virtually embrace where your food comes from.
“I’m not sure if there are more women farming or if now we’re just able to see each other, or both. Either way, it’s magic.”
-Helena Sylvester
Shop Happy Acre here.
6.) Blue Marble Ice Cream
Over ten years ago, Jennie Dundas and Alexis Gallivan, opened Blue Marble Ice Cream in Brooklyn. Their products are entirely organic, made from only high quality ingredients, and absolutely no hormones, antibiotics, harmful pesticides or artificial additives. Manufacturing in New York with ethical and sustainable practices is crucial to this woman-run company.
“Nobody can really be sad eating ice cream, can they?”
-Susan Jo, Ice Cream Chef
Ship Blue Marble Ice Cream anywhere nationwide.
7.) Greta de Parry Design
Greta is a classically trained woodworker and sculptor in the Chicago area. She’s been designing and making furniture since 2007, and has won many awards since. Her collection consists of clean lines and minimalist touches.
“Sometimes the simplest designs are the most complex to create.”
-Greta de Parry
Shop Greta’s furniture here.
8.) Elizabeth Belz
We met Elizabeth at the Austin Forging Competition earlier this year. She’s a talented blacksmith who worked in healthcare for 13 years before she dedicated her life to metalwork. Currently, she’s working at John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina.
“I think one of the biggest misconceptions people have about blacksmithing and fabricating in general is that it’s for big, strong men. If I can do this, anyone can!”
–Elizabeth Belz
You can shop Elizabeth’s work here.
9.) Homestead Wisconsin
Brit McCoy is a woman of many talents. She’s a full time farmer, runs her own flower business, and works at her family’s business, The Wood Cycle. Making strides in her career alongside her family is the most challenging and the most fulfilling part of the job
Brit majored in Landscape Architecture at Iowa State University. Upon returning to Wisconsin, she and her husband Matt founded their own farm, first selling their ethically raised meat, eventually expanding their reach.
“My business started just like my father’s, to make our hobby our career. I started raising livestock as soon as I could afford to feed them.”
-Brit McCoy
You can order a box of their fine grass-fed beef and lamb here.
10.) The Little Flower Soap Co.
Michigan florist, Holly Rutt, started making soaps as a hobby. Combining her love for nature and interest in healing plant extractions and essential oils, she and her husband created a line of body care products. After realizing how much steam her side gig was gaining, Holly decided to devote the majority of her time to The Little Flower Soap Co.
“If you think your life would be better as your own boss in a creative field then get started and stick with it.”
—Holly Rutt
Shop Holly’s body care products here.
11.) Circa Ceramics
Nancy Witt and her husband Andy have been making their wares in the Chicago neighborhood of Ravenswood since 2001. Their signature style is iconic in the windy city, with their Chicago flag items constantly flying off the shelves.
Browse their online shop here.
12.) Yonder Way Farm
Lynsey Kramer hasn’t always been a farmer. She and her husband, Jason, once lived a more suburban life. He was a firefighter and she was a photographer. The couple decided to make some lifestyle and diet changes following health problems. These adjustments completely shifted how they thought about food sources. As their search for local meats proved fruitless, they decided to take action.
The Kramers began their farming adventure on family land. Eventually their business grew and they were able to purchase some acreage of their own. As the farm expanded, so did the Kramer family.
“Being able to have a family farm business has made our family stronger and create this sense of a team.”
-Lynsey Kramer
Shop Yonder Way Farms here.
13.) Alexandra Climent
Meet woodworker Alexandra Climent. She operates out of her own shop in Brooklyn. Her passion for the extraordinary wood she found in the jungle led her to teach herself the trade.
All of the products Alexandra makes are set apart from other wooden goods. She sustainably sources her materials from the jungle, befriending locals and working with each regions’ governments along the way. The wood she harvests and brings back to her shop is ancient, packed tightly over years and years.
“The wood I use is some of the most dense in the world…It’s like working with steel, and it breaks pretty much any blade.”
-Alexandra Climent
Shop Alexandra’s one-of-a-kind creations here.
14.) Amaltheia Dairy Farm
Amaltheia Dairy Farm in Montana is a family run operation in the Bozeman, MT area. They’ve been churning out cheesy goods for decades.
“We are sustainable farmers and try to utilize all of our resources and byproducts responsibly. We use the whey from the cheese to feed organic hogs and compost and use all of our manure for fields and gardens.”
-Sue Brown
Ship the famous Amaltheia Dairy Farm goat cheese straight to your front door.
15.) Woodward Throwbacks
Bo Shepherd and her partner Kyle started Woodward Throwbacks in 2013 as a means to repurpose much of the discarded lumber and abandoned antiques that plagued Detroit’s streets. Their shop has moved from location to location, each time scaling up and offering even more goods and services.
“We combined our love for the city and the idea that taking materials found in the street would also help clean our neighborhoods.”
-Bo Shepherd
Shop Woodward Throwbacks salvaged doors, custom made and reclaimed furniture, and handmade goods.
16.) Seattle Urban Farm Co.
Hilary Dahl is co-owner of Seattle Urban Farm Co. and host of the Encyclopedia Botanica podcast. The podcasts are quick lessons in farming, each one is easy to access—you can listen to them online and read the highlights.
Seattle Urban Farm Co. offers many services, and they differ from customer to customer. Their knowledgeable team can plan, build, and maintain the urban farm you always wanted but never thought you could personally manage—perfect for those of us who may not have a green thumb, but love the idea of homegrown tomatoes.
“Farmers deserve more respect for the work that they do. I wish everyone had a personal relationship with a few farmers and could keep in mind what an essential job they have.”
– Hilary Dahl
If you are an aspiring farmer or gardener, browse the different webinars Seattle Urban Farm Co. has to offer.
17.) Live Edge Detroit
In 2016, Jenny, her brother Joe, and her dad Mike founded Live Edge. They now salvage the trees that Mike’s company removes. Once the wood has been cut and taken back to their warehouse, the crew mills them into new usable material.
“We aren’t planning to take over the world, but we want to make a difference within the community, and we feel that starts right here in our own backyard.”
-Jenny Barger
Shop Live Edge’s offerings here.
18.) Five Marys Farms
A few years ago, Mary and her husband Brian were high-powered Silicon Valley lawyers/entrepreneurs who traded it all away to live the Carhartt way of life. Armed with a strong work ethic and the fearlessness to ask lots of questions, the couple and their four daughters who all share the first name of Mary – but who go by their middle name to keep things “simple” – have proudly become a fully-functioning ranch that sells its meats all over the country.
“I am so proud of the life we get to give our girls living and working together. They are so much more capable because of it.”
-Mary Heffernan
Shop Five Mary’s here.
19.) The Elk Coffee Shop
This charming coffee shop in the West Village of New York is owned by Claire Chan. She took over the space, renovated, and reopened with her grand vision in mind.
“I feel so proud of the all women-run businesses I see popping up, especially right now. There’s strength in numbers, and it feels amazing to surround yourself with like-minded and strong women!”
-Claire Chan
If you’re in NYC, you can order The Elk’s offerings straight to your door here or stock up on groceries.
20.) DOBBIN-KAUV FARM
Meet Tiffany Washington. She’s a service-disabled combat veteran, a mother of four, and a leader in her hometown.
Through her farming alter ego, Nancy Farm Fancy, Tiffany battles PTSD. She runs Dobbin Kauv Farm, the only black owned farm within Austin’s city limits. She now serves as a food justice warrior, protecting her childhood home by planting a nutritional defense around her community.
“Farming is the most underrated public service in the United States! Urban farming is the road to increased local food consumption. A healthier food system will emerge from the sharing of small farm culture.”
-Tiffany Washington
Looks for ways to support shop or support Tiffany here.
Crafted in Carhartt 