Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Benjiman Horn. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Benjiman, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
The idea of the business was a culmination of events over several years. My educational background is in natural resource management and I have been an environmental advocate for as long as I can remember. While chasing a career in the biology world, I always had a part time job working in bars or restaurants. During this journey, I met my future wife, Ava, and started a garden. With news of a baby and Ava’s new career as a RN, we decided I would be a home daddy. With this decision, the garden got much bigger and we started a farm business and began attending the La Crescent Farmer’s Market. The garden became a passion as I was obsessed with knowing where my food came from and my desire to ensure soil health and increasing biodiversity.
After a few years, my longtime friends Cambria Kolstad-DeVaney and her husband Dan, moved to La Crescent. Cami started working at a local bakery and is also an avid gardener. Cami was also very active at farmer’s markets in the Ely, MN area where we met. With her years of experience as a self taught foodie and baker, we decided to team up at the local farmer’s markets. Over the course of couple years, we were always dreaming about a place of our own. Eventually, the opportunity to purchase an old building in the neighboring town of Hokah, MN developed and Free Range Exchange was born.
By joining forces, we brought together a concept unique to our area. With our passion for real food and real ingredients, we are able to showcase our homegrown veggies and our scratch-made offerings. We also partner with many small farms and businesses to feature as many local goods as possible. Our commitment to staying hyper local sets us apart because we know the connection of our sources. By sourcing local ingredients and farm products, we guarantee freshness of the highest quality. To ensure enough supply, we partner with over 60 local businesses. Beyond the food, what gets me the most excited is the story. Sharing the story of how we know every single vendor and the history of why we work together proving our commitment to local is exciting. There is nothing more rewarding than these friendships in the community.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
With a free range lifestyle, I have developed many interests, skills and a solid education. I am a free spirit yet a homebody all in one. I have been a traveler but now proudly settled in my home area. From early on, I had a strong connection to nature and could be often found hiking bluffs or spending most of my time on water. I hold an A.A.S. in Natural Resource Management as well as a B.S. in Geography and Earth Science. I have had a varied career during the journey to now. I grew up in the boating industry, worked for a canoe outfitter during college, as well a gigs in bars and restaurants. After college, I worked seasonal government jobs as a biologist. With my desire to grow food, I am a self taught market gardener of 10 years. I am the President of the La Crescent Farmer’s Market and I have attended numerous conferences and workshops. I am the owner of Happy Horn’s Farm & Orchard as well as a co-owner of the Free Range Exchange.
The Free Range Exchange is a coffee shop, café, bakery, mini farmer’s market all in one. We specialize in hyper local products with an emphasis on small business and family farms. In our shop, you will find direct sourced veggies, fruits, honey, syrup, meats, and other farm goods. Our coffee is sourced from local roasters, our bakery items are scratch-made, breakfast and lunch are created with Cami’s homemade love, and you’ll find other artisanal products made by our friends.
With our passion for local love and our commitment to knowing our sources, we aim to take out the guesswork. You can be certain our products are genuine and made or grown with love. Step into our store and you will get the immediate sense that our work is an extension of our lives. We promote sustainability, use eco-friendly packaging, compost our food waste, adopted our highway, and reduce food miles by staying truly local. We are also very proud that we produce almost zero food waste as we donate any unsold products daily to local families.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Our reputation is fostered by a few main factors. First is customer service. We always welcome you with a genuine hello, we develop friendships, and have a true desire to make your day better. Second is quality. Cami’s passion for quality food and taste is unsurpassed. There are no shortcuts and only the best is presented. Last but not least is word of mouth. This may be the most important factor. Without testimonials, many people may not give us a chance or keep wondering what we are. Word of mouth spreads the message of what we offer. We see new faces daily that mention so and so sent us here or we’ve been hearing about you and finally made it in.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Starting a business from nothing has been very difficult at moments. Building from nothing has taken a lot of patience and resilience. Reminding myself of baby steps and one day at a time can help ease the stressful moments. Sometimes the goal seems so far off that the daily work can create much anxiety. Sometimes a person may wonder if its all worth it. If you work hard and stay true to the mission, good things will come. Our resilience through these foundation years is helping us grow. We are proving to be successful in what we offer and that has opened up a new opportunity. We are fortunate to be opening a 2nd location in La Crosse WI.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/hokah_free_range
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/freerangeexchange