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“Food is comfort. Food is healing”
Editor’s Note: In July, 100 Rural Women had the privilege of sitting down with Carla Mertz. Carla is a small business owner and founder of Iron Shoe Farm in Princeton, Minnesota. Growing microgreens and pasture raising all of their animals, this local farm prides itself on providing entirely chemical-free, antibiotic-free products raised humanely and sustainably. During our interview, we had the chance to ask her about her business, overcoming hardships, and adapting to today’s pandemic.
We are excited to feature her through our Spotlight Profiles.
“We lost ninety percent of our business during the first two hours after the coronavirus shutdown,” Carla recalls, when asked how the coronavirus pandemic has impacted her small business.
Markedly, she was quick to adapt. That same day, Iron Shoe farms had a new online e-commerce website within hours to sell her products. As. a matter of fact, in the first two weeks she reached a record day of $10,000 in sales. Her website includes a “mobile pantry”, where she offers a variety of products including microgreens, spices, sauces, cheese, eggs, and a variety of meats and vegetables. The list goes on and includes offerings from many other farmers that Carla sells through her site.
Over the last seven years, Carla has worked tirelessly to put her small farm on the map, resulting in 500% growth every year until the coronavirus pandemic this spring. She began her business in 2013 after she and her husband purchased the barn that started it all.
Certainly, Carla’s ability to persevere in times of crisis and adapt to meet the needs of the community while ensuring the public’s safety has proven to be crucial in her success as a small business owner. Carla continues her small farming business while advocating the importance of farmers coming together to help one another in sourcing local foods.
Carla is an entrepreneur in starting her small farming business and she comes from a long line of pioneers. Her great grandfather was a rancher, and her great aunt was a writer for a local newspaper in rural Minnesota. Carla grew up with so much love and respect for the land. In turn, today she is a passionate advocate for nose-to-tail, sustainability and locality in food.
In 2002, Carla’s daughter was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal illness that caused Carla to reinvent how she thinks about food. She had to adapt and learn an entirely new diet. In turn, leading to her passion for providing local, chemical free, antibiotic free products.
Beyond their livestock, Iron Shoe Farm is home to a 120 square foot outdoor garden. Additionally, they grow microgreens indoors year-round, which serves as a cash crop to restaurants all over the Twin Cities.
Her growing business can in part be attributed to the strong network she has cultivated over the years. As a matter of fact, Carla has met many women farm-owners like herself. Carla asserts that there are many more women farm-owners than the public thinks, as there is still the lingering gender role of farming being seen as a man’s job. She looks forward to bringing stories of more local Minnesota farmers, butchers, and chefs to her community.