Good morning, South Metro.
What's inside:
Farmington grocery: Salaam Global Flavors now open, first dedicated grocery store in town
Gold Medal: Lakeville South's Alice Yi honored at Carnegie Hall, 335,000 entries nationwide
Farmington grants: $29K to Salaam, Farmington Greenhouse, Chill Studio, Farmington Gymnastics
Creamery history: 550 cooperatives by 1898, Hastings closed 2023 and caught fire three weeks later
Pan-O-Prog kickoff, baby crawl race & Church of Cash July 6-8
Which city is home to Minnesota's very first winery?
Farmington Just Got a New Downtown Grocery Store
Salaam Global Flavors is now open at 115 Elm St.—a full neighborhood market with fresh produce, pantry staples, a deli, and homemade Ethiopian sambusas. Owner Keneni Ababulgu is a Farmington mom and former Farmington High food-service worker, and the city says it's been without a dedicated grocery store until now.
A Lakeville South Grad Just Won a National Gold Medal for Her Art
Alice Yi won a national Gold Medal at the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for her charcoal drawing "DRINK ME"—honored at Carnegie Hall alongside about 600 teens picked from over 335,000 entries nationwide.
Farmington Just Backed 4 Local Businesses With Matching Grants
The city handed out nearly $29,000 in MicroGrants on June 15 to Salaam Global Flavors grocery, Farmington Greenhouse, Chill Studio ice cream, and Farmington Gymnastics & Cheer. The program matches what a business spends on a real project, up to $10,000.
THE CREAMERIES THAT MADE THE BUTTER
Before Land O'Lakes. Before Kemps. Before the milk aisle at Cub.
Your great-grandmother walked her cream cans to the creamery in town and watched a man churn butter.
THE CREAM CHECK
Making butter at home was brutal work. Mostly done by women. You had to skim the cream, keep it cool, churn it by hand. And farm butter picked up whatever flavors were floating around the kitchen.
The creamery solved that. Farmers pooled their resources, built a cooperative, and brought their milk to one place. The creamery had the equipment. The expertise. The cream separator that spun butterfat from milk faster than any farmwife could skim it.
And every week, you'd get a cream check. Cash money for what your cows produced.
By 1898, Minnesota had more than 550 cooperative creameries. By 1928, nearly half of all the cooperative creameries in the entire United States were in Minnesota.
Many towns had one. Including several in the south metro.
THE LOCAL CREAMERIES
Lakeville had several. Schlosser Creamery operated for nearly 80 years at 205 East Patterson Street, in a building that started life as a one-room schoolhouse in 1874. The rail depot handled cream cans shipped in and butter shipped out.
In Scott County, J.C. Munsch opened Shakopee's first creamery around 1906. Farmington helped establish the Twin Cities Milk Producers Association in 1916.
Then came Land O'Lakes. Founded in 1921, the cooperative started absorbing smaller creameries across the state. Efficiency won. Scale won. One by one, the town creameries closed.
THE LAST ONE
Hastings Cooperative Creamery opened in 1913 at the corner of Tyler and First Streets. That first week, they churned 1,500 pounds of butter. For 110 years, it operated. The only bottling plant left in Dakota County by 1976.
It closed August 21, 2023. Wastewater violations. Three weeks later, on September 13, the building caught fire. The roof collapsed. A century of history went up in smoke.
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Monday, July 6th
ReRoll Foundation Charity Golf Tournament (Lakeville) The 2nd annual tournament at Brackett's Crossing raising money for mental health awareness and suicide prevention in honor of Matt's life. Hit the green.
Dinner & Dancing at Brianno's: Beasley's Big Band (Lakeville) A free dance lesson at 6pm followed by social and swing dancing to a full big band at Brianno's Chart House, dinner reservations recommended. Dance the night.
STARBASE Pints and Propulsion (Rosemount) Experience the world of STEM like a kid again at OMNI Brewery at 5:30pm, a hands-on evening from the nonprofit that brings aerospace education to local schools. Blast off.
BINGO, $5 Pints & $1 Meat Raffle at Trove Brewing (Burnsville) A $1,199 cover-all jackpot, $5 pints, free popcorn, and a $1 meat raffle for Von Hanson's gift cards starting at 6:30pm. Play a round.
Fun with Resin, Polymer Clay and More (Rosemount) Kids ages 9-14 dive into resin art, polymer clay sculpting, and candle making over two afternoons at 1pm, all keepsakes go home with them. Get creative.
Tuesday, July 7th
Family Fun Fest (Lakeville) Everything is free at this Pan-O-Prog kickoff at 5pm, hot dogs, cotton candy, drinks, archery range, bounce house obstacle course, chalk art, and yard games. Bring the whole crew.
Toy Story Trivia at Bald Man Brewing (Eagan) It's been 30 years since Buzz first landed in Andy's room, and Trivia Mafia is celebrating at 7pm with a full Toy Story trivia night timed to the newest movie. To infinity.
Bocce Ball Tournament (Lakeville) A brand new Pan-O-Prog event at Spyglass Park at 9am, come enjoy a day of bocce hosted by Lakeville Recreation. Roll one.
Color Analysis Event at Threads & Co (Lakeville) Learn which colors make you look your best at this boutique class at 5pm with Alex from Color My Season, $40 and the shop stays open for shopping after. Find your colors.
Wild Workouts: Qigong at the Minnesota Zoo (Apple Valley) A gentle movement and breathing class at the Zoo at 6:30pm combining qigong sequences with mindfulness, all levels welcome and seated modifications available. Find your flow.
Triple Play Tuesdays at Grand Slam (Burnsville) Unlimited laser tag, mini golf, and Krazy Kars plus a $3 arcade card for just $12.95 per person from 4-8pm. Play all night.
Wednesday, July 8th
Baby Crawl Race (Lakeville) The most adorable Pan-O-Prog event is back at the Heritage Center at 9am, registration at 9 and crawling starts at 10, trophies awarded in the finals. Watch them crawl.
Ice Cream Social (Lakeville) A free afternoon at 1pm with live music from CODA, kids games, and ice cream from Dairy Delite and Unbakeable, fun for all ages. Grab a scoop.
LIVE AT THE LAKE: Church of Cash (Lakeville) A free outdoor Johnny Cash tribute concert at 6pm at Casperson Park with food trucks, perfect for a Wednesday evening on the lake. Walk the line.
Restful Yoga at The Lavender Barnyard (Farmington) Yin Yoga and singing bowl sound bath at 6pm in the lavender fields, an hour of pure calm for $15. Find your zen.
Weekly Wheels Car + Bike Meets at Buck Hill (Burnsville) Hundreds of standout cars, trucks, and motorcycles fill the Buck Hill parking lot at 5pm with live music and eats from Buck 54. Cruise in.
Carly May Foundation Impact Social (Rosemount) An open-house evening at OMNI Winery from 5-9pm showcasing the foundation's mission to uplift and empower those in need, with food, inspiring stories, and raffle prizes. Give back.
Curtis & Loretta: Music in the Stacks (Eagan) A free live performance at 6pm at Wescott Library, bringing music right into the stacks for one of the most unique venue experiences around. Hear the music.
How did you like this week's edition of the South Metro Scoop?
Stay tuned for our next newsletter going out every Monday & Thursday morning.
— Brady Greenbush
Publisher & Editor