Sheletta treats city folks to breakfast —on the same farm where the hens laid the eggs

Bright and early on a summer Sunday, about thirty hungry city folks will board a bus and travel two hours to a farm in Pope County.

When they arrive at the It All Makes Sense Farm operated by the Schmidt family near the rural town of Starbuck, the guests will dine on local eggs, homemade sausage, pancakes and toast made from locally milled flour and maple syrup, honey and fruit produced on nearby farms.

The breakfast will be curated by The Crowded Table, a husband-and-wife business and labor of love owned by Matthew and Amber Jensen. The Crowded Table regularly brings city and country folks together for locally sourced farm-to-table meals and unique agricultural experiences in greater Minnesota.

“We noticed there’s a big disconnect in consumers about where their food actually comes from. Minnesota farmers are raising amazing products all over our state. By bringing guests out to them, we can educate them and foster those connections,” Matthew said. “The freshness, the flavors, it’s amazing.”

The breakfast field trip to Starbuck will be hosted by media personality and entrepreneur Sheletta Brundidge. Through her media and marketing company ShelettaMkesMeLaugh.com, Brundidge writes a daily “newsletta” that is distributed to thousands of readers via email.

Sheletta’s Newsletta is a forum for her upbeat and funny take on the world, from the news of the day to her own foibles and anecdotes about raising her four children.

When she learned about the farm-to-table meals hosted by The Crowded Table, Brundidge became so enthusiastic that she decided to charter a bus and offer free tickets to 30 of her regular readers.

“I’m a business owner so I know how important it is to support local businesses,” Brundidge said. “My readers support me and my sponsors and so I wanted to give back and show them how much I appreciate them.”

“I’ve never been on a farm where they are producing food. I’m taking two of my boys because I want them to see and realize the work it takes,” said Josephine Martinez of Woodbury, a loyal Newsletta reader.

“In the last few years we made a move to go to farmers markets and do a little gardening. It helps them make healthier choices,” she said.

The final part of the daily Newsletta is Brundidge’s inspirational feature “Lessons from the Farm.” Brundidge and her family live in Cottage Grove, where her subdevelopment adjoins a farm owned for several generations by the Tank family. Brundidge’s friendship and regular visits with the farmers led to her view their work as relevant in aspects of her life.

“I’m a woman of faith and I see so many analogies in agriculture. I hear God’s voice in what they tell me,” she said. “I grew up in the inner city in Houston, Texas and watching the seasons and the work on the farm has nourished my spirit.”

Rochelle Gianino îs a loyal subscriber who looks forward to opening the Newsletta because “Sheletta is funny every day. She puts a pep in my step.”

Gianino, of North Minneapolis, was quick to sign up for the bus trip for herself and her nine-year-old twins. They will dine at tables set up near where the chickens laid the eggs, the cows produced the milk and the raspberries ripened in the summer sun.

Gianino said in addition to the breakfast, she is looking forward to spending time with Brundidge and making memories with her children. 

“It’s summer time. We are always looking for activities and ways to explore. The world is so crazy, I want them to experience the good in the world,”Gianino said. “They are curious, they ask curious questions.  I want them to understand more about the food they are putting in their bodies.”

Gianino said that she hoped there would be animals to meet on the farm, and she won’t be disappointed. As part of the outing, the group will troop into the farm’s century old barn and watch as the farmers milk the dairy herd.

“When I was growing up, I always looked forward to a field trip. Loved going on the bus to someplace new,” Brundidge said. “I want to bring back some fun times. And get a big old breakfast at the same time!”