We are so honored to be named the University of Minnesota Extension’s 2021 Ramsey County Farm Family of the year! This is an honor given to a select few farms annually, with only one farm in each country receiving the award.
R&R Cultivation has always been a team effort with lots of family involvement. When they had just founded their fledgling farm, our founders Nick Robinson and Lance Ramm relied on their parents and siblings to construct grow rooms, help out at farmer’s market stands, and manage the company’s digital marketing efforts. To this day their families contribute to the continued success and expansion of R&R Cultivation’s urban farm.
From Humble Beginnings to Family Farm of the Year
R&R Cultivation was founded in 2018. We were initially headquartered in founder Nick Robinson’s basement with only a 4’ by 4’ growing area! After the company’s initial success at farmer’s markets we expanded into a larger space that allowed us to produce more mushrooms. This enabled us to begin selling wholesale to local restaurants that wanted to include more gourmet mushrooms in their dishes. We were forced to get creative during the pandemic as restaurants closed, so we decided to focus on partnering with local grocery stores and co-ops. We’re now producing over 1,500 pounds of gourmet mushrooms each week, and you can find our mushrooms in dozens of grocers throughout the Twin Cities.
Even though we’ve seen our company’s tremendous growth firsthand over the years, we were pleasantly surprised to be recognized as a successful urban farm by the University of Minnesota Extension. This award came with another local distinction: in response to our Family Farm of the Year award, the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners declared September 21st R&R Cultivation Day. It is truly an honor to be recognized by the Board and our community.
Learn more about R&R and the Family Farm of the Year awards in this Star Tribune article.