Agate Acres Farm & Events
Emily Richey and Kyle Cook both came from agricultural backgrounds. Emily grew up on a small hobby farm in northern Minnesota and worked on organic family farm operations as a farm crew member and field manager. Kyle grew up in a gardening family in Seattle. When they met, Kyle was on active duty in the U.S. Coast Guard, but decided he was up for a farming adventure.
They first began farming together in 2019 and purchased the Agate Acres property in 2020. They started with a Community Supported Agriculture vegetable business model and later expanded to include a farm stand and wholesale sales to restaurants. In 2023, Agate Acres began hosting weddings, and flower farming was added to the operation.
With the addition of weddings, Agate Acres shifted their business model from vegetable to cut-flower production. Today, they grow flowers for local florists, operate a Community Supported Agriculture program for flowers, sell buckets of blooms to restaurants, and offer bouquets and vegetables at their farm stand. They also provide custom floral design work for wedding clients. They are proud of their chemical-free operation and also raise pasture-raised chickens and turkeys.
Emily and Kyle are active in the agricultural community. Emily serves as secretary and Kyle as treasurer for the Lake Superior Sustainable Farming Association. They are members of the Minnesota Sustainable Farming Association, the Farmer Veterans Coalition, the National Young Farmers Coalition, and the Minnesota Farmers Union. They are also farm stand members of the Clover Valley Farm Trail and cooperative members of GrownBy.