From Farmers Markets To Having A Farm – Brook Park Biz Expands

A local organic herb & flower farm, which has evolved from selling homemade remedies at farmers' markets to now owning its own farm, has expanded yet again and is now offering gluten-free baked goods and coffee on weekends. I've heard that the baked goods are so in demand that you are likely to wait in line before you can even set foot inside.

From Farmers Markets To A Farm

Candice and Justin Brockner own and operate Holistic Homestead in Brook Park, MN. It all began more than a decade ago when family and friends asked the couple for herbal products that they were making for their immediate family.

From there, the couple started selling their products at farmers' markets as well as at some local stores in the Mora/Brook Park area. After a few years of selling and distributing their product that way, the couple came to realize that they were in need of an actual storefront for customers to pick up the product.

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In 2021, Candice and Justin purchased their homestead property in order to grow more herbs and flowers for their growing business, as well as giving them space for animals like chickens, cows, and goats.

Birth Of A Business From An Unused Barn

The newly purchased property, in addition to having more space for plants and animals, had a barn sitting unused, and in October of 2021, Candice and Justin created and opened up a boutique, Holistic Homestead Farm Boutique.

The boutique offers customers a large variety of items for sale, including a wide variety of natural remedies, homeopathics, pantry items, home decor, books, gifts, clothing, toys & games, and of course our handcrafted herbal soap & skincare.

The Brockners have since added other services to the farmstead, like an infrared sauna, red light therapy, and salt therapy. You can learn more about these offerings on their website, here. 

2025 Brought A Coffee Shop & Gluten Free Bakery

While the business was just a boutique, Candice, who had her cottage food license, began offering baked goods for sale inside the boutique. It began to become apparent that Justin and Candice had another opportunity to appeal to the community and made the decision to start a bakery and coffee shop.

The addition of a bakery and coffee shop didn't happen overnight, as I was told it took a year of construction to complete. But the Brockners' patience paid off as last month the couple opened the doors and welcomed the community to the Homestead Kitchen.

Homestead Kitchen is a dedicated Gluten-Free Bakery & Coffee Shop, which means they don’t process anything that contains wheat or gluten.  The menu often includes staples like donuts, cinnamon rolls, caramel pecan rolls, brownies, cupcakes, & cookies.

Visitors to the business can also purchase dairy-free soft serve, which is offered with homemade gluten-free and dairy-free waffle cones.

On top of all the baked goods and soft serve, the Homestead Kitchen also offers a complete coffee menu that features espresso, lattes, cold brew, energy refreshers, & tea. The entire menu is not only free from gluten but also completely dye-free, which was a huge undertaking and something the couple is very proud of offering.

Customers Are Often Lined Up Before They Open

Both the boutique and 'kitchen' are open every weekend, Saturday and Sunday, from 10am to 3pm. But coming at 10am doesn't mean you'll be first in line.

Since opening in August, it's not uncommon to have a line of people ready to buy fresh rolls, donuts, or cinnamon rolls before they are even open.

Even though the business is often only open on the weekends, that doesn't mean that it is the only time to shop. There are often pop-up days or other special events that see the shop being open, so if you are interested, it's not a bad idea to check their website or social media pages for the latest information, including details on the business's anniversary in October.

Holistic Homestead Farm Boutique and Homestead Kitchen can be found at 2396 250th Avenue, Brook Park, MN, which is about an hour from St. Cloud.