Sitting down with Jodie Emmett and Guillermo Maciel to talk about their company, Beth’s Farm Kitchen, quickly becomes a moving conversation about what value-driven commerce can create.
Jodie and Guillermo are the passionate new artisans behind the company started by Beth Linksey in 1981. Along with a respected brand and a cache of trusted recipes for delicious fresh jams, chutneys, and pickles, the couple are the proud inheritors of a legacy of female entrepreneurship and a commitment to supporting local farmers.
“Beth built Beth’s Farm Kitchen out of sheer will and dedication. It was so impressive,” says Jodie. “We’re honored to take up her good work and incorporate our own plans and ideas for the future.”
Now at the helm of Beth’s Farm Kitchen, Jodie and Guillermo are continuing Beth’s tradition of sourcing ingredients from local farms and are staunch in their support of those in the agricultural trade.
“Today’s farmer is asked to play so many roles. They have to do their actual agricultural work, be savvy businesspeople, and expert marketers in order to succeed,” says Guillermo. “In our role at Beth’s Farm Kitchen and as co-packers for other food artisans, we hope to lighten their load and create market share for everyone.”
Jodie and Guillermo are no strangers to getting to the roots of plants, politics, and problems in order to effect change. Jodie’s mother started one of the most successful agri-entertainment cider mills in Michigan, and that entrepreneurial spirit was a huge influence on her. Jodie has worked in international aid and development as well as sustainable food startups, all of which taught her that the best societal progress happens at a hyper-local level.
Guillermo is the proud son of Mexican immigrants who worked tirelessly to carve out a life in America, and impressed upon him that same work ethic, as well a community-centered mindset. His career in grassroots politics and social justice has found a powerful new outlet in the world of agriculture, as he and Jodie strive to create places in farming for both women and people of color.
Jodie and Guillermo continue to produce the perennial favorites synonymous with Beth’s Farm Kitchen and invent new recipes inspired by their travels and Guillermo’s Mexican heritage. They love collaborating with other local businesses on culinary ventures, as they have done with Lev Glazman’s Bartlett House and Beekman 1802.
Local, ethically-sourced ingredients, a company built on the principles of community, inclusivity, and neighborliness, and a belief that there is room for all of us at the table — what a delicious recipe.
Jodie and Guillermo are the passionate new artisans behind the company started by Beth Linksey in 1981. Along with a respected brand and a cache of trusted recipes for delicious fresh jams, chutneys, and pickles, the couple are the proud inheritors of a legacy of female entrepreneurship and a commitment to supporting local farmers.
“Beth built Beth’s Farm Kitchen out of sheer will and dedication. It was so impressive,” says Jodie. “We’re honored to take up her good work and incorporate our own plans and ideas for the future.”
Now at the helm of Beth’s Farm Kitchen, Jodie and Guillermo are continuing Beth’s tradition of sourcing ingredients from local farms and are staunch in their support of those in the agricultural trade.
“Today’s farmer is asked to play so many roles. They have to do their actual agricultural work, be savvy businesspeople, and expert marketers in order to succeed,” says Guillermo. “In our role at Beth’s Farm Kitchen and as co-packers for other food artisans, we hope to lighten their load and create market share for everyone.”
Jodie and Guillermo are no strangers to getting to the roots of plants, politics, and problems in order to effect change. Jodie’s mother started one of the most successful agri-entertainment cider mills in Michigan, and that entrepreneurial spirit was a huge influence on her. Jodie has worked in international aid and development as well as sustainable food startups, all of which taught her that the best societal progress happens at a hyper-local level.
Guillermo is the proud son of Mexican immigrants who worked tirelessly to carve out a life in America, and impressed upon him that same work ethic, as well a community-centered mindset. His career in grassroots politics and social justice has found a powerful new outlet in the world of agriculture, as he and Jodie strive to create places in farming for both women and people of color.
Jodie and Guillermo continue to produce the perennial favorites synonymous with Beth’s Farm Kitchen and invent new recipes inspired by their travels and Guillermo’s Mexican heritage. They love collaborating with other local businesses on culinary ventures, as they have done with Lev Glazman’s Bartlett House and Beekman 1802.
Local, ethically-sourced ingredients, a company built on the principles of community, inclusivity, and neighborliness, and a belief that there is room for all of us at the table — what a delicious recipe.