Kasson couple’s dream leads to Trail Creek Coffee

Jim and Crystal Whitmarsh both grew up in Michigan but moved to Kasson in 2017. Jim attended Michigan Tech University, majoring in mechanical engineering and also received an MBA there, while Crystal attended Finlandia University in Hancock, Mich. Both schools are located in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Upper Michigan.

They met on a blind date in 2004, going to a Pizza Hut and then a locally owned coffee shop, Cyberia Cafe. During the years that they dated, their love for coffee grew and they dreamed of one day opening a coffee shop.

In 2006, the couple was married and began their journey together in St. Peter, where Jim worked for a company handling industrial sand products. During this time, Crystal worked as a physical therapy assistant for the hospital in Mankato.

Crystal earned her doctor of physical therapy degree from the Mayo Clinic School of

Health Sciences in 2013 and transferred to St. Marys Hospital in Rochester in the spring of 2017, where she works with people who have had brain or spinal cord injuries.

Jim commuted to his job in St. Peter for a one-and-half-years but decided to transition to the coffee roasting business full time in March of 2019. Their current location was the former Kasson Post Office, which then became the Kasson library and more recently a thrift store.

When asked how they came up with the name Trail Creek Coffee Roasters, they said it came from the sub division area they lived while in Mankato.

Trail Creek sources their coffee beans in big burlap sacks from Café Imports, a coffee warehouse in Roseville. Those sacks reminded me of the cloth seed corn sacks farmers used years ago and a large display of different seed companies sacks hanging on a wall in the Horticulture Building during the Minnesota State Fair.

People ask them if their coffee is organic or fair trade. They do source fair trade organic beans whenever possible, but they also told me that a lot of farmers are unable to afford those certifications, although they are farming organically. The couple enjoys when they can purchase a coffee that is from a microlot, because it’s traceable to a specific farm.

They buy a variety of single origin coffee beans and when asked if they add different flavors, they said they do not as they want to highlight the natural flavors of the coffee.

The Whitmarsh’s have been going to the Farmers Market in Rochester as a concession vendor with their coffee cart where they are able to sell espresso drinks, hot coffee, cold brew and cold brew lattes, as well as bags of their freshly roasted beans. They also take part in various groups such as One Million Cups and the WE forum, to connect them with other entrepreneurs in the Rochester region.

They also have a Landing MN Light Roast, which benefits The Landing MN based in Rochester, a non-profit to help those facing homelessness. They will also be featuring another non-profit with the Project Legacy Roast coming soon.

When the COVID-19 virus hit, the wholesale coffee business significantly declined, but they were fortunate that their online business has been growing through their web site, www.trailcreekcoffeeroasters.com. They also sell coffee in some of the area stores, but  said the support from the local community here in Kasson has been a major factor that keeps their doors open.

The Whitmarsh’s have two children, six-year-old Isaiah and four-and-a-half  year old Micah.

Of course online learning was a challenge in the spring along with running a business and working full time, but they are looking forward to attending kindergarten and preschool this fall. The family are members of the Community Celebration Church and supply coffee to them as well.

Long term dreams include purchasing a larger batch roaster, expanding their current

roasting space into a coffee shop, and traveling to various coffee farms to source it directly.

This young couple said they were really welcomed by their neighbors when they moved to their Kasson home and plan to live here for many years. Perhaps their goal is to encourage people in Kasson and beyond to enjoy a really good cup of coffee and also help the small coffee growers producing the crop to make a better living!