About the Arthur Market
Take a moment to learn a little bit about the history of the Arthur Market, and the amazing group of people that put this all together.
History of the Arthur Market
The Arthur Market held its first event on September 19th, 2020, with just 15 vendors and 9 sponsors. Our 2023 season wrapped up with 43 vendors and 23 sponsors - a testament to the growth and support we have experienced. From the very beginning, our focus has been on supporting and promoting the incredible small businesses and side hustles that are found in our area. There are so many talented, passionate people that love to share their gifts with the rest of us, and we are thrilled to support and promote them.
We believe very strongly that those small business owners are a key ingredient in cultivating a thriving rural community. We love collaborating with them, as vendors and sponsors, to bring you the best farmers/makers market in the Red River Valley.
What started out as simply an event created for the City of Arthur and our surrounding communities, quickly evolved into something much greater. Due to our continued growth, the Arthur Market was established as a non-profit LLC in North Dakota during the winter of 2023-2024. This new footing will allow us to deepen our impact in Arthur, and leverage where we are to create new opportunities to support, promote, and collaborate with local businesses.
Meet the Team
Jeremy Nelson, Executive Director
Hi! My name is Jeremy and I am in charge of this amazing thing we call the Arthur Market. I grew up in Northfield, MN, which is about an hour south of Minneapolis. I am a history teacher by trade, spending the last 24 years in the classroom. I earned a Masters Degree in administration from MSUM, which I have been putting to good use as the community coordinator in Arthur, and most recently as the executive director of the Arthur Market. My wife, Cori Jensen, and I moved our family to Arthur in the spring of 2017 after we out grew our home in Fargo. We have four great kids that keep us busy, especially given the very different stages they are in - #1 in college, #2 about to be a senior, #3 and #4 in elementary school. I love books (fantasy, sci-fi, and history/biography are my go-to genres), good food and drink, and spending time with friends and family. Home is my favorite place to be. I have a big heart for local businesses, so the creation of the Arthur Market felt natural. Cultivating this market community has been a source of great joy, and I hope you all can join me in continuing our efforts to support our area business owners.
Kelly Johnson, Chair
I was born in San Diego, California (my father was in the Navy) we moved back to North Dakota when I was a baby. We lived in Erie, Galesburg, Finley, West Fargo, Mapleton (where I went to school Kindergarten- 4th Grade) We moved to Arthur during my 4th grade year. I was 10 years old. My father owned and operated The Farmers Inn bar & café in Arthur. My mom was a middle school/ high school English teacher, librarian, drama coach etc…throughout her career. She taught in various schools with a large part of her career in the Lisbon Public School. I’m the oldest of three. I have a sister, Andrea, who works for Community Living Services in Fargo. And a brother, Rob, who works for Northern Improvement in Fargo.
I went to Dakota Elementary ( Hunter) and Dakota High School( Arthur). I went to Valley City State College for 2 years. Then I moved back to Arthur and worked with my father at the Farmers Inn. For the next 10 years I cooked and bartended. When my dad retired and closed his business I purchased the Country Cafe that was located in the Arthur Mall after 2 years we moved into our Kelly’s Cafe location where I have been for the last 22 1/2 years.
I married Keith in 1993. We’ve been married for 30 years. Keith farms in Arthur where he raises wheat, corn, soybeans, and sunflowers. We have two children Dylan and Lindsey. Dylan farms with Keith and Lindsey is a Coordinator with The Boys& Girls Club in Fargo. Since we are Empty Nesters we now have two very spoiled well loved Bernedoodles Ollie & Finn.
I enjoy going to the lakes in the summer, spending time with my family and friends, spoiling my dogs, going on girls trips, going to concerts, and try to take at least one trip per year. Last year I got to Nashville twice and loved it!
I am excited to be part of the Arthur Market Board. I love that the Market brings new people to see and enjoy our town. Arthur is a great place to live and raise your family, there is nothing like a small town Community. The Market also draws in people who grew up here to come back and visit their friends and family and enjoy the food, drink, music and do a little shopping too!
Alyssa Zieske, Vice Chair
My older sister, brother, and I were all born in Arizona but were raised in Hunter, ND. I attended Norther Cass School. For the past 12 year I have worked in banking. After working for a couple of national banks, I have settled in at Dakota Heritage Bank as an internal auditor and CSR. My husband & our two kids live in Arthur. We have a cat & dog; our dog is an Akbash/Lab mix. If I have free time, I'm usually reading a book. While I haven't traveled much, my favorite place I've been to so far would probably be Sedona. I enjoy the Arthur Market because it supports a variety of small businesses that I wouldn't probably have come across on my own. I also like that there's a little bit of everything for everybody to enjoy. I agreed to serve on the board because I enjoy having this available in our community and wanted to assist in some way.
Darcie Ranum - Secretary
I grew up on a farm near Cresbard, SD. It is located southwest of Aberdeen. I have three brothers-- two older, one younger. My dad farmed with his brother and cousin for most of my youth but later got into the trucking business (and he still drives truck, when he's not in Arizona during the winters). My mother was a bookkeeper and is taking a hiatus from working at the moment, although I'm not sure if she's fully retired yet. Are we ever? I attended K-12 at Cresbard School; I was actually part of the last graduating class! I went on to study at Jamestown College, now known as the University of Jamestown, where I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. Following college graduation, I was hired by Essentia Health hospital to work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Pediatrics. I have now been with Essentia for 15 years. I worked in the NICU and Peds for 10 years. After having my second child, I desired a different schedule, so I transferred to the Case Management department. When Covid hit, Essentia sent us nurses in the CM department home to work remotely. The department evolved and I am currently still a nurse case manager, but I work in the Utilization Management department and on the Inpatient Appeals team.
I am married with two children. We live in rural Gardner. Currently for pets, we just have two beta fish. In my free time, I love to read, do puzzles, and garden in the summer time. I love learning from our grandmothers and carrying on some of the same practices-- baking pies with homemade crusts, canning & preserving food, knitting, crotcheting, etc. My favorite food is sushi. I have found it so much fun in recent years to travel to new places or take road trips with our children and see the world through their eyes-- this past summer, we crossed Yellowstone National Park off our to-do list! What I enjoy the most about attending the Arthur Market is the feeling of community at the events. I grew up in a rural, small-town area so I love going to the Arthur Market and seeing so many people I know and being able to catch up with each other. The wonderful products and vendors that we get to explore and experience are an added bonus! I agreed to serve on the Board because I believe in the mission of the Arthur Market, in cultivating thriving rural communities where everyone is welcome, while also supporting small businesses, rural schools, and young entrepreneurs. The Arthur community doesn't just FEEL like home; this community IS home to me now and I can't wait to be a part of what's to come.
Scott Kroeger, Tresurer
I grew up in Cayuga, ND, on a farm with my two siblings. I graduated high school from Sargent Central High School in Forman, ND. After that I earned an Associates degree in accounting and computer programming from the North Dakota School of Science, and my Bachelor's degree in business management from the University of Mary in Fargo. I worked for the Arthur Companies Inc., in Arthur, ND for 34 years as Office Manager - Credit Manager, Controller & CFO; Alton Grain Terminal, Hillsboro, ND for 5 years as CFO & Controller; Prairieland Ag Inc. in Fargo, ND for 5 years as Project Specialist and CFO. I am currently working on trying to retire! I have lived in Arthur, ND since 1980. I have been actively involved with the Arthur Volunteer Fire Department and Community of Care. In my free time I like to travel, attend UND Fighting Sioux hockey games, some golfing (or should I say hacking), and hanging out with friends. Definitely like to eat good quality food, fast food restaurants don't count, and my favorite food is most any quality food that doesn't eat me first! The Arthur Market has definitely brought interest and vitalization to Arthur and the community and also to area small businesses. I certainly want to see that vitalization continue and that is my primary reason for accepting a position on the Arthur Market board.
Stacy Nelson-Heising, Board Member
I am the orchard manager of Cottonwood Farm, Located in Ayr, ND. Cottonwood Farm is a 1,500+ tree mixed fruit commercial orchard, specializing in heritage and culinary apples used for hard cider production. Along with my husband, Dan, we have founded Cottonwood Cider House, ND's first cidery. In addition to being orchard manager, I am Cottonwood Cider House’s Head Chef, and taproom manager. We live on my family homestead, also the location of their cider house. My hobbies include: knitting, gardening traveling, camping, home interior design and menu planning. We have one son, Ben who is an EMT in Casselton, ND.
Jocelyn Hovland - Board Member
I grew up on a farm and ranch outside of Carrington, North Dakota, as the oldest of four siblings. I attended NDSU, earning my Bachelor of Science degree. While in college, I started working at Cass County Electric Cooperative (CCEC), where I still work as the communications manager. My daughter, Hadley, just graduated high school, and my husband, Nic, is an owner at Dakota Plains Mechanical. When I have free time, I enjoy reading, gardening, bonfires, traveling, paddleboarding, skiing, volunteering, and going for drives in the side-by-side. These days, we live in South Fargo and share our home with a grumpy orange tabby cat named Thor, who takes his role as the house watchdog very seriously. At CCEC, I have the opportunity to work with nonprofits and organizations to make our communities better places to live, work, and play. Since CCEC's roots are firmly planted in our rural territory and small communities, sponsoring The Arthur Market was a natural fit. I am passionate about supporting events, organizations, and programs that connect makers and members.