Shalomba Farm Has Made a Big impact in a Very Short Time
The achievement of one’s dreams, personal as they often are, is seldom a completely solo endeavor. No matter the goal, an individual cannot achieve much of anything without the help of other people. Even the most solitary pursuits – say, poetry or painting – often require years of training, assistance and support by loved ones, community, teachers and so forth. It takes a village, as they say.
For Emily Kalnicky and Marcellin Singo Kopandru of the 40-acre Shalomba Farm in Lake Nebagamon, their dreams came into sharp focus when they met each other. While they both had life experiences that would sensibly lead to one day operating a farm, they each were the other’s true catalyst. The farm they now run is a labor of love, but also the product of it.
Shalomba Farm, which opened in 2024, is run by the couple (with assistance from family and friends when it’s available), with a stated goal of building “the most resilient agroecosystem.” What this means is a lot of full-time hard work in addition to the previously existing full-time jobs the pair have.
It also means lots of fruits, vegetables and flowers to grow and ducks, chickens, goats and bees to take care of. And then there’s the gluten-free baking, which will eventually be showcased in a shop in the Superior area. It’s a heroic effort.
First, the name: “Shalomba” is a portmanteau of the Hebrew word for peace and “Shamba,” a Swahili word that means “farm.” Kalnicky and Kopandru say it’s a word that brings together their backgrounds and their values. It’s not just a name – it’s a mission statement.
“I don’t know that there’s one specific point where it started,” said Kopandru of his recent journey. “It’s just something that I’ve always thought about doing for as long as I can remember. I’ve always wanted to be able to farm.”
Kopandru’s father was an agronomical engineer, and he spent his youth in Congo, Africa ,on and around farms. “Working with the soil was something that I always wanted to do,” he said. “But I realized that it was probably not something that I was going to be able to do.”
He found himself in America, where he established himself in the Twin Cities working in supply-chain management with Best Buy, daydreaming about how, one day, he would return to farm life in his retirement years.
“And then I met Emily,” he said. “It turned out this was also something that she’d always thought about doing. What’s the likelihood of meeting someone who grew up thousands of miles away from me, but somehow we have similar goals and a similar vision?”
This was relatively recently, in 2019. From first meeting to farming together in six years – and with a pandemic mucking up the works for a good chunk of that time – is quite an accelerated pace, but one gets the impression the Shalomba duo had chemistry that couldn’t be denied.
“We decided to just go ahead and jump right into it and not wait until the second part of our lives, so to speak,” Kopandru said.
“We wanted something that hadn’t been traditionally farmed,” Kopandru said of the couple’s hunt for a suitable location upon which to grow their future. “It would have taken us roughly three to four years to turn that around into an organic practice.”
There was nothing affordable near the Twin Cities, so the couple drifted farther and farther north.
“We had visited the Duluth area prior to that, and so we decided to try and see if there was anything within this area,” Kopandru said.
Within about a year, they found their spot, and it’s clear it was the right move. “We live it, we breathe it, we’re passionate about it. It’s in every one of our conversations. It’s in our joy. It’s in every one of our struggles.”
As with just about anything worth doing, there are good and bad sides. But the investment of time and money and heart and soul into Shalomba Farm reflects the couple’s goals. It’s not just about growing things and selling them. “
We would like to see a system that prioritizes sustainability in every step, from before the time the seed is planted, to the time it’s being managed, to the time it’s being harvested, to the time it gets to somebody’s table, to the time they eat it,” Kopandru said. “Every one of those aspects – the entire supply chain, from our perspective – should be sustainable in a way that doesn’t require somebody to constantly manage it, using what the environment gives us. I know this can sound very naive, but realistically, it can be done.”
“That’s really what we want to show – that this process can be managed from soup to nuts, basically from the time the seed gets planted to the time it gets to somebody’s table,” Kopandru said. “It has to be managed sustainably – including transportation, including how foods get stored, including how foods get delivered to grocery stores and how they get purchased. It’s a very holistic approach. We don’t necessarily have all the ingredients to make it work, but that’s why we have that vision, which will require a lot more people – involving our community, involving ourselves, using all the knowledge that we have in order to make it work.”
Emily Kalnicky’s side of the story is similar to her partner’s in certain regards. “I know that it all starts from when I was a child,” she said. “I just have always been drawn to spending time outside in nature. As a child, I kind of had this sense of the healing powers of nature.”
Her father had grown up on a dairy farm, and she and her brother gardened as kids, so that connection with the natural world was there from the start. “I really understood the value of growing your own food and how good it tastes when you eat it fresh off the vine or the plant.”
But, as with Kopandru, life intervened – as life does – and container gardening was just about all she could manage during her years of apartment life. Kalnicky worked hard to get her doctorate in ecology, traveling around a bit to do field research. Then, she ended up at a desk.
“I felt like my body almost panicked,” she said. “I was like, ‘I can’t do this’.” She found a farm-incubator program in California and then a job in Pittsburgh at a botanical garden. Eventually, she landed at the Minnesota Zoo. “And then, I met Marcellin,” she said.
The two, though from quite different cultures, were perfect counterparts and both shared the same desire to get their hands in the dirt. Only a few years later, they’ve managed to totally relocate, establish a farm, begin selling their wares, and make expansion plans – all while still working remotely. But there is much left to do – decades of work, in fact.
“It’s a long list that I think will take us our lifetimes,” Kalnicky said. “We’re just starting to listen to the land and get a sense of where things might fit. It’s just going to be a phased approach, because we don’t have a ton of funds. We’re always looking for grant funding and more support.”
“We wanted to start trying out farmers’ markets, so we started that last year,” Kalnicky said. “And this year, we wanted to expand, so we added a second market and then we put in another small greenhouse, and we got funding from the USDA for an EQIP grant. We’re putting in a walk-in cooler. But we don’t have heavy machinery. We don’t have a tractor. We’re trying to do everything very sustainably. We want to be on wind power, geothermal or solar.”
It’s remarkable the amount the two have managed to get done in such a short amount of time. But they’ve gotten good help and developed some already-loyal customers, like Jami Koivisto and her partner Alex.
“We met Jami and Alex as customers first, when they stopped at our booth in Superior at the farmers market,” Kopandru said. “Then, we found out that they live within a short driving distance from us, and they raise farm animals. They volunteered their time to lend us a set of hands during the construction of our high-tunnel this past summer.”
“I remember that the first product that I ever purchased from them was the white chocolate cranberry cookie,” said Jami Koivisto. “I am gluten-free, so finding local goodies is tough. I immediately fell in love and wanted more. Since then, other products drew my attention, such as their cinnamon roll cookies and their challah rolls. My husband just indulges me and goes for the ride often, but he fell in love with their biscotti and several types of their crackers. Local flowers are a usual purchase for me, as well.”
“The first step into getting closer to Marcellin and Emily was when I did a special gluten-free goodie order for the holidays,” Koivisto continued. “There is not a farmers market during the winter months, so that meant going to their farm to pick up our order. My husband makes mead as a hobby, and he’s always looking for feedback on his product, so he asked Marcellin and Emily if they would be interested in tasting and giving him feedback. They obliged us, and so began the back-and-forth bartering and feedback of different ideas and products. Since then, we have helped out with putting on some of the vinyl cover for their new greenhouse and providing information when we can.”
Koivisto said that Shalomba Farm likely has a bright future: “Marcellin and Emily are dedicated and are using resources to try and keep their dream going, which is exciting to see. Their farm is being recommended more in our gluten-free communities in Duluth/Superior, so that bodes well for them as well. Emily and Marcellin are good people. They have good ideas and intentions. The world needs more of their ilk.”
Similarly loyal customer Kaylee Fameree also enthuses about the duo’s offerings. “I first came across Shalomba Farm at the Barkers Island farmers market last summer,” she said. “Since I’m gluten-free, I’m always on the lookout for homemade desserts I can actually enjoy, but it’s usually tough to find ones that taste really good. When I stopped by their stand and tried their baked goods, I was blown away – they weren’t just good for gluten-free, they were genuinely delicious.”
“I’ve brought friends with me to the farmers market when they were visiting, and I tell my local friends about Shalomba Farm, too,” Fameree said. “In a way, that’s how I’ve been able to help – by spreading the word, introducing people to their baked goods and being a regular supporter. It’s easy to do when you believe in what they’re making as much as I do. Their baked goods are so creative, and the flavors and desserts they come up with are unlike anything I’ve seen before. I mean, where else are you going to find a dill pickle scone/cookie mix? The Scookies are always the first thing people ask about when I tell them about Shalomba, and for good reason.”
“What really stands out to me is their gluten-free breads,” Fameree continued. ”Finding one that doesn’t crumble, isn’t dry and actually tastes good is so hard. I grew up eating challah bread, and I never thought I’d be able to enjoy it again once I went gluten-free – but now I can, thanks to them. That’s what makes Shalomba so special: they’re filling a gap in our local scene with creativity, care and flavor and I’m so thankful for them.”
“They’ve shown me time and again how much they care,” Fameree said. “Even before a farmers market Saturday, they’ll reach out and ask if there’s anything I need or want, so they can set it aside for me. That kind of kindness goes way beyond just growing or baking – it’s who they are, and it shines through everything they do. It’s about creating a welcoming space where people feel included, especially those of us who often struggle to find food that fits our needs. Their approach to farming and baking feels thoughtful and sustainable, and it brings something really meaningful to our community. I think they’re setting such a great example of what it looks like to run a small farm with both purpose and kindness, and that’s something I admire deeply.”
Kayla Pridmore is part of Community Action Duluth, who run several farmers markets in the area. She also said that Shalomba Farm has made a big splash in their short time: “They have been a great addition to the market, with compostable packaging, beautiful displays, creative gluten-free baked goods and heirloom and unusual vegetables. They’ve provided produce for our local food boxes funded by MDA and LFPA, which are provided free of charge to low-access families primarily in the Hillside neighborhood. We look forward to continuing to work with them.”
There’s much in the works with Shalomba Farm, and there is plenty of toil in the future. But no matter how challenging it is, the couple who have made it their life’s work are happy with where they ended up. “I love that we’re able to create things,” Kalnicky said. “Food is love.”
Tony Bennett is a Duluth-based freelance writer.
