Meet Mary Kate Brown of Hastings, MI

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Kate Brown.

Hi Mary Kate, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started baking and decorating cakes in 2010. At the time, it was a fun hobby a friend and I got into. However, as my husband and I started our family, it turned into a supplemental income stream that helped me stay home to raise our children. In 2014 I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, and was ultimately told I had a non-celiac gluten sensitivity in 2018. At that time, our entire family of 5 gave up gluten entirely and we made the decision to end our home baking side hustle. We dove headfirst into the world of functional medicine and nutrition, and because of that journey, I was able to attain remission from my condition.

The years that followed brought us from the Chicago suburbs to rural Western Michigan where we’ve been building our small-scale homestead. Growing, raising, and preserving as much of our own food as possible has been our mission for the last 6 years. For what we don’t grow or raise, we try and support other local food producers. Living in a small town has allowed us to connect with so many incredible producers.

In 2024, our family welcomed our 4th daughter. She was born with severe medical complexities, and her arrival really shook our world. We have been fortunate to bring her home, but it was after many months of struggle where our family faced a long season of un- and under-employment. This is where our gluten-free micro-bakery was born.

We truly believed our baking days were well behind us, but Marigold Flour was a small dream that became a reality for a couple of reasons:
1. Marigold is our 4th daughter’s name, and just like the actual flower, she has flourished despite unfavorable circumstances. and
2. Many individuals, like me, have received unfavorable diagnoses. Oftentimes, these necessitate similar dietary and lifestyle changes like our family made back in 2018. So we decided to take our past baking experience and create delicious gluten-free goods for people like us who live in our own community.

We’re still very much in the infancy of our business, but it has truly been an honor to offer goods that simply aren’t available in grocery stores for a growing population of people who need gluten-free options.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
We’ve found ourselves wondering if the people in our small town actually wanted or needed gluten-free baked goods. We jumped in not knowing how our offerings would be received. However, with the support of a friend in town who owns and operates a small store stocked with nothing but locally made goods, we decided to take the leap and begin.

Outside of the uncertainties of starting a micro-bakery, we’ve also found that the balance of family life, homeschooling, day jobs, homesteading, raising a child with unique medical needs, and operating a small and growing business to be challenging. We’re still very much figuring out how we can grow in a sustainable way, so we can serve our incredible customers while tending to our family and stewarding our small-scale homestead faithfully.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve held a number of positions over the years, and surprisingly, I can see ho each one has equipped me for the current season of life I am in. Outside of my years as a home-based baker back in the Chicago suburbs, I’ve worked with writers helping them hone their craft and discover how to share their words with their ideal reader, I’ve collaborated on a motherhood blog, book, and podcast, I’ve held numerous sales positions and managed a fully remote sales team, and most recently, I am working part-time as a bookkeeper for small businesses. Each of my roles has given me new skills and perspectives that have led me to this micro-bakery.

My husband, who is truly my partner in everything, has also found himself in numerous roles that have equipped him for our current endeavor. He is an artist at heart, and he comes alive when doing anything creative whether it be gardening, building, painting, or baking.

As for what we’re known for, my hope is that we’re known for our desire to see people walk in wholeness. This has been the theme throughout our *almost* 16 year marriage. From my autoimmune diagnosis and healing journey, to uprooting our young family to build a homestead in rural Western MI (before it was the trendy thing to do), to welcoming a child with a rare genetic condition and CHD, to starting a gluten-free bakery, we desire to live in pursuit of wholeness in body, soul, and spirit. And we desire the same for anyone who comes into our lives as well.

What does success mean to you?
My husband and I both feel strongly that our success looks like honoring God in all we do. Every good thing we have is from Him— our family, our health, our gifts, our talents, and our resources. We want to live our lives pointing others to Him, as He is where we all find true wholeness.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mary.kate.brown/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marigoldflourbakery
• Other: https://marykatebrown.substack.com/