Beverly was nominated as an Upstream Unsung Caretaker for the work she does to coordinate local purchasing efforts in Willmar, working to ensure that individuals purchasing food in her community can do so with local farmers using sustainable practices.

Written by Beverly Dougherty, Upstream Unsung Caretaker 2024

When Beverly moved back to her hometown Wilmar, after living in Chicago, she decided to improve her cooking skills which led her to start up Becker Market in Downtown Wilmar in 2007. Becker Market led to starting up a retail food store for locally grown food, year round in 2008. In 2017, Real Food Inc., Becker Market began and they sourced locally. In addition to the retail store, they have a local food subscription service that operates 52 weeks a year–in it’s 6th year, sell Farm to School and have just recently partnered with The Good Acre as collaborating food hubs. 

I have been working in local food promotion since 2003 when I moved back to my hometown of Wilmar, when my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

I have worked in banking, for the Burlington Northern Railroad as the Trainmaster’s assistant. When the Railroad was merging and offered many of us  “Money to Resign”, I jumped at the chance and have been working for myself ever since.  I enrolled in additional classes to what I classically knew as a lover of textiles and a seamstress since I was in grade school.  

My interior design business began in Willmar and when life changes happened, I moved to Chicago where I lived for 15 years continuing in interior design and developed a nationwide business in exquisite textiles for drapery and upholstery.  I would buy 50-yd bolts of fabrics, and sell yardage to designers. When my parents needed me, my thought  was “I can ship from Willmar as easy as from Chicago”. Then 2008 happened and my favorite mills that had operated for generations shut down–as did my list of interior designers and customers disintegrated. 

When I moved back, I was struck by how little actual food that we eat is grown in Minnesota.  And I had experienced the food that is available in Chicago first hand.  Knowing I couldn’t afford to eat out frequently in Chicago, I decided to improve my cooking skills, which led me to starting up Becker Market in downtown Willmar in 2007 with my best friend, Nancy Johnson, another foodie, who has taught me much of what I know about good food, and my incredible son, Jason, who had moved back to Willmar to help me–after living and working in Chicago after college.

Becker Market led to starting up a retail food store for locally grown food, year round in 2008 while I worked via a contract with the City of Willmar to improve downtown Willmar, which I did for 10 years.

Real Food Inc.dba Becker Market is a 501(c)3 started in 2017.  We source locally and in addition to the retail store, we have a local food subscription service that operates 52 weeks a year–in it’s 6th year. We also sell Farm to School and have just recently partnered with The Good Acre as collaborating food hubs. There is much work to do. I just found out there are 5,000 families who are food-challenged in Kandiyohi County and 20% of that number are children.

For me, art, local food and the beauty of Minnesota are all intertwined.  No one in this bountiful state should ever go hungry. I am so proud of our Governor for feeding Minnesota’s school children! My favorirw places are my garden, Prairie Woods Environmental Learning Center in New London and Sibley State Park.

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