Our History

Glenna Farms was established in 1995 when Rick and Kristine Glenna purchased an 80-acre maple syrup operation from Arthur V. Olson. The century old sugar bush is located next to a dairy farm, which was purchased from Mr. Olson by Rick’s parents, was well known for producing one of nature’s finest sweeteners, pure maple syrup.

In the beginning, Rick, Kristine and several family members would venture out on weekends in the spring to cut wood, hang buckets and boil sap to make maple syrup. The maple syrup was then sold at the dairy farm, as it had been for several years prior.

Over the years, the hobby grew – Rick couldn’t resist the temptation of modernizing. He added plastic tubing to collect sap, converted his evaporator from wood to oil to speed up production and built new buildings to hold the new equipment. As the hobby grew, Rick still had his corporate job downtown Minneapolis.

In March 2001, Rick decided to make this more than just a hobby. At 36 years old, he retired from the corporate world to manage Glenna Farms.

Today, Glenna Farms does more than pure maple syrup. The 80-acre farm is now home to a retail store, hosts events each year and provides corporate gifts for several clients. Although the operation has outgrown the original “sugar shack,” Rick still thinks of it as a hobby, and after almost 30 years, continues to pursue it with same the passion he had when it really was just a hobby.