10/20/2025
We love supporting other small businesses! Weโve been selling their product for a few years now, and it is a hit with our customers! A new shipment was just delivered last week so come check it out! ๐
๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ญ & ๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐ฌ: ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ข๐ญ๐๐ก๐๐ง ๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐๐ฐ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ฌ๐ฌ.
๐๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ง ๐๐ฒ: ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐
๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐จ๐ซ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ก๐ฆ๐๐ง.
What began as a lighthearted
idea between teachers
frustrated with paperwork
has grown into one of central South Dakota's most beloved grassroots businesses. Sixteen years ago, Tawana Grueb and Linda Knox traded grading papers for mixing spices, forming Grassland Gourmet & Gifts (GGG) an enterprise built on friend-ship, food, and a pinch of prairie ingenuity. The venture started almost by accident. "When we grew frustrated with reams of paper associated with managing a classroom," Tawana recalled with a laugh, "We'd joke that we could be selling tacos at rodeos instead." The opportunity arrived when former business partner Patti Jordre introduced them to recipes from a Rapid City venture created by Patti's sister-in-law that was closing. A few soup and dip mixes, some leftover spices, and hand-scribbled instructions became the foundation for Grassland Gourmet.
Initially, the group thought they'd "mix dips and sip" after school. But once Linda - newly retired and looking for a project - joined, the women set up shop around her kitchen table. It was October when we were born," Tawana said. Their first holiday season saw them sampling soup at local shows, where word spread quickly. The early product line included cocoas, dips, and hearty soups, but the women quickly began experimenting.
Recipes often came from family and friends: "Susie's Beefy Barley": was named for Linda's sister, while "Betty Nell's Potato" honored a family friend. Each mix was tested at the Blue Goose Bar in Onida, where patrons gladly served as taste-testers.
"Creating new recipes is still the fun part," Linda said. "We take something we've tried, adjust the spices, and then have people tell us if it's good." Their cheeseburger soup and creamy chicken chowder became runaway best sellers, while dips like
"Horsey-Bacon" and "Cool Cucumber" found loyal followings across different regions. Both women credit their teaching careers for equipping them with the skills to run a business. Converting recipes, designing packag-ing, and even naming prod ucts drew on classroom creativity. "As teachers, our bulletin boards became our labels," Tawana joked. Linda, with a knack for design, created nearly all the packaging graphics.Names often honor family members: "Mama O'Grady's Beer Bread" was inspired by a friend's son, while "Plain Jane Cocoa" was named for Linda's daughter. One of their most popular desserts, "Grand-ma Bev's Fruit Crisp," was adapted from Tawana's mother's recipe.
From their humble kitchen beginnings, Grassland Gourmet has shipped products to nearly every state. Word-of-mouth and craft shows helped spread the brand - including a Florida community where potluck diners fell in love with โKickenโ Chicken Soup.โ Today, corporate gift baskets and online sales fuel much of the business.
"We never had a business plan," Tawana admitted.
"We just flew by the seat of our pants. But it's worked out." Grassland Gourmet remains firmly grounded in Onida. They maintain a wholesale operation and small storefront, careful not to compete with local retail-ers. Seasonal events like 'Twas the Night and Zonta keep them connected to longtime customers.
For Linda and Tawana, the business has always been more than profit. "This is our fun money," Linda said. "It's let us take trips, buy things we wouldn't have otherwise and we've had so much fun doing it." Sixteen years later, their โmix and sip" joke has blossomed into a thriving enterprise that reflects the flavors, friendships, and creativity of rural South Dakota.
