Patty Ammann

Patty grew up on a farm in northeast South Dakota. Little did she know that someday she would be helping people with allergies avoid some of the foods commonly raised on the farm, such as wheat, corn, soy, and dairy products. Having a shellfish allergy herself, she understands the importance of avoiding allergens in the diet.

Patty has worked in the food industry for 30 years. For the last eleven years, she has been the grocery buyer at Meadowsweet Market, where the main focus has been foods for special dietary needs. Researching customers’ needs and questions has expanded her knowledge and awareness of obvious and hidden allergens in food. That awareness has created an on-going expansion in the gluten-free and allergen-free department at Meadowsweet where now approximately 800 products are stocked.

Patty and her husband have three children and one granddaughter, who has a milk allergy.

Laurie Nelson-Moe

Laurie grew up in Garretson, SD. She and her husband reside in Sioux Falls, SD, along with their very large, independent, and spirited Labrador. Laurie began working at Meadowsweet Natural Health Market shortly after the store opened, almost ten years ago. She enjoys working in a small business environment where many customers are known by their first name. Her mission is to provide customers with quality products and excellent service.

Laurie has a passion for learning and describes herself as a seminar junkie. Her work at Meadowsweet Market has allowed her to follow her passion for learning about complementary and natural therapies. She has attended numerous health and wellness workshops. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Management from the University of Sioux Falls (USF), and is currently completing a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology through USF. Laurie has participated in the Mind-Body Medicine Professional Training Program, which is offered through the Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington, DC. She is certified as a Conscious Body facilitator. She recently attended the NLP and Coach Training Institute of California and became certified as a Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) coach. Laurie is licensed to administer the Wellness Inventory, an on-line assessment and life-balancing tool. She is dedicated to helping others acheive and maintain healthy lifestyles through whole life, health and wellness coaching.

Erin Norberg

Erin’s interest in natural health came about mostly due to her own health challenges. She was guided to a natural approach by her aunt, who is a natural health practitioner in the state of Washington.  Working  with local natural health practitioners as well, she applied what she learned and saw improvement.  A significant improvement came when she learned about her own food allergies.  After eliminating certain foods from her diet, she saw a large improvement and really began to get well.

Erin was a longtime customer at Meadowsweet before joining our team.  Now as a supplement buyer at Meadowsweet, she enjoys helping people use natural health to be well, and her own experiences fuel a lifetime passion for natural health.

She also enjoys providing customers with products that respect the environment and our fellow creatures, and when she isn’t working at Meadowsweet, she enjoys being out in nature, gardening, and playing with her cat and dog at her home in Sioux Falls.

Erin is also our resident artist, and holds a degree in Fine Arts with an emphasis in painting from Augustana college.  We put her skills to use whenever we can in our in-store merchandising and promotion!

Kat Rykhus

Kathleen ‘Kat’ Rykhus came to Meadowsweet Market with eight years experience in the Minneapolis natural foods industry, including work as a supplements buyer at Lakewinds Natural Foods,  and Health and Body Care Manager at Fresh & Natural Foods.

As body care buyer for Meadowsweet Market, Kat puts her experience and passion for natural products to good use finding the best skin and body care products to offer our customers.

Kat also handles marketing and communication for both Meadowsweet Marekt and Juniper Foods, updating the website, writing blog articles, newletters, and e-mail communications. She is happy that her in-store events, the “Allergen-free Food Fests” have been such a big hit with customers.

When she is not working at the store or working from home, Kat can be found at her other job, teaching yoga at Avera Fitness Center.  A certified instructor since 2000, kat enjoy sharing yoga with others, and feels it is a great compliment to her work in the natural health products industry.

Linda

A passion for the natural/organic lifestyle led Linda Howard to a position at Meadowsweet five years ago.  An avid gardener, she has on occassion supplied the store with fresh, organically grown local veggies from her home garden in Dell Rapids.

Linda also has an interest in using herbs for health and healing.  Her herbal garden contains a variety of fragrant, culinary, and medicinal herbs.

This exstensive knowledge and her helpful nature make Linda an invaluable part of the Meadowsweet Market team.

Linda’s full-time job is with the Univesity Center in Sioux Falls.  You can find her helping out at Meadowsweet whenever there is a shift that needs to be filled.

Alicia Crevier

Alicia grew up in southeastern Kentucky, and after marrying her husband Jacob in June of2008, she moved to Sioux Falls.  She enjoys cooking (without wheat or dairy due to allergies), exercising, and traveling.  Alicia is a graduate of the NY Institue of Photography, and enjoys “shooting” whenever she can.

Alicia is the newest member of the Meadowsweet team and has been working at the store since 2008.  As Bulk Foods Manager, she really enjoys helping people find just what they need.  Nicknamed “Little Miss Sunshine” by her fellow employees, Alicia will brighten your day, and help you in whatever way she can.