Dive deeper into The Great Northern’s original documentary short ROOTED: Stories from Minnesota’s farming future with one of its featured farmers.
by Angel Akurienne · Published April , 2026
On a stretch of land just under an hour from the Twin Cities, the pace shifts. The roads open up, traffic fades into chirping birds, and the small, steady work of tending the land comes into focus.
Credit: Pohle Creative
This is where Onesmus Mutio and his family are building Smarterlife Organic Farms.
At first glance, it looks like a small-scale farm. But spend time here, and it becomes clear: this is something much larger. It’s a reimagined dream, a family ecosystem, and a growing contribution to Minnesota’s local food system, all rooted in intention.
A Dream, Replanted
Mutio didn’t plan to farm in Minnesota.
He grew up in rural eastern Kenya, where agriculture wasn’t a career path, it was a way of life. When he and his wife moved to the United States in 2014, their plan was simple: work, save, and return home within a decade to build the life they had always envisioned.
But by year seven, that vision shifted.
“We realized we weren’t going back. So the question became: can we still build that dream here?”
We realized we weren’t going back. So the question became: can we still build that dream here?”
Instead of returning to Kenya, they chose to recreate the dream in Minnesota.
What was supposed to look like a few acres outside a city in Kenya became three acres of land in Minnesota – close enough to remain connected, far enough to feel grounded in something quieter.
From Land to Livelihood
What began as a personal vision quickly expanded.
With mentorship from Moses Omani and training through Kilimo Minnesota, Mutio found his way into the state’s local food ecosystem, supplying produce through The Good Acre.
“It wasn’t just about having land. It was also about feeding people.”
Smarterlife Organic Farms became more than a place to live – it became a place of exchange. Between farmer and community. Between culture and market. Between intention and impact.
Farming as a Way of Life
For Mutio, farming doesn’t exist separately from the rest of life – it connects everything.
Alongside his work in supply chain analytics at Abbott Laboratories and his consulting practice, the farm serves as the center point where family, culture, and purpose intersect.
“This is a lifestyle. Not just something we do for income.”
That philosophy is most visible in the everyday: his children harvesting vegetables for dinner, learning firsthand how food moves from soil to table. Instead of grocery store trips, there are small, daily rituals: go outside, pull onions from the soil, gather collard greens, and bring them in for dinner.
“It teaches them that when you put effort into something, it becomes something,” Mutio says. “You can’t plant today and expect results tomorrow.”
There are no abstractions here – only process, patience, and participation.
Credit: Pohle Creative
What It Means to Live a “Smarter Life”
The name Smarterlife didn’t come from agriculture – it came from a broader philosophy.
Mutio also runs a consulting business focused on financial and operational efficiency. The idea behind both ventures is the same: being “smart” isn’t enough. What matters is being intentional.
“We have a lot of smart people. But what if we made smarter decisions – especially about what we eat?”
We have a lot of smart people. But what if we made smarter decisions – especially about what we eat?”
On the farm, that question shapes everything.
Crops are chosen not just for yield, but for meaning. Collard greens, deeply tied to his Kenyan upbringing, anchor the farm. Tomatoes, peppers, and jalapeños meet local demand, while fast-growing crops like radishes provide quick revenue to sustain operations.
It’s a careful balance: cultural continuity and business strategy, working side by side.
Learning a New Landscape
Farming in Minnesota requires a different kind of knowledge.
In Kenya, seasons follow rain and drought. Overall the climate provides perfect conditions for full year growing. In Minnesota, everything hinges on frost lines, temperature swings, and narrow planting windows.
“There, you can decide to plant next week,” Mutio says. “Here, you prepare months in advance.”
Through mentorship and trial, Mutio adapted. Starting seedlings in greenhouses, working backward from harvest dates, and investing in high tunnels to extend the growing season.
Still, unpredictability remains.
An early frost last year wiped out peppers at peak production.
“You wake up, and everything has changed. That’s part of it.”
Rather than setbacks, he sees these moments as data, lessons that inform the next season.
Why Local Food Feels Different
At the heart of Mutio’s work is a simple but powerful idea: proximity changes food.
A tomato harvested the same day it’s eaten carries more than flavor. It carries connection. Corn loses sweetness within days. Honey sourced nearby feels distinctly alive.
“You feel it. You know where it came from.”
Through partnerships with organizations like PRISM Food Shelf and distribution networks like The Good Acre, Smarterlife Organic Farms helps bring that connection to more people making local food not just accessible, but relational.
Credit: Pohle Creative
Building Beyond the Farm
Mutio’s work extends far beyond his own acreage.
As a founding member of the African Growers and Producers Alliance, he is part of a growing network of immigrant and diaspora farmers reshaping Minnesota’s agricultural landscape.
Through cooperative models, shared training, and collective bargaining, these farmers are building power, not just to participate in the food system, but to influence it.
“We’re getting to a place where we can negotiate bigger opportunities, together.”
In a state with a short growing season and high demand for fresh food, that collaboration is key.
What Comes Next
Let me give you the next five”
Mutio speaks about the future with clarity.
“Let me give you the next five,” he says, reframing a ten-year question into a five-year plan.
His ambition isn’t driven by hope. It’s driven by strategy, optimism, and the knowingness of what his and his family’s future can achieve. His goal is to transition fully into farming, supported by expanded production, value-added goods, and a stronger presence through CSAs and farmers markets. Infrastructure, from cooling systems to distribution capacity, is already evolving.
But even as the farm grows, its foundation remains unchanged: A family. A piece of land. A commitment to doing things with purpose.
A Life Still Growing
Out here, where the seasons announce themselves through shifting leaves and the quiet return of birds, Mutio is cultivating something that extends beyond agriculture. He’s building continuity: between continents, between generations, between what was imagined and what is now steadily taking root.
And in that reimagining, something even larger is growing: a model for how land, culture, and community can come together, right here in Minnesota.
Bring ROOTED to Your Community
Rooted: Stories from Minnesota’s Farming Future was created to be shared in classrooms, communities, and gatherings across Minnesota. By hosting a screening, you help support the film and bring conversations about land, food, and climate resilience to your community.
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