Tour Dakota Sun GardensTour Dakota Sun Gardens
Slideshow: Get an inside look at the award-winning Dakota Sun Gardens & Winery.
July 8, 2022
Located just outside of Carrington, N.D., sits a tranquil and vibrant escape from the Great Plains, called Dakota Sun Gardens & Winery. The site is full of unique local art and metal work, a variety of fruit bushes, and an award-winning wine selection.
Pride of Dakota members Bruce and Merleen Gussiaas created their winery in 2010. Previously, Merleen was a florist, and Bruce farmed and ranched bison on their land near Carrington.
“We had quite a few [garden] beds started, and people were clamoring for us to open our yard to come see it,” Bruce says. “We charge a minimal fee for a self-guided tour, and then you get to taste the wine at the end. I think about 35% of our sales are though the local bottle shops and 65% are what we sell here at the winery.”
They sell several varieties of their wines in more than 65 bottle shops in the region. Many of their wines are created with fruit grown on their property. These include haskap, aronia, black currants, chokecherry, crabapple and rhubarb, as well as dessert and grape wines.
Their garden beds include fruit bushes, annual and perennial plants, and unique tree varieties. Click through the gallery to get a look inside their award-winning winery and gardens.
About the Author(s)
Editor, Dakota Farmer, Farm Progress
Sarah McNaughton is a graduate of North Dakota State University, with a bachelor’s degree in agriculture communications, along with minors in animal science and Extension education. She is working on completing her master’s degree in Extension education and youth development, also at NDSU. In her undergraduate program, she discovered a love for the agriculture industry and the people who work in it through her courses and involvement in professional and student organizations.
After graduating college, Sarah worked at KFGO Radio out of Fargo, N.D., as a farm and ranch reporter. She covered agriculture and agribusiness news for North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota. Most recently she was a 4-H Extension agent in Cass County, N.D., teaching, coordinating and facilitating youth programming in various project areas.
She is involved in agriculture in both her professional and personal life, serving on the executive board for North Dakota Agri-Women, and as a member in American Agri-Women, Sigma Alpha Professional Agriculture Sorority Alumni and Professional Women in Agri-business. As a life-long 4-H’er, she is a regular volunteer for North Dakota 4-H programs and events.
In her free time, she is an avid backpacker and hiker, enjoys running with her cattle dog Ripley, and can be found most summer weekends at rodeos around the Midwest.
Sarah is originally from Grand Forks, N.D., and currently resides in Fargo.
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