Mother Mary’s Canning Company began in 2010 when the limited liability company owned by Bob and Mary Barker became licensed under the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development as a limited wholesale food producer.
The Barkers raised their two sons, Drew and Glen, with home-canned products using fresh Michigan produce. With grandparents who were mid-Michigan farmers, Mary grew up watching her grandma and mother can, and she learned the skills of the trade. With their own family to raise, Bob and Mary wanted to continue eating delicious, farm-fresh produce preserved by canning a variety of recipes passed down through the generations and new ones they discovered and created.
Prior to becoming licensed, it became obvious our products were widely popular with family and friends. A fall fund-raiser teaching Girl Scouts in North Muskegon how to can led to the birth of Mother Mary’s Canning Company. The scrumptious applesauce sold out. The following 2 years, the fund-raiser grew with all orders sold ahead of production. The applesauce canning event during those years was among the largest of Girl Scout fund-raisers in the region.
The popularity of our many canned goods prompted us to take the first steps to become licensed so the products could be shared with the public. Since 2010, we’ve been canning and learning about the challenges and rewards of producing our small-batch, hand-packed quality canned foods in a commercial setting. We continue to fine-tune our line of products while developing new recipes in our certified commercial kitchen, built by Bob, that utilizes pure artesian water. The new space has allowed us to ramp up production that better serves customers while growing distribution.
Like our business, our family’s involvement has grown too. Glen and his wife, Ally, and Drew and his wife, Rachel, are involved in selling, marketing and processing. We maintain certification from MSU’s Better Process Control School as prescribed by the Food And Drug Administration and are inspected by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Food and Drug Administration.
Our new logo is an evolution of the company’s growth into new markets. The old fashioned canning stove depicted in the center harkens back to a time when our American farm ancestors preserved food for survival. The red banner represents Michigan farm producers from whom we purchase our fresh produce directly. The circle symbolizes the seal of a canning jar lid. And the patriotic color theme shows our support for American small business. Our slogan, “Preserving Quality Since 2010,” speaks for itself.
As we look into the future, we are optimistic our products will be enjoyed by new customers like our granddaughter, Lake Marie and her brother, Forest (Drew and Rachel), who are already eating our tasty, nutritional food. Soon our grandson Boyd, (Glen and Ally), will be getting his first tastes of pickled goodness from Mother Mary’s Canning Company.
Mother Mary's Canning Company 