Gunflint Trail Jams

Jan Larsen Johnson and Rod Johnson were both born in Little Falls, Minnesota. They grew up in Minnesota's Lake Country, where their parents instilled in them a deep love for the outdoors. This appreciation included picking wild berries, harvesting apples and plums, and transforming these into homemade jams, jellies, pies and other baked goods.

Rod and Jan met through mutual friends while living in Pine River, Minnesota, and were married in 1974. At the time, Rod was a teacher at Pequot Lakes High School, and Jan was a nurse at St. Joseph's Hospital in Brainerd.

In 1975, the Johnsons opened Silver Creek Traders in Pequot Lakes, Minnesota, starting with Jan's handmade jewelry. Over the next 20 years, they grew the business, adding multiple shops and expanding their offerings to include gifts, furniture, home furnishings and eventually Jan's homemade jams.

1994 was the start of something big. Rod and Jan consolidated their shops in Pequot Lakes under one roof. The kitchen eventually became the production space for Jan's homemade jams and jellies, sold under the brand "Jan's by Jam."

Following the opening of the new Silver Creek Traders, Jan and Rod bought a small cabin on the Gunflint Trail in Grand Marais, Minnesota. Knowing this was where they wanted to settle, they transformed the cabin on Poplar Lake into a beautiful Northwoods lodge. They added a commercial kitchen in 1996, which became the heart of their growing jam business.

By 2013, their jam business was flourishing on the North Shore, prompting a rebranding of their product to "Gunflint Trail Jams by Jan." Their jams, jellies and fruit syrups were now sold in dozens of gift shops, specialty stores and grocery stores from the Canadian border to Duluth and across Minnesota and Northern Wisconsin.

After 35 years of crafting, packaging and selling their beloved artisan jams, Rod and Jan decided it was time to retire. In June 2024, Ted Jirele acquired Gunflint Trail Jams by Jan and integrated it into Gunflint Trail Goods, Inc., ensuring the Johnsons' cherished tradition lives on.

Find Gunflint Trail Jams at your nearest Kowalski's Market location. Selection and availability vary by market.