I had a tree-ific Saturday. The weather was perfect, the side-by-side was fueled and ready, and my husband and I headed to Hugo’s Bar in Brimson with two things in mind: free tree seedlings and a cold one.
When we arrived, we were handed ten tiny trees and a huge tip – if we came back toward the end of the event, we might be able to grab a few extras. Spoiler: We did!
Outside of the occasional beer in the woods, I never thought much about trees and brews going hand in hand – but that’s exactly the link Forest to Tap (F2T), the nonprofit behind the event, is trying to make. And it makes perfect sense.
F2T is supported by a mix of natural resource groups that share a simple idea: when we take good care of our forests— through planting, harvesting, and stewardship—we end up with cleaner water for everything from wildlife to local breweries. As their flyer put it, it all leads to “great beer.”
Their logic is rooted in one key fact: more than half of the drinking water in the U.S. originates in forests. These forests act like a natural umbrella, filter, and sponge—helping reduce contaminants in both water and soil.
F2T spreads the word about smart forest management and its role in clean water by connecting with people through local breweries, making learning both fun and accessible.
Eliza Meyer, project director for Dovetail Partners and a key collaborator with F2T, was on site, handing out seedlings and chatting with attendees about the importance of good forest care.
“We do an Arbor Day seedling giveaway every year at all of our breweries,” Meyer explained. “This year, after our giveaway, Minnesota Power – who sometimes donates trees to us – contacted us with extra trees they still had earmarked for us. So, we were looking for homes for them.”
With the recent tragedies in the Brimson community caused by the devastating Brimson Complex wildfires— which included the Jenkins Creek and Camp House fires that burned thousands of acres of forest and destroyed homes — another forestry – minded program, Fire Wise, suggested bringing the trees to Hugo’s for community members.
As Meyers put it, this effort was meant to “support recovery post fire” by helping to replant and restore the damaged forests in the area.
Minnesota Power and Forest to Tap brought mostly red and white pine seedlings to Hugo’s. Meanwhile, another organization, “Let’s Plant Trees,” saw the Facebook post about F2T giving away seedlings at Hugo’s and offered extra trees from their spring giveaway events—adding even more variety to the mix.
According to letsplanttrees.org, “Let’s Plant Trees” is a nonprofit based in Lutsen, MN, that promotes reforestation by providing free native Minnesota tree seedlings along with planting education. Since its start in 2023, the organization has grown quickly—from giving away 500 trees in its first year to over 20,405 in 2025. Looking ahead to 2026, they plan to distribute 35,000 seedlings, helping diversify and rebuild Minnesota’s forests.
“The diversity of species that we have today is credit to them and all the trees they had for us,” said Meyers.
I’m happy to say that every seedling we brought home has been planted around my house — cedar, red and white pine, red oak, and bur oak — each one starting its own story on a tree-mendous Saturday, when we enjoyed time at our local watering hole and came home ready to start digging holes!
To learn more about Forest to Tap visit dovetailinc.org/program-foresttotap. For more information on Let’s Plant Trees go to letsplanttrees.org. To see what events are coming to Hugo’s Bar, check out their Facebook page.
