Harmony Cedar Amish Custom Furniture: Home > Our History

Our History

Harmony Cedar, Inc. is a owned and operated by Rick Hansen.

Thousands of customers have purchased handcrafted furniture through our website since 2001, specializing in modern hardwood designs with clean simple lines such as Mission, Prairie, Arts & Crafts and Shaker.

Our mailing address is:Quick Emails:
Harmony Cedar
1007 15th Avenue North
South Saint Paul, MN 55075
Sales Concerns and Questions: [email protected]
Other Support Needs:
[email protected]
Amish Horse and Cart

A Brief History

Harmony Cedar started in 2001 with Rick working one of the Amish neighbors (Jonas) at his farm in southern Minnesota. Milking cows and farming was not providing enough income for a large family. However, they made high quality cedar chests, and the family needed help to get their new cedar chests to market. The first few cedar chests were sold out of Rick's garage to friends and family. Since 2001, Harmony Cedar has introduced a new styles, woods and finishes that proved to be popular (such as a Heritage style chest, a Shaker design, and a Frank Lloyd Wright inspired Harmony cedar chest). Hundreds of cedar chests have been made by Amish craftsmen we work with. Now Jonas's sons Marty and Atlee and neighbor Joseph build the chests .

We have added dining and bedroom furniture, but have remained true to these same simple styles. The sale of our handcrafted furniture continues to benefit the rural economy by providing work for craftsmen, small delivery companies, local sawmills, and local landowners with stands of beautiful hardwoods. Our products are all American Made.

Rick has placed large sections of his family's farmland into the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), and has planted over 5,500 trees on this land. The mix is 50% hardwoods (Red Oak, White Oak, Maple, and Walnut) and 50% softwood Pines. The trees help provide wildlife cover, prevent erosion on hills and slopes, improve water quality, and help to replenish the forests native to the Upper Midwest. Because of this, we have abundant wild turkey, deer, pheasant and songbirds.

American Made Furniture

The solid hardwoods used in our furniture are locally grown and harvested here in the Upper Midwest.

Your purchase of a Harmony Cedar furniture piece helps to directly support the rural Amish families and the farms they live on. You will have a piece of the country and their heritage in your home.

Our People

Evan Suzanne and Rick Hansen
Evan, Suzanne and
Rick Hansen

Rick Hansen -- President

Rick Hansen's background is in agriculture and environmental stewardship. He earned a Masters of Science Degree in Soil Management at Iowa State University in 1987, and worked at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture for 17 years. Rick was elected to the Minnesota State Legislature in 2004, and re-elected in 2006, 2008 and 2010. He was re-elected for another term in the Minnesota House of Representatives on November 6, 2012 with 63% of the vote in District 52A.

Rick manages his family farm in Southern Minnesota, which is located near several Amish farmsteads. Rick's relationship with the Amish community began in 1996 when his uncle passed away. Members of the community helped to round up his cattle and watch after the farm in the absence of Rick's uncle. They also helped on several other projects in the coming years -- fencing, roofing, and even a bit of fine woodworking. This was the beginning of a trusting, good to your word relationship that led to the creation of Harmony Cedar.

Suzanne works as the Sustainability Manager for Macalester College in St. Paul. Evan is now in third grade at Lincoln Center Elementary School in South St. Paul. He is taking violin lessons and karate lessons. He has been helping plant and harvest the garden and loves catching toads, fishing and Harry Potter.



Lois Daby -- Accountant

Lois Daby earned a BS degree in business from Cedarville University in Cedarville, OH. Upon college graduation she taught high school business education for 10 years due to a shortage of business teachers. For the last 20 years she has been providing accounting services for small businesses.

Lois's dedication to accuracy is essential, and it is appreciated.


Amish Farm

Our Amish Partners

We are thankful for the hard work and dedication of our Amish partners. Their craft is becoming a lost art, and we appreciate the opportunity to work with them and provide such beautiful heirloom-quality furniture to you, our customers.