On the Cover: The goats of Baetje’s Farm
Photo by Carmen Troesser
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A comprehensive guide to non-profit organizations and charitable giving in St. Louis.
Highlights from the July/August 2025 Issue
Caught in the Eye of the Storm
When Cara Spencer was a teenager, she used to get in her car and chase tornadoes.
On May 16, 2025, one month and one day after she was sworn in as the 48th mayor of St. Louis, an EF-3 tornado came to her.
With winds of up to 152 miles per hour, the stormripped through some of the wealthiest and some of the most challenged neighborhoods in the city. Five people died. It left a 23-mile-long swath of destruction in its wake. Approximately 15,000 buildings were affected.It lasted five minutes.
The recovery will take years. And years.
Text: Christy Marshall
Photo: Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe surveys the damage with Mayor Cara Spencer. Photo by RJ Hartbeck
Cover Story: An Invitation to Savor
There is something deeply grounding about standing in the very place where one’s food is born. At Baetje Farms, nestled in the quiet countryside of Bloomsdale, Missouri, visitors are offered more than just a tour —they are invited into a slower rhythm of life, where craft, care and connection to the land shape everything from world-renowned cheese to hospital
Text: Genevieve Gerhart
Photo: Carmen Troesser
Simply Serene
Occasionally, designer and client relationships span years, even decades. For Julie Abner, this partnership spans generations. After working for the wife’s parents, she went on to design threehouses for her, her husbandand theirfamily. Now that thosechildren have grown and grandchildren have arrived, this couple decided to start again —with Julie at the helm.
“They enjoy the new construction design process,” Abner says.“After going through this process with them in the past, it was fun because I knewwhat they were going to like.”
Located on a sprawling lot west of the city, the design of the one-story three-bedroom, five-bath house is misleading.
It looks simple. It’s not.
Text: Christy Marshall
Photo: Alise O’Brien
Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge says the best view of her life, the one she loves most of all, is from the control tower at Lambert Field. It is especially beautiful at night. “The lights!” The view from her desk isn’t shabby either: the runway, the slow glide of planes into dock, sun glinting off silvery wings.
“It’s never not exciting to me.”
You can tell. There’s glee in the eyes of this elegantly imposing 65-year-old grandmother of five. She beams to tell the tale of her rise up the ranks —from customer serviceagent at Ozark Airlines to where she is now: director of the 34th largest airport in America (in terms of passengers per year). There are 457 in total.
Text: Alexa Beattie
Photo: Kate Munsch
Queen of the Night
Returning to the Garden, and St. Louis
In the heart of St. Louis, where heritage and horticulture flourish side by side, the Missouri Botanical Garden stands as a global treasure. Founded in 1859, it is the oldest botanical garden in continuous operation in the United States and one of the most respected plant research institutions in the world. With the 2025 appointment of Dr. Lúcia G. Lohmann as president and director—the first woman to hold this prestigious role—the Garden enters a bold new era, bridging its storied legacy with a forward-thinking vision for sustainability, education, and global scientific leadership.
Text: Craig Kaminer
Photo: John Lore
Reinventing an Original
After decades of running properties such as Union Station, the Cheshire Inn, the Hilton at the Ballpark, Lodging Hospitality Management has added to their properties at Westport.
Text: Grayling Holmes
Event Calendar, Presented by Spirit Jets
Happenings of note in July & August
Share your celebrations with us, or let us know what events you want to see featured on our pages by emailing editorSTL@slmag.net.
Sophisticated Celebrations
Presented by
The Boys and Girls Club of Greater St. Louis Table for Four
Cocacabana 2025
Lift for Life Academy Annual Fashion Show
Rung’s Spring Sip & Shop
Wine, Women & Shoes Gala
Haven of Grace Momentous Luncheon
Saint Louis Ballet Annual Spring Gala
Kode with Klossy
Glennon Live
Chilling Out with True
There’s something deeply reassuring about a company that bears the same name it had 50 -or even 100 -years ago. In a world that seems to evolve at the speed of light, where brands rise and fall with the latest trend, family businesses remain grounded. They’re built on values passed down through generations: integrity, hard work, pride of craftsmanship and a long view of success that goes far beyond the next quarter’s earnings report.
Nowhereis this tradition more alive than right here in St. Louis.Family businesses are the quiet engine behind the American economy.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, they make up approximately 90 percent of all U.S. businesses and contribute more than half of the nation’s GDP. They employ nearly two-thirds of the workforce. These aren’t just statistics. They’re the stories of families who risked everything to build something that could last, and who continue to pour their hearts into every product, every handshake and every decision.
In Missouri, this legacy is especially rich -and remarkably diverse
Text: Craig Kaminer
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