Our Growers
Breezy Hill Orchards
Patrick Lynch and Wendy Johnson farm this 60-acre orchard in Maple Lake, MN just west of the twin cities. Farming land that was owned by his parents before him, Patrick has modified the traditional organic practices his parents used to comply with modern organic standards. Now they produce some of the best organically certified apples you will find in Minnesota, or anywhere!
Growing exclusively for the Wedge Co-op and farmer's markets, Breezy Hill's partnership with us is strong. In spring, you can look for pristine, snapping-fresh asparagus spears; in summer intensely flavored red and gold raspberries are their specialty. Autumn is where Breezy Hill shines, though—growing hard-to-find old-fashioned varieties of apples like the Sweet 16, Connel Red, and Regent. Also look for their super sweet Parker pears, flavorful spice pears, and concord grapes.
Patrick and Wendy's commitment to organic agriculture and a high quality product make them a forerunner in the local organic fruit market, look for their apples by name!
Coyote Grange
Kristi Fernholz-Link, Coyote Grange
Located in West central Minnesota, Coyote Grange is a small farm run by Brad Fernholz and Kristi Fernholz-Link. They supply the Wedge with their famous Sweet Carrots, which start rolling in during October and last into November. These carrots are super sweet, fresh and juicy, and command a very devout following — try them and find out why.
Driftless Organics
Noah Engel, Driftless Organics
Nobody knows how to grow potatoes like Driftless Organics — farmers Josh and Noah Engel have been at it since they were kids. Located several hours southeast of the Twin Cities, Driftless occupies 25 acres of ridge and valley fields in the beautiful Star Valley near Soldier's Grove, Wisconsin.
The Engels have been joined in recent years by partners Mike Lind and Teresa Cuperus, and now the four of them and their crew sell their produce at farmers markets in Madison as well as to Co-ops and restaurants in the Twin Cities. They grow a wide variety of vegetables and berries, but you will most often find their top-notch potatoes of many varieties, cucumbers, collard greens, and winter squash here at the Wedge.
These competent farmers have a deep commitment to organic agriculture, the politics of food, and sustainability as a practice as well as an ideal.
Featherstone Fruits and Vegetables
Jack Hedin, Featherstone Farm
Jack Hedin and Jenni McHugh began the Featherstone Farm cooperative in 1995. Featherstone farmers and their families that are members of the cooperative farm roughly 40 acres of land in the fertile Wiscoy valley, just about three hours south of the twin cities. Featherstone's land is a mix of tillable bottomland, hillside woodlands and pastures, bluffs, and wetlands.
The farm utilizes a variety of micro-regions on their land for their vegetable production: rich, loamy soil for spring crops such as lettuce, broccoli and greens; sandy, dry soil for summer crops like melons and peppers. They employ spring season extension strategies such as floating row covers, raised beds, and plastic mulch in their efforts to get crops to market as early as possible. Many spring crops are seeded in their greenhouse before being replanted outside.
They sell their produce through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares, directly to coops, and to wholesalers. Here at the Wedge they are one of our largest local suppliers. Vegetable crops you will regularly find here during the growing season include their famously crisp sugarsnap peas, snow peas, asparagus, all varieties of fresh lettuce, spinach, eggplant, summer squash and zucchini, heirloom tomatoes, green beans, melons, and winter squash.
Due to devastating floods in the fall of 2007, Featherstone has had to look into new land higher on the bluff, and go through the tedious process of organic certification all over again. For this reason, you will sometimes see Featherstone's produce labeled as "conventional" while the land awaits certification. You can feel confident that it is the same delicious food you have come to trust, grown by folks we know.
Gardens of Eagan
Proudly owned by the Wedge Co-op since 2007, Gardens of Eagan has long been a pillar of the local organic farming community. First certified in 1975, founders Martin and Atina Diffley began the farm on land in Eagan, MN, that had belonged to Martin's family since 1855. After encroaching development by the city, the Diffleys were forced to relocate their farm to 100 acres of land in nearby Farmington, MN. The Diffleys like to joke that they're 45 minutes away from the Wedge, if they hit all the green lights.
After farming for over twenty years, the Diffleys have made Gardens of Eagan a name that is recognized all over the Midwest, they've done this by maintaining immaculate organic standards while producing incredibly high quality vegetables—the kind that customers remember from year to year.
In 2007, Martin and Atina announced they would sell their farm to the Wedge Community Co-op, strengthening a bond that was already solid from years of mutual support and good business relations. Today the farm is in full production under the supervision of experienced farmer Linda Halley, providing customers with the same delicious produce we have come to expect over the years. Martin and Atina continue to live at the farm, working on making Gardens of Eagan an organic farming education site as well as a producing farm. Enjoy Gardens of Eagan's delicious sweet corn, watermelon, kale, broccoli, cucumbers, cauliflower, and bell peppers during the growing season.
Harmony Valley Farm
Richard De Wilde, Harmony Valley Farm
Richard DeWilde is the master farmer behind the scenes at the award-winning Harmony Valley Farm, located about four hours south of the twin cities, in southwestern Wisconsin. Nestled into an idyllic valley with a spring-fed creek, Harmony Valley consists of 200 acres of woods, pastures, and cropland, with a total of about 80 acres of market vegetable production. They are known for their extraordinary quality and organic integrity—going beyond what is required for certification and working towards agricultural sustainability.
Harmony Valley is a very large farm, employing a staff of up to 17 people, depending upon the season (many local farms employ between 3-7). They sell their produce primarily through an impressive 1500 member CSA program, as well as at the Dane County Farmer's Market in Madison, WI, and to co-ops like the Wedge all over the upper Midwest. You can find their impeccable salad greens, spinach, arugula, garlic, collards, sauté mix, green-top beets, parsleys and cilantro, and a variety of root vegetables here throughout the growing season.
Hoch Orchards
Harry Hoch and family run this innovative apple orchard, located three hours south of the Wedge, near La Crescent, Minnesota. Consisting of about six acres of original plantings (dating back to the mid 1940's) and fifteen acres of more recently planted trees, the Hoch's are looking forward to coming into full production, as well as organic certification, within the coming years. Hoch currently has over 50 different apple varieties planted—including all of the University of Minnesota's recent releases: Honeycrisp, Zestar, and the Snow apple.
In addition to apples, the orchard boasts two acres of common and uncommon varieties of wine grapes and a small amount of berries and vegetables. Although we don't often see it up here, the orchard produces plums, cherries, apricots, and pears as well: produce you wouldn't normally think could be grown this far north! But that's the magic of Harry Hoch, an expert in innovative Minnesota agriculture, and a pioneer of a popular agricultural technique known as Integrated Pest Management. Enjoy all their local apples, jams, jellies, and Alderman plums here at the Wedge during the autumn.
Jack and the Green Sprout
In business since 1977 and supplying the Wedge as far back as 1978, Jack and the Green Sprout is one of our oldest friends and local growers, a real pioneer in the local produce movement.
Joe Mahoney owns and operates this "sprout farm" in River Falls, Wisconsin, located about an hour west of the Twin Cities. Using well water, certified organic seed, and super clean growing conditions, Joe grows premium quality sprouts at a very affordable price. His outfit is not certified organic, but his methods are environmentally friendly and health-conscious. They specialize in high quality produce delivered with top of the line customer service and integrity.
Twice weekly, year-round, Wedge produce receives deliveries from Jack and the Green Sprout of alfalfa, daikon, broccoli, and onion and alfalfa blend sprouts. They also supply us with sunflower sprouts, sprouted bean mix, and flats of wheatgrass for home juicing.
Keewaydin Farms
Rufus Haucke, Keewaydin Farm
Located at the end of Haucke Lane in beautiful rural Southwestern Wisconsin, Keewaydin Farm enjoys solitude and rarified air. Founded in 1976 as a dairy enterprise run by Richard and Mary Haucke, Keewaydin Farms today is a second-generation owned and operated, organically certified farm in the Southwestern corner of Wisconsin (about four hours from the metro area). As recently as 2002, Richard and Mary's children, Jacob, Rufus, and Jessica Haucke have taken over farm operations.
Today the trio produces four acres of market garden produce, maple sugar, raise a 40-cow dairy, grass-fed chickens, heritage turkeys, and pork. You can find their stunning rainbow, red, gold, and green chards, baby fennel, green garlic, garlic scapes, and more at the Wedge during the summer growing season. They also market their produce at farmers markets and other co-ops from Madison to Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Passionate about hard work and the principles of organic and sustainable local agriculture, Keewaydin represents a wholesome and whole-hearted approach to farming and nourishing the local community with good, clean food.
Living Waters
Owned and operated by Steve and Miriam Klingbeil, Living Waters Gardens produces outstanding, hydroponically grown local produce nearly year-round. Since 1989 they have been specializing in high-quality input, pesticide free tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, and currently supply many twin cities restaurants and natural food co-ops. Steve makes multiple deliveries of his produce each week, so at any time of year, the only fresher tomato for you to eat is the one you grow in your own backyard.
Featuring vine-on, perfectly ripened red and yellow tomatoes, and cartons of sweet red and orange cherry tomatoes, Living Waters is a steady year-round favorite for texture and flavor in a tomato. In their own words, a Living Waters tomato is, "The most excellent tasting tomato you could ever hope for."
Naturally Northern Farms
Naturally Northern Farms is known for their exquisite fresh red raspberries, hand-picked at the peak of ripeness and rushed to the Wedge for all to enjoy.
Since 1999, the Carlin family has owned and tended approximately 4,000 feet of raspberry rows in Northwest Wisconsin, about six miles south of Siren. Their farm is a true community operation, relying on family, neighbors and local teenagers to do the hand weeding, watering, and harvesting necessary to produce top quality fruits that taste like raspberries from your own backyard. They proudly grow their fruit naturally, without the use of pesticides or herbicides.
This labor-intensive process also ensures quality control—their fruit is picked when it is deep red, to ensure maximum flavor. Which is why every half-pint of raspberries you buy from Naturally Northern contains some of the richest, most flavorful fruit on the market today.
Riverbend Farm
Greg Reynolds, Riverbend Farm
Greg and Mary Reynolds own and operate this productive farm located on the Western fringe of the Twin Cities metro area, in Delano, MN. The fruition of a lifelong goal for Greg, Riverbend stands as an example of community building and organic sustainability, all while producing high quality and heirloom varieties of produce.
Certified organic since 1994, Riverbend's vegetables are produced on 30 acres of land that are in a four-year rotation of production and resting with cover crops of "green manure." Main crops include heirloom varieties of tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, salad and cooking greens, radishes, onions, winter squash, and potatoes. Their focus is on high quality, good tasting produce, supplying nearby natural food co-ops, independent, chef-driven restaurants, and a Community Supported Agriculture program. All of their produce is sold within 50 miles of the farm.
Rock Spring Farm
Rock Spring Farm, a standard bearer for quality local organic produce, sits just one mile south of the Minnesota state line, north of Decorah, Iowa. Owned and operated by Chris Blanchard with the help of his three children Zane, Oliver, and Isabel, Rock Spring is comprised of eighty acres of beautiful wooded valleys and open ridges, and boasts rich bottomland with nutrient-dense soil that produces some of the tastiest produce the industry has to offer. They have been certified organic since 2001.
Rock Spring makes producing beautiful, delicious, and impeccably clean market produce look easy—but it is actually the magnificent result of hard work, vision, commitment, and skill on behalf of farmer Chris Blanchard, who has made a name for his farm in the past eight years that is known in the upper Midwest and nationally in the organic movement. He is a founding board member of Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), and has coordinated presentations for the Midwest Organic Farming Conference since 2000. We are lucky at the Wedge to be able to reap the benefits of Chris' commitment to and passion for organic farming. Enjoy Rock Spring's fresh herbs, beets, carrots, squash, fennel, and shallots during the growing season, here at the Wedge.
Tomato King
Just an hour and a half northwest of Minneapolis, in Albany, Minnesota is "Tomato King," a hydroponics operation founded in 1998 by Jeff Skalicky.
Tomato King promises fresh produce, grown without pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides, and irrigated with well water and naturally mined mineral inputs. Albany's pure Minnesota well water, Jeff believes, is the reason for the excellent flavor of his tomatoes and cucumbers. Jeff delivers his heirloom variety tomatoes, sweet grape tomatoes, and hydroponic English cucumbers to the Wedge several times weekly, usually picking them just before delivery.
Tomato King is also dedicated to reducing non-renewable energy consumption. To this end they have recently installed a 40kw wind turbine, and are now looking into utilizing solar energy.
Wisconsin Growers Cooperative
Comprised of approximately 20 small family farms in Western Wisconsin, Wisconsin Growers Co-op is one of the most unique and impressive farming communities to be found. Almost 40 acres of land are farmed exclusively using horses, horse machinery, and hand tools. This means that absolutely no fossil fuels are used in the farming of their vegetables — making theirs a truly sustainable agriculture.
Started in 2006 to help keep families on their farmland, their philosophy is to take good care of the soil, and the soil will pay back with high quality produce. This has proven to be true, because the quality of produce from Wisconsin Growers is second to none. Rivaling produce from California in size, cleanliness, and quality, their talent with the land is clear — they make Minnesota seem like a place with a much longer growing season. In fact, the Cooperative strives to set itself apart from other farms by being the first and the last local farm with product available to sell, using labor-intensive methods to extend their season in both directions.
They grow a wide variety of root crops, including potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, parsnips, and radishes, but also favorites like Napa cabbage, leeks, and hot peppers. Their winter squash selection is particularly unique — offering heirlooms very few people grow these days — like Queensland Blue, Long Island Cheese, and baby Blue Hubbard squash. Look for their professional quality, excellent tasting produce between April and November.
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Organic Field School