Meet Your Farmer: Waxwing Farm!
Waxwing Farm is a 40 acre farm in Webster, MN owned and operated by Pete Skold and Anna Racer. Originally from the metro area, Anna and Pete spent many summers in Northern Minnesota leading wilderness trips for youth where they fell in love with being outdoors. Both completed internships at other farms before purchasing their own farm.
They produce vegetables and animals using sustainable practices. Along with vegetable fields, they have a hoop house which allows them to sell spinach at the winter’s farmers market and sell vegetables much earlier in the season. They sell their produce at the Fulton Farmers Market and deliver CSA Shares to neighborhoods throughout the metro area.
Fun facts:
A new farmer, Harley James was born to Anna and Pete in December 2013! He joins them occasionally at the farmer’s market.
Anna’s favorite vegetable is beets, Pete’s favorite vegetable is tomatoes and Haley’s favorite vegetable is peas!
Anna and Pete grow about 40 different crops and more than 200 different varieties.
When Pete is not farming, he brews beer in their basement. Anna likes to read and go for walks with their dog Greta. But mostly they love spending time with their son, Harley!
Farming Philosophy: Growing food in a way that is as low-impact as possible and valuing diversity in the food that is grown!
Find Waxwing Farm every Saturday at the Fulton Farmers Market!
Meet your Farmer: Dawn2Dusk Farm
Moses Momanyi grew up on a farm in rural western Kenya. After winning a visa lottery, he emigrated to the United States in 2004 where he met his wife, Ronah, who had also won a visa lottery to come to the US. After arriving in the US, Moses worked many different jobs, including renting community garden plots where he planted traditional Kenyan crops and sold them to the Kenyan community. He then received training through the nonprofit Minnesota Food Association (MFA), growing vegetables on rented acreage for a wider community including farmers markets, CSA’s and wholesale accounts.
Moses and Ronah started Dawn2Dusk Gardens in 2009 on five acres that they rented in the St. Criox Falls, WI, area. They cultivated about 3 dozen crops, including vegetables and fruits, and received Organic Certification for their farm there. In 2014, they purchased their own land and moved to Cambridge, MN, where they are working to bring the land back to organic status.
Fun facts:
– Moses and Ronah have two children, Faith and Neil
– When it comes to farming, Moses says, “It’s not all about the money – it’s about the lifestyle”
– Moses encourages other East Africans to get into farming…but cautions that there is a reason why he named his business Dawn2Dusk Gardens!
– They welcome volunteers to help them build a sustainable, organic farm
– Moses’ parents are spending the summer here in the US, helping to farm and take care of their grandchildren
Find Dawn2Dusk Farm on Saturday mornings at the Fulton Market and on Sunday mornings at the Kingfield market!
Fulton, Kingfield, Nokomis: We are Neighborhood Roots!
Who runs the Kingfield Farmers Market? The Fulton Farmers Market? The Nokomis Farmers Market? We do. The nonprofit organization behind that “we” is now named Neighborhood Roots. Neighborhood Roots comprises a market staff of 1.5, a 12-member board of directors, and multiple groups of committed volunteers.
After sprouting the Fulton Farmers Market in 2011, the Kingfield Farmers Market became the Kingfield & Fulton Farmers Markets. With the pilot of the Nokomis Market in 2014, and having expanded our social mission and the reach of the communities we work with in recent years, we recognized the need for a change in our organizational identity behind the scenes.
Each of our markets will continue as it has been – with its own name, location, mix of vendors, feel, and sense of community. This new, unified website, however, will be the most significant evidence of change to the market-goers, community partners, and vendors that we serve.
Why Neighborhood Roots?
Think neighborhoods, growing, food, and community. When considering a new name, we continually returned to these key images and values.
Each of our markets has been generated by residents in their respective communities. The Kingfield Neighborhood Association, the Fulton Neighborhood Association, and the Hale-Page Diamond Lake Community Association planted the first seeds of our markets with their founding grants. Without them the markets could not have grown to where they are today.
To their core, our markets continue to be supported at the neighborhood level. While our market-goers now come from throughout Minneapolis and beyond, we know many of our most regular patrons come from the immediate blocks around the markets. Our board members and volunteers are community members, contributing to what remains a largely volunteer-led organization. And our yearly budget relies heavily on support from our sponsors, which are local businesses serving our same communities.
In exchange, we hope that our work continues to strengthen the foundations of the communities we serve. At the markets, we see neighbors coming together weekly to build relationships and buy, eat and learn about local food. Together, our support of over 85 different market vendors over the course of a typical season promotes small business growth and the continued development of a stronger local food system. Our customer base continues to diversify as we explore additional ways to facilitate access to fresh healthy food among residents of all income levels.
We’ve come a long way since our start as a pickup truck full of vegetables behind Anodyne Coffeehouse. We look forward to continuing to grow with you.
Meet Your Farmer: Singing Hills Goat Dairy
Singing Hills Dairy is a 25-acre artisan goat cheese dairy farm near Nerstrand, MN, owned and operated by Kate Wall and Lynne Reeck. They produce fresh chevre, feta, curds and yogurt from their on-farm certified cheese plant, and raise about 30 to 40 goats each year for meat, much of which is showcased on the local food truck The Curious Goat. In season, they also raise about a dozen pigs which feed on the dairy’s whey.
Lynne started making cheese 6 years ago, experimenting on her kitchen stovetop. Lynne’s path to cheesemaking was a long one, with an education that began with coursework in Wisconsin, followed by apprenticeships with another farmstead cheesemaker and a large commercial outfit. Since then Lynne and Kate have produced some of Minnesota’s most sought-after artisanal dairy products.
Fun facts:
How did you come up with the name Singing Hills Dairy?
Kate and Lynne borrowed the poetic name from their go-to getaway, nearby Sakatah Lake State Park; in the Dakota language, sakatah roughly translates into “singing hills.”
Why did you decide to raise goats?
One of the many attractions is the animals’ natural curiosity. Sheep don’t like people. Cows, they couldn’t care less. But goats? They’re all, ‘Hi, how are you?
How often do you milk your goats?
Twice a day — usually around 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. — six goats at a time, “the girls” dutifully line up inside the milking parlor, lured by the pound of organic grain (a mix of corn, soy, flax and barley) that they feast upon while being milked.
How much milk does a goat produce each day?
On a good day, a doe will produce roughly a gallon of milk, and it travels directly from udder to pasteurization to cheese.
What do you do when you’re not doing work for your farm?
Lynne devotes every waking hour to the place, and Kate, when not immersed in her full-time management job at Northfield’s natural foods co-op, is also tending to the animals and their bottomless needs.
Farming Philosophy: Four Part Harmony between the Land, Animals, Farmers and You.
Meet Your Farmer: Uproot Farm
Sarah hasn’t always been a farmer – she had 3 careers before farming. After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a degree in English, she spent time in France and Spain working on organic farms, then worked at an environmental publishing business in New York City. She developed an interest in sustainable food production which led to an apprenticeship at Fort Hill Farm in Connecticut. It was there that she developed a love for farming and in September, 2010, she moved back to Minnesota and started Uproot Farm.
Uproot Farm is now a 20 acre diversified vegetable farm located just an hour north of the Twin Cities. Sarah and her team are in their fifth production season, raising veggies and pastured chickens in a healthful and environmentally responsible way. She sells her produce at the Fulton Farmers Market and delivers CSA Shares to neighborhoods throughout the metro area.
Fun facts:
Favorite vegetable? kale
Least favorite vegetable? greens beans, mostly because I don’t like picking them.
Favorite Fulton Farmers Market memory? It’s something that happens every summer— kids going crazy over Sungold Cherry tomatoes.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be, and why? I would control the weather to the benefit of all farmers.
Best advice she’s gotten about farming? Breathe.
What do you do when you’re not doing work for your farm? Sleep
Farming philosophy: “Food with the farmer’s face on it”–Philosophical translation of Teikei, the original CSA in Japan.
Meet your Farmer: Auntie Annie's Fields
Elizabeth O’Sullivan and Ian Rhodes started Auntie Annie’s Fields 5 years ago. Before running their own place, Ian worked on vegetable farms and Elizabeth worked at a dairy farm. Now they run Auntie Annie’s Fields, a 20 acre farm near Dundas, MN, producing chickens, eggs and other animals.
They raise their animals differently than most farmers, even the small, local producers. Their chickens run around outside living “chickenly” lives, munching on clover and feed that was never sprayed with chemicals. It’s tricky to have a flock of any size and keep them supplied with greens because the chickens eat greens down very quickly. Elizabeth and Ian solve the problem by sprouting grains on the ground for their meat birds then rotating the birds back and forth between pastures so the pastures can be reseeded and re-grown. This gives their hens unlimited space to forage and makes a big difference in the quality and taste of the meats and eggs.
Elizabeth and Ian also dedicate part of their land to be used by the Mainstreet Project, which is making land and infrastructure available to aspiring Latino chicken farmers. “We are so grateful that we can pursue our farming goals, and we want others to have the same opportunity.”
Fun facts:
Where did the name “Auntie Annie’s” come from? We named the place after my great-aunt Anne, who farmed the old home place in northwestern Minnesota. Auntie Anne was so full of life she just twinkled, and it seemed that she could accomplish just about anything.
Favorite vegetable? We love lettuce!
Best advice they’ve gotten about farming? Animal “husbandry” is called animal “husbandry” for a reason. You have to care about your animals and enjoy spending time with them, just like you might enjoy spending time with your spouse. Your animals deserve that kind of respect.
What do you do when you’re not doing work for your farm? Ian teaches 6th grade English at Highland Park Middle School in St Paul. Elizabeth teaches fitness classes at the Northfield senior center, cares for the couple’s 3 kids age 2-13, and writes essays when she can.
Farming Philosophy: “We believe that people’s health is connected to the health of the soil, plants and animals that feed them, so we use natural, chemical-free methods, and our animals know fresh air and sunshine.”
Find Auntie Annie’s Fields every Saturday at the Fulton Farmers Market.
Fulton Farmers Market Opens May 16th!
The Fulton Farmers Market will be opening for it’s 5th season on May 16 at 8:30 A.M. at 4901 Chowen Ave. S. in Minneapolis. The market is chock-full of locally grown, in season fruits and vegetables, along with prepared foods, baked goods and handmade crafts from local artists.
The Fulton market will be open every Saturday, rain or shine, from 8:30 A.M. – 1 P.M., May 16 through October 24. You’ll find a variety of produce all season long, including greens, radishes, and onions in the Spring; sweet corn, tomatoes, and melons in the Summer; and apples, pumpkins, and squash in the Fall. Every Saturday you can pick up eggs, meat, and your favorite goat cheese. We’ll also have a variety of local craftspeople with products for you and your home, and each week you’ll see a few different vendors with artisan food offerings…chocolates, soups, hummus, pies, even pet treats and toys! While shopping, take a minute to savor your Saturday. Catch up with neighbors and relax with a great cup of coffee and a treat from one of our bakers or a meal from our tasty food trucks – we’ll have pizza all season!
In addition to our great vendors, Fulton Farmers Market offers activities and events for all ages including live music, story time, kid’s crafts and cooking demos. Master Gardeners will be on hand at each market to answer questions and provide tips and tricks for your yard or veggie patch.
The Fulton Farmers Market is pleased to again be accepting EBT at our 2015 summer market. We believe that all members of our community should have access to fresh, local food. Customers are welcome to use EBT cards, FMNP coupons and WIC vouchers at our market. We also provide an ATM-like service at the market that everyone can use — tokens can be purchased in $5 increments and used at any of our Neighborhood Roots markets all year long.
For additional information about the Fulton Market explore our website at neighborhoodrootsmn.org, email us at info@neighborhoodrootsmn.org, or give us a call at 612-207-7893.
Eat at Broders' on March 30th and Support the Farmers Market!
Come on out to Broders' (50th St. & Penn Ave S, Mpls) on Monday March 30th and enjoy some fantastic food from a great local eatery. Throughout the day all three Broders' restauarants- Terzo Vino Bar, the Pasta Bar, and the Cucina Italiana - will be donating 15% of their revenue to the market!
Bring friends and family for a fun night out or grab something to-go. Our farmers markets rely on support from local businesses and neighbors like you. Broders’ donation will go towards market operations that support local farmers, and keep the markets fun and accessible for all.
Kingfield and Nokomis shoppers - all three markets are one organization so what's good for one market is good for all. Don't miss this opportunity to enjoy some great Italian food while supporting your neighborhood farmers market!
Final Indoor Farmers Market, March 28th!
Minnesota is beginning to thaw out and there's just one more indoor farmers market to tide you over to the outdoor market season! The final winter market will take place on March 28th from 9:00 am - 1:30 pm at Bachman's Garden Center (6010 Lyndale Ave. S.) Local vendors will have greenhouse greens and apples along with baked goods, jams and jellies, pickles, honey, crafts and so much more! Don't miss this opportunity to shop local and enjoy a great Saturday morning event. Music will be provided by Steve West and the Northern Stars from 9:00 am- 11:15 am and Ben Glaros from 11:30 am-1:30 pm. Sip on beer from Fulton Brewery or wine and nosh on tasty treats from local food artisans! Don't miss your last chance to stock up on local goods before our outdoor season starts - Fulton on May 16th, Kingfield on May 17th, and Nokomis on June 17th.
Store discount: visitors to Bachman’s on Lyndale can mention “MARCHMARKET” at the store registers to get $5 off a $25+ Bachman’s purchase. Valid 3/28, regular-priced store items only. Market goods not included.
Thanks to Uptown Plumbing Heating & Cooling, France 44, The Waters on 50th, Nicollet Ace Hardware, Bryant Lake Bowl, and Fulton Beer for their support in making our indoor markets possible!
Winter Market, Saturday February 28th!
The February Indoor Winter Farmers Market is just around the corner! On Saturday, February 28th from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm at Bachman’s Garden Center (6010 Lyndale Ave S.) you will have a great opportunity to enjoy a fun morning while stocking up on all your favorite local goods. An amazing mix of vendors will be present bringing you fresh herbs and greens, stored root vegetables, canned goods, honey, maple syrup, jams, amazing baked goods, ready to eat foods, coffee, crafts and more! Enjoy music from Sister Species from 9:00 am to 11:15 am and Ruben Correa from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. Beer from Fulton Brewery and the new Eastlake Brewery, and wine will be for sale by the glass.
Thanks to Uptown Plumbing Heating & Cooling, France 44, The Waters on 50th, Nicollet Ace Hardware, Bryant Lake Bowl, Eastlake Brewery and Fulton Beer for their support in making our indoor markets possible!
Store discount: visitors to Bachman’s on Lyndale can mention “FEBMARKET” at the store registers to get $5 off a $25+ Bachman’s purchase. Valid 2/28, regular-priced store items only. Market goods not included.
Mark your calendars and get ready for another great Saturday morning at the Winter Farmers Market!