Extending the Season Ten years ago organic food was considered a specialty item. Today, organic foods have become part of the American mainstream culture. Markets have experienced a 15-20% yearly growth rate for the past 5 years. According to USDA officials, the number of organic farmers is increasing 12% a year. Featherstone Fruits and Vegetables […]
Pendleton’s Country Market: A crop of seasonal diversity
Despite the plethora of business how-to books, consultants, advice and resources, Pendleton’s Country Market distills its own powerful entrepreneurial philosophy: listen to your customers, listen to your heart, keep positive and provide reasons for folks to keep returning to the farm throughout the year. Instead of focusing on the downside of declining agriculture over the […]
Sheep Sorrel Farm
Farming the Spirit In Welch, Minnesota, one woman finds a way to release physical energy that she cannot find in a classroom. Beth Slocum, a teacher at Mounds Park Academy, spends her summers on her farm and commutes to Welch to check on her flock several times a week during the school year. “As a […]
Farm on Wheels
Self-Reliance Linda Noble has known since the age of 12 that she wanted to be a farmer. She married a farmer (Mike) in 1977, and together they started raising hogs, and dairy cows, and rotationally growing alfalfa, corn, and beans. When the farm crisis of the late 80’s hit, they were forced to rethink theirincome […]