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 Choosing Your Local Food
Some of us grew up with family gardens that supplemented our dinners. Aside from these vegetables, we didn’t often think about where or how our food was produced. Yet our globalized world made it possible for rice from across the world to accompany the green beans from our backyard.
Eating foods produced locally is one way to be a more informed and conscientious consumer. Local foods don’t travel long distances to your dinner table, so they taste better and require less fuel to get there. Your money stays within the local community, strengthening the economy. Chosing local food means caring about what we put into our bodies, where it comes from and how it is produced.
Choosing local food options can take many forms from buying a "share" at a farm (as in Community Supported Agriculture, see below for details) to being aware of what your region produces each season. Use the resources on this site to create your own local food plan. The details are specific to the Greater Milwaukee Area, but we hope that this site encourages everyone investigate their own local options.
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 What is Community
Supported Agriculture?
Community Supported Agriculture or CSA is like having your own personal farmer. In a CSA, you become a member of a local farm by purchasing a “share” in that farm. In return, you receive weekly deliveries of fresh produce throughout the growing season, typically late May to November. This economic arrangement benefits farmers because they have improved cash flow in the beginning of the year. It also guarantees a market for their products. This arrangement benefits members because they receive fresh product, delivered conveniently to a dropsite nearby. This arrangement benefits the entire community by keeping local farms and jobs viable and securing a healthy food supply.
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How does it impact the environment?
 CSA’s grow their food in ways that enhance the life above and below the soil by eliminating pesticides that can kill micro- and megafauna and -flora, and reducing the use of fossil fuel as an energy source because all CSA farms are local so food only travels a short distance from the field to the kitchen. CSAs also save fossil fuels by reducing packaging and eliminating it as a fertilizer source. This results in the healthiest, best-tasting produce possible at the least environmental cost.
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What does it cost?
 The typical cost of a CSA share averages from $20-25 a week. As a shareholder, you pay up front for the entire season, which ranges from 19 to 27 weeks, depending on the farm. Share size also varies from farm to farm. Some farms offer “worker shares” exchanging work for a share of produce. Others have either convenient payment plans or assistance funds that can offset part of the cost of a share.
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 Can I get more than just vegetables?
Some CSA’s also raise fruit, herbs, and cut flowers. Others offer eggs, meats, dairy products and other products. There may be additional fees for some of these products.
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Is Community Supported
Agriculture right for you?
CSA’s are right for everyone. Having a positive experience, however, may mean rediscovering a culture of food — and your kitchen. This means challenging your taste buds as well as your cooking skills. The benefits of doing this are huge: tastier and healthier meals, more family time and a connection to a culture of food that has gone unrecognized for at least a generation. The advantage of a CSA is you get food that is fresh and bursting with flavor. However, what is ripe for picking depends on the season and weather. In other words, you may receive tasty strawberries in June but not in November. You will likely receive a greater variety of vegetables than you typically find in the supermarket. Most CSA’s offer newsletters with recipes and cooking tips. If you enjoy healthy food and are willing to try new flavors, CSA’s are a good fit.
For individuals who do not wish to join a CSA but want to buy locally, consider visiting a farmer’s market near you. For listings, visit www.farmfreshatlas.org
Choosing a CSA is about getting involved directly on the food you choose to eat. You are encouraged to contact growers directly to determine which CSA is the best fit for you.
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Other resources:
Slow Food Wisconsin South East - www.slowfoodwise.org
Organic Consumers Association - www.organicconsumers.org/organlink.htm
Local Harvest - www.localharvest.org
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Community Supported Agriculture
Subscription Farms serving the Milwaukee Area
2009 CSA Farm List
Choosing a CSA is about connecting to a farm and your food. You are encouraged to contact growers directly to determine which CSA is the best fit for you. Click here for a comparison chart of types of produce, drop sites, share size, and season length. Click here if you'd rather see a PDF of the following list of farms.
For more information, contact
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Afterglow Farm
Afterglow Farm is a project with its roots in the experience and love of "place". We tend a flower garden planted five generations ago, we keep chickens as our family always has, and we act as stewards of the land that we love. We also plant vegetables, an experience that has evolved into a broader mission, one that serves the public as well as the family, and if we are successful, will change the way our community relates to the food supply. The mission of Afterglow Farm is to elevate the role of food, agriculture and the environment through healthy, sustainable farm practices, creative educational opportunities and a dedication to advocacy for the field to fork experience.
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Backyard Bounty
Laura Comerford
W4873 County Road U, Plymouth, WI 53073
920-892-4319, ljcomerford@hotmail.com
Vegetables, herbs, and strawberries, grown naturally without the use of pesticides, herbicides or synthetic chemical fertilizers. Poultry and eggs available at extra cost. The season is 20 weeks. Share feeds two adults. Work shares - 40 hours per season. Work anytime during the season; bring friends or family to meet the hour requirement. $25 off if you subscribe before February 1st. Milwaukee drop-sites: Prospect/Locust St, West Side, and Mequon. Pick-your-own strawberries and pumpkins included in subscription. Farm is located 50 miles north of Milwaukee, right off of
Hwy 57 and Cty U.
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Full Harvest Farm, LLC
Chuck Frase and Terry Vlossak
7112 County Road S, Hartford WI 53027
262-673-6760, fullharvestfarm@yahoo.com
Full Harvest Farm, LLC offers seasonal, certified organic vegetables, herbs and fruit to its CSA, retail and wholesale customers. We grow 12 acres of 50 different varieties of vegetables. Successive plantings insure plenty of the crops you know and love throughout the season. CSA boxes come in both Couple and Family Share sizes. Our pick-up sites are: here at the farm, in Hartland, Oconomowoc, Waukesha and Racine. We are seasoned farmers who believe in building up soil and natural ecosystems that grow great vegetables and support a sustainable lifestyle.
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Future Fruit Farm CSA
Bob, Ellen, and Selena Lane
5363 Knobs Road, Ridgeway, WI 53582
608-924-1012, futurefruitfarm@hotmail.com
Our family farm is located on the beautiful ridges overlooking the Wisconsin River valley. Here, we have spent over 22 years perfecting organic fruit growing techniques. This year marks our 4th year that our farm has offered membership in our organic fruit CSA. Members receive boxes of our unusually delicious certified organic Future Fruit Farm apples and pears. We grow 24 varieties of apples, and 14 varieties of pear, including our Asian pears. Our season is from mid-August to early January. Members receive 10 boxes of our premium quality organic fruit delivered every other week. Members will receive a sampling of our home-recipe organic fruit butters as well. Newsletters are included in each fruit box delivery with farm stories, recipes, ripening instructions, and fruit variety descriptions. We also host a member gathering on our farm. Milwaukee area delivery sites will continue to be the two Outpost Natural Food Coops bi-weekly on Friday afternoons and evenings. Other sites are possible, but are still pending. Future Fruit Farm has been certified Organic by OCIA since 1993.
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HighCross Farm
Finest quality organically grown produce. Our farm is located in a fertile river valley along the headwaters of the Milwaukee River in beautiful Kettle Moraine country. We offer generous sized shares. Always fresh, very clean, and gently packed with TLC. Fresh berries included on a regular basis. Fresh herbs every week. Three different share sizes available. 20 week subscription plus fall storage share option. Over 15 drop-off sites in a 6 county area including Metro Milwaukee. Worker shares available. Special events for CSA members. Weekly newsletter included. Poultry, lamb, and wool also available. Visit our website for more information.
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Honey Hill Gardens
Honey Hill Gardens is a small farm that offers the Milwaukee area truly local food and a new model of land use. Organically produced flowers, vegetables, herbs, and honey are available through a CSA program and farmers market sales. CSA members are invited to seasonal farm events and tours. Through an innovative arrangement with Milwaukee County UW Extension, Honey Hill Gardens is located at the Firefly Ridge Community Garden in Wauwatosa.
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JenEhr Family Farm
Kay Jensen and Paul Ehrhardt
6837 Elder Lane, Sun Prairie, WI 53590
608-825-9531, jenehr@aol.com, www.wisconsingrown.com
JenEhr Family Farm offers a wide range of certified organic fruits and vegetables (more than 100 varieties) from the first week in June to November, plus early spring greens, holiday/fall storage and pastured poultry options. All shares include an invitation to the farm for U-Pick strawberries and tomatoes. Full share feeds a family of four that eats out a couple times a week. Half shares also available. Each week you’ll find a newsletter with recipes (including recipes from your favorite chefs, also JenEhr customers) storage tips and farm banter. Pick up sites located in downtown Milwaukee, Pewaukee, and at the West Allis Farmers Market each Thursday. Check out the Web site to “see” the farm and download a brochure.
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LotFotL Community Farm
LotFotL Community Farm is very, very, very excited for 2009. Did I mention that we are excited? We grow on Certified Organic land (but do not own this certificate) in East Troy at Michael Fields Agricultural Institute. Last year we focused on learning the ropes of selling to and developing relationships with retailers. This year we will play to our strengths and offer for 40 members balanced and bountiful CSA shares. We aim to be the CSA for the simple home cook: we will introduce you to all sorts of exotic and odd veggies, but will concentrate our energies on providing the staples: Broccoli, Tomatoes, Onions, Garlic, Lettuce, Spinach, and so on. We offer Full, Split, and every other week shares.
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Pinehold Gardens
David Kozlowski and Sandra Raduenz
1807 E. Elm Rd., Oak Creek, WI 53154
414-762-1301, info@pineholdgardens.com
Pinehold Gardens features a bio-sustaining method of agriculture that cares for the land, the health of its members and the biodiversity of its 21 acres. Located in Metropolitan area of Milwaukee, Pinehold offers a 20-week season, mid-June through mid-October with a final delivery before Thanksgiving. A Standard Share feeds one to two people or a small family with not a lot of time to cook. A Large Share feeds two or more people that cook more. Drop sites are in Bay View, Greenfield, Racine, Shorewood, Wauwatosa, 58th and Vilet, and at the farm in Oak Creek. A weekly newsletter with storage ideas, recipes and insights into the day-to-day business of growing sustainably is included in the box every week. Eggs are available at an extra cost through a partnership with Yuppie Hill Poultry.
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Rare Earth Farm
An assortment of approximately 30 different types of vegetables and fruits delivered to convenient pickup locations in Sheboygan, Ozaukee, Milwaukee, Washington, Waukesha and Kenosha counties. Season covers a 21-week delivery schedule from June to the end of November. Additional products include eggs, maple syrup, and honey. Farm events during the season include a salsa making party, and a fall harvest festival.
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Springdale Farm
Peter and Bernadette Seely
W7065 Silver Spring Lane, Plymouth, WI 53073
920-892-4856 springdalefarm@excel.net
Located an hour north of Milwaukee, Springdale Farm has been a CSA since 1988, and currently serves 500 households. Vegetables and some fruit included, all grown organically (uncertified), with greenhouses utilized to extend the season. Organic eggs and broilers, along with (local) bread, can be ordered separately. June through early December deliveries, with optional mid-December storage share. Full shares (for 3-5 people) and half shares (for 2-3 people) available. Drop sites: Springdale Farm, Plymouth, Sheboygan, Mequon, Grafton, Bayside, Whitefish Bay, Shorewood, Wauwatosa, and Menomonee Falls. Workshares available.
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Stella Gardens
Janet Gamble, Farm and Food Education Program Director, and Stella Gardens Manager, Michael Fields Agricultural Institute
W2493 County Rd ES, PO Box 990, East Troy, WI 53120
262-642-3303, fax: 262-642-4028, jgamble@michaelfieldsaginst.org
Stella Gardens is a certified organic, student-based CSA, operating since 1997. Under the guidance of the garden manager, the students form a social and economic relationship with you, the subscriber, insuring local production, quality food, and care for the soil, ground water, and adjacent natural areas. In return for your subscription, the Student Training Program provides you with a bountiful and diverse range of vegetables, herbs, and some fruits that can feed a family of four. A flower option is also offered. Subscriptions are available as 21-week Full shares and 11 Every-Other-Week shares, from May 27 to October 14. Subscribers pick up their shares Wednesdays, 4.00 – 6.30pm at the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute in East Troy, roughly 45 minutes southwest of downtown Milwaukee, just off Hwy 43. Call, write, or email for a subscription brochure.
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Stoney Meadow Farm
Stoney Meadow Farm is a small family farm dedicated to environmental stewardship by working in harmony with the land to grow healthy fruits and vegetables. Imagine having your own farmer. Contrary to how many of us grew up, the food we now eat travels an average 1500 miles before it reaches our tables. At Stoney Meadow Farm everything is grown organically with lots of care. We use the old fashioned, time-tested ways of farming to control any potential disease or pests our plants might encounter thoughout the growing season, such as companion planting, etc. We are passionate about our farming and about making the world a healthier place for our family and yours. Drop sites in Delafield, Wauwatosa, Sheboygan and more TBD. We offer 20 + weeks of vegetables, herbs and fruit. Full and partial shares (we also have an installment option. Some personalization available.
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Tipi Produce
Join us for a season of your favorite organic veggies. With 30-years experience and 35 acres in production, we deliver satisfying weekly boxes filled with popular crops such as red peppers, tomatoes, sweet corn, melons, strawberries, lettuce, snap peas, carrots, herbs and more. All our produce is certified organic. Our weekly share feeds a family of four. An alternate week share and winter storage shares are also available. Pick-up sites are located in Bay View, Brookfield, Milwaukee (Outpost/Capitol Drive), and Wauwatosa (Outpost/State), as well as in Madison, Middleton, and Evansville. Newsletters connect you with our farm, located 25 miles SE of Madison, and about 1-3/4 hours from central Milwaukee. Bring the kids to our three farm celebrations!
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Wellspring Gardens
Certified organic vegetables, herbs and some fruit grown bio-dynamically. Eggs ordered separately. 24 weeks of produce from 3rd week of May to early November. Drop sites in Milwaukee (Outpost on Capitol), Wauwatosa (Langlois, 89th & North), West Bend (Sunseed, 1015 S. Main St.), Grafton (Slow Pokes Local Food, 1229 12th Ave.) and Newburg (Wellspring Farm). Wellspring accepts full time and summer interns, worker shares and volunteers for training in organic gardening. CSA shareholders can sign up through the web site or request a brochure by email.
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Willoway Farm
Daniel Bertram and Jacquelyn Fulcomer
N6850 Camp Awana Rd., Fredonia, WI 53021
262-692-9691, willowayfarm@hotmail.com, www.willowayfarm.net
Willoway Farm grows heirloom crops, no GMO crops, using no poisons on a 1.5 acre garden created to exemplify the French Intensive Gardening method which includes permanent raised garden beds with clover footpaths between beds. Hand tools are the main source of cultivation for a light tread on the earth.
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