the Crossroads Companion

You all belong to the tribe of the farm faithful.  You are amazing.  You are committed to eating local AND organic in a real way. You’re not just in it for the sweet corn.  You have a developed pallet with the ability to cherish [...]

Frozen II & the Ho-Chunk Nation ****Spoiler Alert*** This newsletter contains references to the new Disney Frozen II film. Don’t read on if you wouldn’t like general plot references to the film. *** Over the Thanksgiving holiday, [...]

A growing buzz in the local farming community is that CSA isn’t remaining solvent. Whether it’s because the local and organic argument isn’t strong enough, pick-up windows are too short, organic vegetables are easier to obtain [...]

I want to describe a particular moment in the fields, a moment of wonder that brings me great joy. During this spell where the snow is no longer on the ground but the ground isn’t completely wet and soggy, is a perfect time to mulch our [...]

In the cold months, my work day changes pretty drastically. I go from constant stress, long days, people management, and physical labor outside to half days at a computer by myself and the other half spent with my small child. In the morning [...]

At a late September local harvest dinner at a nearby colleagues’ farm, I caught eyes with a man standing in front of a TV camera. Wisconsin Public Television’s Wisconsin Foodie was at this event recording. The man looked super [...]

On the way to the bus stop this morning, my 10 year old daughter was lamenting that she didn’t want snow and cold on Halloween. She wasn’t just complaining, she was weeping.  I acknowledged she was bummed about it, but I asked her to [...]

I can happily say that the list of things remaining to do in our fields this season all fits on a single sheet of paper. The season began in late February when we fired up the heaters and began seeding onions. We were in full greenhouse nursery [...]

Our fall brassicas, namely our broccoli and cauliflower at the new land, have been hit hard with a very common pest – the cabbage moth and their babies, the cabbage moth caterpillar. Brassicas are the vegetable family that include [...]

At book time tonight, my 4 year old came in wearing a striped black and white shirt, a green tank top on top of the shirt, brown striped pants, and pink shorts over her brown pants. It was adorable. I laughed at all her funny layers. Her layers [...]

A couple weeks back we had our annual crew meal. This is where we treat our hard-working field crew to a fancy meal at Sardine. We love going to Sardine because a) the food is delicious and b) they are the real deal in terms of farm to table [...]

Amongst the many awesome reasons to support local agriculture, particularly through a CSA membership, is one you may not think of often. You prevent food waste. First, by participating in a customizable CSA you help reduce waste by being able to [...]

As you may or may not know, our family moved residences this season. For a decade we lived at the farmhouse on Hwy J, at the Crossroads of Highway P and Highway J. When we first moved there, I obsessed about all the traffic that occurs from 4:30 [...]

One of the things I love about being a truly seasonal vegetable eater is that it makes me deeply appreciate certain meals and flavor combinations during certain times of year.  You know how that sweet potato dish you have at Thanksgiving, and [...]

This morning was back to school morning for us just as it was for many of you. As we were taking our morning dog walk in the fields, my eldest asked me how it could be that summer just seemed to go so much faster this year. I responded by saying [...]

Outside my office window, the goldenrods are blooming. Meanwhile I can hear the goldfinches flitting around as they enjoy the perennial sunflowers planted around the house. Chip chip chip. Chip chip chip. Goldfinches + goldenrod = good times at [...]

For the last 3 seasons, Mike has made it possible for me and the girls to take a week-long vacation in the middle of the summer.  This year, for the first time, I got to return the favor! Mike took the girls up north to the Bayfield area. They [...]

I am so excited to share this with you all! Growing for Market, a national farming trade publication, came to interview us. With permission from Growing for Market we are sharing the text of the article with you. It’s a dense one and you [...]

Green Life Philosophy One of our CSA members writes an inspiring blog on how to incorporate simple sustainable actions into everyday life. She also happens to meal plan with her CSA box every week. The plans are wonderful and really show how one [...]

Field Chat One of the things I love about farming is the field chat.  Some days we are moving from task to task fairly quickly, or I’m doing more managerial things, so I don’t get to be a part of the field chat. But sometimes, [...]

As you read this, I am unplugged, hanging out with my children in Cass Lake, MN near Bemidji.  That’s right, I’m a farmer on vacation in July! It’s amazing! You may be wondering how. Great question. The answer is: Farmer Mike. [...]

The Negative Weather Vane You know that person in your world who always seems to have a negative spin on any response?You know who I mean.  That person you almost try to back into a positive corner and they still amaze you by finding a way out [...]

The girls and I spend a lot of our time swimming in the summers. I’m always rooting for swimming in the lakes, like Stewart or Governor Dodge. The girls, however, prefer the clean simplicity of the pool. Since my parents live in a condo [...]

Three Girls, Brassicas, & a Thrift Store Our three daughters, ages 9, 6, and 4 don’t do much work on the farm. They are young and unless the work involves eating something, they historically haven’t been very interested. However, [...]

Red-winged blackbirds are one of the first migratory birds who return to our fields in the spring. The males are sleek, beautiful birds with black feathers and these special tufts of red (with a little bit of yellow) on their shoulders.  Their [...]

Caroline has been a CSA member of our farm for many years. She’s come to lots of the events and is the proud owner of the testimonial I use when presenting the concept of CSA to potential new members. Caroline is also a photographer. So [...]

Last Tuesday Mike, myself, and his buddy Trey were at the house playing cards. A storm rolled in and we went outside on the porch to watch. The rain was coming down steady, but not too hard. Then lightning was stretching across the sky [...]

For many of you, this week marks the end of a 6-month run of eating organic food grown on our farm. We thank you!!! We know there are lots of ways to find local food. And organic food. But CSA remains one of the best ways to get local AND [...]

Our girls love the Little House of the Prairie series – especially Little House in the Big Woods & Little House on the Prairie. The parallels and contrasts our girls can draw from the books are pretty amazing. The Ingalls family is a [...]