Our Philosophy & Methods

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Our farming philosophy includes treading as lightly upon the earth as we possibly can while providing high quality fruits and flowers.  Our whole farm is organically managed starting in 2012!  Nature is very important to us; the gifts of our environment fill us with wonder and awe and we try to reflect that in our farming. We strive toward producing crops that are safe to consume while using production techniques safe for the environment. We utilize techniques such as composting, green manures, and natural organic fertilizers for our plantings to promote healthy, rich soil. We also use the latest technology in monitoring for insects and disease pests to improve the efficacy of our all organic sprays and pest control strategies.
    Organic Blueberries
    We implement 100% organic production techniques certified by MOSA and are the largest producer of certified organic blueberries in the state of Wisconsin.

    Transitional Organic Blueberries
    Transitional fields must be managed organically for three years to be certified organic.  Starting in 2012 herbicide use was discontinued.

    Raspberries
    All of our plantings are caned annually to reduce disease incidence and spray requirements, while increasing fruit size and quality. We monitor our plantings daily and only apply sprays when pest levels are high enough to have a serious economic impact and even then, only well before fruit maturity. We do not apply chemical fungicides or insecticides or herbicides at any time during the year.

    Organic Apples
    This will be a very challenging endeavor, but are giving it our best shot, so starting in 2012 no chemicals are used in the production of Blue Vista apples. We are also part of the Wisconsin Eco-Apple Project, through the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems at UW-Madison. The Eco-Apple Project networks apple growers to work together at using Integrated Pest Management and reduce pesticide risk. For more information about Wisconsin's Eco-Apple Project and Integrated Pest Management visit www.thinkipm.org/apples.