Thanksgiving Shopping Hours

 

Grab greens, apples, applesauce, hostess gifts and more!!

Watch for updates in case fresh sweet cider lands!!

What are Microgreens?

A quick explanation is that microgreens are tiny baby plants that pack a punch with nutrition and flavor!!

They are the miniature version of their adult counterparts, packed with nutrients and enzymes from their rapid growth. Harvested around 10-14 days, just before or at the first leaf stage.

Baby vegetables! (That are often more fun. :)

That's it, really pretty simple! And they are very easy to use.

Most microgreens found on store shelves are grown on shelving under grow lights, which aids in quick and even growing in their trays. Some are grown on coir, or grow mats, some in soil.

A few things that set our microgreens apart:

1. Our microgreens (all our winter greens) are grown under natural sunlight in our passive solar Deep Winter Greenhouse (DWG).

1. Our Organic micros are grown in organic soils.

1. Did you pick up on the third difference?! Our micros are Certified Organic...as well as Real Organic Project Certified!

What do microgreens taste like and how are they used?

Microgreens are so versatile and easy to use, and they are not just for salads!

Typically used raw microgreens are a very easy way to add nutrition, flavor and fun to your meals. Flavor is going to depend on the type of green you purchase. Arugula micros are going to taste like full grown peppery arugula. Radish micros will taste like radishes. Our signature Zesty Mix! is a zippy, flavorful mustard greens blend.

My favorite way to use microgreens is with my eggs in the morning! Helps me start the day with more veggies and nutrition, adds great flavor and texture - place over-easy eggs on a bed of micros, sprinkle over scambled eggs or an omelet.

They are great in sandwiches, salads (of course), on tacos, in a Korean beef bowl and so much more! I have a customers whose kiddo likes to tuck some in a slice of salami and eat up! The world is your oyster!

Chances are they compliment a few of your favorite dishes!

Winter Wellness CSA

Winter Wellness CSA 2025

Now full for 2025, may be added to waitlist for 2026 and Sampler CSAs this winter - info@alternativerootsfarm.com or text Brooke at 507-412-7605

Greens are growing and the winter greenhouse is filling up at a good pace!

Past time to get our Winter Wellness CSA up and going! Sign up opens to members from the last year, and folks who have asked to be added to the wait list. But here are deets for everyone, in case this seems like a good future fit for you. 

 

As always, the highlight is our winter greens! Pea shoots, microgreens and salad mix will be accompanied by canned goods and herbal wellness items. This season the apple harvest was good, so apples will accompany the first 2-3 pick ups.

Winter Greens Feature – organic pea shoots, zesty microgreens, mustard greens salad mix – one per pick up, generally.

Canned Goods Feature – applesauce, apple butter, jam/jelly, pizza sauce, salsa – with 1-2 items in each share pick up.

Herbal Wellness Items Feature – 1-2 salve, lotion bar, sore throat spray and more – holistic wellness comes from more than just food.

Produce Items Feature – apples 2-3x, garlic 1x.

 

Winter Wellness CSA will have 7 pick-ups November—March. We like to start the week before Thanksgiving. Pick ups will look like à Nov(1), Dec(2), Jan(2), Feb(1), Mar(1), by my best estimate, pick ups per month. Greens are picked up at the farm store, or the Mankato Winter Farmers Market (ONLY if dates line up). Shares are roughly every several weeks, dependent on the growth of greens. I am better at anticipating this now, but every once and a while I may have to push back a week if growth is slow (clouds and cold and such). Flexibility is a must.

 

Investment is $270. $135 due up front for reservation, with remaining $135 due by first pick up, or by verbal payment plan.

 

Eggs – In the past I have reserved ahead but cannot this year.

 

Holler to reserve your share. There are only 10 available!

Send any questions our way.

Apples :: Golden Russet

 

Late Season • Sweet

Ripens

Late September - Early October

Characteristics

Crisp, highly flavored, fine-textured, yellow flesh makes very sugary juice. Golden bronze with a coppery orange cheek; heavily splotched with light brown russet. The Golden Russet apples are high in both sugar, acid and tannins, which make them a good pair with almost any apple for eating, cooking, cider or drying. The Golden Russet was prized as the "champagne" of old-time cider apples. 

History

The Golden Russet apple declined in marketability in the twentieth century when the alluring shininess and color of red apples gained popularity. 

The Golden Russet apple was known about in the 1700s and most likely sprang from New York. Some have speculated that it may descend from the English russet apple. Others allude to it having almost perfect resemblance to the roxbury russet. Whichever its lineage, little is known about its origin. 

Parentage: Unknown.

Storage: Keeps 3+ months.

Notes: We have a few customers that wait for this all season each year! Great example of a unique heirloom apple. Some years russeting is more than others.

Farm Store 10/14

Well, the weather is giving me some extra time for outside tasks and still so much to do! Need to just pull the tomatoes and close the garden down, prep space for garlic planting and get that done in the next week. I had to order some more seed, because mine just didn't look the greatest this year and asters yellows is making it's way around. The winter greenhouse is started, with micros and pea shoots and I'll be getting the first salad mix planted today - better late than never!!

Farm Store 10/14

Organic Apples in stock:

Haralson - classic baker, complex tart flavor, firm, crisp, juicy.

Cortland - rich sweet-tart flavor, aromatic, vinous, all-purpose

Spartan - kid fav, more sweet than tart, with hints of strawberry, vanilla and spice, aromatic

Fameuse - grab this if you are looking for McIntosh, tender, juicy, distinctive in flavor, aromatic

Honeygold - crisp, juicy, sweet, honeyed

Golden Russet - intense heirloom flavor, fine grained, champagne of old cider apples

Fireside - big, sweet, crisp, baker and fresh eating

Watch for: Regent, Jonathon, Heirlooms

More in the Farm Store

Canned Items in Store:

Applesauce *Back sometime this month!

Apple Butter

*Watch for jams returning! Attentions can return to this after all the apples are picked and tomatoes processed!!

Eggs are limited and hit or miss at this time, likely til Spring, when the pullets start laying.

Winter Greens - 1+ week to micros and pea shoots, 5 weeks to salad!

Herbal Wellness:

Salves:

-Bruise Salve - stop a bruise in its tracks, aid healing of existing bruises, hemorrhoids

-Knitbone Salve - musculoskeletal, sore muscles, sprains, strains, broken bones

-Cottonwood Wound Salve - think of it as a natural neosporin, plus pain relief, use on cuts, minor wounds, burns, etc.

Calendula Lotion Bar - solid lotion bar that soothes and moisturizes

Herbal Sore Throat Spray

Elderberry Syrup Kits

Herbal Tinctures - Willow Bark, Astragalus, Stinging Nettles, Elderberry, Ashwaganda, Holy Basil

Farm Store Hours - Tu-Fri 9-7 & Sat 9-2, or by appt.

Sweet cider is in stock!!

Mankato Market Schedule

This Saturday was up in the air, but John's at Ciderfest (grab tickets HERE), and Leo has a birthday party, SO, see you back in November!

Nov. 1 - Winter Markets begin! 1st & 3rd Saturdays at Bomgaars Mankato, through the first week in April!

Apples + Sweet Cider 10/7

 See the previous October 1st update for full farm store deets + add on the update below...

Apples in stock:

Haralson
Sweet Sixteen 
Cortland
Honeygold
Fameuse
Spartan
Smokehouse - 1 left!
Golden Russet
Fireside

Sweet cider is in stock!!

Oct. 1 Updates :: Farm Store & More

Apple season is keeping us busy!! Picking mid and late season varieties, bringing in the harvest, sorting and packing fresh eating apples, as well as seconds for customers processing. The temperature fluctuations have made harvest funny, and we are seeing more drops from the trees. Cool temps would be welcome!! 

The garden is wrapping up for farm store goods and the deep winter greenhouse is not started yet, so we are at a little in-between spot for Organic produce other than apples. BUT you'll see 5-10 varieties gracing farm store shelves and the market table. Read on...

Mankato Market Schedule

Find us at the Saturday Mankato Farmers' Market from 8am - 12:00pm the following Saturdays"

Oct. 4

Oct. 11

Oct. 18 likely?? (Find John at Ciderfest.)

Oct. 25 - gone.

Nov. 1 - Winter Markets begin!

What's in the Farm Store

Organic Apple Varieties:

Haralson - classic baker, complex tart flavor, firm, crisp, juicy.

Sweet Sixteen - kid fav, sweet, crisp, juicy, aromatic 

Cortland - rich sweet-tart flavor, aromatic, vinous, all-purpose

Spartan - kid fav, more sweet than tart, with hints of strawberry, vanilla and spice, aromatic

Fameuse - grab this if you are looking for McIntosh, tender, juicy, distinctive in flavor, aromatic

Smokehouse *one bag left!

Watch for: Connell Red, Fireside, Regent, Jonathon, Honeygold, heirlooms like Golden Russet

All of these are great fresh eating varieties, all with their own unique profile. Many are also good for cooking!

MAKE THIS - Apple Fritters - we are enjoying about once a week for breakfasts!

If you are interested in picking up a Bushel of baking apples (seconds) for processing, give us a holler! $35/bushel seconds organic apples.

**Sweet apple cider - watch for our next pressing date!

Canned Items in Store:

Applesauce *out of stock for now.

Apple Butter

*Watch for jams returning!

Eggs are limited and hit or miss at this time.

Herbal Wellness:

Salves:

-Bruise Salve - stop a bruise in its tracks, aid healing of existing bruises, hemherroids

-Knitbone Salve - musculoskeletal, sore muscles, sprains, strains, broken bones

-Cottonwood Wound Salve - think of it as a natural neosporin, plus pain relief, use on cuts, minor wounds, burns, etc.

Calendula Lotion Bar - solid lotion bar that soothes and moisturizes

Herbal Sore Throat Spray

Elderberry Syrup Kits

Herbal Tinctures - Willow Bark, Astragalus, Stinging Nettles, Elderberry, Ashwaganda, Holy Basil

Farm Store Hours - Tu-Fri 9-7 & Sat 9-2, or by appt.

Apples :: Spartan

Mid-Late Season • Sweet

Ripens
Mid-Late September

Characteristics

More sweet than tart, with hints of strawberry and spice. It has dark, plum-red color, and tender, aromatic white flesh beneath a somewhat tough skin. It is best as a fresh-eating apple, and it stores well. Great for fresh eating and juicing.  

History

Raised at the Canadian Apple Research Station in Summerland, British Columbia, in the 1920s.

Parentage: McIntosh x Unknown. For years it was described as a cross between McIntosh and the American heirloom Newtown Pippin, but as a result of recent genetic testing, the latter has been ruled out, leaving Spartan’s second parent a mystery.

Storage

Keeps until winter. 

Notes

This variety has been gaining popularity with our customers!

September 16 Farm Store Updates

Main apple season is cracking and there are around 10 apple varieties on the shelf in the farm store, as well as gracing the Market table on Saturdays!!! Apple Share members are receiving their third week of apples this week. :)

How Apple Season Flows on the Farm

Expect to see the best of what's in season!! Varieties are always changing in the farm store. Some varieties have lots of quantity, some are here and gone, showcasing harvest from only a couple trees. Harvest runs from the end of July (with a trickle), into September's main harvest, wrapping up with late season varieties in October (and hauling in to fill the coolers!). Apple sales end when the inventory runs out, varying with the season - through the holidays or even into the New Year! On good year's apples make it to Winter Markets with me (looking good this year).

Our Fall Apple Shares start the first week of September, running 6 or 8 weeks showcasing the best of what's in season.

What's in the Farm Store

Organic Apple Varieties:

Haralson - classic baker

Sweet Sixteen - fully sweet! great for kiddos

Cortland 

McIntosh *will return!

Porter's Perfection

Spartan - vanilla notes!

Chestnut Crabapple *last call!

Knobbed Russet -ugly & delicious

Watch for: Fameuse, Honeygold, heirlooms

All of these are great fresh eating varieties, all with their own unique profile. Many are also good for cooking!

If you are interested in picking up a Bushel of baking apples (seconds) for processing, give us a holler! $40/bushel seconds organic apples.

**Sweet apple cider in stock 9/23!! Fresh and delicious. Half gallons.

Canned Items in Store:

Applesauce *update, out of stock for now.

Apple Butter

*Watch for jams returning!

Eggs are limited and hit or miss at this time

Herbal Wellness:

Salves:

-Bruise Salve - stop a bruise in its tracks, aid healing of existing bruises, hemherroids

-Knitbone Salve - muskuloskeletal, sore muscles, sprains, strains, broken bones

-Cottonwood Wound Salve - think of it as a natural neosporin, plus pain relief, use on cuts, minor wounds, burns, etc.

Calendula Lotion Bar - solid lotion bar that soothes and moisturizes

Herbal Sore Throat Spray

Elderberry Syrup Kits

Herbal Tinctures - Willow Bark, Astragalus, Stinging Nettles, Elderberry, Ashwaganda, (Holy Basil returning soon)

Farm Store Hours - Tu-Fri 9-7 & Sat 9-2, or by appt.

August 13th Farm Store + Market Update!

Well, it's mid-August, which means the farm store starts to boast multiple varieties of apples AND it's time for me to head back to the Mankato Farmers' Market!!

Look for the LIME green tents at Market!

The Farm Store will always showcase what is available during the season, currently that looks like some fresh garden produce, seasonal apples, canned goods, eggs and herbal wellness items. 

The Market table will hold seasonal apple varieties (12+ during peak in September!), applesauce, apple butter and seasonal jams, as well as some herbal wellness items.

Organic Garden Produce

Fresh items from the garden in season: cucumbers (green & white), kale, celery. The first tomato ripened this week; this year I should have tomatoes and maybe peppers for sale. No bulk produce quantities.

Organic Apple Varieties

Now Picking: Zestar!, Centennial and Chestnut Crabapples.

In the Farm Store: Centennial Crab (great lunch box littles!), Pristine, Zestar!

Market Apples this Saturday: Pristine, Paula Red, Centennial Crabapples, State Fair. Always our best guess leading up to market, subject to the whims of the orchard and orchardist. ;)

3lb bags of Organic Apples are $8 and quarts of Crabs are $4. More Farm Store deets.

Centennial Crabapples

Centennial Crabapples - Great apple flavor in a small package! Sprightly and juicy. Fresh eating and cooking. Stores 2-3 weeks. Released by the UMN in 1957.

Herbal Wellness Items

A couple items that are popular for back to school time are our Elderberry Syrup Kits and our herbal Sore Throat Spray.

Elderberry Syrup Kits - immune boosting tonic you can make at home.

Herbal Tinctures - half a dozen home remedies to work with in your holistic medicine cabinet, from pain to seasonal allergy relief and more.

Sore Throat Spray - spray back of throat 2-3x several times a day for a sore throat, or when you get that little tickle in the back of your throat, like you are going to get something.

For the Bugs -> Herbal Bug Spray, Tick Away EO Spray, Bug Bite Salve.

Bruise Salve - stop a bruise in it's tracks and bring relief to existing bruises, hemerroids.

Knitbone Salve - muskuloskeletal remedy for sprains, strains, broken bones, sore muscles, etc.

Cottonwood Wound Relief Salve - essential for all those minor wounds, burns, think of it like a natural neosporin, without the junk.

Calendula Lotion Bar - solid lotion bar, rub on for soothing moisture that isn't greasy, travel everywhere tin.

Making salves is probably my fav.

To Market, To Market!

Our market season is a little different than other folks! We start main season Mankato Farmers Market mid-August, with apples! We'll be at the summer market location through mid-October, then every Winter Market November - March. Apples are available until we run out for the season, which can look like October, November or January! Depending on the year. Season looks pretty good this year.

I take the last two weekends of October off for personal time after a busy apple season and before a busy winter greenhouse season!! Winter greens run about September to March!!

Several Fall Apple Shares yet available! Sign up closes soon.

                                        Join our Mailing List to keep up with happenings!

2025 Organic Apple Shares Sign Up!!

Sign up is open for 2025!

We are looking forward to a great season!! We have even picked a couple apples from our odd early birds for our family and made an apple crisp. :)

Fall Apple Share Offerings for 2025

Each week enjoy a 4 lb bag of fresh & local apples.

Each bag sports 1-2 varieties of our organic apples. A mix of standard, lesser known and old heritage types. We'll send out a short weekly newsletter, with apple facts, orchard notes and a recipe. Begins the first week of September.

Three weekly pick up locations:

A.R.F. farm store (Th., Fri., or Sat.) - 6 or 8 weeks

New Ulm Pick Up, Turner Halle Lot (Th. at 5:00pm) - 6 or 8 weeks

Saturdays at the Mankato Farmers Market (8am-12pm) - 6 weeks

$60 :: 6 week Fall Apple Share

$78 :: 8 week Fall Apple Share *best price

*4 lbs not enough? The option to sign up for 2 shares is available.

SIGN ME UP! 

Add to your Fall Apple Share Experience

Add on apple products and Winter Apple Shares.

Applesauce Share  ::  $88

A dozen jars of our clean-eating applesauce. Made with our delicious organic apples, a touch of local honey and organic lemon juice. Choose preferred month of pick up.

November Apple Share  ::  $25  

A 10 lb bag of table apples for fresh eating, baking or preserving. Primarily late-season storage varieties. This share will land 2-3 weeks following the 8 week Fall Apple Shares and 1-2 weeks before Thanksgiving.

Storage Bushel  ::  $94

Stock the larder for winter! Receive a waxed box containing 40 lbs of table apples to store for fresh winter eating, at wholesale price. Select interest in sign up form. Final reservations made in October, for pick up by arrangement in early-mid winter.

SIGN ME UP! 

Please contact us at info@alternativerootsfarm.com or via Facebook with any questions.

•     •     •     •     •     •     •     •

Check back for updates, or join our email list and have them delivered to your inbox. 

3rd Annual Sowing Seeds: Celebrating Local Foods & Lost Skills

There is much for the kiddos to engage in during Sowing Seeds!!

>Kids craft

>Bubbles

>Facepainting & glitter tattoos with Making Faces Mankato

>Llama Storytime!

>Giant Connect 4 Game

>Swing set

>Observing farm chickens

>Yummie Brick House Meats

REGISTER

VOLUNTEER

Check out the SKILLS DEMOS and MORE!

July 1 Farm Store Update

Watch for 2025 Apple Shares CSA updates! Sign up starting for returning members and wait list folks ASAP!

Grab tickets for the 2025 3rd Annual Sowing Seeds: Celebrating Local Foods & Lost Skills event happening July 13th! Located right here at our farm.

What's In Store

Organic Seasonal Produce is keeping it fresh!
Tart Cherries
Kale

Garlic Scapes *Limited!

Rhubarb *Last call!

Raspberries *Starting this week!

Coming soon: zucchini, celery, cucumbers.

Eggs

Herbal wellness:

Knitbone Salve (muskuloskeletal/pain) 

Bruise Salve

Cottonwood Wound Salve (think natural Neosporin)

Herbal Bug Spray

Bug Bite Salve

Tick Away (essential oil spray)

Cool It Spray  (essential oil spray)

Calendula Lotion Bars

Herbal Tinctures

Applesauce

Apple Butter

Seasonal Jams

Tuesday-Friday 9-7pm & Saturday 9-2pm, or by Appt.

Cash (exact change), check or Venmo *please make sure your venmo goes through!

Bring a shopping bag, or box, bags also provided.

Parking in the parking area at the end of the tree rows. Thank you!

June 7 Last day for plants at the Farm!!

This is your last week to grab Certified Organic garden plants at the farm store!

Organic garden plants are still available at:

Total Landscape & Supply, Madelia

Bluestem Garden Works, Comfrey

Head in soon so your favs don't disappear!

Still at the farm store.......(greenhouse availability will be different!)

-Cabbage

-Kohlrabi, Terek
-Cauliflower, Snow Crown (1)
-Broccoli, DeCicco

-Celery, Ventura (veeery popular, you may become addicted to "real" MN grown celery)

-Jalapeno, Early 

A number of delicious heirloom tomatoes great for fresh eating and processing...
-Amish Paste
-German Johnson (dusky pink, my favorite for BLTs) 
-Sun Gold, cherry type (very prolific)
-Valencia (yellow, low-acid)
-Weavers Black Brandywine (the BEST black tomato I've grown, 2nd fav for BLTs)
-Brandywine
-San Marzano, paste type

Cooling cucumbers!
-M-76 (classic green slicer)
-Cool Customer, Pickler
-Silver Slicer (white, my favorite for flavor)

NEW

-Cocozelle, Zucchini (3)

-Block Party, Butternut Squash *farm only (2)

-Thelma Sanders, Acorn Squash *farm only (2)

-Bush Delicata Squash *farm only

Follow along on social media as summer comes in! 

Things will pop with this rain! Little fruitlets are growing! 

Early June :: What's in Store!

 

June 2 Farm Store Update!

The whole role of the farm store is to showcase what is in season, support a seasonal and local lifestyle and support our small farm and farm family. Fruits change throughout the seasons, canned items are always in stock (jams vary) and herbal wellness supports you throughout the seasons as well!! Farm dogs and chickens may say hello when you stop. :)

Tuesday - Friday 9-7 & Saturday 9-2  *  Exact change cash, check or venmo please!

Stinging Nettles for seasonal allergies.

In Season:

Organic Garden Plants - last day June 7th!!

Organic Asparagus (thru mid-June)

Organic Rhubarb (roughly through the end of June)

What comes next: seasonal garden produce - kale, celery, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, zucchini. *No large canning amounts on tomatoes. July brings the next wave of fruits with raspberries, plums, blackberries and apricots!

In Store:

Eggs - Limited, free-range, organic fed.

Applesauce

Apple Butter

Jams - as I make them!

Herbal Tinctures

Salves - Bruise, Knitbone (muskuloskeletal), Cottonwood Wound, Bug Bite

Herbal Bug Spray

Tick Away Essential Oil Spray

Calendula Lotion Bar

Elderberry Syrup Kit

Watch the socials for the latest updates!

Bloom Sale!

The apples trees are just starting to bloom! It's a beautiful time to visit the farm store! Garden plants are starting to show up and Mother's Day is just around the corner.

Swing by and enjoy the beauty and take advantage of a few Farm Store Deals!! **Sales prices are available in the farm store only.**

What's in Store:

Eggs $6

Rhubarb, Organic $4/bunch *just starting!

Asparagus, Organic $7/bunch *just starting!
Elderberry syrup kit $25 SALE $23
Sore Throat Spray $10 SALE $8
Tincture 1oz/$15 - stinging nettles, Ashwaganda, willow bark, astragalus, elderberry, motherwort
Tincture 2oz/$25 - stinging nettles, willow bark, Ashwaganda
Applesauce $8
Apple butter $6 SALE $5
Elderberry jelly $8
Calendula Lotion Bar $10 SALE Two for $16
Herbal Bug Spray $7 SALE $6
Tick away EO Spray $7

Organic Garden Plants $5 - cool season currently: broccoli, kohlrabi, cabbage, cauliflower

Herbal Salves
—Bruise salve - $10 - prevent/treat bruises, fresh/deep wounds, burns, hemorrhoids
—Knitbone salve - $10 - sprains, strains, broken bones, arthritis/tendonitis, musculoskeletal remedy
—Bug Bite Salve $10 SALE $9 - apple to bug bites, bee stings, splinters, for relief
—Cottonwood Wound Relief $12 SALE $10 - (formerly Healing Salve) apply directly to wounds, rashes, burns to support relief

2025 Garden Plants!

Happy garden harvest!

Here is our list of bedding plants we'll be growing this year, so you can plan them into your gardens!! Select items will be available at the farm store come early spring, the majority will be available at the Greenhouse at Total Landscape Supply, in Madelia and a NEW site at Bluestem Gardenworks, Comfrey!!

All of our garden plants are Certified Organic!

Brooke with tomato

Some cool season crops you can plant early...

-Cabbage, Copenhagen
-Kohlrabi, Terek
-Cauliflower, Snow Crown
-Broccoli, DeCicco (side-shooting type for continual harvest)

Ever Popular...

-Celery, Ventura (veeery popular, you may become addicted to "real" MN grown celery)

-Jalapeno, Early 

Amish Paste

A number of delicious heirloom tomatoes great for fresh eating and processing...
-Amish Paste
-German Johnson (dusky pink, my favorite for BLTs) 
-Sun Gold, cherry type (very prolific)
-Valencia (yellow, low-acid)
-Weavers Black Brandywine (the BEST black tomato I've grown, 2nd fav for BLTs)
-Brandywine
-San Marzano, paste type

Cooling cucumbers!
-M-76 (classic green slicer)
-Cool Customer, Pickler
-Silver Slicer (white, my favorite for flavor)

NEW

-Cocozelle, Zucchini

-Block Party, Butternut Squash *farm only

-Thelma Sanders, Acorn Squash *farm only

Follow along on social media as spring approaches! Things will pop with this rain! Apricots are blooming! 

There will likely be other plants available at the farm not listed here, depending on what strikes me, but usually some basil, kale, sweet peppers and other "extras" from my home garden!

Ready to process tomatoes!

Pop Up Market April 19!

 

Popping up in New Ulm this Saturday at The 507 Outskirt, 2232 S Broadway St, New Ulm.

Find out about our Organic garden transplants, applesauce and jams made with Organic ingredients, herbal wellness and how we can keep you in Certified Organic fruit throughout the year!!

See you 9-Noon along with all these vendors

Schaefer Sweets & Treats
Mrs. B's Bakery
Cravings Corner
Ribizli Seed Co.
Alternative Roots Farm
Gertzski Bees
Flour Cottage
E5 Livestock

Let's Talk Celery!

If you have tried Minnesota grown celery you know that the store bought stuff just does not compare. Homegrown/Minnesota grown celery is REAL celery. Full flavored!!

Grown in the garden it’s pretty darn easy to grow, takes up little space and is a great selection, because of its flexibility to cut and come and again.

BONUS it’s super easy to preserve!!

In the garden it needs 12” spacing, a good layer of compost and heavy mulch. It’s a heavy feeder and drinker, so don’t forget to water it well! It can take a small amount of shade.

Harvest by pulling off the largest outside stems as needed, or cut all at once ABOVE the growing point, and it will keep giving.

Don’t forget to use the leaves!!!

Plant as apple blossoms begin falling. It can take a light frost in the fall, but it doesn’t like the chill upon planting. I plant 10-12, to preserve a lot for processing and for a few sales; 2-4 plants should suffice for most.

Preserve stalks and leaves by dehydrating or - my favorite way - by making ice cubes. Chop the stems and leaves, place in ice cube trays and top with water. Freeze. Place in freezer bags or vacuum seal. I like to put 2-3 gallon baggies away for the winter! I dry extra leaves for back up and seasoning.

P.S. The plant can also be dug in the fall and brought into a cold space for growing all winter!! Place in a pot, keep it from freezing and it may continue to give!!

Are you adding celery to your garden?!

Find our Organic celery plants at the farm Total Landscape Supply (Madelia) and Bluestem Garden Works (Comfrey)!