Cannon River SFA's Festival of Farms is Saturday morning, July 12

[Kathy Zeman]

Cannon River SFA's Festival of Farms is Saturday, July 12. Two Webster area farms are on the tour: Waxwing Farm and Sweetland Orchard. Just Food Co-op is sponsoring the free bus ride again this year. The bus leaves Just Food at 9 a.m.; call (507) 650-0106 to reserve your seat on the bus.  You can also register at this link:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sfa-bus-tour-get-on-the-bus-tickets-3696087096  You'll arrive at Waxwing Farm at 9:20 a.m. spend an hour there, proceed to Sweetland Orchard for about an hour, and then head back to Just Food Co-op. You can also drive directly to the farms.

Waxwing Farm
Anna Racer & Peter Skold
4800 Dent Ave, Webster, MN

The first farm on the tour is Anna Racer and Peter Skold’s Waxwing Farm, a 40-acre diversified farm located in Webster that raises a wide variety of vegetables, laying hens, and market hogs that are marketed through a 70-member CSA and the Fulton Farmers Market in Minneapolis. Waxwing tries to raise its vegetables and animals in the most sustainable way, and although not certified Waxwing follows organic practices. Through crop rotation, cover cropping, and compost applications, Waxwing aims to manage its land in a way that promotes long-term health and diversity. The farm does not use any synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.

“At our farm, you’ll get a first-hand taste of how a diverse farm operates,” said Anna and Peter. “We’ll discuss the challenges and rewards associated with managing a variety of farm enterprises. In addition to a tour of our fields, you’ll see our wood-fired, in-floor heated greenhouse as well as our season-extension efforts in our two hoophouses.”

Sweetland Orchard
Mike & Gretchen Perbix
26205 Fairlawn Ave, Webster, MN

The second farm on the tour, Sweetland Orchard, is owned by Mike and Gretchen Perbix. In their five-acre orchard, the Perbixes grow 49 varieties of apples, many of them heirloom, not counting the cider apples. They also have a few pears and plums. They sell apples at the Kingfield market in Minneapolis, but most of their business is Pick-Your-Own on weekends in September and October. Since moving to the farm, the Perbixes have planted cider apples and make both fresh and hard cider, which is a growing part of their business. During the tour, visitors will view the orchard and cidery, talk with the farmers about growing practices, and sample the cider.

Kathy Zeman
Simple Harvest Farm Organics
9800  155th Street East
Nerstrand MN 55053
(507) 664-9446
kze...@kmwb.net
www.simpleharvestfarm.com