How we grow our produce

Welcome to Needle-Lane Farms, a Community Supported Agriculture Source

We have Christmas wreaths, and decorations, too!

How we grow our produce:








Our Mission: By working in harmony with Mother Nature to create a biologically diverse farm that is sustainable and self-sufficient, Needle-Lane Farms aspires to care for the needs of its caretakers as well as those in the surrounding community through the production of natural foods, flowers, herbs, and animal products.

Biodiversity-Is VERY important to us! We pride ourselves on growing over 400 varieties of vegetables, 200 varieties of flowers, and 150 varieties of herbs. We also are home to an uncounted number of tree, shrub, and other native species of plants. Farm animals include cows, chickens, dogs, cats, and hopefully pigs, horses, sheep, and rabbits soon. Our farm ecosystem thrives on the relationship of animals feeding the plants, and the plants feeding the animals. Our job as stewards of the land is to encourage these natural relationships and to keep things in balance.

Sustainability-Really means a lot of things. One of the things it means to us is being financially sound, so we can remain a small family-farm. It also means preserving and improving our soils so they will continue to be productive in the future. We believe that sustainable agriculture is low-input and local. All of our produce is delivered to our families that live within 50 miles of our farm. Compare that to the national average of 1500 miles one way from farm to plate!

In Conclusion- The label we really would like to apply to ourselves is: Member Certified! Which means that YOU our members or customers have come out to our farm and approved of our production methods. We would love to meet you, show you around, and answer any questions that you may have. There aren't many farms that have relationships with the families they feed. We want too! You and your lives mean something to us, just as the food we produce means something to you. Because really what we are here for is to provide good healthy food for our community!

I am often asked about our production methods here at the farm since we are not Certified Organic but follow all the standards. Really it's hard to just put one label on our philosophy since so many could apply. But rather than do just that, I'm going to tell you in detail: How we grow our produce.

Chemical Free-Since we NEVER spray artificial chemical pesticides, fertilizers, or herbicides. (And for that matter never have)

For Fertility-We DO use compost, cover crops, animal manure (in fall), naturally derived minerals, wood ash, leaves, wood chips, and straw.

For Weed Control- We primarily use cultivation (mostly hand and some tractor), some mulch, cover crops, bio-intensive plant spacing, and new for 07 we are going to try some flaming in certain crops (i.e. carrots, and parsnips).

For Pest Control-We don't spray ever...even OMRI listed substances since we know that spray is non-selective. It will kill bad bugs and the good bugs just as effectively. Instead we DO handpick, encourage beneficial insects with companion plantings, rotate crops, have trap crops, delay planting, use row covers, and are going to try out vacuuming this year.

Seeds-We never buy treated or GMO seed! We DO buy Organic seed as much as possible. And from responsible organizations like FEDCO, Johnny Selected Seeds, and Seed Savers Exchange. Our seed potatoes are Certified Organic from Vermont Valley Community Farm in Blue Mounds, WI.

Labor-Consists of family, friends, CSA members, interns, volunteers, and local people. Our mission is to not only grow great food, but to employ LOCAL people that want to learn about growing their own food. It is very important to us that we support our local community by providing jobs, income, and educational opportunities for our youth.

Harvest-Is all done the day or the day before we deliver the produce to you. We have all learned about how important it is to eat "fresh" food for nutritional reasons. And because we know that as soon as your produce is harvested it starts to loose nutrition, we emphasize harvesting and delivering as soon as possible.

Fair Trade-Our prices are designed to be fair to us and fair to you. Historically our US food prices have been government subsidized to provide cheap food. This in turn has developed the "Wal-Mart" mentality of cheap is better. We know that cheap is NOT better. Cheap usually does not account for the TRUE costs of production! Our prices do account for the true costs of production (there aren't any hidden costs to the environment in our food), and are intended to be fair-trade by providing us with enough income to survive as farmers.

We are your neighbors, we live in your community, and we are keeping agriculture alive!