Knowing Your Neighbor: Food Farm

WRENSHALL, Minn. — The Food Farm in Wrenshall has been a staple in the Northland since 1975 and is home to a system that gets fresh and local food directly into the community.

“The core of the way we operate is we grow a wide variety of vegetables and then send that direct to families all summer long,” said Owner, Janaki Fisher-Merritt.

Through food shares, produce grown on the farm is delivered directly to customers straight out of the field.

“All the food we’re harvesting today will be in somebody’s refrigerator tonight,” said Fisher-Merritt.

The food shares started 30 years ago and since then they have gained many loyal customers. The summer shares run from the middle of June to the middle of October and the varying seasons provide people with many different kinds of crops.

“It’s a neat challenge to learn how to cook with the seasons, there’s a lot of variety, it really gets you in touch with what’s going on the farm and right in your community too,” said Fisher-Merritt.

Not only do the food shares provide the community with local produce, they also give people the chance to try new ingredients and new healthy recipes.

“You walk through the grocery store, usually you want to have some idea what to do with it before you bring it home and when it just shows up in your kitchen it forces you to be a little creative and to get outside your comfort zone, and to just eat more fresh produce,” said Fisher-Merritt.

The Food Farm is a certified organic farm, meaning customers can take comfort in knowing that all the produce grown there is of a high quality and that they are packed with flavor.

“Growing food on really healthy, productive soil results in food that just tastes and it is better for you, you don’t have to worry about pesticide residues and all that stuff. And also when plants are grown in a more complex environment like that, the flavor is just much better,” said Fisher-Merritt.

Each food share box is the same for all customers, but differs each week. Each box has salad ingredients, flavorful onions or scallions, and many other fun healthy surprises from cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots and much more.

“It’s like opening a present because you don’t know what you’re getting and being able to take that fresh produce out and get it all arranged on the counter
and figure out what you’re doing is a really neat arrangement,” Said Fisher-Merritt.

The food is delivered to 16 locations in Duluth, Superior, Cloquet, Esko, and Wrenshall, meaning lots of crops are planted and harvested at the farm. Despite difficulties due to weather changes, the farm is still at its best.

“We were two weeks late getting in the field because we were so cold and wet and then to have just do a total 180 and the faucets shut off and no more moisture coming it’s a little bit of whiplash, but we’re doing fine, things are looking really good,” said Fisher-Merritt.

While the summer shares are in full swing and all the spots are filled up, some produce from the Food Farm can be found at different spots around town. Including Whole Foods Co-op, Chester Creek Café, OMC Smokehouse and many more places.

For the whole season, which includes 16 deliveries, the food shares are $573 in total. While the summer spots are closed, there is also spots still open for their winter shares.