Featherstone Fruits and Vegetables

Extending the Season

Ten years ago organic food was considered a specialty item. Today, organic foods have become part of the American mainstream culture. Markets have experienced a 15-20% yearly growth rate for the past 5 years. According to USDA officials, the number of organic farmers is increasing 12% a year.

Featherstone Fruits and Vegetables is an organic farm located near Rushford, Minnesota in the rolling hills and farm fields of southeast Minnesota. The Featherstone farm is owned by Jack Hedin and Rhys Williams who have twenty-plus years of farming experience. They have been – in the long term – committed to organic farming and their current venture has been supplying produce to the Rochester, Winona, and La Crosse areas for years.

A variety of produce is grown at Featherstone including

* lettuce
* tomatoes
* cucumbers
* and strawberries

Through experience, Hedin and Williams have learned successful ways of growing vigorous, productive crops that taste good and provide a natural, healthy food option for consumers.

One growing method under development at Featherstone is the use of large, portable greenhouses, one of which is seen in the photo with Williams in the foreground. The Experiment in Rural Cooperation is financially supporting the design and development of this greenhouse approach to enhance the economic sustainability of vegetable farming.

The objective of a portable greenhouse is to extend the growing season and expand the variety of crops that can be produced. Also, the growing of some plants that traditionally were not grown – or difficult to grow - in southeast Minnesota has been made possible because of greenhouse structures.

The portable greenhouse design and building technology are easy to learn. The construction materials are locally available and inexpensive. Moving the greenhouse structures from place to place is easily accomplished, making this greenhouse model ideal for smaller farms.

The University of Minnesota has supported this initiative through an interdisciplinary faculty group from the College of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Science. Faculty have provided technical expertise to support greenhouse development in southeast Minnesota and offered to be of assistance on organic production challenges.

Featherstone Fruits and Vegetables has been involved in the Southeast Minnesota Foods Working Group sponsored by the Experiment in Rural Cooperation. The FoodsWorkingGroup is collaborating with over two dozen University faculty members, from an array of departments and colleges, to develop an ongoing University/food projects partnership that would hard-link University resources with regional food opportunities.

A project supported by the Experiment in Rural Cooperation (651 345 4336).