Here are just some Q and As providing some more information about us or addressing common questions we get.

Are you ‘organic’?
I am not and probably never will be Certified Organic. While I agree with many of the principles that people associate with ‘organic’, it seems to me that as more products push to be certified, the label has lost its heart and has become a marketing gimmick. I often consider what I produce to be ‘better than organic’, in that most of it is never sprayed/never touches a synthetic chemical. In most years, everything is like this. Although I focus on heirloom varieties, and never plant or grow any GMOs, I do use some traditionally bred hybrids, and I also use conventionally produced seed/growing stock (alongside organic seed/stock).

In very bad years, for limited things, I can only consider myself ‘chemically sane’. I may use limited applications of pesticide to stop an entire crop from being destroyed. This is not done unless required to stop a crop failure. I spent a couple years losing 95-99 percent of a few crops before deciding this was necessary. Best practices are followed. I am happy to answer any questions or disclose any information regarding this.

It is also important to remember that even organic growers can and do apply pesticides to their crops… they simply have to use ones labeled for organic use, which doesn’t necessarily make them less toxic.

What’s the deal with your chickens?!
My chickens have been handled and hand-raised since the first few days of their lives. They are pastured and let out to free range the property on any day that weather permits. For their safety, they are kept inside on days of extreme weather, and are also inside a lot of the time in winter simply because they don’t like to walk around in the snow. They still come out in the cold when there’s patches of hay or bare grass for them to walk on, though! They get supplemental grit and stones from our dirt driveway. They eat plenty of bugs, grass, and scraps from our garden, with black oil sunflower seeds, cracked corn, whole oats, dried mealworms, split peas, lettuce, and the like as treats. They also eat a standard, locally produced flock ration pellet. This ration is all grain-based, antibiotic and drug free, but is not considered organic as I am unable to afford it. I do not ‘force’ my hens in winter. They are allowed to lay on a natural cycle, which means egg production and availability is low in winter.

What do all those roosters do?
They don’t lay eggs, and aren’t needed for the hens to do so! They are there because they are beautiful and they warns the flock (and me) about things they think are threats. They have been hand raised the same as the hens and are usually quite tolerant toward people, but guests should remember that they are guardians – so please don’t chase them or try to handle them without permission. They do have their spurs and may use them if they feel threatened.

They are also necessary if I want to hatch any of my own eggs, which I usually do every spring. I do have fertile eggs available (barnyard mix only) almost all the time, and occasionally may raise chicks for others – please inquire.

Do you have bulk quantities of _____? Can I buy a bunch of _____ for my business/a cookout/my market?
Sometimes, depending on the volume you need. Just drop me a line asking us about what you want to do, and I’ll see if I can accommodate you. If you know about it early enough in the season, before I plant, I am willing to work with you for a contract for a custom planting. After all, it is in my best interest to plant a higher quantity of something if someone has pledged to buy it when it’s ready.

Will you ship me _____? I’ll pay for all the costs!
Seed, bone, antler, leather, fur, soap, dry grain, etc. can be shipped. As far as fresh produce or other perishables go, I will not ship anything like that – sorry. Most fresh items cannot be guaranteed to arrive in good condition if shipped. I will also not ship my maple syrup, as it is in glass mason jars I do not trust to remain sealed and unbroken during the journey.

Also, one of my main goals is to help the local food system, and shipping produce would go against that desire. Please support your local farmers! I’m even happy to try to help you find them if you have no idea where to start.

I think your stuff costs too much!/I think your stuff costs too little!/Why do you have a giveaway table?/Why did you send me extra seed for free?!
I am a patron of other farms as well, and I do ‘shop around’ and try my best to be more than reasonable. I try to be on par with other operations like mine, but I also know that sometimes crops overproduce and exceed my expectations; on the other hand, the amount of time and effort I’ve put into a crop sometimes doesn’t match up to its low price. So, sometimes things may be higher or lower priced based on supply and how much labor the crop requires of me. I do offer produce in exchange for a hand around the farm – contact me for details.

Donations toward renovations and any other parts of our mission are also gratefully accepted.

As for the freebies, take it and enjoy it while you can. I often include free seed with paid requests because I have too much homeless seed that nobody wants, and it’s nicer if someone enjoys it. I like to hear about all the ways others are using the stuff that I grow. I also often give away several piles of fresh items through the course of the season. This is often because they are things that are slightly past their prime, oversized, have been sitting a few days, or are moderately to badly cosmetically blemished (really scratched up, lumpy, or misshapen). As any gardener knows, the nature of growing food means that not all things come out looking like identical, beautiful, grocery-shelf specimens. In almost all cases these are still perfectly usable, but they might not be quite as sweet, might require different preparation techniques, or may need more trimming. This is why I often put them out for free/for donation only (on top of the fact that few people want to buy them anyway). That way they don’t go to waste and everyone is happy.

When are you “OPEN”???:
I am open when the farm stand is open. Sorry if that is unclear. I am attempting to move toward more consistent hours for the summer of 2024. Unfortunately, this is a one woman show and the farm is a labor of sheer love that does not pay for itself at this time, so I must work around everything else I have to do. My farm signs, big ‘Produce’ flag, and banners will only be out when I am open; these cannot be missed. No signs will be up when we are closed.

Visits while we are ‘Closed’ should be BY APPOINTMENT ONLY, please. Remember, this is my home, and I am also often doing chores/occupied as the sole operator and worker in this endeavor. I am not able to serve customers at all hours. Please call, email, or message ahead, especially if you need things at a very specific time or in a very large quantity. The messages are checked every day. It is okay to stop by to chat if you see me working outside, but I probably won’t have anything sitting out ready for you to browse from. While I will always try my best to accommodate short notice sales of items I can easily grab for you, please NO unannounced drop-ins beyond this, as a rule.

Do you currently participate in any farmer’s markets?:
No. Although I would love to be able to have access to new markets, I cannot currently justify the additional expenses and logistical nightmares of doing so. Accessing farmers markets requires vendor fees, insurances, and transportation costs that I cannot currently justify or manage, on top of requiring me to make early AM harvests/packaging preparations that are very difficult for me to handle alone. It remains to be seen whether this will change in the future.

Can I get some hay/wildflowers/corn stalks/wood? Can I take photos in your sunflowers/buttercups?
You can absolutely buy some corn stalks as long as I have already harvested off of the plants. Heights range from 5 to 12 feet depending on season, and you can inquire about specific sizes available.

The hay is often sold out and spoken for before I even bale it, so it is unlikely I will have any extra for you, but feel free to ask. It is easier for me to plan if you know well in advance of the season that you’ll need it. If all you need is one bale for decoration or mulch, the chance I can help you out is pretty good.

Campfire bundles of wood are available for $4/each. Face cords are also available, but require planning/pre-notice well in advance of cold/bad winter weather. I am not going to go into the woods to cut you face cords for an emergency in December!

Wildflower bouquets are available seasonally/by request. The buttercup field is NOT public; it is posted land and not free access. Please do not drive into it. If you want photos in the buttercups, this can be arranged, but you must enter on foot, and must contact me and inquire ahead of time. The same goes for any sunflower patches. They are not to be entered on or in vehicles, and may not be entered without advance permission.

Seeds : do you trade them? How do you grow them? Are you seeds treated? Are your seeds organic?
I trade seed for other seed I like and don’t have. I generally will not trade for commonly available/widely commercialized seed, and have far more interest in harder-to-obtain or specialty varieties. I also have little to no interest in desert-adapted or equatorial type crops, as they will not produce here. Beyond that, I have a huge seed collection of over 800+ varieties, far beyond what I list here, so there are a lot of things that I already have. Sorry I can’t be more specific. I welcome all inquiries, so feel free to ask. The worst that happens is I let you down gently.

Seed is grown in the same way as all my other crops. It is not and never will be certified organic, however is usually 100% synthetic chemical free, except in horrible disease years. It is all harvested, cleaned, and packed by hand with no use of any machinery beyond a hand-operated cast iron corn sheller. It is very labor intensive to do this, sometimes taking me well into January to get all the seed cleaned. A great deal of time and care goes into every packet. No seed produced here is treated or coated in any way (no neonicotinoids, no fungicide, no bird resistant coatings). If my seed, especially corn seed, is stored in the open or in damp conditions, it may develop insect issues because of this. If you purchase seed and do not intend to use it soon, I recommend storage in a freezer whenever possible.

Thank you for your support!