August on the Farm: We know where our jalapenos come from

As we travel through Germany this month, I’ve been thinking a lot about agritourism.

If you follow us when we travel, you probably know that Brad and I are always looking for farms.

Farm stays, wineries, restaurants, markets, you name it. We love seeing how other farmers have figured out ways to bring people to their farms and keep their farms going.

And no two are the same.

It reminds me a lot of the pizza farms in the Midwest. We all serve pizza on a farm, but every farm has its own personality and its own spin on what that experience looks like.  

This month we are exploring agritourism in Germany. I can’t say I loved the German pizza, but we are loving the on-farm wineries and German hospitality. And, of course, I’m taking notes.

The more farms we visit, the more I think about why agritourism matters.

For us, it comes down to keeping family farms alive.

Our farm was once owned by the Reynolds family. We feel honored that we get to continue the story of this farm, but we also know how easy it would be for that story to end.

We get at least one request a week from someone wanting to buy our land, that hayfield you park in. I understand why so many families make the decision to sell. Farms are expensive. Land is valuable. Developers are interested. And sometimes selling is a whole lot easier than figuring out how to keep a farm a farm.

Agritourism is one way to change that.

Pizza nights, farm stays, workshops, weddings, goat yoga and events help us maintain our 38 acres and keep this place a working farm.

Someone recently commented that our pizza night experience was pricey. It made me think that maybe we don’t talk enough about what it takes to operate a business like ours.

We spend more than $4,000 a year just on licenses for food, entertainment, lodging, BYOB and our food trailer. That’s before insurance, employees, utilities, equipment, repairs, animals, maintaining 38 acres and, of course, all of the local food that goes into those pizzas.

I don’t share that to complain. We chose this crazy farm life and we love it.

But I do share it because where you spend your money matters.

When you buy vegetables at a farm stand, stay at a farm, attend a workshop, buy local meat or honey, visit a winery, pick apples, go to a pumpkin patch or come to a pizza farm, you are supporting a farmer. (check out Fresh Acres in Monticello for a great pumpkin experience)

I’m also really proud to be part of an agritourism group through the Minnesota Farmers Union. We now have more than 50 registered farms involved. We all look different and are at different places in our journey, but the goal is pretty simple: help each other figure out how to keep doing what we do.

I think that’s pretty special.

So thank you for continuing to show up for us. Every pizza, workshop, overnight stay, wedding, goat yoga ticket and visit helps us continue the story of this farm.

And we aren’t done yet.

Fall Sundays Are Back

Our Fall Festival Sundays begin September 27 and run every Sunday through the end of October from 11:30–4:00. Don’t forget to pre-reserve those pizza crusts in advance!

And this year we have something new.

Sota Sauna Co. will be joining us on Sundays!

Bring your swimsuit and a towel and jump into the sauna and cold plunge while you’re at the farm.

Wood-fired pizza, fall on the farm, animals, a sauna and a cold plunge.

That sounds like a pretty good Minnesota Sunday to me.

See you at the farm,

Brad & Kim