A couple of cool kids down the road from us, Alan and Alison, started their own organic produce company this summer: High Five Produce. They, together with a few other farms nearby, started the Washburn Farmer’s Market.
The next closest Farmer’s Market is a couple towns over, so we’re thrilled that they got one started right here in our town! It’s so much fun to be able to walk or bike over to their stand on Friday afternoons and chat with them and check out what’s good. We usually leave with a bag of salad greens, or a bunch of rhubarb {grown by the kids at the elementary school}, or a bar of soap.
We’re SO lucky to live in an area where fresh, organic, local food is plentiful. It seems like there is a farm around every corner, and we can get just about any kind of meat, dairy, and produce we want from a local source. Eating local is the greenest way to eat- the closer to home your food comes from, the less impact it has on the environment.
Al & Al grow their produce in their front yard currently, and they’re searching for a piece of land in the area to expand to. Someday High Five Produce might be High Five Farm! We’re happy and excited to see their dream growing into reality.
Maybe when our fruit trees are big enough and producing enough, we’ll join them at the stand and sell preserves and fresh fruit! It is going to be exciting to see the Market grow as more and more folks get involved.
Behind them is the studio of another cool kid in town, Jesse Woodward, who makes sculptures out of scrap metal. It has really been fun to get to know the kids our age in town. They’re doing some really cool things, they’re interesting and fun and have been extremely welcoming and friendly to us. High five to that!
Thank you all for making this a cool place to live!
Washburn Farmer’s Market members: High Five Produce {produce} / Maple Hill Farm, Washburn {whole wheat flour, soap, yarn, produce} / Northwind Farm , Bayfield {fruit jams} / Wild Girl Farm, Washburn {raw honey} / Washburn Elementary Farm-to-School {produce}
P.S. If you like the shirts they’re wearing, I could score one for you. Alison printed them herself on reclaimed t-shirts from the thrift-store and they’re selling them at the stand for $5.
I’m by nature an entrepreneur and I predict these young people are going places. You have to admire initiative of this type. This country needs more young people who can make a life-style without working for Bank of America and its ilk.
Congratulations to Alison & Al. This is a wonderful thing they are doing. We wish them the best of luck. We hope to visit their market some day soon. Great Blog…..we are really enjoying it.
Katie & Don
Greenville WI
I love Farmers Markets. Unfortunately there isn’t one in my local area, the closest is a 30 minute drive away which defeats the purpose a little. Thankfully there is one in my parents home town so I get to visit that one any time I’m visiting my parents for the weekend.
It is so wonderful to see they are taking off all around the world.
@Rachel: We were in the same situation until High Five Produce came along and started this stand in our town. Hopefully your town will have one in the near future. In the meantime, perhaps there is a CSA you could join? That is usually a more economical way to get local farm-fare anyway. I’m happy you’re here, thanks for checking out my little corner of the internets.
I found your website through Bodyrock, but I love photography and the earth myself so of course I found myself browsing through your posts. (I love them.) I like how you capture your personal life as well.
Tom (my husband) and I went to our first farmer’s market last weekend and the experience was something else. We bought some non-sprayed strawberries and could eat them without washing them and they almost melted in my mouth. They were so perfect, I’m not sure I want to eat anything else again.
@Sara: Hi fellow Bodyrocker!!
So glad you came by. I just came inside from doing a workout!
I know exactly what you’re talking about with the strawberries. There is really nothing else quite like a perfectly ripe, right off the bush, organic strawberry.
I’ve never heard of CSA before but I’ve just had a quick look and there is one in New Zealand but sadly in another city. But thanks for the tip as it is definitely worth some research in case I do find one closer.
[...] Our friends are going to show us how to save seeds from our tomato plants so we can plant our favorites again next spring {some of the varieties were brought home from Italy with my dad, so they’re special and can’t be found in a regular U.S. seed catalog.} I’m going to try to document the lesson, because I’m sure I’m not the only one who has been wanting to know how to save seeds. Granted, the process is different depending on the type of plant you’re saving from, but we’ll get you started at least. [...]
Erica – yeah, aghtoulh some of the stuff could be eaten raw. Cucumbers, carrots, greens (lettuce, spinach, etc). One of the nice things about going in on a CSA share or half-share with someone else is that you guys can trade off for things that do or don't work for you.
Or that you have to cook. LOL