Farm Spotlight
Here you will find inspiring examples of farms that have collaborated with an AmeriCorps Farm to School Program host site. Thank you to all the local farmers throughout Wisconsin. We appreciate you!
Pleasant Springs Orchard
Dane County
South-central Wisconsin
Pleasant Springs Orchard provided Honeycrisp apples to the Monona Grove School District for the 2022 Great Apple Crunch. The owners partnered with an AmeriCorps member for a tour of the orchard to share with students. Fresh Apples are their specialty, and they grow more than 50 varieties at the farm in Stoughton, WI.
Monona Grove students enjoying local apples during the 2022 Great Apple Crunch.
Mino Bimaadiziiwin Red Cliff Farm
Bayfield County
Northwest Wisconsin
Mino Bimaadiziiwin is highly integrated into Bayfield's Farm to School Program. They collaborate with school staff to facilitate iskigamizigan (sugarbush) for elementary and middle school students, host various field trips throughout the year involving tours, harvest, and processing, and sell fresh produce to the Food Service team to integrate into cafeteria meals.
Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa - Mino Bimaadiziiwin Farm
Students at Eagle Bay Iskigamizigan (Sugarbush): a space cared for by Mino Bimaadiziiwin Farm. Youth learn the cultural significance of maple sugar, basics of ananaatig/ininaatig (maple tree) identification, and are able to participate in tapping trees, collecting sap, and taste testing maple syrup.
SKI Farms
Brown County
East Central Wisconsin
AmeriCorps members at the Howard Suamico School District worked with John at Ski Farms to procure 50 live turkeys. These turkeys provided nutritious and delicious protein to all 8 of their schools. Students enjoyed this fresh local protein in the form of soups and sandwiches!
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AmeriCorps member David visiting the turkeys at SKI farms.
Oakwood Fruit Farm
Richland County
Southwest Wisconsin
Oakwood provides local apples for Ithaca School District. They also supplied all of the apples for the 2022 Great Apple Crunch. They are a 5 generation farm that grows over 20 varieties in the rolling hills of Richland County.
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3rd-5th graders enjoy their Oakwood apples at the 2022 Great Apple Crunch.
Squashington Farm
Dane County
South-central Wisconsin
Sarah Leong, one of the farmers who runs Squashington, traveled to a Brooklyn Elementary third grade classroom to provide a presentation about her role as a farmer and what is produced on the farm. Also, Squashington provided butternut squash for a taste test to be served to a few of the elementary schools in the Oregon School District.
Sarah from Squashington farm presenting to Oregon students.
Mary's Sunday Morning Orchard
Sawyer County
Northwest Wisconsin
Mary's Sunday Morning Orchard allowed students from Northern Waters Environmental School to tour the orchard, learn about apple varieties, taste test different apples, pick and make homemade apple cider. They also gave students tractor and ATV rides.
There are about 20 farms on the Local Foods Database that can provide schools with apples!
Keewaydin Farms
Sawyer County
Southwest Wisconsin
Keewaydin farms provided potatoes, carrots and beets to the Kickapoo Valley Forest School. They also donated fresh spring salad greens to the school and partnered with an AmeriCorps member for an after school garden group lesson. Keewaydin farms helped to support the school garden by providing space and care for vegetable seedlings that were transplanted into the garden. They specialize in unique produce and provide fresh food to local restaurants and grocery stores.
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Kickapoo students making golden beet chips.
Winterfell Acres
Green County
South-central Wisconsin
Winterfell Acres provided red onions and purple daikon radish to the Oregon School District for AmeriCorps members to conduct an in-class taste test and lesson on fermentation. Students were able to try the fermented produce and learn about the various health benefits these foods offer.
AmeriCorps members serving onions and radish during a taste test.
Spring Creeks Cattle Company
Crawford County
Southwest Wisconsin
Spring Creeks Cattle Company provided ground beef and stew meat to the Ithaca School District after receiving grant money through the Local Foods for Schools. Ithaca used Spring Creeks ground beef in the chili for the Wisconsin Chili Lunch.
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Spring Creeks Beef and Meadowlark Bean Chili for the Wisconsin Chili Lunch at Ithaca.