Josh and Judi Weiss of Back Home Farms are a Minnesota Grown meat producer that offers a CSA! They are a small first-generation farm located in Park Rapids, Minnesota. Josh’s two children (Adison & Sawyer) are a large part of the farm and help with everything from haying to feeding.
Judi grew up on a farm in North Dakota, but Josh had not farmed before. They started with 3 small feeder pigs and grew from there. They now raise pigs, cows, sheep, chickens (both meat birds and laying hens), and they have a few horses. While they are not certified organic, they do things as natural as possible and are Beef Quality Assurance Certified and Certified Humane.
The Back Home Farms Meat CSA this year will start at the end of May and run through the end of September, which is their market season. They take October off, then run again from November to April with pick up at their on-farm store. The share will offer selections such as all chicken, all pork, beef, or lamb, or a "combo" package to choose from.
“Our love of animals is our main driving force,” shared Judi. “Sharing this love with our children and grandchildren is most rewarding. Things may go all wrong one day but we always have hope for a better ‘next time.’ It's an everyday challenge but seeing a new litter of pigs or a calf or lamb born makes up for all the hard times. We love sharing these experiences and love with our customers as well. We always hope that our passion shows in the products we offer.”
You can find Back Home Farms at the Park Rapids Farmers Market from May-September and they have an on-farm store that is open year-round. Plus, they have an online store for pre-ordering for local delivery and pickup (no shipping).
Minnesota Grown is participating in National CSA Week from February 20-26. It's the most popular week of the year to sign up for a Community Supported Agriculture membership! During this week, we will feature in-depth profiles of local CSA farmers here and on our social media accounts, along with information about different types of CSAs available to Minnesotans.
National CSA Week is hosted by the CSA Innovation Network, a national network for local CSA farms. Read More.