A Minnesota Grown member that offers a customizable CSA is Featherstone Farm, a 250-acre certified organic farm located in the bluff country around Rushford MN.
Founded in 1994 by Jack Hedin and Jenni McHugh, Featherstone Farm draws its name and focus on environmental sustainability from the Featherstone Township homestead (80 miles upriver) where Jack's great grandfather farmed and planted trees in the 19th century. Jack and Jenni were among the 6 founding members of the Zephyr Valley Community Land Co-operative in rural Winona, MN, the first home of Featherstone Farm from 1997-2007. Since a flood in 2007, the farm has been in Rushford, and Jack remains the sole operator with a strong team of long-time managers and a crew of around 50 people. With both year-round local workers and seasonal H2A visa workers from Mexico, they’re proud to offer strong wages for their workers.
Featherstone Farm offers personalized CSA Summer and Winter shares delivered to over 25 pickup locations in the Twin Cities, Rochester, Winona, and La Crosse. Each share is made especially for each of one of their members based on their vegetable preferences and what is in season. They offer two summer share sizes, which are delivered weekly from mid-June through October (18-week program). In addition, they offer vacation holds and makeup boxes to accommodate your busy schedule!
Folks at the farm are inspired by the important work they do to care for the land and grow quality organic food for our local community. Patty Zanski Fisher, who runs the CSA program shared, “Jack has said that it's a sacred service to feed people, and I think all of us at Featherstone farm believe this, too. We love connecting with our members and buyers and the coops around the state knowing that we have a unique partnership with our community through the food we eat together.”
Along with the CSA, you can also find Featherstone’s produce at all the Twin Cities Coops and Whole Food Markets, Peoples La Crosse and Rochester, and Bluff Country Co-op.
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.