The Farm on St. Mathias

"The Basket People"

The Farm on St. Mathias is a continually growing and expanding farm business that strives to incorporate sustainable living, sustainable farming using organic practices, biodynamic growing practices and a hope to incorporate a more holistic approach to growing and to the nurturing of the farmers and consumers. 

 

We are pleased to be partnering with Kevin Happke of Rolling Hills Greenhouse in Pierz.  Kevin has over 27 years experience in the fine art of nurturing vegetables, herbs, flowers, shrubs and trees.  Kevin’s experience and knowledge are highly regarded and valued and we are very excited to share The Farm with Kevin.   Kevin’s role is as a contract grower and consultant in field preparation, management and amendments.  He will also be experimenting with both heirloom and tried and true varieties in test plots at The Farm.  The Rolling Hills Greenhouse in Pierz is located on North Main Street and carries a full line of bedding plants, trees and shrubs.  You can contact Rolling Hills Greenhouse at 320-468-2451.  Having spent time in the greenhouses in Pierz, we can attest to the incredibly beautiful and bountiful array of bedding plants, vegetables, trees and shrubs which are available. 

 

In an effort to maintain soil fertility and structure and to reduce field labor, we have purchased a mulching machine which will aid in the planting and cultivating of the crops.   We will be using both biodegradable and cloth cover within the rows and green manure/cover crops between the rows. 

 

We have purchased a “butterfly garden” made of corn crib panels. This garden will be placed  in an area which closely resembles a natural habitat.  Visitors to the farm can view this “secret” garden sanctuary. 

 

Soil samples have been taken from 9 areas of the fields and have been hand-delivered to the University of Minnesota labs on April 23, 2008.  We anxiously await their analysis and will plan organic amendments to the soil per those results.  We continue to create schematics for a diversity of plants in each garden plot as an experiment towards crop rotation.   We remain committed to land stewardship and nurturing the soils that we have been gifted with. 

 

Our first spring projects outside of the greenhouse will include finishing the deer fence.  The last of the deer fence posts have been secured and this project will be finished by the time the foliage of the first plant appears!!  The apple trees are ready to be shipped when the sun warms the soil enough to plant. 

 

If you have any questions or concerns, suggestions or comments, please do feel free to either call or send us an email.

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