By Susan Palmquist

Time travel might still be in the realm of science fiction, but take a drive through a group of family farms nestled in a valley in western Wisconsin and you’ll soon be transported back to a bygone era—to the days before pesticides, when the family horse pulled a plough, and only hand tools and hard labor painstakingly turned the soil and planted the seeds.

Yes, farms like these do still exist. In fact, 20 of them, and they comprise the Wisconsin Grower’s Cooperative. This is sustainable agriculture in its truest sense. Each farm is owned by Amish families who use centuries-old farming practices to provide Twin City shoppers with some of the highest quality produce to be found in the Midwest.

Started in 2006, the cooperative is an offshoot of Full Circle Farm whose owner got too busy with other interests so the Amish farmers decided to start their own cooperative. One person who’s had a close association with them is Al Weinrich.

Weinrich was a logger and just happened to be a neighbor of one of the farmers. When his logging partner got injured, the co-op asked if he’d be their driver. He said it was an easy and enjoyable job. Then the cooperative’s salesman quit. They needed a replacement and wanted someone willing to travel and sell to food co-ops in the Twin Cities.

“They offered me the job, but I had no sales background, and I was hesitant because I’m a small town guy and the thought of the Twin Cities was intimating, so I didn’t accept straight away,” recalled Weinrich.

He did, however, agree to accompany the salesman on his business calls to see what the job would involve. Luckily for the cooperative, Weinrich found everyone in the Twin Cities very friendly. Since July 2008, he’s been serving as the Amish cooperative’s spokesperson, driver and salesman.

When he talks about the farms, you can hear his enthusiasm not only about his job but the produce the cooperative supplies. “There’s just about everything—salad mixes, spinach, rhubarb, radishes, and the main crops are potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, squash, and tomatoes. Even herbs and strawberries,” said Weinrich.

All 20 farms grow the main crops like potatoes, but each farm also has its own set of specialty produce. Most of the farms are certified organic and even the ones who aren’t, still grow to organic standards. One farm takes part in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). They also use minimal packaging, preferring to secure the produce with twine.

One person who’s been buying Wisconsin Grower’s Cooperative produce for three seasons is Seward Co-op produce buyer, Snow Aukema. “I’m continually impressed with the produce. Each farm is small but their attention to detail is unsurpassed.”

Aukema said besides buying things like tomatoes and zucchini, they also provide Seward with items like hot peppers and wild berries. When another vendor could no longer supply her with salad mix, they gladly stepped in. “I sometimes meet the farmers when they ride into town with Al. They’re always interested in what’s happening at the co-op. The thing that impresses me the most is their priority in supplying us with the freshest, highest quality produce.” Weinrich said it’s usually picked the day before they travel to the Twin Cities and either stored overnight in the refrigerated truck or an ice house. Each co-op’s order is placed on a pallet.

“Each one is spot checked before it goes onto the truck and then examined again before we leave. If [the farmers are] not happy with it, it doesn’t make the journey,” said Weinrich.

Another thing Aukema likes about the Wisconsin Grower’s Cooperative is their crops are available ahead of the regular growing season, meaning she can supply her customers with things like spinach and radishes before they hit the produce departments in other stores.

Weinrich said the secret to the early and even extended growing seasons is the use of hoop houses where Mother Nature supplies sun and heat, allowing seeds to germinate even in the middle of February.

During the height of the growing season, Weinrich and a few of the farmers will travel into town twice a week. He said each trip results in a 12-hour day, and his last stop is usually in Northfield before heading back home.

While growing foods without the use of pesticides is a new concept to those of us born after the Second World War, for these farmers, it’s always been their way of life.

“If you feed the soil good nutrients, it comes out in the vegetables and of course, it’s better for your health, too,” said Chris Stoltzfus, one of the cooperative’s farmers. He said one of the reasons they decided to form this cooperative was to help families stay together on their farms, a place where children and their parents can work in the fields side by side while still making a living.

Aukema said even in this day and age, they’re proof that the small family farm can still exist and be profitable. “They’re the only cooperative produce grower we buy from and a successful model of today’s family farm.”

Susan Palmquist is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in such publications as Health, Arthritis Today, Relish and American Profile. She’s also the creator of the website, The Budget Smart Girl’s Guide to the Universe, which was named one of the top six money sites to watch in 2009 by U.S News and World Report.