To learn why we call ourselves Three Plaid Farmers, click here. As for the rest of the farm, here's the skinny: We are a couple of dedicated farmers (click here to learn more about each of us) with 22 collective years of organic farming experience who grow a wide variety of vegetables, flowers, and herbs for ourselves and people who like to eat good food in the Chicago area. We run a CSA in the western suburb of Winfield that also serves the Wilmette, Glen Ellyn, and Chicago. All of our crops are heirloom/open pollinated because we believe in promoting genetic diversity, strive to increase our knowledge of seed saving, and hope to grow plants that are well adapted to our specific Midwest climate. We don't use chemicals of any kind, and try to have as little impact on the land as possible.
CSA is our main focus, and it's a philosophy we truly believe in. No matter what other ventures we engage in, the CSA always comes first. We share the bounty with you. We aim to have happy, well-fed members.
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| A soldier beetle, a beneficial insect, crawling on a Hungarian Hot Wax pepper plant, 2015 |
For 2018, we are planting more than 300 cultivars, ranging from common vegetables that everyone loves (like tomatoes, potatoes, and cucumbers) to the rare and delicious (like shungiku, Malabar spinach, and wrinkled crinkled crumpled cress) and everything in between. Our CSA is for people who like variety and trying new things, but also for those who are interested in eating with the seasons. For instance, we don't grow carrots spring through summer, but rather plant some in the Spring and tons in the Fall, when they develop their sugars in the cooler temperatures.
We believe that choosing what you eat is one of the most important decisions you can make for yourself and your community. Which is why we also believe in growing clean, healthy, and delicious food in the most transparent way possible. To that end, we welcome you to come check out how we're doing it on the farm.
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| Hand-weeding oodles of young carrots with one of our workershares, Kristina, 2015 |
