NISSWA, MN
We are the Ramler Family.
Welcome to our farm.
Our farm is built on a rock-solid foundation of faith, love and family. God has given us so many blessings and we think it is our purpose to let those blessings flow through us and out to this amazing place we call home. That is really where our small farming story began.
We are passionate about being stewards of this Earth and we feel that our approach to agriculture compliments that perfectly. Plus, let's face it, we love to eat! And eating is so much more pleasurable when you know the source of the food and how responsibly it was cared for. Whether we already know you or soon will, our family can't wait to share our harvest with you!
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We invite you to learn more about our family, farm and the pains and gains of small farming. It is an adventure that we love more than we can say. We invite you to follow our blog and connect with us on social media. But even more, once the season begins, come hold a chicken, hug a goat, and see where your food is grown.
Away We Grow!
Sustainability is a Big Dill!
You won't see acres upon acres or rows upon rows at our farm. That isn't the way we grow. You will see densely planted plots that contain multiple varieties of vegetables, fruits and flowers growing together as companions. Because just like us, we wouldn't get fulfilled by hanging out with a clone of ourselves. Ugh! We are fulfilled by the diverse people around us and the unique strengths they offer. Plants are the same way! Companion planting allows plants to support each other with their unique gifts.
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We also don't do rows. We like to think of it as organized chaos, ha! Rows allow the sun to harm exposed soil, zapping water and nutrients. When we plant using companions, raised beds and plots, the soil is protected, retaining water and keeping so much more of what the plants need, and for longer. In many cases, we also add a layer of farm-made mulch that continues to feed our plots year after year.
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Oh, and most of the power you see around here is man and woman power. You won't see much for machines. We tend to our plots with hand tools only and we do very little tilling. Tilling promotes weeds in the end and weeds don't help anything, especially our backs! You will see the ATV zooming back and forth with loads of compost or a trailer of hay (and kids), but that is about it!
I look into the faces of our kids and I want this Earth to be beautiful for them. God gave us this incredible environment and it needs our help. We are striving to constantly do things better and smarter, so that we can help save our planet. Do we have it all figured out? Not even close, but we are trying, and by supporting small farms like ours, you are trying too.
Our current sustainability practices include:
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No-chemicals used on any crops. Ever.
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The traveling compost bucket - we provide our customers with a compost bucket to collect their vegetable scraps to return to our farm each week for composting
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Thermophilic composting of animal waste and food waste from gardens/kitchen
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Promoting pollinators by planting pollinator habitat and raising honey bees
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Rainwater collection and storage in tower and holding tanks
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Washing station water collection and reuse on crops and compost
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Non-mechanical agricultural techniques – hand tools, raised beds
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Companion planting within raised beds to promote healthier plants
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Cover crop planting after harvest to rejuvenate soil and promote macro and micronutrients
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Crop rotation and crop succession
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Use of non-GMO, open pollinated, organic seeds
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Non-plastic, reusable packaging for all delivery containers