Wisconsin Seasonal Produce is Grown on Family Farms Across the State
In partnership with: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
Meet two farm families growing Wisconsin seasonal produce who’ve been rooted in their communities for generations.
Creek Bed Farmacy
Five generations of Schoenebergs have been farming in Columbia County since the late 1800s.
Today, Creek Bed Farmacy is run by Darrell and Julie Schoeneberg and their children, Rhianna, Elizabeth and Grady.
“We began transitioning into specialty crops in 2014,” Julie Schoeneberg says. “It also gave us a way to open the farm to the public and invite people into the story of Wisconsin agriculture.”
Strawberries, their first specialty crop, have become the centerpiece of their offerings, which also include sweet corn, pumpkins and peaches from 1,200 trees. Customers can pick their own strawberries or peaches or opt for prepicked fruit.
See more: What’s in Season? Wisconsin Produce Calendar
“In late September, our 18-acre corn maze opens up along with our pumpkin patch and sunflower field, kicking off the fall agritourism season,” Schoeneberg says. The Schoenebergs also raise their own beef and produce honey from their bees. Christmas trees will be available in a few years.
“Our farm has become a place where people come to catch up with each other,” Schoeneberg says. “When you’ve been farming for
150 years in one spot, you become part of the social fabric. We’re lucky to be that kind of place for families.”
Eugster’s Farm Market
At Eugster’s in Stoughton, stroll through fields of lavender or sunflowers, take a wagon ride, navigate a corn maze, pet baby animals, or cut your own Christmas tree. But the backbone of the farm is produce.
“Vegetables are our thing,” says Director of Operations Jacob Eugster, fourth generation of the family who has been growing and selling from the same location for more than 50 years.
Historically, sweet corn, apples, pumpkins and cantaloupes have been signature items and remain so. But about five years ago, Eugster’s started a community supported agriculture, or CSA, program.
See more: Wisconsin Farmers Adapt Amid High Demand for Farm Products
“The pandemic made us realize we were too dependent on revenues from our events like Fall Festival,” explains Eugster, whose parents, Joe and Carol, own the farm. “The CSA also helps people learn the farming aspects of things more than just coming out to take their pumpkin pictures in the fall.”
Even with a new vineyard and winery in the works, vegetable production – everything from bell peppers to zucchini – will remain the backbone at Eugster’s.
“Our goal is to keep people happy and coming back,” Eugster says. “It’s rewarding to see a whole spring’s worth of our work going home with the family who’s going to eat it.”