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Photo credit: Craig John Photography
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By now, you’re well aware of the farm-to-table dining movement. It’s gained so much steam over the last decade that it’s become ubiquitous. Diners are accustomed to seeing produce, meat and dairy farm sources listed on restaurant menus and websites, much to the delight of the hardworking farmers who have historically worked under the radar—at least as far as the dining public is concerned.
Any chef worth their salt has always been concerned about and interested in where their ingredients come from. The recent farm-to-table trend is not really about chefs: It’s about diners becoming aware and interested in exactly what they’re eating and where it came from, something that chefs have always known, but haven’t necessarily been prompted to promote. Chefs are more than happy to share that information with diners, who lap up the information, whether it’s because of curiosity, a genuine desire to support local farmers or a trend they can hashtag on Instagram.
No matter the reasoning behind it, the farm-to-table movement is likely here to stay. Chefs love the farmers, producers and foragers who supply their restaurants as much for their products as their commitment to creating an open, safe and local supply chain.
We asked local chefs and restaurateurs to tell us which local farms they source their produce, meat and dairy from. While the list is by no means comprehensive, it gives conscientious consumers a great lineup of local, sustainable farms that they can support directly.
LotFotL Community Farms Eat them at: Bavette la Boucherie W7036 Quinney Road, Elkhorn lotfotl.com
Tim Huth’s farm in Elkhorn has a funny name, until you learn that it’s an acronym for “living off the fat of the land.” All kinds of produce is grown here, including greens, heirloom tomatoes, squashes, potatoes and garlic, to name a few. Get your hands on some of their fresh produce by signing up for a CSA share and enjoy the produce bounty all growing season long, or stop by their booth at the South Shore Farmers Market.
Big City Greens Eat them at: Lake Park Bistro 906 E. Hamilton St. mybigcitygreens.bigcartel.com
You might not have guessed it, but there’s a farm just a couple blocks north of Brady Street. Big City Greens grows mostly microgreens and a few other vegetables and herbs indoors year round, with a small patch of land for outdoor growing in summer. Like many farms, they’ve diversified their business to include foraging as well, in particular for wild mushrooms. This family run farm uses only organic growing methods. A small amount of CSA shares are available.
Mushroom Mike Eat them at: Lazy Susan 448 E. Bruce St. facebook.com/mushroommikellc
The go-to guy for mushrooms in Milwaukee, Mike Jozwik has become somewhat of a celebrity among the city’s food obsessed. He cultivates 10+ types of mushrooms in a warehouse facility in Harbor View, complete with a futuristic-looking science lab to continue bringing the best, safest mushrooms and microgreens to area restaurants. He even won an award for the largest morel mushroom by weight. Look for him and his ’shrooms at area farmers markets.
Jeff-Leen Farm Eat them at: Buckley’s N254 County Highway I, Random Lake jeffleenfarm.com
Jeff-Leen has been a family owned farm since 1868. Current owners Jeff and Kathy Preder are the fifth generation of their family to run the farm. They raise Piedmontese beef, pastured chickens and turkeys, and sell eggs as well. None of their animals are injected with antibiotics, steroids or hormones, and the pastures they graze in are certified organic. You can purchase their beef, chicken and eggs at the Tosa and Fox Point farmers markets.
Farm 45 LLC Eat them at: Braise 3180 Highway C, Jackson facebook.com/farm45llc
Farm 45 owner Terry Groth uses sustainable farming methods to raise lambs and goats. His great grandfather started the farm about 130 years ago and he’s still utilizing the same land today. The farm uses a method of pasturing the animals called rotational grazing, where the animals are moved to new pasture every few days to graze and fertilize the area. Watch their Facebook page in summer for info about upcoming dinners on their farm.
Pinn-Oak Ridge Farms Eat them at: Sanford N5784 Johnson Road, Delavan wisconsinlamb.com
Steve and Darlene Pinnow own and operate Pinn-Oak Ridge Farms, which supplies lamb to restaurants in Milwaukee, Madison and Chicago. Their lambs are hormone- and antibiotic-free, under 10 months of age when slaughtered, and grain fed for at least 30 days to enhance the flavor of the meat. You can purchase their lamb from Metcalfe’s Market in Wauwatosa, or order online directly from the farm.
Produce with Purpose Eat them at: Kindred on KK W2923 Fourth St., Fond du Lac producewithpurpose.com
Rick and Dawn Slager are dedicated to growing and providing produce with sustainable methods and teaching the public about the process. They grow close to 40 different varieties of produce on their two-acre farm in Fond du Lac County, including heirloom and cherry tomatoes, carrots, beats, onions, Brussels sprouts and potatoes. Get your hands on their fruits and veggies by signing up for their CSA, or ordering one-time boxes of produce on their website.
Fine Fettle Farm Eat them at: Morel finefettlefarm.com
Heather Hall and Amy Wallner’s Fine Fettle Farm is a little wonderland of beautiful produce. They grow rainbow carrots, multiple colors of bright beets, purple daikon radish and many colors of tomatoes. Greens, herbs, broccoli, melons and leeks round out the offerings of this diversified, sustainable farming operation. You can find them at the Fox Point Farmers Market this season.
Central Greens Eat them at: Maxie’s 470 N. Storyhill Parkway centralgreensmke.com
This certified organic urban indoor farm uses aquaponics to grow a variety of microgreens and herbs. Central Greens grows their plants in beds floating on top of water, without soil. The water comes from fish tanks with thousands of fish, which is full of natural fertilizer. Once the plants have used the nutrients in the water, it goes back to the fish tanks and the process starts again. It requires significantly less water than traditional farming and no added fertilizer. Buy their greens at Sendik’s Food Market, Outpost Natural Foods, Woodman’s Markets and Whole Foods.
Golden Rod Cottage/Urban Farm Eat them at: Pasta Tree 3130 W. Juneau Ave.
Golden Rod Cottage and Urban Farms is a little bit different than any other farm on this list. Owner Stephen Seefeldt started a garden after an accident made him examine his eating habits. He wanted to expand, so he leases out the land; in exchange for the land use, the owners receive compensation for a full CSA membership. Thanks to him, more than 50 varieties of vegetables are now grown all over the West Side of Milwaukee. Look for his popup stand at Kettle Range Meats on Saturday and at Robert’s Upholstery on First Street on Sunday (both 10 a.m.-2 p.m.); learn more about the business by searching “Golden Rod Cottage/Urban Farm” on Facebook.
Ney’s Big Sky Eat them at: Goodkind 1366 E. Sumner St. #4, Hartford neysbigsky.com
Founded in 1965 and on its second generation of ownership, Ney’s Big Sky raises beef, poultry and pork. Cattle make up the bulk of their livestock, and are raised on a grass-fed diet with rotational grazing. Besides supplying unprocessed and dry-aged beef, Ney’s also does their own processing, including numerous flavors of brats and sausages, beef patties and bacon. You can purchase their products directly from their website, or find them at the South Shore Farmers Market.
Shared Seasons Farm Eat them at: Amilinda W4535 County Highway A, Fredonia sharedseasonsfarm.com
Paul and Sara Huber rented land and founded Shared Seasons Farm in 2013. Three years later, they were able to move to a new small scale, diversified vegetable and egg farm in Fredonia. They grow 35 different vegetables and herbs using sustainable and organic practices. Purchase their produce at the Brookfield and Tosa farmers markets, or sign up for their egg delivery program for fresh eggs each week.
Yuppie Hill Poultry Eat them at: Beans & Barley W1384 Potter Road, Burlington yuppiehillpoultry.com
Lynn Lein started farming in 1999 with only a dozen hens. Now she runs Yuppie Hill Poultry with more than 2,500 laying hens, plus turkeys and Berkshire hogs. The farm’s name comes from Lein being teased that her hens led such a good life that they were yuppies. Hens are fed local grains without hormones or antibiotics and have plenty of room to perch, scratch and roam. Watch for their trailer at local farmers markets, or sign up for one of their “dinner on the farm” meals.
Pinehold Gardens Eat them at: La Merenda 1807 E. Elm Road, Oak Creek pineholdgardens.com
Photo credit: Craig John Photography
The owners of Pinehold Gardens, Sandy Raduenz and David Kozlowski, did not come from a farming family. But that didn’t stop them from leaving their office jobs in their 40s and purchasing their 21-acre Oak Creek farm in 2004. They grow 45 different kinds of fruits and vegetables and power their farm with solar panels. Cook with some of their produce by signing up for their CSA or stopping by their on-farm stand every Saturday morning.
