GENEVA LAKES PRODUCE

My Grandpa Koster farmed his whole life. His Dutch heritage taught him how to drain land and make it productive. He grew flowers, especially gladiolus, and sweet corn, vegetables and strawberries. All the neighborhood kids worked for grandpa picking strawberries, in those days pay was $.60 a quart, but family did not get paid. As I grew up, going to school I also worked on the farm, a sod farm (boring!), and others vegetable farms. Graduating from high school my parents wanted me to go to college, I wanted to farm, but college it was. After college I landed a job with a great company, but my heart was always on the farm. In 1986 we bought a home with 5 acres. In 1997 gave up my career to go into full time farming. Today, we farm approximately 135 acres, sell at 9 farmers' markets and operate 2 farm stands.

Geneva Lakes Produce is a true family farm. Everyone in the family pitches in and plays a role in the operation of the business. We use sustainable practices for the land, people, natural resources, and make the most efficient use of non renewable resources and integrate, where appropriate natural biological cycles and control. Here are just a few of examples of sustainable farming practices;

•  the entire greenhouse operation is heated with waste wood product/only 5% being supplemented with fuel oil and propane

•  O the crops are grown utilizing conservation tillage, crop rotation, etc

•  I Integrated Pest Management is used to control pest and disease, only when needed

There are many more practices that we use to be good stewards of the land to produce the high quantity of safe food per acre. Visit us at the Market and we can tell you are whole story. For now I will end this with, the best part is, meeting you and serving you with the fruits of our labor, it is indeed our reward. See you at the market, or our farm stand in Spring Prairie.

Scott Koster-owner

gg_produce@genevaonline.com