Meet Local Growers supplying the CPS Café.

Local Farmer with students

Mike Brilowski is a seed saver and green-sustainable practitioner.  He grows a variety of vegetables and greenhouse produce in Amherst Junction, WI.
 
Chris Malek of Malek Family Stewardship Farm in Rosholt, WI grows organic produce.  “We are certified organic produce – vegetable farm.  We specialize in potatoes, growing 40+ varieties each year – all colors and shapes.  We focus on growing heirloom and unique varieties of vegetables and herbs – those exceptional in taste and nutrition.”
 
Dave Peterson of Elderon, WI says “At Maplewood Gardens, our focus for the last 23 years has been building soil that provides our plants with everything they need to produce dense fruits, herbs, and vegetables.”
 
Sara and Larry Raikowski of Raikowski Farm provide heritage breed Bronze turkeys, Peking duck, ranged chicken, and sweet corn for the Café on their sustainable farm in Junction City, WI.
 
January Farms in the town of Sharon, WI  produces all natural greenhouse herbs and lettuces as well as open pollinated tomatoes and vegetables.  Autumn brings hand harvested apples and in mid-winter the farm’s sugar maples are tapped for syrup.  January Farms has been chemical free for over a decade.

CPS Café, as part of the School of Health Promotion and Human Development, has made a commitment to sustainability.  We have partnered with local small family farmers and businesses to shorten the distance our food travels, support our local economy, and to strengthen the availability of local, high quality food.  The CPS Café purchased $17,000.00 of locally grown/produced foodstuffs for the 2007/2008 school year, which was 35% of our total food expense.  Our partnership is part of a growing movement that is revitalizing small family farms.  Their expertise is helping us create awareness and an appetite for high-quality local produce, meat, and dairy products.
Our search for sustainable products has helped to push large food supply companies like Sysco to source more regional products.  If companies like Sysco support regional agriculture and work with small producers, sustainability in our national food chain will gain strength.