EFC Produce Department
For one of the freshest experiences on Central Avenue, take a stroll down the EFC produce aisle!
A great produce department should please your senses and inspire your menus--two goals that our produce team strives to achieve every day. Manager Jean Eilers stocks the department with select fair-trade and organic fruits and vegetables from around the world, as well as seasonal, sustainably-raised foods from farmers we know and trust.
Our Farmers!
Riverbend Farm - www.rbfcsa.com
Hoch Orchards - www.hochorchard.com
Featherstone Farms – featherstonefarm.com. Featherstone Farm covers 250 acres of the bluff country around Rushforn, MN. Founded in 1994 by Jack Hedin and Jenni McHugh, the farm has been certified organic since 1997 and certified Fair Trade since 2007. They produce more than 50 varieties of produce for Co-ops, CSA members, and farmers' markets across Minnesota.
Keewaydin Farms – www.keewaydinfarms.com. Rufus and Star and their two daughters are the most recent generation of the Haucke Family to raise delicious food on this beautiful farm in the driftless region of southwest Wisconsin, just outside of Viola. We returned from a visit to their farm recently and are pleased to announce that lovely greens, radishes, sunchokes and lots of herbs are well on their way with more delicious treats to follow! Rufus, Star and their family are passionate about and committed to caring for and restoring their land and diversifying their landscape with new trees, prairies, and free-range chickens. Look forward no more to their delicious foods as EFC is already bringing them in the door, on the shelf and to your plate for supper!
Wisconsin Growers – Located in southwestern Wisconsin and supplied by 20 small family farms, the Wisconsin Growers provide EFC with fresh produce nearly year round. We'll be visiting them soon and look forward to sharing more on their farms and practices!
Labore Farms – Michelle Keller's hydroponic lettuce farm provides Eastside with fresh, delicious Romaine, Mixed Greens, and Green Leaf Lettuce as well as a variety of specialty greens year round. These delicious lettuces are delivered to EFC by Michelle twice a week from Faribault, MN. While not certified organic, Michelle uses no pesticides or fungicides on her veggies. She hires ladybugs to keep her produce clean as they eat those pesky aphids.
Pyramid Sprouters – Located in Buffalo, MN, Pyramid Sprouters is one of our newest local providers. No longer fulfilled by just Alfalfa? Try any of their delicious mixes on your salad! While not certified organic, Deb uses no herbicides, pesticides or fungicides and many of her sprouts are hydroponically grown.
Living Water Gardens – Steve and Miriam Klingbeil and their family, of Wells, MN, have raised their beautiful, hydroponic yellow and red tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers for 17 years. They use no pesticides or other contaminants and Steve himself delivers their yields twice weekly to Eastside.
Forest Mushrooms - www.forestmushrooms.com - Located in St. Joseph, MN, Forest Mushrooms provide many of our packaged white button and crimini mushrooms.
Gourmet's Delight Mushrooms – Located in Edin, WI, Gourmet's Delight Mushrooms supplies most of our bulk crimini, white button, and portabello mushrooms. We receive these delicious mushrooms almost daily from Co-op Partners Warehouse.
Driftless Organics - www.driftlessorganics.com – Noah and Josh Engel, along with Teresa Engel and Mike Lind manage Driftless Organics, located near Soldiers Grove in southwestern Wisconsin in the driftless region. Together they grow lots of beautiful produce and flowers, process sunflower oil and raise grass-fed beef. More soon as we hope to visit their farm this summer!
Produce Sales
Welcome to the Local Produce Season!!
While we here in the city wait for our gardens to grow, the diligent farmers who grow our great food are making the most of the limited growing season in the upper midwest and already taking up first harvests! Get ready for delicious, fresh, local produce!
Interesting Tid-Bit:
Many of our farmers are located in the Driftless region, which includes southeastern MN (Cannon Falls and eastward), northeastern IA (Dubuque and northward), northwestern, IL (Rockford and westward) and most of the southwestern quadrant of WI. What is the Driftless Region? The term driftless indicates a lack of glacial drift, in other words the region that wasn't flattened during the last ice-age. The upper midwest driftless region covers 16,203 square miles, includes hilly landscapes with elevations ranging from 603' to 1719'. The region is filled with beautiful river valleys and steep cliff faces.
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VEGETABLES
Broccoli (Organic - Gardens of Eagan, MN) |  |
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PEPPERS
Sweet Mini Peppers 1 Pint (Organic - Driftless Organics) |
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SUMMER SQUASHES
Zucchini (Organic - Keewaydin Gardens, WI) |
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WINTER SQUASHES
Spaghetti Squash (Organic - Wisconsin Growers) |
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TOMATOES
Tomatillos (Organic - Driftless Organics, WI; Earthen Path Organic Farm, MN) |
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ONIONS
Cippolini Onions, Red or Yellow (Organic - Keewaydin Gardens, WI) |
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ROOTS
All Blue Potatoes (Organic - Keewaydin Organics, WI) |
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APPLES!!!
State Fair Apples (Organic - Earthen Path Organic Farm, MN) |
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PEARS
Summer Crisp Pear (Organic - Earthen Path Organic Farm, MN) |
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BERRIES
Ground Cherries (Organic - Wisconsin Growers) |
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STONE FRUIT
Yellow Nectarines (I.P.M. - Barnard Orchards, WI) |
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MELONS
Galia Melon (Organic - JPS Farms, MN) |
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LETTUCE
Romaine Lettuce (Hydroponic - Labore Farm, MN) |  |
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GREENS
Rainbow Chard (Organic - Keewaydin Gardens, WI) |  |
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HERBS
Fennel (Keewaydin Gardens, WI) |  |
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SPROUTS
Clover Sprouts (Hydroponic - Pyramid Sprouters, MN) |  |
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MUSHROOMS
Chicken of the Woods (MN) |  |
