When it comes to investing, where better to spend than in your local community? Sure, we think about “shopping small” as frequenting our local boutiques and restaurants, but what about where it all starts—where our food actually comes from? Crazy Acres Market Farm, located in Goshen, is here to provide you with all of your produce needs … something that maybe doesn’t immediately come to mind when shopping small. Not only are they local, but Crazy Acres is also family-owned, and uses sustainable, organic farming practices to bring the freshest, cleanest produce to your plate.
But what really makes food “clean?” It all begins with the seed. “I start all of the plants myself,” says owner Lisa Cannon. “I grow everything in organic soil, and all the beds I grow in are permanent beds—each year, I add mushroom compost to the soil.”
Instead of using pesticides, Lisa turns to bug nets and predatory insects that eat other bugs rather than eating plants. Instead of chemical fertilizers, Lisa uses alternatives like fish emulsion, which are all-natural and full of good vitamins and minerals for her plants. Even things as simple as the way plants are watered help her keep her crops healthy and thriving. “We use drip tape, so the plants don’t get watered over the top, because that promotes disease. We try to mitigate everything by just creating better growing conditions and circulating the air more efficiently,” she explains.
So, convinced shopping local and investing in a farm right in your own backyard is the move? Find Lisa’s produce or starters for your own garden at both Loveland’s and Montgomery’s farmers markets, Madison’s at Findlay Market, or Harvest Market in Old Milford.
CrazyAcresMarketFarm.com | 6695 Bray Rd, Goshen | 513.310.0491
SEASONAL FLAVOR
Want to know what produce to buy during each season? Take it from this local expert—Lisa shares her go-to recommendations on what’s best to buy when (and if it’s got an asterisk, it’s available from Crazy Acres at the aforementioned markets!).
Spring
*Beets, *spinach, *Asian greens, *lettuces, *chard, *radishes, *asparagus, *carrots, *cabbage, *kale, rhubarb, peas, collard greens, *herbs
Summer
*Tomatoes, *cucumbers, summer squash, eggplant, sweet corn, *green beans, *potatoes, *peppers, *herbs, *berries, melons, celery, *garlic, *onions
Fall
*Winter squash (acorn, butternut, etc.), *beets, *lettuces, *greens, apples, pears, *kale, *cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, rhubarb, *raspberries, figs, *herbs, pumpkins
Winter
“Not much grows here locally even in heated greenhouses,” Lisa admits. “Many of the things available are storage crops that were harvested in fall and stored for sale in winter. This is a good time to purchase hydroponic lettuces, greens, cherry tomatoes and herbs from local growers who grow indoors.”