Minnesota Farmers Launch Pizza Farm to Further Diversity at Fairhaven Farm by Sami Maldonado
This guest blog is published as part of the 2022-2023 “Equipping Next Gen Ag and Conservation Leaders” mentorship program hosted by the Mississippi River Network and Green Lands Blue Waters. See all twelve communications projects completed by the mentees here. You can read more about the entire program at https://greenlandsbluewaters.org/next-gen-ag-leaders/
Sami Maldonado, Minnesota Farmer’s Union (MN)
Sami has been interested in agricultural, justice, and environmental issues for a long time. Seeing both stunning biodiversity and environmental degradation on her first visit to Ecuador, her father’s home country, inspired her to take action. As an undergraduate, she studied Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems, attended conferences, mentored youth through an urban agriculture non-profit, and served as her university’s Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) Chapter President. As the Operations Coordinator for Minnesota Farmers Union, Sami is actively working towards equity for farmers, climate resilient farming, and a thriving food system. Sami believes that farming should be an option open to everyone, and she is motivated to understand and address challenges by working with a diverse array of Minnesotan farmers.
Sami’s Final Communications Project: Sami Maldonado’s write-up of an interview with Fairhaven Farm was published the Minnesota Farmer’s Union magazine. A re-post of Sami’s write up and photograph follows.
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“Minnesota Farmers, The Beatons, Launch Pizza Farm to Further Diversity Fairhaven Farm”
By Sami Maldonado
John Beaton became connected to a thriving farm community while studying local food systems at the University of Minnesota Duluth. After college, he started Fairhaven Farm on a rented plot of land while apprenticing at Northern Harvest Farm in Wrenshall. After an internship at DreamAcres Farm in southeast Minnesota, Emily Beaton knew that farming was her calling. She was eager to start growing, and launched her own microgreens business, Pocket Farm, the following year in Duluth.
The two met as vendors at a farmers’ market, and quickly realized their shared enthusiasm for cooking with farm-fresh ingredients. Now as co-owners of Fairhaven Farm, John and Emily are committed to sharing that passion with others by growing food for their community.
Located 25 miles from downtown Duluth, the 27-acre Fairhaven Farm is tucked behind tall pine trees. The property holds a rich history of communal living and agricultural activity with a deed dating to 1891. Since purchasing the farm in 2017, the Beatons have implemented diversification in their products and markets. The couple sells seedlings to local grocery co-ops, vegetables through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), and are looking forward to enhancing their CSA through a flower share this year.
John and Emily quickly learned that sustainable farming is the norm in the Lake Superior Bioregion that encompasses northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin. The couple are proud to be part of a supportive, resilient farming community, and proud of their role in debunking the assumption that food cannot grow in their region.
The Beatons’ greenhouse nurtures over 150 varieties of plants.
The Beatons have been members of Minnesota Farmers Union since 2018 and have engaged in the New Leaders Academy (NLA) and Farmers Union Enterprises Leadership (FUEL) program.
Regenerative agriculture:
While sustainability continues to gain attention in Minnesota, the concept of regenerative agriculture is also emerging across non-profits, academic settings and governmental organizations. According to the Beatons, regenerative agriculture encourages the flourishing of life by acknowledging soil biology, human interactions and the overall living abundance in agriculture. Emily says the relationship between people and land is reciprocal in regenerative agriculture. Simply put, the farmer feeds the soil, and the soil feeds the farmer.
Motivated by regenerative agriculture concepts, Emily and John emphasize soil health on their farm. They avoid the use of pesticides and herbicides, plant cover crops, reduce tillage, and produce and apply compost. Focusing on the health of the soil allows them to plant intensively and utilize appropriate small-scale tools and technology. The Beatons have caught glimpses of progress on their farm. Reduced tillage is improving soil fertility and minimizing perennial weeds. Raised garden beds and walking paths covered in wood chips are improving drainage, retaining moisture and mitigating harsh growing conditions. From a social perspective, regenerative agriculture is demonstrated in the Beatons’ ambitions to create a purposeful work experience for their employees and harness the excitement they have witnessed from their community. Fairhaven Farm’s Community Engagement & Education Coordinator, Charlie Danielson, fosters curiosity and community togetherness by planning events and educational workshops on the farm.
Uplifting community:
Even with Fairhaven Farm’s successes, John shares that “you cannot farm without challenge, every year is challenging.” The couple has adopted an attitude of perseverance and mapped new ventures centered around agritourism and fresh food.
The farm has a holistic approach of “capturing the value of vegetables at every stage of the plant’s life” from growing seedlings, vegetables and, most recently, pizza toppings. This month, John and Emily will officially launch their pizza farm in hopes of connecting with their neighbors, local supporters and people from across the state. The pizza farm concept is a novel idea in the St. Louis County area, but the couple expects their Friday pizza nights to gain momentum based on the success of their Kickstarter fundraising initiative, and the popularity of other pizza farms throughout the state.
The multifaceted work at Fairhaven Farm consistently circles back to uplifting their community. Minnesota Farmers Union is an avenue that has allowed the Beatons to learn from small and large scale farms as John expresses that he and Emily, “stand in solidarity with all the different family farmers in Minnesota.” Looking ahead, John and Emily plan to complete the final touches on their pizza farm, use their Farmers Union network to source local ingredients for their pizza and fulfill the farm’s purpose to “gather, nourish and inspire.”
About Minnesota Farmers Union
Minnesota Farmers Union works to protect and enhance the economic interests and quality of life of family farmers and ranchers and rural communities. MFU is a nonprofit membership-based organization. Membership is open to everyone. Learn more and join at www.mfu.org and follow MFU on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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