Farmers filled the Riverside Park Urban Ecology Center as over 1,000 locals streamed in through the doors eager to learn how they can buy directly from local sustainable farms at the annual Local Farmer Open House on Saturday afternoon.
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Smiles greeted you at the wooden entrance while people outside queued for the stocked organic food-truck vendors of Tigerbite and Vegan which lined E. Park Pl., with food ranging from Korean BBQ tacos to a classic BLT or a couple egg rolls, filling once empty bellies to satisfied and full.
In 1991, the grassroots non-profit Urban Ecology Center was formed, revitalizing the Milwaukee’s Riverside Park after decades of industrial pollution.
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The center’s mission is fostering an ecological understanding as inspiration for change, neighborhood by neighborhood. Focusing on outdoor science education for urban youth, they protect and preserve use of public natural areas, promote the community, practice responsible environmental behaviors.
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Jeff Schreiber of Three Sister Farms of Campbellsport believes the Local Farmer Open House is the kind of event for people to come to, meeting local farmers growing organic sustainable food in the Milwaukee.
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“It’s a good place to be and to get out into the community where a lot of people don’t know about this concept (Community Supported Agriculture), talk to them and let people know that there is a lively local food movement around Milwaukee,” said Schreiber.
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Ten years ago with four local farmers, the cafeteria of Riverside High School, and 20 local food eaters, the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Open House was born. Now it’s known as the Local Farmers Open House hosting about 26 farms, and over 1,000 people participating in the CSA memberships each year.
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At the open house, the community is encouraged to learn about the CSA so they can buy directly from local farmers having fresh produce. That’s just what the locals did who attended the open house.
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John Suhar of the Urban Ecology Center stated, “It truly was a diverse multicultural crowd with young folks, middle-aged folks, and old folks that came out.”
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Farmer’s tables were constantly surrounded, answering questions left and right.
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The event ran from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with short intro to CSA, cooking, and health workshops.
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Meet a Farmer
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Perched at his stand filled with canned jams, pickled vegetables, fresh greens, and fresh cut meats packed in coolers to back him, Ken Ruegsegger represented his organic farm.
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His glasses, slightly foggy and rectangular, slipping down his nose, he nudged them up while he dished information out for all who inquired. Ruegsegger was hard at work. He looked the part with his washed blue jeans, a deep red and navy blue button-up paid collard shirt, and his worn-in brown working boots.
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Natural is the way to go on Ruegsegger’s farm, chickens, pigs, and cows roam free and fed natural foods like grass or bugs. “We concentrate on the grass fed (technique) for mostly health reasons,” said Ruegsegger in an interview with WTMJ4.
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Ruegsegger’s farm motto is raising all-natural from beef, pork, lamb, and poultry to vegetables and fruit.
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How it CSA Works
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The first step is signing up for the CSA membership and purchasing a “share” with a farm before growing season begins. Shares include receiving weekly deliveries of fresh produce through the growing season of May to November. Memberships have become an important connection between local farmers and consumers.
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“We only sell face-to-face,” said Ruegsegger.
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Shares come in a variety of different prices depending upon what produce, poultry, or meat you need. Some farms such as Ruegsegger’s farm allows you to pick what the consumer wants and when they want it.
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The Urban Ecology Center describes the CSA as connecting to a farm and your food; it’s like having your own personal farmer.
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Sustainable and Organic?
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First, what does sustainable and organic mean?
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Jamie Ferschinger, the Branch Manager of the Riverside Urban Ecology Center, defined sustainable food. “It’s a food system that can continue indefinitely. It strives to have little impact on the environment and ecology of both the soil and water, preventing soil degradation,” said Ferschinger.
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Food doesn’t travel far in a sustainable system. “Food only travels an average of 45 miles, using less fossil fuels and petroleum where as most food in stores travel up to 1,500 miles. As well, the farmer’s wage is a livable wage,” said Ferschinger.
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Organic food is grown the old fashion way. “We don’t use hormones, anti-biotics, or chemicals,” described Ruegsegger.
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Eating Local
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Sustainable and organic aren’t the only reasons people should eat fresh; it’s about being local too. “The food is getting picked that day or the day before. It’s extremely fresh food, healthy food—ecologically sound,” said Ferschinger.
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On top of that, consumers are able to develop a relationship with their farmer who grows their food, meeting face to face, learning more about how the food is actually grown.
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Isaiah Rembert, a young adult, came out to support the Urban Ecology Center and his community, strongly emphasized the impact of the open house.
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“It’s important to know where your food comes from and often at times people don’t really understand through the agriculture process where their food comes from and how it gets to their table,” explained Rembert.
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Because farms do provide a wide variety of produce and meats many people may be exposed to new foods and new ways of cooking.
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Advantages for Farmers When You Buy & Eat Local
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Early in the season, farmers receive payments directly from the consumer, which helps with the farm’s cash flow. This is important because no money then goes to the corporate hands.
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“Nearly 80 percent of the money from food sold in stores goes to packaging, marketing, and the middle-men,” said Ferschinger. As a result of participation in the CSA, farmers directly receive the fruits of their labor.
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In addition, it creates an opportunity for farmers to get to know the people who buy and eat their food.
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The Urban Ecology Center is open daily for the public.
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Media Milwaukee
Amy Watanabe
