Want locally grown, fresh, pesticide free vegetables ALL YEAR ROUND? You can have it, at Milky Way Farm, located just south of Woodstock.
This mixed vegetable, four season, ecologically focused family farm, owned and operated by Jesse Way and Meghan Brandenburg, grows an array of heirloom and hybrid vegetables year round, ranging from vibrant salad greens and arugula to hearty kale, and from crisp carrots and parsnips to zesty radishes, as well as many other delicious vegetables.
Jesse and Meghan formed Milky Way Farm, which follows a small scale, regenerative agricultural approach, to focus on extending the seasons in order to be able to offer fresh produce to local markets year round.
“Our goal for the future is to be able to provide weekly fresh vegetables to more of our closest neighbours, and reduce the distance our produce has to travel as much as possible. We want to become a part of the weekly shopping routine for our local community…within a more localized food system,” Meghan told us.
All produce is fresh, and/or optimally maintained. Seasonal extension via a minimally heated greenhouse and unheated hoophouses that lengthen the available season of each fresh vegetable is utilized. Crops are optimally stored in cold and dry storage on the farm. To achieve this, Meghan told us that, “We have a trailer converted to a walk-in cooler that we use for storage crops in winter, and to keep things fresh in summer.” Therefore, all produce remains at its peak.
What sets Milky Way apart is not just its provision of fresh, locally grown vegetables year-round but also its innovative Farm Share program.This program is like a “vegetable membership subscription to the farm season.” Customers will have access to an abundance of vegetables through their online store, a day before the general public, at a 5% discount off retail prices in their online store. This early access ensures members can secure their desired items before they run out, so they never miss out on the freshest, in-season produce.
According to Meghan, “This will be the 6th year that we have been offering the farm share (CSA) program, and many members have been with us since that first year.” Customers love that not only are the vegetables nutritious, they are still fresher days after purchase than one would find in a big box store. For this, Milky Way Farm garners top honours from its appreciative customers!
To take advantage of this amazing program, you are asked to pay in advance for the season, which helps to keep costs down as you are helping to reduce the burden of up front costs, while securing a share of the freshest, and healthiest produce for you and your family!
However, if you would like to purchase fresh produce, without taking advantage of the Farm Share program, you can always order through the retail online store, year-round.
As well as the Farm Share program, Milky Way also offers customers the option of donating to a “mutual aid” fund through the online store. These funds are used to give back to the community via donations to a community fridge, subsidized shares, as well as giving credits to those facing food insecurity. Please get in touch with Milky Way if you would like to access these options. “We want everyone to be able to access fresh, healthy food.”
While there is no bricks and mortar storefront, Milky Way does offer pickup from the farm store, which is free. There is a nominal fee for delivery, which is waived if your purchase is over $70. However, for Sweaburg residents, or those ordering from within 3 km of the farm, delivery is free.
Be sure to keep an eye out for the opening of Milky Way’s Farm Share program in the near future! In the meantime, you can explore their online store today to sample their selection of winter produce. Simply visit https://milkywayfarm.ca/ to get started!