Growing Produce the Skelly Way
Everyone wants to know where their food comes
from and how it is made, so we have the answers for our
products.
When do you plant your produce?
We plant most of our produce from seed each spring in April
and May. Some items are started in pots early and then
transplanted outside so we can get a jump on the season. For our
sweet corn, we plant every three to four days so we always have
corn at the right maturity. We plant some other items in
multiple plantings, and some are only planted once.
How do you know when your produce is ready to
pick?
With some plants, we can just look at the produce and tell
it is the right size such as green beans. For sweet corn, we
will keep checking the corn at it gets close and then we know
when the whole field should be ready. An experienced sweet corn
picker can also tell ripeness by the way the ear feels. We check each crop every day to see when it will be at
the perfect maturity.
Do you grow everything you sell?
We try to grow as much of our produce as possible. However,
some items such as melons cannot be grown early in Wisconsin, and other items
such as peaches cannot be grown here at all. We always mark where our
produce was grown, and we will be happy to help if you ask.
Visit our produce page to learn
more about where our products are grown.
Are your crops organic?
Our farm is not certified organic. While organic agriculture
does have some benefits, there are just as many benefits of
non-organic agriculture when a carefully managed integrated crop
management plan is used. We know the importance of
food safety, and we follow very careful management practices to
use a minimal amount of chemicals. All of the chemicals we use
are tested and certified to be used on each vegetable crop. We
only use chemicals when necessary because it is a big expense,
however they do provide benefits. Many times when we do apply
chemicals it is early in the season before any fruit has formed.
This means that the fruit has never come in contact with
chemicals. Most of the chemicals are used to treat disease or weeds
around the plant. These chemicals attack genes that do not even
exist in humans. Finally, some chemicals are also made from
natural ingredients found in other plants, and they treat
problems just like mother nature. The safety of our product and
you is a number one priority for us and we work hard to make
sure our care for our crops helps and does not harm.
Remember, all produce, both organic and
conventionally grown, should always be washed before consuming to
help ensure food safety.
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