Say hello to the happiest Grass Fed Highland Cattle I’ve had the pleasure of hanging out with!  They are living their best lives out in their fields just north of the Twin Cities in Hugo MN on a 3rd generation family farm.

At first glance the rolling hills look like your average small family cattle farm, but then you realize there’s no barn, you see horns on the cattle and can’t find a feed trough. Welcome to KDE Farms, where they raise grass fed Highland cattle, meat and layer chickens and produce some fabulous maple syrup. You can jump right to their online shop if you can’t wait.

Walking the Fields

Visiting these down to earth farmers earlier this Summer, I fell in love with their farmland- and the way they raise their animals. These docile Scottish Highland cattle can take three years to finish off. But they balance out their keep with having a double coat that is water proof and down-like, eliminating the need for a barn. And they’ve naturally developed to thrive off of grass.

This leads this kind of farmer to maintain their land in a way that conventional farmers (usually) don’t. Because they are feeding their ‘product’ from what they grow and not what they purchase, grass fed cattle farmers blend their knowledge of raising healthy grass with raising healthy animals. And, as Brian and Roberta Ehret can attest to- that all starts with healthy land.

Farmer Brian checking the “Feed”

The Family Farm

Brian grew up on the same farmland, within a family that valued nurturing the land and the animals they raised. He was excited at the idea of coming back to farming after inheriting some of the family land. They built their home 23 years ago and brought their first cattle home 15 years ago. The Ehret’s are proud that its been a 100% grass fed operation since the beginning. 

Like many modern farmers, they both have ‘day jobs’ as well. Roberta is a Kindergarten teacher and Brian is a Solutions Architect with Phillips-Medisize. He enjoys using his physics degree in both spaces. Farmers are always asking the ‘what if’ questions like any good scientist…Brian sees his farm as a kind of lab where he gets to work with Mother Nature to provide a superior product- in a sustainable way. 

KDE is built on three interdependent ideals: Sustainability, Innovation, Stewardship.

Sustainability

Scottish Highland cattle are a more sustainable breed to work with, being able to produce well-marbled and highly-flavored meat (so says my meat loving hubby- full disclosure I don’t eat red meat) by eating from a pasture. The land that they graze on is naturally and sustainably maintained. They fertilize with manure and add some natural supplements, but the original seed wasn’t organic, so they aren’t certified organic- yet.

Chicken Tractors on the move

Both the cattle and the chickens fertilize the land as they graze, helping sustain the biodiversity in each field.  I love being able to raise our own backyard hens and have seen first hand the direct impact they make in our small closed loop system. Basically, intensive rotational grazing is when you let animals graze a small portion of the fields at a time, letting the other parts regrow for another round of munching.  This is powerful land management; the U of MN even hosts grazing schools for farmers.  Brian and Roberta hope to win a U of MN extension grant that will help them lay out a plan for “Intensive Rotational Grazing”. This kind of grazing takes into account all the hills, water sources and grass/prairie plant diversity on their land.

I love that our U of MN works with  local farmers who want to
make better use of their land and are working towards a sustainable future!

Innovation

Moving to the meat chicken part of their farm, they have been working on crafting just the right ‘chicken tractor’ to house their flock of grazing guys. Chicken tractors keep the birds safe out on fields, allowing them to move to fresh grass (and fertilize more square footage) every few days. The couple is currently finishing their last batch of broiler chickens for the year.  “We have raised 800 broilers this year,” Brian explained, a new high number thanks to another chicken tractor.

Stewardship

As we perused their land, the pride they have in the way they’ve stewarded their acres is apparent, and well deserved. They truly love their land and want it to be productive for generations to come. This has led them to build their business slowly, making sure the land can handle the amount of cattle as they grow. Brian’s upbringing within a farming family gives him the perspective of land over time, and how to keep implementing what works, and leaving behind what doesn’t.

Grass Roots Education

Brian and Roberta have loved being at local farmers markets because of the one on one time it gives them with their neighbors. “It’s a great way to introduce and educate neighbors about what we do- and why we do it,” explained Roberta. After a few years at both the Mahtomedi and Stillwater Farmers Markets they were able to begin offering a Grass Fed Beef CSA. They must have gotten their message across But still enjoy talking with customers so much that they added the Scandia Market this Summer as well.

Grass Fed cows *tend* to produce leaner meat with more antioxidants, omega-3’s, CLA, TVA, trace minerals, and vitamins according to this article and many others. Without getting into all the hormones, antibiotics and other chemicals NOT given to these animals  because of the way they are raised. Add to the equation the much lower impact on the earth and I think you’ve got a Winner Winner Beef Dinner!

How does Grass Fed Really Rate?

So let’s take a look into the Big White Cow in the room: is grass fed really better for you, the earth or the environment? Well, turns out a Washington Post writer wondered the same thing, as you can read in this well thought out ARTICLE  The article quotes Temple Grandin likening grain to cake and ice cream for cattle and how they love it, but just like us, diets shouldn’t be mostly made up of treats! Personally, I will always side with a small-scale local farmer who I can visit (yes, you can set up a time to tour the Ehret’s farm) and who knows their animals over a mass producing corporate farm.

Happy Cows

These cattle are HUGE! And I’m not going to lie, at first I was a little leery of getting too close. But farmers Brian and Roberta work hard to maintain a low stress environment for these grass guzzlers. As Brian mentioned, “The fences are really more like suggestions- they could plow through the fencing, but they don’t because we keep them happy by growing them really good grass.” Well, I for one would like to say thanks for taking such good care of the cattle that they have no need to try to break through the fences

You could see the kindness in their big brown eyes! These are well loved animals living their best lives! Since he’s got the grass fed beef part down, Brian is getting into pigs now too. They purchased 2 pregnant Mangalitsa pigs this Fall and will start offering pork in their CSA options next Spring- which I am quite excited about!

Right now, they are putting the finishing touches getting ready to take orders for their CSA options  They are ready to start taking orders now, giving you time to decide on the roasts, steaks, chops and chicken dinners you’ll cook up.

So, go ahead and Dig In, and remember you are what you eat, and you are what you eat eats too!  I’ll challenge you to ask yourself about the meat you eat…did it have a good life roaming the hills and eating what nature intended it to before making it to your table?

-Michelle

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**Updated 3/03/2026 with current links**

CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture) have been around for in some form or another since the mid 1980’s- which first struck me as a much shorter history than I’d imagined. But, then I realized that the CSA idea came about jointly from both Farmers and consumers looking for new ways to grow good food- and eat good food.

This was one way to make a concrete change in how those consumers ate, and who grew their food. The basic idea of a CSA is that farmers get the purchase price up front to help cover costs of the upcoming farming season. With farmers knowing that they have that money, they are able to move forward with confidence, and maybe without a bank breathing down their necks…

The rewards for a member of a CSA are manyfold; fresh in-season produce boxed up and ready to go weekly at a pick up location of your choice, often with a newsletter or recipe ideas included. As I see it, the biggest reward is building a relationship with a farmer.

My husband and I purchased our first CSA back in 2010 while I was still working full time. It is kind of funny that I can’t remember the name of the farm, but I do remember I picked up my weekly boxes from one of the quaint little shops (The Nest) in downtown White Bear Lake. I never met the farmer, and there was never an invite from the farmer to do so.

Things have changed, on both the farmer and the consumer sides. Farmers are being more proactive in forging relationships, and consumers are looking for more than good food grown cheap- more and more, the people buying CSAs are doing it for a chance to connect to a farm, a farmer, a piece of land…and to benefit from the GOOD food these farmers provide.

Now that the CSA idea has had time to take root- it has also branched out in a few different directions. For this article, I’ve chosen a few local farms that represent the wide variety of options available to those of us lucky enough to live around the Twin Cities. Each of the following farms has a unique twist to them, showing again there’s so many ways to grow good food!

I would absolutely recommend any of the farms covered- but I’d also urge you to do your own research too, there are more and more (yay!) CSAs popping up every year. Currently, according the powerful MNGrown CSA search engine there are 86 CSAs in Minnesota. Use these ‘case studies’ as a launch pad to get yourself thinking what you want out of a CSA…

All Good Organics

This is the family farm that decided to build their own little Farm Store instead of packing up and taking their food to Farmers Markets (except the ones I run!)

Their Farm Store is open year-round 8am-8pm and is run mostly on the honesty policy. They do things their own way, and wow- is it working! This is truly your local, organic family run farm. You could go and pick out your veggies each week from what’s out in the farm stand, but you’re guaranteed the first flush if you sign up for the CSA.

They grow over 70 varieties of veggies. They also have eggs, meat chickens and whole and half hogs available for purchase. They’re open to possible farm tours and have a hay wagon at the ready.

For those of you that made it out to the last White Bear Lake Winter Farmer’s Market, this was the farmer table with all the fresh produce- and awesome sour kraut, salsa and frozen veggies. Butch mentioned how excited they are for this up-coming growing season, “We already have spinach, Romaine, Radish, Kale growing in green house now.”

All Good Organics

6657 Centerville Rd,
Lino Lakes, MN

16 Weeks
On Farm Pick Up

All Good Organics CSA ONLINE SIGN UP

TC Farm 

TC Farm is a group of sustainable family farms dedicated to raising
the very best food.

High Standards:

• Regenerative Practices – Building soil and protecting the planet
• Pasture-Raised – Animals on grass daily, not “access to” pasture
• No GMO’s – Ever. In feed, in fields, or on your plate
• No Drugs – No hormones or growth stimulants ever
• Certified Organic Produce – No synthetic pesticides or fertilizers
• Community First – Supporting local farms and families

TC Farm CSA

• Full Season – 20 boxes – Starts June 22nd (weekly-only)
• Half Season – 10 boxes – Starts June 22nd (weekly or bi-weekly)
• Quarter Season – 5 boxes – Starts mid-July (weekly or bi-weekly)

CSA Sign Up 

 THE GOOD ACRE

I hung out at The Good Acre a while back to understand more about what all this Food Hub does on the East side of the Twin Cities. Full article HERE. One of the most impressive pieces to their food cycle help, is the way they bring together so many farmers to offer the public a unique “Farm Share”. The new term represents their CSA well because of the large number (20+ this season) of different farmers working together to grow for you.

While not all organic, “Growers verify that they are using growing practices we deem safe for the land, air, and water around their farms. They are able to do that with the help of their full-time Grower Support Specialist, David VanEeckhout. David has over 20 years of organic farming experience, and he works very close with TGA’s growers during the season to help them with crop planning, pest and disease management, as well as soil fertility and growing in hoop houses,” Nikki  Warner, TGA’s Marketing Manager explained. The farmers own their own land, but use the power of group sourcing with TGA as a way to market their produce more effectively. The results are delicious.

The other reason this CSA made the list is their truly phenomenal list of possible add-ons. Because part of TGA’s Food Hub is their community kitchen where many local  food producers got their start, they have access to an amazing array of hand crafted products made from locally sourced foods. Such as: breads, honey eggs,  jams, kimchi, kombucha, salsa. I know, I’m drooling too.

The Good Acre CSA
1790 Larpenteur Avenue West, Falcon Heights, MN

18 weeks
26 + Drop sites

The Good Acre CSA 

EAT LOCAL!

Of course, farmers markets are my happy place, so if a CSA seems like to big of a commitment, check out your local farmers markets for others ways to support local food and the people that grow it!

Many of these farms have early bird pricing that is almost up, so check them out while the getting is good. If you’ve been on the fence about jumping in and buying a CSA, hop down off that fence and into that greener pasture- you AND your farmer will be happy you did!

Can’t wait to Dig In,

Michelle

The post CSA’s So Many Ways appeared first on Forks in the Dirt.

These women just had to be my first ‘full on’ farmer interview. They have helped my kids fall deeper in love with many veggies, they’re the only certified organic farmer at our local White Bear Lake Farmer’s Market and they are a great example of giving back and educating their own community.

Let’s back up, shall we so you too can fall head over heels with Mhonpaj’s Garden (pronounced mon-pahs).

May is the head farmer, and Mhonpaj, her daughter is the farm manager; their care and love for each other is mirrored in the farm. “She’s my shining star,” Mhonpaj says of her mother.

When I walked into their greenhouse up in Marine on the St. Croix I was hit by two things; May’s smile and the amazing smell.

May at her greenhouse

May’s smile is positively contagious, and the smell of warm earth was heaven after the cold snap mother nature had thrown at us. ( fingers crossed for no more frost!). If you’ve ever taken a stroll through a commercial vegetable greenhouse, or even a floral greenhouse, you’ll remember the smell of chemical fertilizers clinging to you.

In May’s greenhouse, only rich, pleasant organic soil smells wafted by…

May came to Minnesota in 1981, a refugee from Laos. She spent many years picking produce in the summers and assisting farms. Then she watched her mother, who had picked in fields while pesticides were being sprayed the next row over, lose her battle with cancer. At one point the doctors asked if May’s mother had eaten pesticides the cancer in her intestines was so bad.  Deeply affected by the loss, both May and Mhonpaj were determined to do things differently moving forward.

Mhonpaj’s experiences around food lead her to a degree in Health Education/Health Fitness. It was during a college trip to Thailand where she saw their practices of sustainable agriculture that she became hooked.

Around the same time Mhonpaj’s fiancé (now husband) took a position as the SE Asian coordinator at the Minnesota Food Association (MFA). He suggested her parents look at MFA because of their love of farming. May enrolled and took the 4-year organic farming program. The program included everything you need to know to become a certified organic farmer in Minnesota. They teach hands-on techniques, technical support, record keeping and marketing.

starting a second planting of green onions

10 years later they are organically farming 6 acres and *almost* making their livings from farming. They rent 4 acres at MFA, and feel lucky to have access to that certified organic land with irrigation, deer fencing and available tillage – all the costly infrastructure pieces that constrain many other farmers from getting started. They also rent and farm a 2-acre parcel in Stillwater.

I got a chance to speak with Laura Hedeen, programs manager at MFA about May. “Everyone values her expertise so much, her knowledge is evident when she teaches,” Laura said. May has been mentoring farmers informally for years, and now is in her third season as an official staff member of MFA, teaching organic farming to immigrant farmers.   “She teaches visually, and her techniques are really efficient, we’re lucky to have her help,” Laura added. Then Laura filled me in on a long and impressive list of speaking and teaching engagements ( MOSES Organic Farming Conference speaker, Keynote Speaker at the Immigrant and Minority Farmers Conference, children’s groups, farmers groups etc) that, of course, May didn’t see the need to share.

“Organic farming and gardening, it’s not just a technique, it’s a lifestyle,” was Mhonpaj’s immediate response to my asking if the organic piece was really ‘that’ important to her. Next she said, “what you’re putting into your body matters; what the vegetable comes with, I mean what they put on them, is just as important as the nutrition inside the veggies.”  So yes, people- this family is ‘all in’ on growing organic.

When I asked about the organic certification paperwork she said, “it keeps us accountable, and is a great way to build relationships. They were like consultants, they helped us set up tracking paperwork and our overall business structure.” 

“With our greenhouse and land we grow about 30 varieties of annual produce, and many Asian vegetables: like bok choi, mustard greens and lemon grass.” They supply fresh, organic produce to three farmer’s markets participants and a few restaurants in the area. The full list of where and when to buy from them can be found on the  Mhonpaj’s Garden webpage.

“We also take the time to harvest and donate our excess produce to different food assistance groups in the area,“ Mhonpaj proudly mentioned.

But, even farmers can get overwhelmed with the onslaught of ripe produce coming at them late in the season. Attempting to make the most of the harvest they work to preserve for themselves too: freezing, canning and drying food for the winter. Farmers who take on lowering food waste- my new heroes!

May enjoys sharing the love of food with her grandchildren. They each can plant seeds into their own flats and watch them grow over the season. “They get so excited seeing how much the seedlings grow in a week,” said May. Teaching a love of farming to the next generation comes naturally to this family. 

Their dream (and so many others) is to find affordable land to both farm and live on. So far they haven’t found the right spot or a sustainable business model. The high market value of land available to farm was mentioned in a recent Star Tribune article  and Mhonpaj was interviewed there as well.

“You’ll start seeing us at farmer’s markets in June. What is ready to harvest always depends on the weather. Please be patient- Spring is an emotional time of year for Minnesota farmers!” May reminded me.

One of the first things to come to market will be mustard greens. Here’s a simple warming  healthy Hmong recipe to try with some of our local flavors! I can’t wait to  find the first batch of mustard greens at market!

Mhonpaj’s tip for starting down a path to eating healthier; make a date with your local farmer’s market. “Schedule it in your calendar if you have to, but get yourself in front of fresh, in season food and the rest will take care of itself,” she says. Mhonpaj’s market stand will be featuring veggie cards that highlight nutritional values that each veggie specializes in. That turns a trip to the farmer’s market into a field trip for the kids.

She also suggests composting for those that can and I couldn’t agree more! Here’s my dot.com.post all about my love of the compost pile.

Let’s Dig In!

Michelle

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