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In the northern regions, not much grows in the dead of winter. But our Future of Food series learned more about vegetable production in the winter in southeast Minnesota.
Paul and Sarah Freid manage the indoor Lake City Catholic Worker Farm, where they grow a variety of greens herbs, fruit and other produce inside their south-facing greenhouse. The greenhouse has a solar heating system and a commercial kitchen. Kombucha is among the things they produce there.
Agweek and our partners at Forum Communications Company are thinking about the Future of Food. This reporting series looks at the techniques and technologies that are advancing agriculture and the science around our foods and food production.
IT MAY BE COLD AND WHITE OUTSIDE, BUT IT'S WARM AND GREEN INSIDE, AT A SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA BUSINESS.
PAUL AND SARAH FREID MANAGE THE INDOOR LAKE CITY CATHOLIC WORKER FARM. ITS SOUTH-FACING WALL IS MADE ENTIRELY OF GLASS, SO EVEN WHEN IT'S THIRTY DEGREES OUTSIDE, THE TEMPERATURE IS BETWEEN SIXTY AND SIXTY-FIVE INSIDE. IT HOUSES A GREENHOUSE WITH A SOLAR HEATING SYSTEM, AND A COMMERCIAL KITCHEN. THE FREIDS GROW A VARIETY OF GREENS, HERBS, FRUIT AND OTHER PRODUCE, AND THEY MAKE KOMBUCHA. THEY
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HAD ORIGINALLY PLANNED A WINERY FOR THE SITE, BUT THEN EXPANDED THEIR VISION.
Sara Freid: WE WANTED TO DO A POLY-CULTURE, WE WANTED TO MIMIC NATURE MORE, SO WE HAVE TONS OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF FRUIT TREES AND BUSHES, AND CANES AND WE GROW HERBS. SO WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS GOING ON, AND THAT FELT BETTER.
THE LAKE CITY CATHOLIC WORKER FARM'S GREENHOUSE STARTED AS A UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA EXTENSION PROJECT TO BUILD FIVE DEEP WINTER GREENHOUSE PROTOTYPES ACROSS THE STATE.
