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<br /> <br />Gem Lake News Page 2 of 6 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Several public hearings were held and his <br />neighbors proved to be very supportive of the <br />concept. <br /> <br />Dan’s idea for an organic farm was years in the <br />making. Ironically, he works in the meat industry <br />for a local firm, and is involved in sales and <br />delivery. Several years ago, he and his wife <br />decided they wanted to make some changes in <br />their lives. “I was inspired to start this project for <br />reasons of health. What really put me on this track <br />was that I was starting to see cancers and other <br />health issues in my own family. A lot of soul <br />searching led me to this and played into my <br />veganism. Spiritually, I felt I had to align <br />everything.” <br /> <br />The result is an ambitious plan to plant a variety of <br />crops and sell them to subscribers, of which he <br />currently has 6. Dan also plans to try to gain local <br />restaurants as customers in the near future, so he <br />can help them with their own “farm to table” <br />concepts. When possible, he would like to supply <br />grocery chains and establish on-line sales of <br />certain items. <br /> <br />Currently, Dan’s crops include tomatoes, <br />cucumbers, sweet potatoes, eggplant, beans, kale, <br />cabbage, watermelon, cantaloupe, and micro <br />greens, such as sprouts. He is also working on <br />building a mushroom house, because they want to <br />be as diverse as possible. <br /> <br />“One of my ultimate goals is to grow about 90% of <br />everything we need to feed our family. We really <br />need small farms like this to produce local foods. <br /> <br />Dan grew up in Falcon Heights and has lived in <br />several other places. He spent 7 years in Texas <br />before returning to his roots in order to get <br />involved in Community Supported Agriculture or <br />CSA. <br /> <br />Most of the farming is done by Dan, although his <br />wife also helps with the crops. The kids have <br />chores that involve tending the garden, which Dan <br />hopes will build discipline and work ethics. To a <br />certain degree, his older children were involved in <br />some aspects of selecting what to grow. “I have a <br />son who loves strawberries.” <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Dan’s wife takes care of the operations end of <br />the farm business, including managing the web- <br />site. <br /> <br />Gem Lake has a long history of “truck farming,” <br />which is defined as growing produce for <br />immediate sale. Many years ago, the north end <br />of Goose Lake Road was comprised of several <br />large truck farms, roughly where Haven Lane <br />and Tessier Road are located. These truck <br />farms supplied the produce sold at several <br />Hoffman’s Corner groceries stores, including <br />Hoffman’s Market. <br /> <br />Ironically, the father of the former owner of <br />Dan’s house was also a local farmer. Duesty <br />Labore had a larger dairy farm, roughly in the <br />area of Gem Lake Hills Golf Course. The farm <br />went through some rough times during the Great <br />Depression and was sold off while Duesty’s son <br />Lloyd was away fighting World War II. <br /> <br />“I want to carry on some of these traditions and <br />teach my kids about running a business. I think <br />they can learn a lot!” Dan and his wife have <br />three boys and one girl. The children range in <br />age from several months to 12 years. <br />Organic Farming in Gem Lake (continued from page 1) <br />