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Blue Fruit Farm but she also enjoys hearing attendees’ stories. “Getting people
together to meet the farmers and foodmakers is needed and
Winona, Minn. wanted more by consumers than ever before. People are
bluefruitfarm.com seeking good, local food and want to know who grew it and
Growing with FEAST! since 2014 where exactly it came from.”
Blue Fruit Farm has continued to expand since its first
Blue Fruit Farm is all about health—from the soil, to the FEAST!. This year, in particular, has been an amazing one for
superfruits, to the eater. Founded in 2008 by Jim Riddle and fruit sales, thanks in part to online orders. “I think attending
Joyce Ford, the farm produces luscious, certified-organic FEAST! helps promote the farm,” says Katie. “We even
aronia berries, black currants, blueberries, cherry plums, had a family drive from Iowa to one of our pick-your-own
elderberries, honeyberries, juneberries and plums on five acres blueberry events because they first met us at FEAST! and fell
of expertly-tended lands. in love with our story and our jam!”
Besides this venture, Jim and Joyce co-founded the
Winona Farmers Market and pioneered produce subscriptions
before “Community Supported Agriculture” was a thing.
Honored as Organic Farmers of the Year at the 2019 MOSES
Organic Farming Conference, they’ve mentored farmers for
decades and are now happily transitioning away from the
business to enjoy the fruits of their labor. They first attended
FEAST! as a way to sell their value-added products, such as
jam and juice, and to meet potential customers. Six years later,
they’ve made more consumer contacts than they can count.
“[At FEAST!] you meet people who are doing some pretty
cool and sustainable things within our food system,” says Katie
Lange, who joined the Blue Fruit Farm team in 2018 and has
now taken the reins so that Jim and Joyce could retire.
Katie loves telling FEAST! attendees about their
nutritious fruit, which is naturally ripened and hand-harvested,

32 FEAST! Local Foods Magazine