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BRODHEAD - Scotch Hill Farm of Brodhead has received a grant from the Frontera Farmer Foundation of Chicago to help the organic vegetable crop farm upgrade its well and extend irrigation lines to a new hoop house, greenhouse and vegetable packing area.
Award-winning chef-restaurateur, cookbook author, and television personality Rick Bayless started the Frontera foundation, named for his restaurant, Frontera Grill, which Bayless has operated since 1987 on North Clark Street in Chicago.
The foundation is dedicated to helping small-scale regional farmers increase production and delivery of fresh produce from sustainable and organic practices to Chicago.
The award to Scotch Hill Farm provides funds to extend water lines and hydrants to lay drip tape irrigation in a new high tunnel greenhouse at the farm. The hoop house structure extended spinach and carrot production at the farm through the past winter.
Drip tape conserves water by irrigating only vegetable crops where the tape is laid. It also limits inadvertent watering of competitive weeds. Adequate water supply to vegetables is the most important factor to size and volume of crop growth.
Tony and Dela Ends operate Scotch Hill Farm with their family in western Rock County near Brodhead. They're beginning their 15th year of producing more than 100 varieties of fresh vegetable crops.
Scotch Hill delivers produce weekly to Chicago five months out of the year, but half its customers still are within 30 miles of the farm. Local groups subscribing to Scotch Hill's vegetables now carpool to pick up an assortment of fresh produce weekly from the farm.
Individuals in Evansville, Monroe and Janesville who take part in these carpools receive $50 discounts on seasonal subscriptions. The car pools make it possible for each household to visit the farm once or twice a year.
Individual in the car pools take turns fetching back weekly subscriptions of fresh produce for the group. This also gives Scotch Hill family members more time in garden and field.
As a certified organic member of the Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition, Scotch Hill Farm can also help its vegetable customers obtain up to $200 in cash rebates from 4 health insurance companies.
Physicians Plus, Group Health Cooperative, Dean Care and Unity all offer cash rebates to their insured who subscribe to any MACSAC grower's full season of fresh vegetables. A full season of produce for Scotch Hill Farm is 20 weeks. It begins the second week of June and runs through most of October.
For details on the incentives for healthful eating and local vegetable purchase from Scotch Hill Farm, email dela@scotchhillfarm.com, go to www.scotchhillfarm.com, or call 608 897-4288. Driving directions to the farm, at 910 Scotch Hill Road northeast of Brodhead, are also on the Web site.
Award-winning chef-restaurateur, cookbook author, and television personality Rick Bayless started the Frontera foundation, named for his restaurant, Frontera Grill, which Bayless has operated since 1987 on North Clark Street in Chicago.
The foundation is dedicated to helping small-scale regional farmers increase production and delivery of fresh produce from sustainable and organic practices to Chicago.
The award to Scotch Hill Farm provides funds to extend water lines and hydrants to lay drip tape irrigation in a new high tunnel greenhouse at the farm. The hoop house structure extended spinach and carrot production at the farm through the past winter.
Drip tape conserves water by irrigating only vegetable crops where the tape is laid. It also limits inadvertent watering of competitive weeds. Adequate water supply to vegetables is the most important factor to size and volume of crop growth.
Tony and Dela Ends operate Scotch Hill Farm with their family in western Rock County near Brodhead. They're beginning their 15th year of producing more than 100 varieties of fresh vegetable crops.
Scotch Hill delivers produce weekly to Chicago five months out of the year, but half its customers still are within 30 miles of the farm. Local groups subscribing to Scotch Hill's vegetables now carpool to pick up an assortment of fresh produce weekly from the farm.
Individuals in Evansville, Monroe and Janesville who take part in these carpools receive $50 discounts on seasonal subscriptions. The car pools make it possible for each household to visit the farm once or twice a year.
Individual in the car pools take turns fetching back weekly subscriptions of fresh produce for the group. This also gives Scotch Hill family members more time in garden and field.
As a certified organic member of the Madison Area Community Supported Agriculture Coalition, Scotch Hill Farm can also help its vegetable customers obtain up to $200 in cash rebates from 4 health insurance companies.
Physicians Plus, Group Health Cooperative, Dean Care and Unity all offer cash rebates to their insured who subscribe to any MACSAC grower's full season of fresh vegetables. A full season of produce for Scotch Hill Farm is 20 weeks. It begins the second week of June and runs through most of October.
For details on the incentives for healthful eating and local vegetable purchase from Scotch Hill Farm, email dela@scotchhillfarm.com, go to www.scotchhillfarm.com, or call 608 897-4288. Driving directions to the farm, at 910 Scotch Hill Road northeast of Brodhead, are also on the Web site.