HighCross Farm was our choice for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscription this summer…read more By subscribing to a CSA, we paid up front for 20 weekly shipments of organic produce. The food goes straight from the ground to my table with no middlemen or processing or storage. And our money goes straight to the family growing my food and I get the freshest produce of anyone I know. It's totally a win-win situation. The farm is just an hour North from Milwaukee near Kettle Moraine State Park. Every Thursday they harvest and ship whichever crops are ripe and ready. These are sent to 23 designated pick-up locations (half in Milwaukee, half rural sites). For all the details of the 2011 share check here:http://www.highcrossfarm.com/csa-2011.html After reading all this you might think we're some sort of foodie fanatics. There has to be some sort of catch, right? Clearly we must be paying an arm and a leg by wastefully supporting some kind of hippie farmer charity cult. WRONG. We went in with a neighboring family to split a full share of weekly groceries. Our out-of-pocket cost is less than $16 per week. Way cheaper than buying this stuff at Pick-n-Save. But it's organic. Oh, and it's locally sourced. It turns out that another subscriber has even started a cooking web diary, so we should see some of the CSA produce appearing in recipes at http://sarahnett.wordpress.com/ as the summer wears on. I waited for our first delivery to write this review, but as expected the contents of our bushel box looked and tasted amazing. Already we are staring at baby bok choy, a tomato plant, scallions, Swiss chard, fresh strawberries, mizuna, two(!) kinds of kale, lettuce, oregano, arugula, sage and more. I urge you to sign up for this CSA or one like it. You'll be doing good works with little effort by voting with your pocketbook. And also Thursdays will suddenly become the best day of the week!

We chose HighCross Farm for our CSA because they delivered to a household in our village and…read moreoffered smaller shares weekly. For 20 weeks out of the summer and fall, we receive the freshest, cleanest and prettiest vegetables, fruit and herbs that we simply have to pick up at a local neighbor's house. We also receive an emailed newsletter soon after delivery with news, recipes and storage tips. A friend had complained that her CSA only delivered a small variety of items that she got over and over but the Vogelmanns ensure there is a variety of items throughout the season, so it's always a surprise. A typical box may include a fresh bundle of greens (lettuce, spinach, etc), beets, rhubarb, potatoes, carrots, peppers, onions and always a cutting of herbs (that's one example box--they shake it up through the season as different items come in). The first year we belonged, they sent along a variety of Asian greens, so we had a fun time exploring ways to use these unfamiliar vegetables. Having a CSA delivery is a bit of a time commitment. You really need to like to cook--these are not "convenience foods." That caveat has nothing to do with the Vogelmann's business. They try to forecast what we might receive the next week, but they can't always be right on target so each week is a new culinary adventure. Especially in early summer, a cold snap could screw everything up. Typically on a Thursday afternoon we pick up the box, then I unpack, wrap, and sometimes process some of the vegetables as well as look up recipes and plan meals. Make sure you have freezer space--you can blanch or sometimes just chop up some of the items and freeze them for later. There is nothing better than pulling out summer vegetables in the middle of a dreary winter. The cost for our small share is $26 a week, a pittance for organically-grown vegetables and fruits and for the education my 13 year-old son is getting about the crops that are grown in Wisconsin and the taste of fresh-from-the-ground produce. This year my son begged me to get the "farmer box" again. We are so pleased to support a local farm and to eat the best of the season. I am entirely impressed with the Vogelmann's operation, their commitment to organic produce and their customers, and their love of what they do. I have not had one hitch yet and we're on our third year this summer.

Great communications and high-quality produce. Nice selection. Good recipes too!read more

What an absolute gem of a farm and the family that owns it! My husband and I took our boys there…read moreto meet the Easter Bunny. They had such an adorable set up in a cute cabin and the photographer was really great with my boys. The bunny was friendly and had a kind face that was welcoming to my toddler twin boys! It was rainy and muddy, but the family that owns the farm was so kind and welcoming! They had baby chicks that the kids could pet and had set up a great egg hunt around the farm! My boys were very interested in the chickens and goats! I definitely hope to visit Godsell Farm in the future and would highly recommend to anyone else as well!

I think I learned about this farm with a Google search last year and stored it for a future pumpkin…read morepatch visit. You park in the lot and walk to the Welcome Center to pay the $5 per person admission, which includes the hayride with hay bales (not lame wooden benches with a few strands of straw on it like most places), haunted maze, bread for feeding the farm animals and touring the grounds. Pumpkins range in price from $3 to $6, and you pick them in patch. Animals include horses, ponies, pigs, a llama, a donkey, a cow, turkeys, goats, chickens, and ducks. The staff is extremely welcoming and friendly! Godsell Farm is my new favorite place for pumpkin picking and affordable Fall family fun! It is a MUST visit! You still have time this year yet!

You can't go wrong with their Winter CSA share. My only regret is that I shared my share with a…read morefriend. We really, would have liked to have hoarded the whole thing for ourselves. The breads and baked goods were especially welcoming in the Wintertime. They offered a cranberry hickory nut bread around Christmastime that really made our holidays extra special. I liked that it was a savory bread in a season that offers up way too many sweets. My husband's favorite bread was the greens bread that came later and was full of the Wintery greens you crave. We would slice up the loaves and freeze them using them for toast all week. Heavenly! I have only three slices of bread left, as we have received our last share for the Winter. I had to alternate weeks when I got the bread loaf with my friend and am very envious that she got the oatmeal loaf on this final delivery. My other favorites were the breakfast cookie with whole grains and blueberries and the quinoa muffins. I am trying my best to recreate them, but falling short of my goal. Canned goods were also something I alternated with my friend. Next year I am getting my own damn share because I missed out on the applesauce as that was her week! I can vouche for some incredibly good sauces that made dinner preparation easy and delicious. And I have a jar of pickles to look forward to from the final delivery. Their Granola is really special. Not the toasted kind I make, but I think a dehydrator granola. Really surprisingly yummy. And the New Century Farm eggs were appreciated. It's Winter, so mostly root veggies and squash with some greens in the mix. Next year there will be more greens and more veggie variety. I can't wait. Please try this out. They are pleasant to work with, love what they do, and write about it well in their newsletters. I am hoping they will share some of their baked good recipes.

Beware!!! They did my catering for my recent wedding and as soon as she got my deposit everything…read morewent downhill! When I first started emailing Yvonne, she was very helpful and quick to respond to all my emails, and like I said, as soon as she received my 50% deposit she would not respond to me by email or phone. This whole process was made even more difficult because I was planning my wedding out of state. My husband, mother, and mother-in-law and myself all went for a tasting. Yvonne was nice in person, and the food was great, but on my wedding day the food was not what it was at the tasting. My mother and mother-in-law raved to everyone how great the food was, and then to get what we got at my wedding was a disappointment. Not only was this an issue, but the biggest and most unprofessional issue came when Yvonne emailed me the MORNING of my wedding to let me know they made a mathematical error in their spreadsheet and I owed them $693.00! I had just got to my reception when she cornered me in the hallway, and said I needed to sign a contract saying that within 7 days I needed to pay this amount or she would not serve the food. I told her that I needed to talk with Josh, my husband first, and she said again that I needed to sign this contract. Yvonne also told me that I had 10 extra plate settings at my wedding that I did not account for, which was completely wrong! Yet another very unprofessional and disappointing issue was that I asked about what happens to the leftovers and Yvonne told me that there are not always leftovers and if there are they go to feeding her staff. The next morning I looked in the fridge, in the kitchen that she used, and she did leave behind leftovers, but just left them in the baking tins with no cover, plastic wrap, or anything. I did end up paying her the $693.00 and asked for Yvonne to email me once she received the check and I never heard back from her. Frankly, I wish I would have never paid her that money, because she certainly did not deserve it! Yvonne was not only rude through this whole process, but she was the most unprofessional vendor I had to deal with. She seemed frazzled at the wedding, and maybe that's why she never got back to my emails, maybe she has too much on her plate...but then maybe you shouldn't be running a catering business!!!

Yuppie Hill Poultry is located in Spring Prairie. It's a farm that takes pride in providing the…read morebest quality poultry to their customers. They supply eggs to most of the local restaurants and stores. With a focus on freshness, their farm-to-table approach ensures that customers receive only the finest poultry. The on premise restaurant (The Hen House Cafe) is a delightful dining experience, serving delicious meals made from their farm-fresh ingredients. The staff is friendly and accommodating. I definitely recommend visiting Yuppe Hill poultry if you're in the area.

Been buying Yuppie Hill eggs, which we love and are of high quality, for many many years…read more Due to the recent 35% price increase however (Piggly Wiggly) we'll be looking to other brands unfortunately.

Stopped at the 8th annual Christkindlmarkt at the West Allis Farmers Market and had a wonderful…read moretime! This traditional European-style Christmas market features over 60 vendors, including artisan crafts, handmade gifts, and Wisconsin specialty foods. There were so many unique items to browse, from ornaments and décor to homemade treats. The food and drink options were fantastic -- local food trucks like EZ Tiki, Flip's Mini Donuts, Tots on the Street, and Milwaukee Pretzel Company, plus local beer, made it easy to snack while walking. The weather was decent, which made strolling through the market enjoyable, though it was definitely busy with lots of holiday shoppers. Live music and festive decorations added to the cheerful atmosphere. Parking was convenient with several nearby lots, and the layout made it easy to explore despite the crowds. A fun, lively holiday event -- perfect for shopping, enjoying seasonal treats, and getting into the Christmas spirit!

PIf you have never been to this market I highly recommend checking it out during the week. There's…read moreplenty of parking on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you are looking to spend less, but don't want to sacrifice quality check this space out. The produce is the best! The farmers are friendly and helpful. This is how I do the majority of my food shopping during the warmer seasons. *** Bring cash if you can and please remember that there are other people around so be mindful of others as well. :)

Perfectly decent fruit and vegetable stand. Good selection of plants and produce. Good prices too…read more There are some goats and pigs on the property. They looked a bit crowded in their shared pen. All up Geneva Lakes is worth a visit. Our spend on corn, cantaloupe, tomatoes and more was just over ten bucks.

I stopped a few days ago to buy some tomatoes. Those were nice, but the animals they keep at the…read morefarm stand are not well cared for. They had one shelter for the three pigs, but the two goats were trying to stay dry in a one-sided shelter if you can call it a shelter. No clean drinking water. Rotten produce all over the ground which probably draws lots of flies in the heat. Please take better care of your animals or give them to someone who will. I won't want to buy your produce if you can't care for your animals.