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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

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