Fruits of farm provide nourishment and experience

By WHITNEY NESSE The Land Correspondent

On the southernmost shores of Otter Lake in rural Hutchinson, Minn., lies Good Courage Farm, an organic farm which grows 14 varieties of perennial food crops.

Rev. Kerri Meyer is the Executive Director of Good Courage Farm, which was established in 2019. “We just finished our fourth growing season, so we are still on a steep learning curve,” said Meyer. “We’ve got such a great community of organic growers out here who are so generous with their wisdom, support and encouragement. So, things are going alright!”

Meyer grew up in the Midwest in an agricultural community. Although her family was two generations removed from farming, she felt a strong connection to agriculture and rural communities. Meyer spent several years working as a high school teacher in various rural communities before joining the priesthood of the

Episcopal Church. From there, she worked as a priest in large cities such as Minneapolis and St. Paul, Oakland and San Francisco. “Being from the Midwest, Minnesota felt like home,” said Meyer. So when the opportunity to return to Minnesota came up, Meyer took it.

Currently, Good Courage Farm grows apples, pears, plums, apricots, rhubarb, wine and table grapes, raspberries, gooseberries, mushrooms, elderberries, red and black currants, and tart cherries. They also raise livestock, including Alpine goats, dual-purpose ducks and chickens, and a peacock. “We’re doing a CER [Community-Engaged Research] grant-funded research project on running ducks under our vineyard — kind of like they do out West. We’re trying to see if that is an effective practice for the climate and conditions we have here,” explained Meyer, referring to the practice of using ducks as a form of pest control.

“We were here for one season before Covid hit,” she said. During that time, the crops were sold at local farmers markets and directly to restaurants. When 2020 came around, Covid-related causes had restaurants and farmers markets closed. “Our second year, we sold directly to customers. We did door-to-door delivery through an online sales platform. That went really well,” Meyer said.

Meyer said the original intent of Good Courage Farm was not to be a lucrative fruit-producing farm. Instead, she said she wanted to focus on growing high-quality, organic produce to share with folks who wouldn’t otherwise have access to these foods. Meyer is focused on food ministry.

Not only does Good Courage Farm want to provide quality foods for others, but they also want to provide learning opportunities for folks from non-agricultural backgrounds. Meyer said they want to work to make something new.

Good Courage Farm invites the public to come and experience all aspects of the farm and share the fruits of their labor with the local community.

You can visit their website at www.goodcourage. farm or their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram to learn more. v

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