A small 5-acre farm in Athens, WI, Cattail Organics produces a variety of vegetables, cut flowers, herbs, and maple syrup that’s distributed directly to CSA members, restaurants, small groceries, and schools, with weekly donations to local food banks and shelters. They received a $5,000 grant to purchase equipment and seeds.
They purchased cover crop seeds, a seeder, a small-scale walk-behind cultivator, reusable landscape fabric, and floating row cover.
“Lower amounts of weeds and lower input costs associated with reduced tractor use clearly increase the profitability of the farm. Yield with landscape fabric was higher or the same as a plastic system.” —Kat Becker, farmer
