Michael Janiszyn, along with his son John and daughter-in-law Teresa co-own Pete’s Stand, a third-generation family farm with fields in Westminster, VT, and Walpole, NH. This year, the farm received a grant from the Monadnock Food Co-op Farm Fund to purchase potato planting and digging equipment.
Best known for their sweet corn, Pete’s Stand grows a variety of non-GMO produce using integrated pest management practices. They sell their produce at their farm stand in Walpole, through Food Connects Food Hub, and at Monadnock Food Co-op.
Labor constraints made it challenging to increase potato production at Pete’s Stand. In 2019, it took eighteen hours to cut and plant 450 pounds of seed potato. This year, with their new equipment, labor decreased by 30%. Their new potato digger also allows them to harvest six weeks earlier than in previous years, which they expect will significantly boost their sales.
Started in 2017, the Monadnock Food Co-op Farm Fund empowers local farmers to grow their businesses in ways that feel sustainable and right to them. It also helps our co-op broaden its offerings of locally grown, raised, and made foods —that means more local food for you, your family, and our community.
“Receiving the 2020 farm fund grant gave us the boost we needed to increase our potato production, including looking at the overall efficiency of our growing methods, streamlining the process of growing, harvesting, and marketing a crop we had many requests for from our customers. We are so grateful to the Monadnock Food Co-op and the Cheshire County Conservation District for this program, which we have seen help so many hardworking farmers in the area.” ~ Teresa Janiszyn
The Farm Fund is made possible through a partnership between the Monadnock Food Co-op and Cheshire County Conservation District. The fund’s mission is to support local farmers to increase sustainable food production for a thriving local farm economy. To donate to the Monadnock Food Co-op Farm Fund, round up your change at our co-op’s registers during January 2021. Learn more here or call the Conservation District at 603-756-2988 ext. 4.
