Women Powered! Harmony Valley Farm
Andrea Yoder
Co-Owner of Harmony Valley Farm in Viroqua, Wisconsin
As she sees it, Andrea Yoder’s background as a dietician and chef is a natural complement to her life as a farmer. “I’m still a chef,” says Yoder. “My job now is to nourish people by growing organic food, but I also try to help individuals by giving them simple, achievable recipes.”
Her time working in the male-dominated restaurant industry taught her to work hard, ask questions, learn quickly, and hold her own. “Yes, there are times when someone comes to the farm looking for ‘the person in charge’ and won’t accept that I am one of those people,” says Yoder. “I gladly refer them to [partner] Richard, who usually listens to their request and then tells them he can’t help, they’ll have to talk to me!”
The team at Harmony Valley focuses on organic vegetables that are carefully harvested, washed, handled, and packed, and promptly cooled. And they’re consistently testing new produce varieties. “Every year we do trials to find varieties that thrive in our environment and have the characteristics we’re looking for — which include not only being a vegetable that yields well, but also tastes good, has disease resistance, and is high in nutrients.”
Yoder is thankful for our shoppers. “We love our Lakewinds customers,” says Yoder. “And the produce teams at all three stores are beyond awesome — merchandising, believing in us, consistently promoting our product. We’re committed to growing the best, most nutrient-dense, delicious produce … we want to provide nutritious, wholesome, safe food to as many people as we can!”
According to Yoder, one aspect that sets Harmony Valley Farm apart is their dedication to sustainable and organic farming practices and the wellbeing of their staff. “One of the things we strive for is educating the consumer so they understand what goes into growing the food. Paying a fair price prevents exploitation. Knowing where your food comes from drives a healthier food system. [Paying a] fair and living wage for our crew, benefits too, is important. Not just anyone can do this hard work and skilled labor. We aren’t willing to cut labor costs or sacrifice their wellbeing for bigger profit.”
Get inspired with recipes that utilize root vegetables grown by Harmony Valley Farm.
Sausage and Root Vegetable Sheet Pan
