MCFARLAND, Wis. — Two Wisconsin farmers are hoping to make their farm more accessible to the public.

What You Need To Know

  • Vitruvian Farms in McFarland grows a variety of greens and mushrooms

  • They decided to open "The Store" right on the farm

  • It’s stocked with more than 300 different Wisconsin-made food items

  • The Store also allows them to retain farm staff year-round

Shawn Kuhn and Tommy Stauffer are co-owners of Vitruvian Farms in McFarland. They grow a variety of greens and mushrooms.

“We got interested in farming while we were in college together at UW-Madison, and basically just learned that there’s a lot of problems with the food system,” Kuhn said. “We decided we wanted to be a part of changing it for the better.”

They primarily sell to restaurants and at farmers markets. During the pandemic, when restaurants had to close and big-name grocery stores were running out of products, Kuhn and Stauffer decided to launch an online fresh food pickup and delivery service on the farm. In addition to selling their own stuff, they also started including products from other farmers and makers in the Madison area.

“We realized that there was a huge interest,” Stauffer said. “[It was] something we wanted to continue to do, which was connect our local community directly with the source of locally grown food as well as expand opportunities for local makers and producers in the Dane County and surrounding areas.”

That led them to open what they call “The Store” right on the farm. It’s stocked with more than 300 different Wisconsin-made food items.

“The goal with the food is number one, to be a high-quality product,” Stauffer said. “Everything in the store we stand by personally. It’s something we think is really delicious.”

The Store also allows them to retain farm staff year-round.

“Tommy and I realized that we were slowly dying by having to completely retrain new staff every single year,” Kuhn said. “So it’s been a blessing to find really great people that are sticking around.”

They only sell what’s in season at The Store. They said customers who come here can feel confident knowing where their food is coming from.

“I think being able to come here, and not only buy the produce that we produce here onsite but also be able to look out the window and see the greenhouses, to know that the people that are coming in and out of here are the farmers that are growing and harvesting the food,” Stauffer said. “I think there’s this connection point.”

Their next goal is to build a community event space on the farm.

Related Stories