North Wind Organic Farm   86760 Valley Road, Bayfield Wisconsin

Tom Galazen produces organic food, off the electrical grid at North Wind Farm in Bayfield because it tastes delicious and is better for health and the earth. Tom Galazen raises organic apples, peaches, and berries on North Wind Farm near Bayfield, Wisconsin. He doesn’t use pesticides. He sells the healthy produce right at his  farm and at Farmer’s Markets in town..  Nick Vander Puy from the Superior Broadcast Network reports. Click here to hear the story (5 minute "live" stream, no download necessary)

life on the organic farm

 

On Wisconsin’s north shore the Bayfield Peninsula is moderated by Lake Superior. Keeping the plants dormant, deep snow insulates the land in the winter.  And the summer growing season is longer here than most other places in the north woods.

 

Tom Galazen runs North Wind Organic Farm.

 

A sign on the shed says, “Welcome to a non-Industrial Farm.” 

The roof is covered with salvaged sheet metal. Galazen built his own log cabin, he heats with wood, he home schooled his children, he runs this farm on wind and solar electric energy.  There are solar panels everywhere. 

Galazen mows with a vintage electric lawnmower.

“I also have an old lawnmower made by General Electric in the nineteen seventies, just a heavy duty beast, which I mow in rough terrain, I charge it with solar collectors, it’s really a nice operating machine, a riding lawnmower.”

Small is beautiful, as EF Schumacher once said.  And this small farm boasts groves lush with apples and berry vines.   It’s very diverse.

“I’ve got raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, red currants, black currants, jostle berries, a few hardy kiwi on hand, had some nectarines, we’ve got a few variety of peaches,  I just love fruits, and exploring the possibilities of fruits.”

Folks from Minnesota’s Iron Range arrive here in a few weeks to buy apples.  Not many apples grow in northeastern Minnesota so the rangers come to the famous Bayfield Apple Festival to stock up their winter supply.   

There’s a good market for organically grown food.

 “There’s a lot of health problems out there. You know and there’s a lot of allergies and a lot of pesticides that have contaminated ground water.  People are starting to realize all that stuff.  And people are interested in having food that doesn’t pollute their bodies and having food that doesn’t pollute their bodies.”

While we’re talking a regular customer, a medical doctor from the Twin Cities, arrives to pick up some berries.

“And I think he realizes you know the health benefits of fresh fruit, particularly organic fruit.  There was a time not this summer, but last summer, he called me up, and said I want two cases of raspberries, can you have them ready for me Friday?  He said, thanks Tom, now I got these I think I’ll drive back.”

Galazen is in his mid fifties, but he’s still slim and flexible from hard work on the farm.  He’s in great shape. During this past summer’s drought he hand watered the plants with buckets. He works hard all summer.

He enjoys Lake Superior.

“It really buoy’s me up and sometimes in the summer and the fall when I have time I’ll take walk along the cliffs, the sea caves north of here, and it’s just so beautiful there. In winter it’s beautiful, too.  The sun is going down and there’s a gentle breeze. It just gets you in touch with the bedrock of being, whatever you want to call it.  It’s just a whole ‘nother feeling that goes through you.”

 

I’m Nick Vander Puy for the Superior Broadcast Network. 

     Web Design by Sandy Lyon

North Wind Organic Farm ~ Phone 715-779-3254

86760 Valley Road, Bayfield Wisconsin  54814

 

---

Click Here to download a 5 minute mp3 of this story
(5 minute MP3 radio story)

Directions for Downloading This Radio Story
These stories have been compressed so that you can listen to them on your computer.
You'll need to download the story, however...a process that takes a few short minutes.
 Please read all directions before actually downloading.
 1. Hold cursor over link and click the right mouse button, then click "Save Target As" on the menu that pops up.
2. Then, select where you want to save the MP3 on your computer and click "Save".
A dialog box will pop up and the MP3 will start downloading. It will take a few minutes.
3. After it is done downloading click "Open" on the dialog box or go and open the MP3 from where you saved it.
4. Make sure your speakers are turned on and listen to the story. Enjoy!