FARMER FRIDAY Witte’s Vegetable Farm LLC in Cedarburg, Wisconsin is a family business. “My family,” stated Scott Witte. He hadn’t realized how much that meant to him until his sophomore year of college attending UW-River Falls. “I didn’t even know that I was going to come back,” he said. “The job market and the appeal of every day being different set me in that direction.” Scott knew that getting involved in his family’s business would keep him on his toes, but he looked forward to it.
“I think it is important to keep the generations going,” Scott said. “Smaller farms are starting to die out and we are trying to keep this one going.” Scott is the 4th generation of the Witte family to be involved with farming. His mom, Chris, and dad, Robert, along with his sister, Susie Atkinson help Scott and his wife, Taylor with the daily operations of the vegetable farm. They also rely on their valued employee, Ralph, with his experience and knowledge of farming. The operation celebrates their 75th anniversary this year and that wouldn’t be possible without the passion this family has for growing high quality produce and making a difference in their community. They often make donations to family sharing programs and food pantries, churches and other similar organizations that are in need. They are also involved with the local Chamber.
Described as a veggie farm with a little bit of everything from A-Z, the operation has progressed over the years. It started with selling the farm’s produce from a truck and then wholesale. Now they do direct market. The farm is at the mercy of the weather throughout the growing season. “We had dime-size hail damage on the farm last year,” Scott said. He was astounded that their customers were so understanding.
Scott’s favorite part of his work on the farm is the transition of the seasons. They start planting in February in the greenhouse and by early spring you start to feel the excitement building as if everything is itching to get outside. He enjoys that there is always something new and something is always changing. His hobbies include hunting white tail, bow & gun, and rebuilding old tractors.
Thank you to Scott and his family at Witte’s Vegetable Farm for being our Farmer Friday this week. We wish you all continued success as you work together to sustain the operation for the future generations of your family. Keep on Growing! #FarmerFriday ...post #91. To show our appreciation to our producer members Country Visions Cooperative will be giving a snapshot look of our customers and their operations in this feature each Friday