Episode 170: Easy Bean Farm

Easy Bean Farm is owned and managed by Michael Jacobs, his wife Malena Arner Handeen, daughter Hazel (13), and son Arlo (10). He began managine the 120 acres of prairie, grove, pasture and cropland in the fall of 1996 after working as a furniture maker in St. Paul. In their first two seasons they sold produce mainly through farmers’ markets with the goal of learning enough about growing food to begin selling produce to restaurants, food co-ops, and through their (now) 280 member C.S.A. While Michael spends most of his time working in the fields, Minnesota’s cold winters also provide him with time away from the soil to explore other areas of interest. When not cutting firewood and restoring his old house, he can often be found in his woodshop designing and building custom made furniture and cabinets. Sometimes, if you’re sneaky, you can even catch him writing or baking bagels.

“If you’re someone who likes to make change, the number of people in a rural community that you have to convince is very small.” [13:00]

“Our community can’t survive if we keep consolidating farmland.” [17:50]

—Michael Jacobs Greenhorns Radio