By Tamara Lawson, Marketing & Owner Services Assistant, Co-op Owner
Fred Monroe earned his bachelor’s degree in Horticulture and Agribusiness from Michigan State University. He and wife Michele acquired land and bought a home in Central Michigan where Monroe Family Organics was born! Monroe instituted crop rotation for a wide range of plants that grow on the farm. Crop rotation has been shown to have a positive impact on the physical properties of soil and its microbes. Crop rotation can also disrupt the life cycle of pests, which supports a program of natural pest management. When used in conjunction with ground cover, crop rotation can also increase long-term land sustainability. Monroe Family Organics sells real food that is fresh, free of synthetic chemicals, and grown in a way that is sustainable for the environment and the surrounding community.
Providing local restaurants, farmers markets, and GreenTree with customer favorites like Michigan Organic Spring Mix, Napa cabbage, Nantes carrots, Cherry tomatoes, and dill, Monroe Family Organics grows over 100 varieties of fruits, vegetables, and herbs for their expansive customer base. Herbs grown include basil, cilantro, and parsley. Monroe also grows microgreens and fresh greens including arugula, kale, lettuce, spinach, and Swiss chard; and brassicas such as Bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, and kohlrabi.
Because much of the produce is harvested and delivered to customers on the same day, this Alma farm primarily provides foods to nearby cities, including Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Okemos, Lansing, and Mt. Pleasant. Monroe Family Organics also provides full or half shares for their weekly Community Supported Agriculture (or CSA) memberships providing fresh food for 19 weeks, from mid-June to October. The diversity of these markets and the variety of crops grown by Monroe Family Farm help keep them more financially stable, all while promoting a healthier farm system for the crops, soil, consumers, and the environment.
Fred and Michele can contacted via call or text at (517) 896-6884, through their website at www.mforganics.com, or on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/mforganics.