Daniel and Esther Yoder moved to their farm, Spring Valley Produce, in 1998, where they farm 30 acres, and are surrounded by 62 acres of land they do not farm, including large wooded areas.

"Heirloom tomatoes are our specialty, but we grow a large selection of other heirloom vegetables.  We do grow a few hybrid selections where heirlooms have not come in line yet for shipping, etc., namely cucumbers, cantaloupes, cabbage, and onions.  We are trialing heirloom onions now.  We grow a long list of different vegetables.  We do a lot of seed saving this year and hope to help supply our local seed house with some too."

Daniel says, "I started growing produce in 1986 before I was married, on my parent's farm.  Right from the start, I had a keen interest in heirloom - open pollinate varieties and brix reading.  We were organic farmers from the beginning.  When we married in 1988, we continued doing the same on my parent's farm in northern Indiana until we moved onto this farm.  Industrial commercialism was taking over in northern Indiana and we liked the more secluded, isolated area of Hillsboro, WI.  We have less GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) and chemical farming contamination on this farm with the large wooded areas almost surrounding us."

"We believe in working on the farm as a family unit with no outside labor.  It is a challenge in these shorter summer areas to get our cover crops sown, but we try to cover crop all tilled fields with rye or turnips in the fall for a spring 'plow-down'.  We spread partially aged animal manures, in accordance with approved organic practices.  This coupled with the green manure plowdown is essentially what we feed the soil.  We also use some certified organic soil inoculants and foliar feeding with backpack sprayers.  Having had health problems at a young age, it prompted me on the organic path.  We believe that soil health with make plant health, and this will create human and animal health.  The higher the brix/sugar, the higher the mineral content nutritional value, in most cases.  We are concerned for your health as much as our own, hoping you will be pleased with our produce."