Meet the Mill City Farmers Market Vendors Series - Mary Dirty Face Farm

Article by Becky Fillinger

Rachel does a brisk business at the Mill City Farmers Market. photo Mill City Times

A discussion with Rachel Henderson, Owner, operator and orchardist of Mary Dirty Face Farm

Rachel and Anton Henderson’s farm is located in Dunn County, WI on the northern edge of the Driftless region. Mary Dirty Face Farm is a certified organic farm and they produce fruit in abundance. We talked to Rachel about the inspiration for becoming an organic farmer, their wide variety of farm products and all the wonderful organizations out here to support their efforts. You should visit them at the Mill City Farmers Market – where else will you find four varieties of currants and Arkansas Black apples? 

Q:  Please tell us the origin story of the farm’s name – Mary Dirty Face Farm. 

A:  We found it in an online history of our township, while we were learning about our new community, and were drawn to a name that would stand out to people.

Q:  I think it worked! What inspired you to become an organic fruit farmer, and how did you get started in this field?

A:  We purchased the land that would become our farm in 2008, and as we started imagining what it would become, we enrolled in the Farm Beginnings program with Land Stewardship Project, and attended field days and on-farm events with many different groups. We were drawn to fruit early on, due to our plans to transition to the farm over the course of several years, as fruit was something we could start planting and care for before we lived here full time. It was also a good fit with the characteristics of our particular spot. We have a farm full of rolling hills, sloping in different directions. Most of it was in a hayfield when we purchased it, and gradually establishing a perennial crop didn't require us to till up all of the acreage to plant. As we started learning more about the possibilities of organic fruit growing in the area, we got pretty excited, and really leaned into a focus on fruit.

photo Mill City Times

Above and below, displays of the beautiful fruit offered by Mary Dirty Face Farm.

photo provided

Q:  What varieties of fruit do you grow on your farm, and are there any lesser-known or heirloom varieties that you particularly enjoy cultivating?

A:  We grow currants (black, red, pink, and white ones), blueberries, gooseberries, raspberries, plums, pears, and apples. We have over 60 varieties of apples, including many heirloom and unusual cultivars. In the fall at markets, you can often find 6 or 7 different apples at our stand, available for sampling, and we love talking about the varieties, and sharing all the distinctive flavors with customers. Introducing people to berries like black currants has been a really rewarding experience, and it's so fun to talk to the people who come back for them year after year. Some apples we grow, like Frostbite or Grimes Golden, have become big favorites of customers, but would be really hard to find in any grocery store. We also love sharing some of the really weird ones, like St. Edmund's Russet, Hubberston Nonesuch, and Arkansas Black. Mill City Farmers Market is a fantastic place to bring those experiences to people!

Q:  Are there any innovative techniques or technologies that you've implemented to improve the sustainability and productivity of your farm?

A:  Diversity is a big part of how we manage our farm. A diverse selection of different types of fruit means that we have some buffer against any one particular pest or weather event, since not everything is affected by the same problems. A diversity of varieties offers us a market niche, and is a really fun way to explore the vast world of fruit. We also focus on biodiversity around our farm, and have planted wildflowers and non-fruit trees and shrubs to offer forage and habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects. We also have left or encouraged wild areas for birds, amphibians, and other wildlife.

photo provided

Q:  How do you handle soil health and fertility in your orchards?

In the field - photo providedA:  Everything on our farm is perennial, including all our production crops, as well as pasture where we rotationally graze cattle for a neighbor during the growing season. Apart from initial planting, we do not have open soil that's subject to erosion, and almost never till, allowing the soil food web to grow and thrive uninterrupted. We bring in compost periodically to boost soil fertility. We also use foliar nutrient sprays on everything we grow, which include a liquid fish product, seaweed, molasses, and (depending on the crop) micronutrients and minerals such as calcium, zinc, and boron. Foliar sprays allow the plants to take up needed or deficient nutrients quickly, helping our fruit production immediately, while building soil organic matter supports our plants in the long term.

Q:  Please tell our readers about other practices you’re proud of at Mary Dirty Face Farm. 

A:  Beyond the good work we do growing sustainable perennial crops, we're very involved in our local community, and the farming community in Wisconsin and the region. We are active members of Wisconsin Farmers Union, the Organic Fruit Growers Association and Land Stewardship Project, and have been very involved with Savanna Institute, Marbleseed, and other groups and committees. Building community around food and farming benefits all of us in ways that go beyond promoting our businesses, and is a powerful way to create the world we want to live in. 

Q:  How may we follow your news? 

A:  You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram! We're at Mill City Farmers Market every Saturday July through October, and many of the indoor winter markets as well.