Frequently Asked Questions 

What made you decide to go into farming?

The smells and sounds of spring…. The heat and abundance of summer…The color and crispness of fall…The tranquility and quiet of winter…This is the backdrop of farming.

When the first sunny days of late April arrive and the robins are pulling worms and chirping, the fruit trees are in full bloom releasing pent up fragrance, and the cattle are frolicking in bright lush green pasture loaded with yellow dandelions, there is no OTHER place I would rather be. The thrill of excitement seeing the first spear of asparagus poking from the cool damp earth and the mother duck presenting her newly hatched brood. This is my paradise. I would rather be nowhere else. While some of my friends take vacations to exotic places, I am content with my paradise and don’t miss the steel and glass towers of the big cities I once worked. However, I treasure ALL my experiences and use them all to make Wunberg Produce successful and to contribute to my community.

Rob turned down scholarships for 4-year degrees in Chemistry and chose to stay farming after high school and never had any regrets.

Rob and I both come from multiple generations of farming families on both maternal and paternal sides. Rob never left farming. I attended college, studied the Bible and two years of math and science. I owned several businesses as well, before returning to farming in 2005. I was 34 and something just seemed to be missing. Something was calling me back to my roots to farm. Farming is NOT easy. It comes with major financial/mental challenges. It is a lifestyle, with no vacations or days off unless you have a family to assist. Animals and plants need attention no matter what day of the week or weather condition. You have to love it and it needs to “be in your blood” as some say. I virtually had to start over financially in 2011 after being forced to sell my farming operation in northern Wisconsin due to a rising debt load and lack of profitability. It was gut wrenching watching my dairy cattle being sold when it came time to stop. They were like family. I dealt with them, morning till night 7 days a week. They were always first and foremost in my mind even when I was away from the farm. My first thought was, “What are my animals doing? Is someone out, lost or hurt?” I used to practice my sermons on my dairy cows in the mornings when I was a pastor.

Yes, I love and loved all my animals and plants! Most farmers I know will tell you the same and relate to all I just wrote.

Why did you decide to grow the crops/livestock you do?

When I started over 2012 and offered my idea to Rob, it was only to start a berry patch. An idea that sprung from memories of summers in the woods with my grandmother picking berries. We swatted bugs of every kind while sweating in layers of old clothes to protect us from the thorns and mosquitos. I should also mention that there was a bear on the other side of the bush. Friends would say, “Let’s go camping in the woods." I would say NO! I had been in the woods all day with grandma picking berries and watching my grandfather run the sawmill for lumber. The woods were not viewed as a place of recreation to farm children. ATVs were not considered recreation vehicles; they were for searching for a mother cow who had a calf during the night a quarter of a mile from the barn. Picking and gathering those berries was only half the job. Next would come washing, canning, and/or freezing. Some always were given to good neighbors and the pastor at a church. With cherries there is, of course, the job of pitting, and apples need peeling. But it is all worth it. Fresh black raspberries on some homemade ice cream will be something some will only taste in heaven…Behind the scenes of food production is a lot of unseen labor. So, now to answer the original question. I wanted a berry patch that would be more pleasurable to pick and that is how it started. This was before the demand and market was discovered.

Do you use Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)?

We do follow the principles of HACCP which is required by state and federal law. HACCP is a management system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement, and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product. It starts with seed and plant selection from our sources. We don’t start with genetically modified stock to our knowledge as provided by suppliers and nurseries. We follow sanitation principles as outlined by:

Food Safety Moderation Act (FSMA) “Fresh picked, Non-Processed”

We follow Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP). We welcome audits that verify that fruits and vegetables are produced, packed, handled, and stored as safely as possible to minimize risks of microbial food safety hazards. Wash. Rinse. Sanitize. Water testing, Water Temperature, and Chlorine. This pertains to growing, harvesting, and packing or holding “produce”. Our volume is currently under 25K per year which exempts us from much of the formal regulation. However, we are aggressively and proactively working to be compliant in all areas even if we were not exempt. This includes water testing (used in irrigation and washing), and washing stations for pickers.

ATCP70 Food Processing Plants “Our Canned Acid Foods”

Both Rob and I have completed our certification for canning and processing acid foods (jams and jellies, pickles, salsas, etc.).

Without many considerations around microbiology of canned processed foods, there will be potential spoilage and pathogens.

Food processing supervisors require knowledge that includes these principles and requirements of bacteria growth.

• Food: Bacteria need food to grow; utensils and equipment must be carefully cleaned and sanitized.
• Acid: Acidified foods need to be below pH of 4.6 to be deemed safe. Bacteria cannot grow at that level of acidity.
• Time: Time it takes bacteria to grow.
• Temperature: Different bacteria grow at different temperatures and rates. Understanding Psychrotrophs (cold growing) grow best 58°F to 68°F. Mesophiles (warm loving) grow best 86°F to 98°F. Biggest concern in this group is C. botulinum. Then there is thermophiles (hot loving) grow best 122° F to 150° F.
• Oxygen: Aerobes need oxygen to live (bacteria, yeast, mold) Anaerobes grow only when oxygen is absent. Creating an oxygen-free (anaerobic) environment this is achieved by vacuum sealing, an oil covering, shrink wrapping, and drying in a vacuum bag.
• Moisture: Bacteria need water to grow. In the case of jams and jellies, this is achieved by limiting “water activity” the sugar and pectin takes away all water activity thus preserving the food

Being schooled in this science is important and understanding basic principles is required by law. Next comes inspection of a licensed food processing plant aka commercial kitchen. Our certified kitchen is in the beginning stages of construction. It will comply with all rules for food processing plants as outlined in Chapter AT70. You can refer to ATCP Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection Document I attached. These are the standards to which we are held accountable. Other considerations in our accountability are:

• Container Integrity
• Effective Acidifiers
• Heat Process
• pH
• Container style
• Food formulation
• Pre-fill heat processing
• Fill temperature
• Headspace
• Type of closure
• Heating medium & process temperature
• Production records
• Thermometer calibration fact sheet
• Thermometer calibration log
• Labeling
• Marking allergens
• Being aware of sub-ingredients
• Lot coding
• Testing, record keeping, and recall plan

We are moving forward aggressively and proactively at this time. We are still at small enough volumes to be exempt from many of these requirements; however, this will not slow our speed to meet such standards. We will be getting recipes approved by the University of Wisconsin and tested by approved labs.

Our business has grown much quicker than we ever expected. We will be moving forward to meet all these requirements 100% as quickly as possible, but not all things will happen overnight.

What type of production practice(s) do you use (conventional, organic, biotech)?

We are NOT certified organic but strive to use many “organic” principles. To be what has been deemed certified organic by regulators are principles that are highly subjective and in my mind and are NOT truly “organic” by my standards…In some cases dictates the type of tractor that is used. I will tell you that much of what is labeled organic is not “organic” by my personal philosophy. Our goal is to be 100% transparent in everything we do. For example, I have seen sickly animals that suffer due to inaction to provide medicine because the organic rules don’t allow treatment. I will NOT watch an animal or person die or suffer due to lack of medical care. I have seen organic growers that had to apply herbicide or pesticides as a rescue to save a crop and are allowed to stay certified organic due to stipulations of “organic” law. I use TONS of compost, manure, wood chips, and pine needles. I have no control knowing whether the animal that produced this manure was organic or was the tree organic that became the wood chips. Even certified organic growers are not as “organic” as sometimes assumed. Plants require a variety of nutrients that become depleted in time. Soil testing has to be done to maintain certain nutrient requirements. As needed certain nutrients need to be added. This is done with natural additives (nitrogen, calcium, phosphorous, and potassium) always following manufacturer instructions never at times of production or harvest. Blueberries will NOT grow without some elemental sulfur. ome plants are heavy nutrient feeders which mean they need very nutrient rich soils such as pumpkins, squash, and rhubarb.

We are NOT conventional either. I struggle with which word I will say we are. Fancy words are used all the time in marketing and presentation of food products. We will state what we do and let our consumers decided for themselves. I believe our quality speaks for itself. We avoid pesticides and herbicides 90% of the time. By following educated good practices, it is usually not necessary to use conventional pesticides and herbicides. Sometimes the use of mild, safe herbicides is necessary for weed control during non-productive times and around perimeters of fields with no direct contact with plants (round up). We do minimal tillage…this is a huge management program. Rob has always been a firm believer of “no till farming”. These practices reduce irrigation needs, eliminate runoff and erosion, and need for herbicides to control weeds because of natural organic litter and “green manure". These practices encourage the natural organic processes of the soil and encourage worms and all of nature’s bacteria and microorganisms that work naturally in the soil. Once you stay consistent over a period of time you eliminate the weed seed “bank” naturally. Most of this can be achieved through minimal tillage. We employ regular help to do hand weeding. Use of pesticides would kill bees that are necessary for pollination and production of our natural honey. At the same time, fall raspberries are full of bugs if certain steps are not taken. Only once in three years, a pesticide (pyrethroid based derived from flowers that occur in nature) was sprayed around perimeter with no direct contact with fruit or blossom. It is a fine line I take very seriously. I always follow label instruction and it is always done to the bare minimum. Rob holds a certified applicators license which was required when he cash cropped. With GOOD basic care of plants and animals that have been instilled in Rob and myself in our years in agriculture, it is SURPRISING that conventional herbicides and pesticides are USUALLY not required. Keeping plants pruned and proper spacing for adequate air flow eliminates fungal growth and other potential pests. We recycle as much as possible including the jars. Labeling requirements on jars are making it harder and harder to recycle. Sometimes a law with a good intention can make it more difficult to be as environmentally friendly as desired. It really comes down to common sense and transparency. Education is critical on our end and that our consumers get the facts so that they can make sound judgments.

Is technology used on the farm and how?

In contrast to farmers of the past, we use email to communicate, a smartphone in the field to identify problems and look up solutions, and social media to educate, market, and advertise. We also have an online store available for our customers to order our products with ease.

What is your biggest challenge in farming today? In the future?

My challenge is time management. You can easily gather from my responses that there is a huge amount of time needed to be a conscientious farmer. We need more hours in a day.

What is the biggest benefit to farming as a career/life choice? What opportunities are on the horizon?

I would say it is my love of the earth and being able to work with nature, the sun, water, and living creatures to provide a place where people can see where food comes from. Seeing the end result of food going to a table for people to enjoy and be fed. The joy of doing what I love and seeing the appreciation of our customers.

What advice do you have for dietitians and the public who want to better understand how food is produced?

My advice is learn WHERE your food comes from. What is the country of origin? What preservative methods were used to get it from Brazil to your kitchen? When at a Friday fish fry, ask if the seafood came from the sea or a cesspool of water underneath an Asian chicken facility? Was your breaded shrimp breaded in the back of the kitchen or in an Asian sweatshop where workers sleep in bunks stacked to ceiling and never leave the building? Is that bag of cashews you purchase the product of a concentration camp in India? Was your steak from a cow in Brazil that was slaughtered in the field and never saw refrigeration until it got to the ship?

Most people would be shocked at where much of our conventional and restaurant food originates or its sub-ingredients. Spend time at a farm like ours or start a garden of your own. Learn the difference. Use what is in season and learn best preservation practices. As a country with “good intentions”, we pass laws to make production more and more regulated and controlled but turn around and buy from countries where there are no controls or limitations on production, chemical use, worker safety, and processing.