VIROQUA, Wis. — Richard de Wilde, owner of Harmony Valley Farm of Viroqua, has a passion for healthy soil. His long-time commitment to growing organic food has contributed to Wisconsin’s growing organic community.
Organic produce likes healthy soil
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Richard de Wilde of Viroqua, Wisconsin, is a certified-organic farmer who relies heavily on cover crops to improve his vegetable-production systems.
Soil with a lot of organic matter is the result of cover crops at Harmony Valley Farm in southwest Wisconsin.
Workers clean sweet potatoes at Harmony Valley Farm in Vernon County, Wisconsin. The farm feeds 1,500 families via Community Supported Agriculture shares.
Sam Skemp, left, Natural Resources Conservation Service Vernon County district conservationist, partners with Richard de Wilde of Viroqua, Wisconsin, veteran organic grower, to apply cover crops and other conservation measures to de Willde's vegetable and beef operation.
Harmony Valley Farm sees increasing productivity and abundant yields of vegetables such as onions by combining conservation measures like cover crops with organic methods.
Rye is cut and baled, and used as mulch at Harmony Valley Farm of Viroqua, Wisconsin.
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