DelaBlu Farm is starting its fourth season in Southern Minnesota. Located between Delavan and Blue Earth, DelaBlu Farm is cared for by the husband and wife team: Pawel (pronounced Pa-vo) Buda and Kelly Firkins. Because we believe that providing healthy food and fostering healthy ecosystems is important, our farm certified organic, though some crops may be grown on transitional land and are not able to be certified yet.

But before coming to Minnesota, we lived and worked in Krakow, Poland. Then after two years of dreaming about growing good food, we came to the U.S. in search for a life more closely tied to our values. So we signed up for the Land Stewardship’s Farm Beginnings class and started to plan DelaBlu Farm (not just dream, but really develop all aspects of farming). And in the spring of 2009, we were finally able to sink our hands into the fertile, black soil!

But before our 1.4 acres were put into production, Farmer Kelly’s great-grandpa and four of his sons farmed the land in this area under the name of the Willette Seed Farm. This farm business was founded in 1933. The company grew and sold seed locally and abroad. For many years they specialized in soybeans, corn and oats.

Starting in 2012, our farm will transition away from vegetable crops and into the unknown. We are searching for the perfect mix of specialty crops to provide a good rotation for the land. What a fun journey ahead of us!