Farm stand grows out of family’s love of sharing fresh, local goods
The Evanson family is sharing homemade goods and fresh produce with others through a self-serve farm stand at their home near Monona. Pictured are Derek and Casey Evanson and their children, Aiden, Rachel and Corbin. (Photos submitted)
Evanson Acres is located at 158 Suttle Creek Road. The produce and ingredients for many other goods are grown right there.
“I like keeping things as local and fresh as possible,” said Casey Evanson.
By Audrey Posten | Times-Register
Casey Evanson and her family are sharing homemade goods and fresh produce with others through a self-serve farm stand at their home near Monona.
“Evanson Acres” offers everything from fresh eggs, seasonal fruits and vegetables and flowers to baked goods, spices/teas, jams, body care products and crafts. Evanson previously sold these goods at farmers markets, but sought a more convenient option—both for her family and customers.
“I like doing a little bit of everything, but it is hard to load up everything and take everything. And when there’s produce, it comes in batches,” she explained. “I figured, we have this setup here. Why not just have a farm stand where people can come and go as they please? I can set produce out as it becomes available and I can do small batch baking on certain days. Customize it to what fits our family. It’s a way to have a little bit of everything available to people whenever they’d like to stop by.”
Evanson Acres is located at 158 Suttle Creek Road. The produce and ingredients for many other goods are grown right there. Gardening was a focus for Evanson’s family growing up—one she wants to share with her own children as well as others.
“I like keeping things as local and fresh as possible, and I think there’s a really awesome movement right now where a lot people want to know where their food is coming from, how it’s grown, talk to the person that grew it,” she said. “You get a real sense of community and it’s a nice way to support people around you, too, and keep money local.”
Early season produce included strawberries, rhubarb and radishes. Cucumbers, zucchini and peppers are available now, with more plants ripening quickly.
“We have a bunch of different types of tomatoes that are planted—different sizes and shapes and colors. We have a bunch of different peppers, Brussels sprouts, okra, eggplant. We have different types of melons growing. We have peach trees, apricot trees, apple trees,” Evanson listed as examples. “As things keep going and growing, we’ll also have different fresh flower bouquets.”
Evanson regularly posts available goods on the “Evanson Acres” social media accounts. She seeks feedback from customers on what they’d like to see and when, particularly for baked goods.
“I’m not going to bake every single day because it’s just too much to do. And when I do stuff, I like to have it be fresh. I want to go by what the majority of people want,” Evanson said.
So far, baked goods have included cupcakes, muffins, cookies, breads, cinnamon rolls, cake jars and more.
Customers can also nourish their bodies with jams, jellies and canned goods. Evanson continues to experiment with spice mixes and teas as well.
“I have my own little apothecary here at the house, and everything we have for ingredients we forage or find. The tea blends are all ones that are made from ingredients we have here,” Evanson said.
Blends can aid relaxation or help with ailments.
Evanson hopes her body products—available for the first time this year—will also help people feel good, whether it’s through a relaxing bath, a hand scrub removing the day’s grime or the homemade chapstick they put on their lips. Beeswax for the chapstick comes from the family’s own hives.
Similarly to how the produce is not treated with sprays or chemicals, Evanson said you won’t find harsh chemicals in her body products either.
“We get by on making things ourselves and not having all the additives in there,” she shared.
Evanson researches products diligently through books and online resources.
“I always try it out first on us. If it’s something we really like, then we make it and offer it to other people,” she said.
Evanson enjoys running the farm stand with her family. Customers can find daughter Rachel’s crafts among the offerings. Rachel and brothers Corbin and Aiden care for the chickens whose eggs are available there and help in the garden. They learn about insects on the farm—those who help the plants and those who can harm them.
“They help pitch in and they know the work that goes into things,” Evanson said.
“Scraps that we have from the garden, or if there are bugs that we find, always go to the chickens, then the chickens give us eggs. The eggshells go back into the garden. It’s just like this big revolving circle of things,” she explained.
Evanson is excited by the positive response to the Evanson Acres farm stand. For her, it’s a fun, creative outlet.
“I like being outside and working with my hands and just enjoying what nature provides,” she shared. “I’m so appreciative of having the ability to grow things and have things that are fresh, and that we have the opportunity to share that with other people. It’s such a rewarding feeling.”
