Alternative Roots Farm

Alternative Roots Farm Certified Organic apple and fruit farm. Over 40 varieties of apples! Farm store, canned goods, garden plants, winter greens, holistic wellness. A.R.F.

Building community resiliency by shortening the supply chain, food preservation, building new food systems. Promoting resilient local food systems, self-sufficiency and conscious care of our planet & community through food, farm products and education. Alternative Roots Farm is a certified organic family farm and orchard offering Organic apples, perennial fruits and winter greens, holistic wellnes

s items and more - find our goods at our on-farm store year round, at the Mankato Farmers Market, Graze Co-op (New Ulm) and more. Harvesting over 40 varieties of Organic and heirloom apples! Check out our popular Apple Shares CSA. Fresh pressed cider at the farm store, in-season. The farm sits on 5 lovely acres in rural Madelia, which supports pastures, orchards, big home garden and a passive solar winter greenhouse, on-farm store (and cidery ). has been certified organic since 2014. We are also Real Organic certified. Check out our website for more info and updates, and sign up for our newsletter (sidebar or email us) for all the latest news! Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/alt.roots.farm

Packing week 2 Apple Shares CSA!! 🍎✨ What a beautiful fall morning!!
09/10/2026

Packing week 2 Apple Shares CSA!! 🍎✨

What a beautiful fall morning!!

Fresh sweet c***r is ✨IN STOCK✨ in the farm store!!Ingredients: 100% Organic apples.
09/09/2026

Fresh sweet c***r is ✨IN STOCK✨ in the farm store!!

Ingredients: 100% Organic apples.

09/05/2026

Market bell is ringing soon!!
Happy Labor Day weekend! Haralson has landed.

Apples continue to be somewhat limited this week, so come early!

Bags of baking apples available for your processing needs.

Elderberry Jelly is on the stand - I’ll probably be out for a little after this, as I need to process this years berries yet.

Zesty poblano salsa, applesauce and apple butter also on the table!

See you between 8-12!

Apple Shares CSA Week 1 features early season fav Zestar! (the last of them) and a sweet treat, KinderKrisp.Apple Share ...
09/03/2026

Apple Shares CSA Week 1 features early season fav Zestar! (the last of them) and a sweet treat, KinderKrisp.

Apple Share members get a 4lb bag of apples each week, for 6 or 8 weeks - the best flavors of the season!

It’s a great way to experience the variety in the over 40 varieties we harvest each season.

Or apple members are part of the core of our farm and it’s so fun to see members back after 14 years and make new friends each year!

Cheers folks 🍎

First market of September! While we have been picking apples since the end of July(!) September brings us into main seas...
09/03/2026

First market of September!
While we have been picking apples since the end of July(!) September brings us into main season apple picking.

The apple line up for the weekend is still up in the air a bit, as we come off our late-August lull, between early and mid season apples. It’s looking like perhaps: KinderKrisp, Hooples Antique Gold and early Haralson, as well as bags of baking apples.

The early apples were light and our main early apple Zestar! is sold out with Apple Shares CSA this week…McIntosh are not looking great, so this lull is lengthening a little!!

Good thing we have a couple dozen more varieties to continue through the mid and late seasons!!

Apple growers around the region have had many challenges this year, late frosts, pest pressure, hot weather, disease pressure. We are grateful for what the orchard gives! The last two years have been good - two years ago very bountiful - so in reality I was bracing myself for a poor year. Glad we have better than that!

The market table will hold more than apples!!

Elderberry Jelly is back again this week.
I may have some salsa.
Applesauce and apple butter as well!!
Herbal wellness items will also be available - last weeks hot items were Bug Bite Salve, Lotion Bars and Digestive Butters.

See you at the market Saturday!

🍎✨

Tomatoes don’t like a big, or sudden, influx of water, it makes them prone to splitting. So, before a storm, or predicte...
09/01/2026

Tomatoes don’t like a big, or sudden, influx of water, it makes them prone to splitting. So, before a storm, or predicted rain, I always make sure to pick!

Usually this time of year I’m picking every other day. I lay in a single layer into my crates, usually with an old pillow case cushioning the bottom.

I also cleaned up the rows, placing the last layer of baking twine to hold them up - they were really flopping over!

In my garden I have Amish Paste, Hungarian Heart, German Johnson and Brandywine organic tomatoes. All which I grow for you as bedding plants in the spring!

Okidoki, I have about 40lbs of tomatoes in the kitchen now. 🤪🍅✨

Hope we get a nice little shot of rain!!

PS I still have more of these black crates I’m getting rid of, so if you need a few just DM me.

🛎️Market bell has rung!✨Apples on the table include:🍏Zestar! - last call!🍎KinderKrisp - for Honeycrisp lovers & perfect ...
08/29/2026

🛎️Market bell has rung!✨
Apples on the table include:
🍏Zestar! - last call!
🍎KinderKrisp - for Honeycrisp lovers & perfect aize for lunch boxes!

Elderberry jello is back!

Here till noon!

Pickin’ tomatoes before it rains.Tomato processing is high on the list! Canning the zesty poblano salsa that is in the r...
08/29/2026

Pickin’ tomatoes before it rains.

Tomato processing is high on the list!

Canning the zesty poblano salsa that is in the roaster and beginning to restock other pantry items - plain canned tomatoes, Italian herbed tomatoes, Mexican herbed, tomato sauce perhaps, and tomato basil soup as always.

🍅✨

Promises made. Promises kept! (Just barely still counts. 😆)Elderberry Jelly will be back on the market table tomorrow an...
08/28/2026

Promises made. Promises kept! (Just barely still counts. 😆)

Elderberry Jelly will be back on the market table tomorrow and in the farm store next week!

MARKET 8/29 —> apples will be more limited, come early!! This week is a little lull before the September upswing!

See you tomorrow!! Or if you stop by the farm!!

🍎✨

As we enter the last week of Local Foods Month we want to thank you for all the support you have shown for locally grown...
08/27/2026

As we enter the last week of Local Foods Month we want to thank you for all the support you have shown for locally grown and locally made food. And we invite you to **think local all year long**! You can continue to support us at the Mankato Farmers' Markets on Saturday mornings from 8am - 12 pm and at our farm store Tuesday - Friday from 9am - 7pm and Saturdays 9am - 2pm.

You can support our Local Foods Month partners, Mom & Pop's by visting them in Old Town Mankato!

Many thanks and make sure to grab a few last bites of the Local Foods Month goodness!
Thank you Region Nine Development Commission!

Address

11197 130th Street
Madelia, MN
56062

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 7pm
Wednesday 9am - 7pm
Thursday 9am - 7pm
Friday 9am - 7pm
Saturday 9am - 2pm

Telephone

+15074396541

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