Winter Planning, Preparing and Growing at the Hunger Task Force Farm

At the Hunger Task Force Farm (The Farm), the work never stops – even in winter. While the fields may rest, The Farm team is hard at work ensuring the upcoming growing season is successful. Winter is the time for planning, prepping and growing and laying the groundwork for another bountiful year of providing fresh, nutritious food for local kids, families and seniors experiencing hunger.

Reflecting and Planning for Success

Before the holidays, winter kicks off with a strategic debrief led by Farm Director Sarah Bressler. Farmers review the past season – celebrating successes, identifying challenges and brainstorming improvements. This analysis informs the Farm Plan for the year ahead, setting goals and strategies for more efficient and sustainable growth. The 2025 Farm Plan is currently in its final stages!

Hunger Task Force also conducts a survey with our partners, collecting feedback from the food pantries, meal sites, shelters and senior centers that receive our farm-fresh produce. This insight helps guide decisions on crop selection, quantity, infrastructure needs and new produce varieties to better meet the dietary and cultural needs of our community.

Staying Sharp and Equipped

Winter is a time for learning and professional growth for our farmers. The team attends farming conferences and connects with fellow farmers and agricultural vendors to gain insights into the latest farming innovations and practices. Meanwhile, The Farm invests in essential supplies like seeds, soil and fertilizer, and farmers manage equipment maintenance and upgrades to keep everything in top shape.

Our Natural Areas Manager also tends to the natural spaces around The Farm, including the oak savanna and prairies, mowing and maintaining these areas to support pollinators and local wildlife.

Rolling Up Our Sleeves

Winter might not be harvesting season, but it’s a crucial time for hands-on work at The Farm. The team focuses on orchard pruning to promote healthy tree growth – a task that takes up to 800 staff hours.

Meanwhile, soil testing for nutrient management helps us assess and prepare the land for optimal planting in the upcoming season. The process of growing food for the community – while being thoughtful of soil pH levels, irrigation needs and the nutrient-level of soil – is a necessary investment that takes time and resources. Hunger Task Force spends up to $25,000 in fertilizer and $20,000 in seeds every year.

“Not only do we produce hundreds of thousands of pounds of fresh food for hungry people, but the added steps and costs of fertilizing increases the dietary value of the food and leaves the land better than we found it,” shares Sarah Bressler.

Growing, Even in Winter

Our hoop houses, greenhouse-like structures that extend the growing season, remain active during the winter. Winter is an ideal time for production trials at The Farm, allowing farmers to explore new methods and techniques to improve crop performance.

As part of this effort, The Farm is refining the 2025 High Density Greens Plan, which focuses on growing nutrient-dense, high-yield crops in smaller spaces. By using innovative strategies, such as optimizing plant spacing, experimenting with different soil amendments and testing various growing methods, the plan aims to maximize both the efficiency and yield of our greens production (our most requested item from the community!)

Strategic Step-by-Step Plans

The Farm team uses this season to develop detailed execution plans for 2025, covering everything from irrigation and pest management to school gardens and sustainability. Highlights include:

• Volunteer Planning: Ensuring a welcoming, impactful experience for the thousands of community volunteers who help grow, weed, harvest and prepare produce at The Farm.
• Weed Management and Nutrient Management Plans: Supporting healthy crops while minimizing environmental impact.
• Orchard Management and Bee-Keeping Plans: Promoting pollination and tree health.
• Cover Crop Planning: Testing new sustainable practices for soil enrichment.

Stay tuned as we gear up for a productive 2025 season! Community support makes it all possible, and we can’t wait to see you at The Farm this spring!

Hunger Task Force is Milwaukee’s Free & Local food bank and Wisconsin’s anti-hunger leader. The organization’s core values are Dignity, Justice, Equity, Compassion and Stewardship. Hunger Task Force feeds people today by providing healthy and culturally appropriate food to hungry children, families and seniors in the community absolutely free of charge. Hunger Task Force also works to end future hunger by advocating for strong public policies and nutrition programs at the local, state and federal level.