Featherstone Farm: Growing Organic Food Through Fair Labor

RUSHFORD – Featherstone Farm was born in 1994 on the Zephyr Valley Land Cooperative in the bluffs south of Winona.

Co-founders and married couple, Jack Hedin and Jenni McHugh, wanted to grow organic produce that was good for both the consumer and the environment. “We were coming from a super idealistic spot,” Hedin recalled fondly. “We were going to save the world with organic produce.”

The pair had gleaned a wealth of knowledge by working on organic farms across the country, from California to New England, which guided the development of Featherstone Farm’s own foundational principles: organic certification, environmental stewardship, localized food systems and fair labor.

It all starts with the soil

After the flood of 2007, operations moved to the current location in the Rushford-Peterson Valley. Much of their 225 acres is a stone’s throw from the Root River with more in the surrounding hillside. If you’re looking to grow healthy plants, it helps if your farm happens to be on one of the most exceptional pieces of land in the state.

Featuring eight feet of unusually productive Waukegan loam underlain by sediment, the farm’s terrain has been studied extensively by the University of Minnesota. “Not all soil is created equal,” echoes Hedin, “and we are sitting on a very unique piece of farmland.”

Featherstone’s Abby Benson pictured in one of the high tunnels that act as a season-extending greenhouse, allowing for continued growth after external temperatures drop. (Photo by Kristin Burdey)

Upon Hedin’s semi-retirement in March 2025, Rushford native Nathan Manfull stepped into the role of general manager, having worn many hats in the business since starting on the harvest crew in 2013. Manfull heads up a five-person leadership team that oversees the entire life cycle of vegetable production, from growth to distribution.

With a background in environmental science from Luther College, Abby Benson is known as “the farmer”, holding the core belief of land stewardship in high regard. “With organics, there are only so many different tools in our toolbelt in terms of pest and disease control. Start at the foundation with healthy soil, and you grow way better plants.”

Committed to fair labor

Featherstone employs 10 to 15 locals year-round, and up to 55 people during the busy growing season, from June through the end of harvest in November. More than half hail from Vista Hermosa in central Mexico, hired through the H-2A visa program for temporary seasonal workers, highlighting the farm’s commitment to being a fair and transparent employer. They have employed H-2A workers for nearly 20 years and many of the current visaed workers have been coming back every season for 8-10 years.

“There is a history of immigrant abuse in agriculture,” says Benson. “We want to set a different example, and we hope that people want to buy from a company that cares about these things.”

Even in December, Featherstone employees are able to process root vegetables like beets. (Photo by Kristin Burdey)

Manfull also takes great pride in his staff. “They are gold-standard workers,” he enthuses. “With the level of leadership they bring to the field, we wouldn’t be what we are today without them.”

Vegetables are processed and stored under the guidance of James Mabry, who manages the warehouse and distribution.

“The systems run themselves,” he explains, “but it took a lot of forethought to get here.”

Multiple walk-in coolers on site feature unique microclimates to keep temperatures and humidity consistent for storage of diverse vegetables. Storing a hundred million pounds of fresh organics through the winter months is no small feat.

Vegetable storage requires diverse microclimates with specific temperatures and humidity levels, as explained by warehouse manager James Mabry. (Photo by Kristin Burdey)

“This is how we get a premium organic product to a local buyer,” says Mabry, who also functions as the link to the consumer through distribution channels. Featherstone products can be found in co-ops and Whole Foods stores throughout the region including LaCrosse, Winona, Rochester and Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Featherstone offers customizable, farm-direct vegetable boxes through its Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscription program, highlighting the benefits of a localized food network.

“We are in direct communication with our CSA customers,” explains Nicole Schulz-Smith, who rounds out the administrative team with office manager Cira Galloway.

“There is no ‘middleman’ between the farm and our member’s kitchens. Customers can feel connected to where their food comes from and learn about what it means to eat seasonably in Minnesota.”

An ample supply of organic carrots awaits CSA customers and co-ops, even during winter months. (Photo by Kristin Burdey)

In addition to quality, buying local can help consumers feel more confident about the food security that comes with a local supply chain.

“Over half of the nation’s open market produce originates from a handful of valleys in California. That is not a sustainable model,” says Hedin.

Hedin feels that the farm is in a good spot presently, despite the challenges that come with growing food in unpredictable Minnesota weather. “I don’t want to see the farm grow,” he states with measured wisdom.

“But it would be nice,” he continues, “if there were more Featherstone Farms – one in Caledonia, in Preston and in Grand Meadow – more farms, not bigger farms.”

To learn more about its wide range of products and operations, visit the Featherstone Farms website.