January 2021 - 25

FARM MARKET & AGRITOURISM
Crops extend season at Minnesota berry farm
By Dean Peterson
VGN Correspondent
It came in a hurry. After nearly 30
plus years of working in agribusiness,
and regular stays at their cabin on
Lake Nisswa in Minnesota, Todd and
Tracy Linbo visited a nearby berry
farm in Lake Shore, Minnesota. " It
had a 'For Sale' sign on it, " Todd said,
" and we put in an offer. "
They bought the farm, renamed it
Double T Acres, and 2020 was their
first full year in production. " We
were looking for options to move to
Nisswa full time, " Todd said. " It was
the berry farm that provided that
opportunity. "
Both Todd and Tracy are originally
from Minnesota. The move back
meant a new job in agribusiness for
Tracy where she could work from
home.
The berry farm had been
modernized with a deer fence and
the five acres of production have
irrigation available. However, the
previous owner was only in Lake
Shore during the summer. The
business was growing with more
customers every year, but the
farm only produced asparagus,
blueberries, raspberries, tart
cherries and some flowers.
One of the Linbos' first steps
was to add new crops to lengthen
the production season and give
customers more choices.
Asparagus was expanded as
the early spring crop. Tomatoes,
onions and peppers were added and
described as " Salsa Row. " Pumpkins,
gourds and ornamental corn were
also added in 2020. " We're living
here full time and wanted to extend
the season into the fall, " Todd said.
More fresh flowers, most notably
more gladiolus and sunflowers -
and the addition of mums - have
expanded their offerings. " They're
colorful, eye-appealing and make a
creative display, " Tracy said.
The displays help at the Nisswa
Farmers' Market that Double T
Acres attends. " We also get some
plants and apples from other
growers and that's worked out well, "
Tracy said.
Lake Nisswa is a tourist area. " The
people coming here are a pretty
diverse group, " Todd said. " We didn't
really know what to expect this year.
We were happily surprised at the
number of customers we had and the
number of return customers. That's
a huge compliment. "
" The key is to make sure we
exceed the customer expectations, "
Todd said. " You get to know people.
You want to understand their story
as much as they want to understand
our story. "
Visitors to the farm are the main
source of sales and Double T Acres
emphasizes messages people can
relate to.
A pick-your-own berry farm is
a way to enjoy the outdoors while
picking fresh blueberries, raspberries
and cherries. Planting wildflowers in
the spring attracts bees to improve
pollination and enhances the farm's
ecosystem. The farm's sustainable
agricultural practices are a way to
care for nature.
The goal is to create an outdoor
experience that's a little slower
paced for people to enjoy.
" Some customers drove down
from near the Canadian border, "
Todd said. " They saw our website
and said, 'Let's go do that.' People
have a good experience and what
do they do? They tell others. You
aren't just selling a product. You're
providing an experience. " VGN
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Adding pumpkins and other fall crops to lengthen
the production season helped Tracy and Todd Linbo
in their first year of production at Double T Acres in
Lake Shore, Minnesota. Photo: Dean Peterson
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VGN | JANUARY 2021 | 25
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January 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2021
