by Jenna Trisko
news@thenewsleaders.com
Alex Bertsch of Sartell is 16 years old and enjoys spending his free time outdoors, kayaking and gardening.
Last summer, he decided to take his interest in gardening to another level. Bertsch’s grandfather owns six acres of land in Milaca, and the teen was allowed to use the land for gardening. With encouragement from his family and friends, he started his own farming business called Epic by Nature Farm.
Bertsch sectioned off half an acre of the property and last year grew a couple tons of produce to sell to local families and businesses. He hopes to expand his production this summer and sell vegetables and fruit through the Sauk Rapids and Foley farmers’ markets. He is also taking orders through his website.
“The produce is all natural – pesticide and herbicide free,” Bertsch said of his venture. “Just eco-friendly gardening and farming.”
He will begin planting again in two to three weeks. Produce will include but is not limited to kale, spinach, lettuce, zucchini, tomatoes, sweet corn and pumpkins. Bertsch hopes someday to supply several restaurants in the area with quality produce to serve to their patrons.
Along with the success of this business venture, the Sartell teen had a desire to give back. March happens to be Minnesota FoodShare Month. This campaign is the largest food drive in the state, encouraging people to stock the shelves of local food banks to supply food for families throughout the year.
In the spirit of this campaign, Bertsch initiated a food-collection drive on March 11 by handing out donation bags to homes and businesses to urge people to gather non-perishable food items. Collection bags were donated by Cash Wise. In exchange for donations, residents were given a coupon for fresh produce from Epic by Nature Farm.
He collected 200 pounds of donated food from residents, which was disbursed to Catholic Charities and the St. Cloud Salvation Army. In honor of his efforts, he was invited to have lunch with the residents of the Salvation Army and received a tour of the facility on March 23.
“This was such a successful drive I would really like to do another one this fall,” Bertsch said.
Central Perk Coffee Shop in downtown St. Cloud also learned of Bertsch’s project and invited him to appear at the 912 Regency building on March 18 for the St. Cloud Art Crawl. A table was set up in the front entrance where he was able to speak with art enthusiasts about the food drive and the farm.
Central Perk will have a food donation box at its shop until the end of March for those who would like to contribute to Bertsch’s project. Contributors to this site will also receive a coupon for Epic by Nature Farm.
“I just want to provide people with sustainable and natural healthy food delivered to their home,” Bertsch said.
To learn more about Epic by Nature Farm, visit www.epicbynaturefarm.com or email Bertsch at alex@epicbynaturefarm.com.
