Dirty Work—The Story of Elsie’s Farm

Many Kingfield residents have to think hard to remember the time when there was no Kingfield Farmers’ Market in the neighborhood—before the bustling market filled their weekly need for both fresh produce and spontaneous community connections. But before it all began, there were Don Roberts and Joni Cash, longtime 1st Avenue Kingfield residents and a pair with a dream of selling fresh vegetables in their own community. In 2000, Don approached the Kingfield Neighborhood Association, explained his vision, and KFNA asked how we could help make it a reality. Don and Joni’s tables outside Anodyne— with the support of owner Teresa Lien—were the roots of what we now know as the Kingfield Farmers’ Market!

Don and his partner Joni moved out of Kingfield to invest in their dream.  They purchased Elsie’s Farm in Ridgeland, Wisconsin, and began operating it along a fairly revolutionary business model at the time, a concept called Community Supported Agriculture.  Deb Wallwork’s film Dirty Work follows the life of Elsie’s Farm for a year, and includes shots of our fledging market in the Time Warner parking lot on the 4200 block of Nicollet. Not just about growing vegetables, this film is also about growing a community.  The roots of Elsie’s Farm are in Kingfield and in our weekly market, growing and nurturing our community on a weekly basis.

Proceeds from this event benefit the Aliveness Project, a Kingfield nonprofit that runs both a daily meal program and a food shelf for people living with HIV/AIDS.  No one will be turned away from attending the film, but we ask that you give as you are able to help provide additional dollars to be used for fresh food for this needy population.  This event is made possible through the partnership of Solomon’s Porch.