FARM FEATURE
At Boomflower Farm outside of Kenyon, Minnesota, Katy Lund is on a mission to share high-quality local products with her community, family, and friends.
Boomflower Farm is a key part of the puzzle of local sourcing—both of food and other consumable goods. Outside of Kenyon, Minnesota, Katy Lund is leaning into ethical agriculture as she produces local goods. In addition, she models the networks that support local businesses on a daily basis.
The more a community supports local supply chains, the more the community engages in sustainable practices. “None of us can do this by ourselves, but we can all be active participants in figuring out how to do it ourselves,” shared Katy. “I’m not alone in producing local food and personal products in a thoughtful and sustainable way. As an individual I can make choices that the things that I purchase are from local and sustainable places.”
Boomflower Farm is a key part of the puzzle of local sourcing—both of food and other consumable goods. Outside of Kenyon, Minnesota, Katy Lund is leaning into ethical agriculture as she produces local goods. In addition, she models the networks that support local businesses on a daily basis.
The more a community supports local supply chains, the more the community engages in sustainable practices. “None of us can do this by ourselves, but we can all be active participants in figuring out how to do it ourselves,” shared Katy. “I’m not alone in producing local food and personal products in a thoughtful and sustainable way. As an individual I can make choices that the things that I purchase are from local and sustainable places.”
Katy’s goal is to replace as many things in people’s lives with farm-grown items as possible. “This means your medicine cabinet, your cosmetics, your food, how you’re washing your dishes, how you’re washing your clothes. Sometimes I get a little ahead of myself.”
Katy, a full-time practicing mental health therapist by day, has turned 20-acres of neglected pasture and aggressive comfrey plants into a beautiful space where chickens are free to lay their eggs in the crook of a tree and sometimes lambs arrive by surprise. Katy raises sheep, cows, chickens, and turkeys for their wool, milk, eggs, and meat. She produces a line of cosmetics including shampoos, conditioners, lip balms, shaving soaps, and body lotions and moisturizers that contain infused oils distilled from farm-grown ingredients. All of her products contain as few ingredients as possible and always use the original plant, never a chemical derivative.
Katy’s goal is to replace as many things in people’s lives with farm-grown items as possible. “This means your medicine cabinet, your cosmetics, your food, how you’re washing your dishes, how you’re washing your clothes. Sometimes I get a little ahead of myself.”
Katy, a full-time practicing mental health therapist by day, has turned 20-acres of neglected pasture and aggressive comfrey plants into a beautiful space where chickens are free to lay their eggs in the crook of a tree and sometimes lambs arrive by surprise. Katy raises sheep, cows, chickens, and turkeys for their wool, milk, eggs, and meat. She produces a line of cosmetics including shampoos, conditioners, lip balms, shaving soaps, and body lotions and moisturizers that contain infused oils distilled from farm-grown ingredients. All of her products contain as few ingredients as possible and always use the original plant, never a chemical derivative.
Katy’s journey into farming started when she became a vegetarian. “I wanted to understand where the things we buy come from,” explained Katy. Katy now limits her meat consumption to animals raised on her farm or from trusted local sources. “I came to understand that there wasn’t a blanket answer that all meat is bad; all vegetables are good. If you don’t know how the person who picked that vegetable is paid, treated or thought of, can you be sure that it’s cruelty free?”
In contrast to conventionally produced food, Katy’s animals are raised, slaughtered and butchered in a way that reduces stress as much as possible. “Farmers don’t kill animals because it’s fun. We do it because that’s how we feed the world. Being informed in how that happens and the choices that are made so that the animal has a full and content life is how the consumer makes a conscious choice.”
Katy’s poultry spend their entire life on the open acres of Boomflower Farm. Her chickens are free to move about the farm as they please. This means that they are currently laying eggs in the trees. “We don’t clip their feathers. They have access to food, water, and safety here so they choose to stay,” explained Katy.
Transporting the chickens to another facility for processing would be quite stressful for their small bodies. “By doing it at home we’re able to avoid the increased cortisol. The entire process—from the moment we sever their spinal cords until they pass—is as fast as possible,” shared Katy. “It’s a laborious process and frankly not enjoyable. It feels really important that if the animal is going to nourish us that we help them pass with as little stress as possible.”
Shop Boomflower Farm soaps and cosmetics at boomflowerfarm.com or visit Katy in person at the Cannon Valley Farmers Market, Linden Hills Market in Minneapolis or Northfield’s Riverwalk Market.
And don’t forget to follow them on Instagram @Boomflowerfarm to see where the chickens have laid eggs today, updates, and more.
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