HELLO, FRESH. Tend & Table is not a CSA and it is not a national meal kit. It is a Wisconsin-only, farmer-led service to connect folks across the state with food and goods made by our growers and producers, all year round. (Submitted photos)

For a lot of locals, weekend mornings spent at area farmers markets are vital to a well-done Chippewa Valley summer. Now, moving into our often-too-short fall season, most are likely to return to grocery stores for their food. But what if you could still get those fresh veggies and fruits, dairy products, meat, and more Wisconsin-grown products delivered to you year-round?

As of Sept. 16, there’s no ‘what if’ about it. Tend & Table, a flexible weekly or monthly subscription service, will deliver Wisconsin-made, fresh goods directly to local pick-up sites across the state.

Dreamt up and operated by the folks of Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative (WFHC), Tend & Table is fueled by statewide farmers and producers – many of whom were delivered the short-end of the federal funding stick when the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) program was canceled by the federal government earlier this year.

“In early 2025, Wisconsin’s farming community found itself at a crossroads. A sudden and substantial loss of (roughly) $4 million in federal funding sent shockwaves through our state’s agricultural sector,” WFHC Special Projects Manager Josh Horn said in a recent exchange. “The funding had previously supported vital infrastructure, outreach programs, and purchasing assistance for small- to medium-sized farmers.

“Without this critical financial support, many Wisconsin farmers were left scrambling to keep their operations afloat.”

As Horn explained, the impact of scrapping the LFPA program was immediate and varied, especially for the 108 growers who had already prepared to sell through the program.

“For some, the loss of funding meant scaling back production. For others, it signaled a painful decision to leave farming altogether,” Horn said. “The impact wasn’t just felt on the farms; it rippled through local communities, food pantries, and school lunch programs that relied heavily on locally grown produce.”

"EACH BOX REFLECTS THE PRIDE AND HARD WORK OF WISCONSIN'S FARMERS, AND EVERY PURCHASE HELPS BUILD A SUSTAINABLE, INDEPENDENT FOOD SYSTEM FOR OUR STATE."

TARA ROBERTS-TURNER

GENERAL MANAGER OF WISCONSIN FOOD HUB COOPERATIVE

Since its creation in 2012, WFHC has been a farmer-led cooperative organization, aiming to help Wisconsin growers access larger wholesale markets and build a better food system. Today, WFHC is owned by local producers and the Wisconsin Farmers Union, supporting over 100 farms across the state.

“Tend & Table is more than just a subscription box – it’s a community-powered way to connect families with the people who grow their food,” said Tara Roberts-Turner, general manager of the WFHC, in a media release. “Each box reflects the pride and hard work of Wisconsin’s farmers, and every purchase helps build a sustainable, independent food system for our state.”

As of its mid-September launch, folks across the state have been able to sign up for individual item deliveries or one of several Tend & Table subscription options: weekly produce boxes (the "Family Harvest" or "Simple Harvest" boxes), monthly meat boxes (the "Grill Master" or "Family Value" boxes), or the “FarmShare” box.

To complement Tend & Table’s curated boxes of seasonal produce — grass-fed and pasture-raised meats, dairy, and other products — a portion of each sale will go toward local food pantries (with an option for customers to purchase a box to be donated directly to a food pantry).

"Tend & Table is a year-round thing. This allows flexibility for people to purchase as their needs come and go – we want it to be accessible for anyone. That's the goal."

SHAWN BARTHOLOMEW

LONGTIME LOCAL FARMER, CHIPPEWA VALLEY PRODUCE

Meat subscription boxes include the following options: Grill Master Box (~15.5 pounds for $144.99) or Family Value Box (~9 pounds for $127.50). Specific products and varieties are detailed online.

Chippewa Valley native and Wisconsin Farmers Union Executive Director, Danielle Endvick, has already signed up for a Tend & Table subscription.

“This is such an innovative way to modernize those local food connections,” Endvick said in a recent phone call. “This whole initiative … helps bolster the local ag economy and creates more opportunities for resilient, sustainable food supply chains.”

Locally, Chippewa Valley Produce will be a pick-up location for Tend & Table subscriptions. Shawn Bartholomew, the longtime farmer behind Chippewa Valley Produce, said it was a no-brainer decision to be part of Tend & Table.

“We’re not trying to compete with farmers who are doing CSAs or the CSA member who wants that experience going out to a farm and getting to know their local farmer,” Bartholomew said. “Tend & Table is a year-round thing. This allows flexibility for people to purchase as their needs come and go – we want it to be accessible for anyone. That’s the goal.”

Chippewa Valley Produce used to have a CSA but, as Bartholomew explained, “it was a lot to do a CSA. As a farmer, all I wanted to do was grow.”

Tend & Table is available to Wisconsinites as of Sept. 16. One of its subscription box options is the Simply Harvest produce box, pictured above. Options are offered as one-time, weekly or monthly, or 10-week subscriptions. 

That sentiment is another benefit for those Wisconsin growers and producers who are part of the Tend & Table program. To that point, Bartholomew said the Chippewa Valley’s outward support for farmers and producers has long existed – but there is definitely room to grow.

“It’s so important to keep our money, our support here. With these boxes, people in this community can supply their food (to one another),” he said. “We do that with Tend & Table. We can help farmers grow, help them expand, and help get good food into the communities that need it. We just want to try to help things get better.”

To celebrate its launch, Tend & Table encourages folks to sign up now with its limited-time “Win a Year of Fresh Wisconsin Produce” sweepstakes, open now through Oct. 31.

Perhaps Tend & Table will be most attractive to folks for its convenience; its positive economic impact on Wisconsin growers; or its part in creating a different kind of sustainable food supply chain. It also just feels like a neighborly thing to do – and we could use more of that spirit in today’s world.

Learn more about Tend & Table – peruse individual item delivery options, weekly or monthly subscription boxes, and more – online at tendandtable.com. From now through Oct. 31, 2025, you can enter sweepstakes for a year of free, fresh Wisconsin produce with Tend & Table.