The Marbleseed 2024 “Farmer of the Year” award goes to a family team of five farmers who are the owner/operators of Full Circle Community Farm: Rick Adamski, Valerie Dantoin, Andrew Adamski, Heather Toman, and Scott Rosenberg.
From Left to Right: Scott Rosenberg, Rick Adamski, Valerie Dantoin, Heather Toman, and Andrew Adamski.
Rick certified the 125-year-old, 260-acre family farm as organic in 2003. He is a managed grazing pioneer who does the day-to-day work, whether dairy or beef. Valerie Dantoin, his wife and ‘co-farmer’ also teaches Sustainable Organic Agriculture full-time at a Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. Together they have promoted principles and practices in organic/grazing agriculture, collaborating with many statewide organizations throughout their 40-year farming career. They are pleased to transition the farm to the next generation.
Andrew and Heather, met during their master’s studies at Northern Michigan University and moved back to the farm in 2017. They diversified it by forming a partnership with Scott who had been growing veggies on the farm for a couple years. They draw on their experience living in a housing cooperative focused on sustainability (and rock climbing) and share passions in regenerative agroecology. Andrew said, “growing the food humanity needs while regenerating the natural ecosystems our current system has already displaced, is the most important thing I can do”. He runs the machinery side of the veggie operation and oversees the pastured pork operation. Heather, a New Mexico transplant, is the administrative mastermind of the business. She not only runs their LLC, but also coordinates a local farmer cooperative food hub. She works with other small farms in the area to sell products through wholesale outlets and a customizable, cooperative CSA.
Some of the 2023 farm crew with pollinator-friendly native plants used in the pollinator habitat expansion.
Scott Rosenberg, the fifth member, joined with Heather and Andrew to form Full Circle Community Farm LLC after leaving a good paying corporate job. As co-owner-manager he oversees the farm’s work force and its 40-acre intensive operation. Scott makes sure seeds are planted, weeds are weeded, and produce is harvested adhering to the farm’s schedule and Produce Safety Plan.
“It takes a village to operate a farm” says Valerie, “and that’s why this ‘farmer’ of the year is really a team effort of farmers, plural. We are truly grateful and honored to be chosen. So many other, well- respected farmers have received this award and its awesome to join their company.”
Scott shared, “My reaction to receiving the award is gratitude and happiness.” Scott continues “Farming life is hard, sometimes backbreaking work and yet I’m so much more fulfilled with my life and grateful that this is what I get to do.”
Rick explained “it is really fulfilling to be recognized by Marbleseed as a representative, good example of organic farming.” And humbly, he says he is just like many other many other farmers out there in the organic community. He reflected “We all struggle, we all have bumps and bruises from trying to move farming forward toward more organic and sustainable practices….so my message is this… ’Just keep trying’. We are getting closer to solutions that value the work of farmers who feed the world without destroying it.”
Rainbow over Full Circle Community Farm.
The Farm is located on land originally occupied by people of the Menomonie Nation who moved lightly through, harvesting what the land offered. The Adamski family started farming here 125 years ago. As Farmers of the Year, we stand on the shoulders of these ancestors who came before us, both native and settlers, who enable us to be the current stewards of this land. We call the farm “Full Circle” because although we experiment and innovate, we also roll the best, most sustainable ideas forward into a future time when they may become new again. For example, ‘Organic’ was the way great Grandpa and Grandma always farmed …. Organic values endure and they persist on this farm, with her people.
