Spring Break
Sugar Mountain offers local produce
Joe Astrouski/City Editor
Issue date: 2/9/09 Section: News
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Last summer, Winkler opened a vegetable stand at the site of his current location, selling vegetables from his own garden and from Amish farmers. In late October, Winkler moved his stand indoors and opened Sugar Mountain Farms, where he sells fruits, vegetables, flowers, crafts and candles.
After the recent salmonella outbreaks, Winkler said consumers want to know their food is safe.
"Mostly, they want something that is a good quality," he said. 'They want somebody to be accountable when (their food) isn't good."
Winkler buys much of his produce from Amish farmers, local growers and home-gardeners. The fruits and vegetables that cannot be grown in Illinois or are out of season, Winkler buys from a local distributor.
Soon he will switch to a distributor based in Indiana, which offers certified organic foods as well as all-natural foods.
Certified organic produce must be grown without using herbicides or pesticides containing petroleum-based chemicals, while all natural produce can be grown with minimal amounts of these chemicals, Winkler said.
Winkler said he will carry both certified organic and all-natural produce, selling whichever costs less.
"No one is going to buy a $4 head of lettuce," Winkler said. "I'll sell both within reason."
He said few Eastern students shop at Sugar Mountain Farms, a trend he wants to change.
"I miss a lot of the market with being in a college town and not having a lot of college kids," Winkler said.
Winkler said he would eventually like to sell crafts from college students in his shop. Winkler also said he is selling and delivering roses and chocolate-covered strawberries this week for Valentine's Day.
"I'm open for anything," Winkler said. "The more (produce) I sell, the more I can bring in."
Sugar Mountain Farms' current hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.
Joe Astrouksi can be reached at 581-7942 or at jmastrouski@eiu.edu.
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