The story behind Northern Ridge Farm starts during the Great Depression when the farm was originally purchased. Through the years, the property has been divided amongst siblings. Now, as a third generation farmer, David Lacina, along with his wife, Penny, and his mother, Bonnie Lacina, run Northern Ridge Berry Farm. David’s grandfather was the original owner of the property and had five children w
ho worked on the farm, one of them being Bonnie. Bonnie then had David and his two siblings in Oxford, IA, keep the tradition going. David was born and raised on the farm and spent almost every summer there working alongside his grandfather. Working cattle, fixing fences, and bailing hay were just a few of things all of the grandchildren would do when they visited grandma and grandpa. “If I wasn’t bailing hay, then I wasn’t happy. Between buildings, sheds, and barns we filled up about 27 different buildings of hay,” said David. It is that kind of hard work and dedication that has helped the farm stay intact for more than 80 years. With the help of their two daughters and foreman, Alex Larsen, the farm can still continue operate as a successful family business for many years to come. Northern Ridge Farm started out as a humble family farm and the Lacinas hope to stay humble with their growth. Today the farm has been reworked to cater to a more natural approach to producing food. David started by planting 1.5 acres of raspberries and 500 blueberry plants, but little did he know where they would lead. In 2013, over 6,000 pints of raspberries were sold, and each year has the potential sell twice as much as the year before. With a growing interest from restaurants, schools, and grocery stores from around the area, Northern Ridge Farm has expanded beyond berries, to now growing broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale, peppers, onions, and more. Northern Ridge Farm has since developed relationships with New Pioneer Food Co-op, Hy-Vee, the Clear Creek Amana and Iowa City school districts and many area restaurants. With the philosophy of “the only way to get it fresher is to pick it yourself”, David tries to get everything picked and delivered within 12 hours. Even while supplying numerous business in the area, a good portion of Northern Ridge’s produce is sold right on the farm. The Lacinas had first planned on selling their produce on-site and at nearby farmer’s markets, but when Bonnie had knee replacement surgery, the family looked into building a more permanent structure closer to home. In 2006, the Lacina family opened up their own shop. The Northern Ridge Farmer's Market is filled with jars of blueberry, red raspberry, spicy pear, and peach jam, alongside nearly every other type of produce grown on the farm. Inside the refrigerated coolers you'll find rhubarb, asparagus, and onions, as well as local butter, cheese, meats and more from neighboring farms. The majority of the 400-acre farm is used for conventional crops, but Northern Ridge uses natural practices for its own produce. Although not organically certified because of the expense of certification, David has said that they follow the strict organic guidelines. “This is the food my family and I eat. I want to know exactly where my food comes from and have it be as natural as possible,” said David. The shelf life may not be as long as other produce that uses preservatives, but if stored properly can be kept just as long. Along with keeping his family healthy, David wants to educate everyone, especially children, on where their food comes from. “We wanted our community to be able to come out and see the gardens where their food is being grown. We invite you to visit, tour the farm, and enjoy!” said David.
