Thank you to our board members for their time and service to MFVGA.
Meet Our 2020 Board Members
Terry Nennich, President
Terry and his wife Loralee own and operate Ter-Lee Gardens, a fruit and vegetable operation, located near Bagley, Minnesota, which sells its produce pick-your-own, at a farmers markets, CSA, and wholesale. Terry is a recently retired University of Minnesota Extension Professor Emeritus, who throughout his career specialized in vegetable and small fruit production and marketing.
Gary Pahl, Vice President
Gary farms in Apple Valley with his brother Brian and son Jack. They also have a retail facility with 4 acres under cover that they raise transplants for the field, hanging baskets and bedding plants that are sold for retail. The main crops in their operation in the field consists of sweet corn, cabbage, green beans, cucumbers, peppers, squash and pumpkins. Their vegetables are sold wholesale throughout the upper Midwest and Canada with about 5% sold retail at their own facility. Pahls also offer a CSA membership that runs from late June thru October. Gary is currently the fifth generation with his son being the sixth and they have been active in the MFVGA for over 30 years. They continue to strive to be the best grower and offer their customers a great product at a competitive price.
Rick Abrahamson, Secretary
Bio to follow
Erik Heimark, Treasurer
Bio to follow
Brad Chmielewski
Brad farms in Foley with his father, Mark who started Stoney Brook Farms in 2006. They farm 850 acres and grow asparagus, sugar snap peas, green beans, sweet corn, squash and pumpkins. They sell their produce wholesale throughout the U.S. and parts of Canada. All their produce is handpicked. They are a Minnesota Water Quality Certified farm. Brad is very focused on soil health and making the land that he farms better with the use of minimum tillage and beneficial cover crops.
Dave Nathe
David Nathe has operated Riverside Farms in Elk River since 1980. With the help of Joe’s son Eric and other family members, they farm 450 acres of sweet corn, cabbage, green peppers, summer and winter squash, and pumpkins. They take pride in the extremely high quality of their products, labeling every box, “Quality that Counts.” Concern for future generations has prompted Joe and David to use environmentally friendly farming methods, including proper land stewardship.
Tom Gregor