Cattail Organics grows community through organic fruit production

From vegetables and melons to herbs and maple syrup, Cattail Organics in north-central Wisconsin has built its success on sustainability and organic fruit production. Owner Katrina Becker has long been draw to agriculture and founded the Athens-based farm in 2017 to create a business rooted in community and transparency.

“I had managed vegetable production at another farm and was looking to start a new operation,” Becker said. “I obviously had some experience setting up a vegetable farm in the region and had established accounts, so in many ways, the farm built on my past experience.”

Building the foundation

Cattail Organics produces organic vegetables, melons, seedlings, maple syrup and herbs. In its early days, Becker focused on small farmers markets and local sales to schools, grocery stores and restaurants.

“At first, we were just doing three acres of production,” she said. “We actually grow on a very small footprint with only 17 acres tillable. Most of my farm, which is 50 acres, is wooded.”

During that first year, Becker constructed a pack shed that later became a four-season insulated packing facility, started a heated greenhouse and installed two high tunnels. “We grew from about $70,000 in sales to over half a million this past year,” she said. “It’s been fairly rapid growth even though out footprint hasn’t expanded much.”

Cattail Organics now operates eight high tunnels and caterpillar tunnels, covering about one acre of protected production. The tunnels extend the region’s short growing season and help maintain consistent yields.

Family roots and farming philosophy

Becker lives on the farm with her husband, who runs his own agricultural business, and their three children. Originally from New York City, she developed an early interest in food insecurity and community food systems. While studying at Cornell University, she volunteered in community gardens and discovered her passion for agriculture.

After earning her master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Becker combined her policy background with practical experience. “I realized there was something about this type of farming that was uniquely challenging in ways that other careers didn’t feel to me,” she said.

Her mission with Cattail Organics reflects her believe that organic fruit production and vegetable growing can connect communities while promoting food transparency. “It’s completely satisfying to provide people with good food,” she said. “And I have an interest in eating delicious food myself.”

Managing a short season

In Wisconsin’s challenging climate — where only about 90 days are frost-free — Becker carefully plans for efficiency. “We have a short, fairly intense growing season,” she said. “That impacts the investments we make and how we structure our farm season.”

The team starts greenhouse production in late February and harvests greens from unheated tunnels by April. “We do produce a lot of root vegetables, so during our dormant season, we have three employees who come in to wash and pack, and then we put them in storage to sell to schools and grocery stores,” Becker said.

Soil-first approach to organic production

Cattail Organics operates with the philosophy that soil health drives productivity. The farm holds both USDA Organic and Real Organic certifications, emphasizing compost, cover crops and efficient irrigation systems.

“All my practices are rooted in soil,” Becker said. “A lot of the ways we have made investments in the farm are to get crops harvested very efficiently. We are mechanized probably three times our production size, which allows us to hit narrow windows given the climate extremes we face.”

Becker applies compost in tunnels and uses drip irrigation or micro-emitters across the farm to protect soil structure. The farm also stewards a freshwater stream, pond, 20-acre maple grove, three acres of beneficial insect habitat and a small apple orchard — integral to the organic fruit production focus.

In 2025, Becker plans to test new biological controls. “We’re going to experiment with some biologicals, such as wasp releases and brassica crops,” she said. “Because we’re so far north, we don’t have many of the pest issues. Our season is fast and can be terrible — it is -40° here in the winter — but it does afford a certain amount of pest control.”

Investing in efficiency

Cattail Organics continues to invest in tools and technology that reduce labor and improve efficiency. “It also means something that would have taken our farm team almost two weeks to do can now be done in two days,” Becker said, referring to the farm’s new root vegetable harvester.

The team uses digital systems for inventory management but relies on simple tools like whiteboards and walkie-talkies to coordinate daily operations. “As an organic farm, we do a lot of hand labor, especially to control weeds,” Becker said. “But we have cultivating tractors and equipment and a lot of tech for field production.”

The farm also recently installed soil moisture monitors to collect data and fine-tune irrigation practices, a step that further strengthens its organic fruit production system.

Looking ahead

Becker hopes her children will one day have the option to take over the farm, though she remains open to transitioning the land to other young farmers in the future. “We do want it to be an option for our kids to move back and take over this land someday, even if they wind up using it in a different way or for different crops,” she said.

For now, Becker continues to embrace the challenges and rewards of organic farming. “It’s uniquely challenges, and there’s always stuff to learn,” she said. “The more I know, the more I can explore really interesting things. I love that.”