You Changed Our Year: A Letter to Our Wissel Veggie Club Members
Wissel Veggie Box deliveries and pickups start the final week of July!
Before we get into the details, I want to sincerely thank you. When you join the Wissel Veggie Club (our CSA!), you’re helping fund the farm for the whole year upfront—and in this letter, I want to share how deeply grateful we are for your support and how it positively impacts our family and local agriculture. It’s a long one, but I hope you’ll stick with me—I think it’ll really give you a better look at what your support makes possible.
You Changed Our Year
As a Wissel Veggie Club member, you changed our lives this year. Truly. You’re not just a customer, you’re part of the life force of our farm. You’re part of a story that’s been unfolding on this corner of Idaho farmland for over a century.
Last year, I officially joined my parents, Farmer Matt and Benita, to help carry on the Wissel family legacy. Farming is beautiful, but let’s be honest, it’s hard. Emotionally, physically, financially. And we’re living in a time when farms like ours are disappearing.
But I didn’t believe our story was over. I believed there was still room for local food, for real relationships, and for doing things the right way.
So I brought my background in business and marketing back home—not to “save” the farm, but to help carry it forward. To help make it sustainable, not just financially, but in every sense of the word.
Why Your Early Sign-Up Meant So Much
Most of you joined earlier this year. That early commitment was a game-changer for our family—especially for my parents.
Farming means investing heavily long before you see anything grow, let alone sell. A lot of farms use loans or government programs to bridge that gap. But those have never worked well for us—they’ve often added more stress than support.
The Wissel Veggie Club changed that. You changed that!
Because of your trust and early support and investment, we could plan with confidence. We could grow with more intention. And for the first time in a long time, my parents felt something different: hope. The kind of hope that says this might actually work—that this life we’ve built can keep going.
Here’s What Your Support Made Possible:
🌱 We rebuilt our greenhouse.
The old one was small and on its last legs. Now, we’ve relocated and upgraded it,right by the loading dock, where neighbors can see real food growing close to home. It's sturdier, better protected, and ready for more seasons of use.
🌱 We invested in way more seeds!
We were able to say yes to more diverse, flavorful, and nutrient-rich varieties—including some we haven’t grown in years. Early in the season, cash flow is usually too tight to make those kinds of choices, since seed is one of our biggest expenses. Your support changed that. It let us plan ahead, diversify our plantings, and grow more of what you love.
🌽 Farmer Matt finally got to plant his dream sweet corn.
He’s been wanting to grow this variety for you for a long time—and this year, we could finally say yes. It’s the best of the best—the kind seed farmers grow for their own families. He’s so excited to share it with you.
🚰 We replaced a pump that had been there since my great-grandpa’s time.
Yes, it was that old. We lease that field from a longtime family friend, and together, we treat it with the same care as if it were ours. The new pump means less water waste and more efficient irrigation.
💧 We also upgraded to more efficient irrigation pipes.
This allows us to water more effectively and reduce strain on our land and our team—especially during those 100-degree days.
👩🌾 We were able to hire help.
Usually, most of the work is done by my parents, siblings, and a few nieces and nephews. But this year, we had extra hands—and could pay fair wages. That’s a huge deal.
📦 We prepaid for our CSA boxes.
This year, we chose kraft boxes, which are more environmentally friendly than the traditional white ones. For the first time, we bought them in advance instead of scrambling halfway through the season.
🌾 We finally gave our soil what it needed.
We hadn’t been able to properly nourish it in a long time. But with your support, we finally could—and for the first time in years, we did proper soil testing on several of our fields. Long-term soil health is something my dad has always believed in—it’s at the core of how he farms. Around a year ago, I remember him saying, “I’m just not a great farmer.” And I told him, “You are—you’ve just been a great farmer without all the resources you need.” Now, seeing the difference in the plants and the land, we know how much this matters!
😁 And—Dad got his tooth fixed.
Sounds small, but it’s big. He had been missing a front tooth for a while, and because we weren’t in survival mode all winter, he finally got it taken care of. He can smile and eat comfortably again.
Wissel Veggie Club member—you made this happen.
You made a difference to our family!
To our land!
To our community!
To a fourth-generation farm that’s still growing real food with real care!
From the bottom of our hearts—thank you for believing in us, investing in our future, and keeping the spark alive on our little corner of Idaho.
With love and deep gratitude,
Morgan (and the whole Wissel family)
Wissel Farms 🌿 Est. 1911
