Klehm family becoming staple of farmers market

Selling goods at the Fairfield Farmers market began as a simple hobby for Fairfield Middle School sixth-grade teachers Shawn and Cory Klehm.

?We wanted to know where and what produce we ate as a family,? said Cory. ?Raising produce for our family has provided our children with a great learning experience of work ethic, life cycle of plants, genetics, mathematics and weather cycles. Our produce is naturally grown without the use of pesticides or herbicides.?

Their children Khai, Reese and Corynn now help them sell goods at the farmers market Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Known as K5 Produce, the Klehm family offers a wide variety of goods, all grown on their 24-acre farm just outside of town. They sell green beans, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, pumpkins, raspberries, strawberries, aronia berries, a wide variety of cucumbers, peppers and more.

K5 Produce is ?Certified Locally Produced,? which is a voluntary program designed to help assure customers that the produce offered by a certified vendor is not only local, but also homegrown. In times of growing interest of local foods and sustainability, participation in this program provides customers with assurance of locally sourced and reputable foods.

In order for vendors to qualify to become ?Certified Locally Produced,? the vendor must first submit an application and have their farm inspected. Once the vendor has passed the inspection, they are awarded a certificate to hang at their stalls; thus designating themselves as certified. Vendors? farms will be inspected two to three times per season as crops change.

The Klehm family and all of the other local vendors sell their produce at the Fairfield Farmers Market from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays and 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays in Howard Park. Stop by anytime to meet the Klehms and share in their abundance and commitment to the Fairfield community.