Wellspring

This is one cool place!I've been to two classes here recently and absolutely love what Wellspring is all about. It's a CSA, it's a bed and breakfast, it's a working farm, and it's an educational facility.The classes I took were Introduction to Cheesemaking and Advanced Cheesemaking. Both were taught by Herbalist and Cheesemaker Linda Conroy. And each six hour session was packed with so much great information I could not take notes fast enough. We received an eight page packet full of recipes, food sourcing information, and additional tips and links, which was a good base for our learning that day.In the intro class we learned to make our own butter from fresh (the cow was milked less than 24 hours before the class) dairy cream. It was much easier than I expected and voila, we had butter for our fresh baked sourdough bread that would be served at lunch.The we learned, hands-on, how to make fresh feta cheese. Because the process requires significant drying time Linda had finished product to share - both for our lunch, and to take home. We packed the dense white chunks into small canning jars with sprigs of fresh rosemary and filled the jars with extra virgin olive oil. Linda explained that the rosemary would infuse the oil and the porous cheese and preserve it without refrigeration indefinitely.She also shared variations on the starter recipe to make both paneer and farmer's cheese. Lunch at both classes was the most gourmet of farm to table spreads. We had fresh churned butter on fresh baked salt crusted sourdough. Linda made a delectable egg and vegetable baked and shared many of her fabulous canned goods. There was applesauce, and candied kumquats. Cherries and olives. And everything was divine.The afternoon of the basic class consisted of finishing up our feta and then making a 30 minute mozzarella to take home.The advanced class began with how to make aged gouda and aged cheddar for your home cheese cave. We learned to press the fresh curds into molds and continually extract the whey. After lunch we pulled the cheese from the forms and learned the aging process, as well as flavors we could incorporate into each cheese.Our final project of advanced class was creating squeaky and fun curds from scratch. And as good as those taste you would not believe how simple the process was. And taste testing the warm little nuggets was pretty cool too.I never would have imagined learning all the concepts and techniques that I did, but thanks to Linda and Francie from Wellspring, learning like this is accessible to anyone.I absolutely see myself going back for other classes. Cooking with Herbs, and Brunch Class have peaked my interest right now. But I check their site often to see what new classes have been added and I highly recommend that you do the same!

I signed up for the CSA here this spring b/c I didn't know if there would be any farmers' markets open due to Covid. The fact that there were still openings available this late in the season should have been my first red flag--most of the better CSAs are sold out long before this. In a nutshell, while I'm sure these folks MEAN well, the end result has been disappointing, to say the least.First of all, according to the website, I would be able to pick up my box from the dropoff location between 3 AM and 8 PM. As I work 2nd shift, this sounded great; I'd be able to pick up in the morning before work. However, immediately before pickups were to begin, an email was sent out saying we could pick up between 4 PM and 8 PM. This is a problem--I'm at work from noon to 8:30 or 9 PM. A friend was willing to do the pickup for me, so I found a solution, but even though I notified Wellspring that the pickup time was WAY off, I don't think it's been corrected on the site yet.I signed up for a small share, and they're not kidding, it is small indeed. Some of it is what I'd call "junk" produce. I received purslane twice, which, although edible, is a weed and doesn't really require cultivation. I received violet leaves, which are only borderline edible, and the same thing about not needing cultivation. I received "broccoli greens", which are the leaves cut from the broccoli plants, but interestingly, I have not received any actual broccoli. This all gives the impression that the CSA shares don't get the "real" produce, only the stuff that can't be sold elsewhere b/c no one would buy it. I received yellow crookneck squash that had been allowed to get so large that the lower portion was entirely seeds and thus useless; the neck was so tough that it was inedible. I suspect that they allowed gourds to cross-pollinate with their squash, likely not knowing any better. The zucchini also has been allowed to get too big and is mushy inside. I've been receiving onions and garlic regularly, but since these are FALL crops, they haven't been dried/cured so they will keep. I don't consider it a bonus that I get to do that part... The website goes on about the advantage of getting FRESH produce, but much of what I've received appeared to have been harvested LONG before it got to me, or else was indeed harvested recently but stored incorrectly. Within a few days of receiving it, I have to pick slimy bits out of my salad mix. The eggplant I stored in a plastic bag in the fridge has shriveled and gone soft in less than a week. Some of my tomatoes were showing sunken spots when I received them. I don't expect "supermarket perfect" produce, but I don't expect produce that is on the edge of being spoiled, either.It has not been a terrible year for growing, so I don't believe these problems can be put off onto bad weather. I suspect that it's more a failure of knowledge and perhaps labor problems, too. I understand that part of being in a CSA is to help share the risk of bad weather and other crop problems, but this seems to be a very different sort of problem.Overall, the impression is that Wellspring is scrambling every week to find something, anything, to put in the CSA boxes. I understand that organic produce costs more than conventional, but I am quite sure I could go to Outpost and get much more produce (locally grown, organic, better quality) for my money than I'm getting at this CSA. I grew up on a dairy farm and we always had a huge garden. I am VERY familiar with what to expect in terms of quality and freshness from real "garden fresh" produce, and sadly, Wellspring falls short much of the time. I wish the best for everyone there, but I will definitely not be returning, at least not anytime soon.

I attended one of their classes with a friend a couple years ago and really enjoyed it. Great presenter at a beautiful country location! I moved to the area 3 years ago and have tried to volunteer with them a couple of times but it is really just not worth the time and effort. I've had to deal with 2-3 different point persons and it was always disorganized and confusing. This year was the worst! I contacted them early last spring about summer/fall volunteering with their education stuff and festivals and never heard back. Well, I did hear back but only a matter of days before the event and I was no longer available. I dunno, I just get the impression that this place isn't what it once was. I've volunteered with so many other non-profits, many of which were much younger, and the processes wer way more organized and straightforward. Being in the Greater Milwaukee Area, they need to step up their game if they want volunteers or even people to participate in their programs, because there are so many other options nearby!