Picha farm: Experience the charm of a farm in Eden Prairie

If you are looking for a true farm experience when selecting your perennials, annuals, and vegetables, visit the Picha farm in Eden Prairie.

Just a short jaunt off Eden Prairie Road and over the railroad tracks, you will find a dirt road leading to the farmstead and its charming farmer’s market.  It’s owned and operated by a five-generation farm family with roots going back to the 1800s.

Today, the Picha farm is owned and operated by Terry Picha and his wife, Kathy.  They do it all: planting, harvesting, and selling. And, word has it that Terry is quite the cultivator. If you’re lucky, he may just share a few of the prize seeds he created.

The original 1800s buildings still stand, and the old barn keeps watch over the patrons as they make their selections. After Terry showed me around the farm, I too was more than ready to shop. I carefully chose a pumpkin and moved on to the incredible varieties of squash. 

I chose a squash to examine it and must have had a perplexed look on my face. I was wondering how I would prepare this colorful little character when Kathy Picha offered a bit of advice.

“That’s a spaghetti squash,” she said. Hoping I was about to get a bit of much-needed culinary advice, I leaned in.

“You just need to steam it. The skin is delicious and really good for you. Just put it in the oven for 30 minutes.”

Her words were exactly what I needed.

Sure, people shop Picha farm for the produce and plants, but you can get that anywhere. The Picha farm experience adds an extra touch to the bounty on display.

Yes, the produce and flowers are delicious, but it was the bit of advice and the healthy dose of hometown charm that made the visit priceless. Those were the elements that gives Picha farm its special quality. And, it’s right here in Eden Prairie.

Check out their incredible spring plant sale, too.  The sale itself is legendary among the locals. 

For more information, see www.pichagreenhouses.com.

All photo credits: Kelley Regan