An agribusiness based in Fort Atkinson has expanded to Cottage Grove, filling the vacant space where America's Best Garden Center resided for nearly 30 years.
Warm Belly Farm and Garden Center at 4311 Vilas Hope Road, which had its grand opening this month, is owned by Francis Wisniewski, an entrepreneur who runs a day trading company in the Chicago area, farm manager Emily Hebbe said.
The former America's Best Garden Center sat vacant for three years before Wisniewski bought the 37-acre property.
The 88-acre Fort Atkinson farm opened in 2018. Wisniewski bought it as a vacation home, but the farm had a few old apple trees, which sparked the owner's interest in opening an orchard. That turned into an all-around passion for learning about the most modern and scientific ways to produce food, Hebbe said.
Now, the Fort Atkinson location is on track to plant 13,000 apple trees by 2024, Hebbe said, and it grows hydroponic strawberries that customers can pick themselves.
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