Family works hard to live

sustainable lifestyle

RIVER FALLS – Sisu is a Finnish word that is difficult to define. While it has no true equivalent in English, it’s a word that is said to bind and define the Finnish people. Roughly translated, it’s a stoic determination to succeed despite any obstacle, tenacity, grit, bravery, resilience and unending perseverance. It’s digging deep within oneself to keep going no matter what.

While she isn’t of Finnish descent, when Stefani Adams was looking for the perfect name for their newly acquired 1906 farmstead in rural River Falls, she was drawn to the word. It embodied their journey and their desire to never give up on their dream: Living on a farm.

See SISU . FARM & . ORCHARD, Page 9

The historic buildings on the 1906 farmstead are in good condition. Stefani Adams and Scott Filreis hope to continue to be stewards of the property, now named Sisu Farm & Orchard.

Photo by Sarah Nigbor

Three-year-old Arthur Filreis loves to help his parents gather sap from their maple trees. It’s one of the adventures of living at Sisu Farm & Orchard. Photo courtesy of Stefani Adams SISU FARM & ORCHARD

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“It seems fitting, starting and running a farm is hard, but the last two year have been hard for everyone,” said Adams. “Daily there is a new challenge.”

Adams and her husband, Scott Filreis, moved to their 15 acres of paradise in October 2020 from Coon Rapids, Minn. They had been looking for a property to purchase, but ramped up their search once the pandemic struck. Filreis, who works in corporate financial planning, could work from home, so the time was right.

Finding their home was almost like kismet, Adams said. They had actually put in an offer on a neighboring property, but when that didn’t work out, they found this farm. The owners had divided the parcel so it fell into their price range. The well and septic didn’t pass inspection and the house had last been remodeled in the 1960s, but it had been loved and cared for.

“Out of all we looked at, we feel that this one was the closest to our dream,” Adams said. “We have a vision.”

The 1906 farmhouse is actually the second home built on the property, Adams said. The barn and granary are original. The machine shed used to host outdoor weddings with receptions held in the home’s stone basement. It made the previous owners feel better that Adams and Filreis appreciate history and will be caretakers of its legacy, they way they were for 40-plus years. The families still keep in touch over social media and Christmas cards.

When they were living in Coon Rapids, Adams and Filreis owned chickens on their 3-acre lot. They both had always wanted to live a more rural lifestyle, with a love for animals and the outdoors. Filreis’ mother’s family has a deep farming history, so he cherished his hours spent at family farms. They want the same for their children, 3-year-old Arthur and 10-year-old Addison.

“We’re passionate about knowing where our food comes from, what’s in it, its impact on the environment,” said Filreis. “Perhaps Stefani more so, but it’s important to both of us. To discover how to be self-reliant again.”

When Covid struck and grocery store shelves were sometimes sparse, their decision to grow their own food seemed even more beneficial. At first it was about growing enough for their family, but it evolved into being able to support the community.

“The number one thing is to feed the family, but connecting people with food, knowing where they buy it, cooking with it, how it makes you feel, both physically and emotionally,” Adams said.

Sisu Farm & Orchard has grown to include almost 40 chickens (meat and laying), turkeys, ducks and a flock of Icelandic sheep, which will soon grow once lambing season begins.

Their freezer contains meat chickens, pork and ducks they raised. They collect eggs daily from their birds, to eat and to sell. Their love of Viking history led them to raise Icelandic sheep (all have Icelandic names), which are well-suited to the cold, wet winters. They will be used for meat and milk. The flock currently boasts four rams and five pregnant ewes.

“Lambing time coming is like waiting for Christmas morning,” Adams laughed. “I’m not very patient.”

Adams firmly believes that even if an animal’s purpose in life is to be raised for meat, it should still be treated with respect. That’s why she names them, even though she’s heard from others that meat animals shouldn’t be named. She admits she became attached to some of the pigs, who had fun personalities, but ultimately, she keeps in mind their purpose, as does Scott.

“Raising our food should be one of the most basic things in life, but we’ve become so far removed,” Filreis commented.

As one might expect, learning how to raise animals is not easy. They have relied heavily on YouTube videos and trial and error. It helps them to learn from other people’s experiences, as well as their own mistakes. When a chicken coop didn’t turn out how they wanted, they tried again. Sisu means never giving up.

“This notion that you can’t fail, but that’s not how you learn,” Adams said of today’s society. “We are open to mistakes and other people’s input. I used to say I have a black thumb. Last year we raised 200-plus pound of tomatoes.”

This summer, visitors can look forward to fresh produce, eggs, jams, jellies, maple syrup and whole chickens (soy and corn free) at the Sisu Farm & Orchard farmstand. Long-term plans include adding an orchard (the deer feasted on new fruit trees they planted despite high fencing, another learning curve), hosting a farm vendor market and tours, and perhaps remodeling the granary into an Airbnb.

“If it sparks a little bit of interest or desire in that person to learn about it or read about it (sustainable farming),” Adams said about a visit to their farm.

When the thermometer reads 15 degrees below zero and everything seems to be going wrong, Adams and Filreis keep their ultimate goal in mind. This is a lifestyle. They are not spending a lot of money on equipment. Sometimes they haul hay on a child’s sled. Sometimes they don’t want to get out of a warm bed to feed the animals. But in the end, it’s all worth it.

“That’s what it comes down to, think about what you want to do and why you want to do it,” Adams said. “A lot of people can identify with that deepdown tired feeling, but you keep going.”

To follow their journey, follow Sisu Farm & Orchard on Facebook.

Sisu Farm & Orchard produce will be available later this year at their farmstand, which they hope to build at the end of their driveway. Photo courtesy of Stefani Adams

Soon it will be lambing time at Sisu Farm & Orchard, located at W9699 690th Ave., River Falls. The Adams/Filreis family raises Icelandic sheep. Photo courtesy of Stefani Adams

Addison Malin, 10, is a big help at Sisu Farm & Orchard. A fifth-grader at Rocky Branch Elementary in River Falls, she is adjusting to life on a farm. Photo courtesy of Stefani Adams

Sisu Farm & Orchard is home to a flock of Icelandic sheep, who are well-suited for Wisconsin’s harsh winters. Stefani Adams said they are sometimes mistaken for goats. Photo courtesy of Stefani Adams

Stefani Adams and Scott Filreis cherish the old buildings on their historic 690th Avenue farmstead, like this original barn on the property. Photo courtesy of Stefani Adams

At Sisu Farm & Orchard, off 690th Avenue between Ellsworth and River Falls, the chickens rule the roost. On this blustery day, they were tucked inside their coop. Photo by Sarah Nigbor