CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. -- If anyone has ever wondered where Wegmans produce comes from, some of it begins life at the company’s Organic Farm and Orchard on Canandaigua Lake.

Around there, everything old is new again.

“We’re going full circle,” said Stency Wegman, who oversees the farm and orchard. “Now we’re going back to the farm, we’re starting all over again, and we’re doing it the way they probably did it hundreds of years ago.”

That means using labor-intensive natural growing methods and avoiding things like chemical pesticides.

But there’s also innovation: the farm is trying to push the envelope on what has traditionally been grown in the region.

“There’s an incredible amount of opportunity in the Northeast, especially when we think about the weather challenges they’re having across the U.S. and different areas of the world,” said farm and orchard manager Nate August. “We have some really great natural resources here. So it’s just a matter of applying the right technologies from around the world to make things work really well here.”

Demand for organic is growing, but growing organic can be demanding.

To keep up with organic sales increases, Wegmans is working with local farms throughout the Northeast to improve organic farming methods and supply produce to their nearest stores.

The company says it gives customers a chance to support the local economy.

“That’s really what our customers are looking for, the desire to purchase organic but also support our regional organic partner farms,” said Amy Cimino, Wegmans organic regional partner farmer merchant.

Mason Farms in Williamson has partnered with Wegmans for 100 years.

“I go into the same produce department,” said the farm’s Lewis Mason. “And when I see somebody in the produce department pick up something I grew, it’s very satisfying.”