The Wedge Co-op said it has decided to sell the Gardens of Eagan, one of the state’s best-known farms and a pioneer in producing locally grown organic food.

The Minneapolis-based co-op bought the organic farm seven years ago for $1.5 million. Its original owners were Martin and Atina Diffley, who in 1973 began farming in Eagan, then in 1991 relocated their “Gardens of Eagan” to 97 acres in Farmington.

On Tuesday, the co-op announced plans to sell the 116-acre property — to a buyer “who will preserve the integrity of the land and maintain the organic practices and operations” — in order to devote the co-op’s funds to retail and food distribution, not food production.

Wedge CEO Josh Resnik noted that the growing popularity of organic food means that “we now have other viable options that didn’t exist seven years ago.”

Writing to the co-op’s members, Resnik said, “Ideally, the new owner/s will continue to employ individuals currently working at the farm, maintain the farming practices and preserve the Gardens of Eagan brand that we have all worked so hard to build during the past seven years.”

Tom Webb can be reached at 651-228-5428. Follow him at twitter.com/TomWebbMN.