Eating Well, Doing Good: Community Supported Agriculture

   Did you know that the average piece of produce travels 1,000-1,500 miles from field to table? Can you imagine how much fuel it takes to move all that food from one place to another. Facto? in the time involved in picking, packing, shipping, wholesaling, stocking at the grocery, and your showing up to buy it. How fresh is your tomato?

   And . . . who grew that tomato? Was it grown in a country where there are no laws regarding which chemicals can be used and how many times? Was it grown on depleted soil so that it contains no vitamins or minerals? Has is been irradiated? Is it grown from genetically modified seeds? Are you getting the pictures?

   Okay, here's another option: You drive a mile or so, pick up a box of produce harvested that day, chat with the farmer who grew the produce, and go home with a week's worth of locally, organically, and seasonally grown delicious food for your family. Which one makes sense?

   The second scenario involves an idea whose time has truly come - Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). CSAs can take many forms and are infinitely adaptable to both the needs of the farmer and the needs of the consumer. The basic premise is that a group of people promise to buy what the farmer grows for their mutual benefit.

   The farmer can plant knowing that his efforts will be rewarded and his produce sold. The consumers know they will get good tasting, fresh, local and varied food. Some CSAs ask that members help out on the farm from time to time. Most do not.

   Gary and Sarah Rowland, of Hairston Creek Farm near Burnet, sell memberships in their CSA to 100 families. Each member pays a week in advance and a box is delivered to a mutually agreeable location. In that 1/2 bushel box are about 12 varieties of fruits and vegetables that have been grown on the Rowland's certified organic farm. The variety changes from week to week and there is enough to feed a family of four average eaters or two adult vegetarians for the week.

   The Rowlands grow about 50 varieties of vegetables from asparagus to zucchini, making it easy to ensure diversity in the box of goodies each week. Strawberries, blackberries, and peaches are included in season.

   Members can also sign up for a "plus share," which means that in addition to the produce they get either eggs, jam, pickles or pesto. (The spinach pesto is to die for!)

   Beginning in April when crops begin to mature and running until Thanksgiving, the 32 week season provides a convenient way for members to enjoy fresh food for most of the year. They are also able to develop a relationship with the people who grow the food, feel some connection with where their food comes from, and know that their diet is as nutritious as it can be.

   Members are welcome to visit the farm, but most opt to have their produce dropped off in town. Basic membership in the Hairston Creek CSA is $25 per week, plus shares add $3.50 per week. Quarterly payments are also an option and cost is reduced somewhat.

   CSAs are a relatively new concept in Texas. In New England where small family farms are more common, the idea has taken hold quickly. In many cases, the farmers initiate the CSA by offering shares to people in their area. In other cases, interested consumers look for farmers who are willing to work for them.

   CSAs involves responsibility on both sides on the agreement. The customer has to agree to pay for the food in advance, pick it up at the assigned time and place, and to accept some risk for failed crops. The farmer, on the other hand, has to be responsible for growing the food, meeting organic standards, and making sure even when one crop fails, something else is available to fill the gap.

   Consumers should know that sometimes organic corn has earworms, sometimes the tomatoes are not absolutely perfect looking, sometimes the potatoes still have some dirt on them.

To find a CSA near you, check at your local farmer's market or contact the Fulton Center for Sustainable Living, Wilson College, 1015 Philadelphia Ave, Chambersburg PA 17201 or www.csacenter.org for a list of CSAs. Contact Hairston Creek Farm at 512-756-8380, visit their website at www.moment.net\~hcf or email hcf@moment.net.

The Good Fruits - Who Benefits and How?