|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|||
|
Choose Organic Produce from Community
Supported Agriculture (CSA) Farms |
|||||
|
CSA farmers aren’t advertising how to get rich farming the land, but how to obtain the riches from the land. An almost religious zeal to educate families about healthy food and growing that food in the safest and healthiest, mostly organic way possible is what these farms have in common. Michigan now boasts over sixty CSAs. The following portraits provide an idea of the diversity in CSA and the hard-working personalities of these dedicated gardeners. Maple Creek Farm This certified organic CSA in Yale began in 1995 with 13 shares. It’s now the largest CSA in Michigan with 750 shares (families) with produce (about 40 types) grown on 55 acres, plus 10 acres for pasture and 10 acres planted in a cover crop for soil fertility. Crops and conditions change yearly, that is the joy and risk of being part of a community. According to Michelle Lutz, owner, 1,000 families would be optimal to eliminate farmers markets, charities and other sources for surplus production. In 2006 Maple Creek Farm was given the award, “Farm Family of the Year” by Michigan Organic Food and Farm Alliance (MOFFA). “I highly respect their work. It made me feel really good that they honored us. I’m one of MOFFA’s biggest cheerleaders. They are very helpful to farmers,” stated Michelle Lutz. A typical CSA season is twenty weeks, May to October, but with five hoop houses, this farm has produce available for an extended season. Maple Creek is not a typical CSA, because of its size everything must run like clockwork to feed this many people. They have a conveyor line to pack boxes, which are refrigerated overnight and delivered the next day to 24 volunteer host drop-off points. Members can volunteer to work cleaning produce or packing boxes, but aren’t required. “I don’t want to ask members to do something they aren’t willing to do. Some members volunteer and we have experienced full-time and part-time workers to do most of the farm work. One Spanish family supplies most of the workers obtained through Michigan Works,” claims Lutz. If you think this is easy, try working from 5 am to 7 pm. In the hot growing season Michelle and her husband Danny add another few hours after dinner. Summers, their three girls, Cemon 19, Conor 13 and Quinn 12 help out. Michelle Lutz also keeps track of 750 families, parenting three active young women, work scheduling, farm events, farm planning, writing newsletters and a cookbook, presentations on eating organic, CSA and farmer activism! Rocky Gardens CSA Diane Franklin says, “I call what I do a ministry to help people get healthy again.” Franklin quit her banking job and in 2002 turned their large personal garden in Davisburg into a CSA. “We started with 13 families, now we have 50 for 2007, which is where we want to be” claims Franklin. Rocky Gardens unbelievably grows approximately 17,000 pounds of produce on one and a half acres. “We do this by planting intensively and using beds instead of rows,” claims Franklin. They have alliances to bring in eggs and fruit to supplement their produce. “Members can cut a bouquet of flowers to go with their vegetables or herbs from the garden. I also help families learn where to purchase healthy meat.” explains Franklin. Diane Franklin can be seen dashing about the farm, assigning tasks, showing members how and where to pick (work is required), how to thin plants or trucking members to picking areas with her ever present golf-cart-like 4-wheeler. She uses simple teaching methods, like instead of members wondering what five pounds of beans are, she provides sized containers for them to fill. Rocky Garden won the "First Ripe Tomato Race" in Michigan for 2002 and beat the winner for 2001 by 21 days. Their first ripe tomato occurred on May 5, 2002 and May 30, 2001! Most people are planting at this time. Their hoop house makes this possible. Franklin suggests, “For home gardens use Wall O’ Water. Follow directions for warming soil and filling the tubes for tomatoes 6-8 weeks earlier. Part of good food education is their website containing garden advice, tips and recipes along with offering different items than typical grocery stores, like ground cherries Physalis pruinosa. A small shrub similar to a common tomato and grown much the same, except a bit hardier and sweet. Best to harvest when they start falling on the ground, thus their name. Jupazza – Vitale Community Co-op Farm Julie Vitale, 36, owner of the Rochester farm, recently changed their name to emphasize the words “community co-op”. “This isn’t Julie Supported Agriculture (JSA), it is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and people must get involved to make it work,” claims Vitale. The word “Jupazza” for her farm name and personality stands for crazy Julie, according to Vitale. The Vitale family, including Lorenzo, 8, Matteo 6 and husband Floyd 43, didn’t set out to be a CSA. “It started by a guy asking to buy tomatoes when he came to a garage sale. People kept asking to buy produce. So I started doing research, attended CSA training and started the CSA in 2004,” remembers Vitale. The thirteen acre farm, three cultivated, also supports a family of six deer. “We plant so many pumpkins and squash in the back that they can’t eat them all,” laughs Vitale. They have about 20 families (members) receiving a bushel a week available 20-25 weeks of the year. “This year I had turnips and carrots in January!” exclaimed Vitale. Their farm also includes many lesser know vegetables, another reason to embrace a CSA. Vitale also teaches classes for members and will include the public this year. She enlists the help of eighth grader students from Oakland Steiner School and assists them raising money for class when she has surplus available. “Kids don’t know where food comes from anymore. I want to give them a connection with their food,” states Vitale. This is one of her major goals along with encouraging sustainability. MSU Student Organic Farm – CSA Located south of MSU campus, the CSA began in 2003 with Michelle Ferrarese (see CSA by Cycle) as Farm Manager and Dr. John Biernbaum, Professor in charge. Starting with 25 memberships, they now have 55 feeding over 200 people and a long waiting list. Sign up is 16 weeks to coincide with student semesters. A farm of ten acres, four cultivated, is active in growing produce, teaching and research. Dr. Biernbaum uses the term “permaculture”. This is defined as sustainable living integrating ecology, landscape, organic gardening agroforestry, ecological economics and social systems. A big accomplishment is five unheated hoop houses generating produce 48 weeks of the year! “Vegetables are planted in standard 2.5 by 8 foot ground beds, in passive solar greenhouses. The plants grow slower. For example baby lettuce might take 21 days to maturity, in the hoop house it could take 100,” states Dr. Bierbaum. The advantages to cooler growing, according to Dr. Biernbaum are fewer pests, less water, and he claims better taste. Primos del Camello This Davisburg CSA has a connection with Llamas which they raise and sell; their farm name meaning cousin of the camel. Sylvia Ritchie and David Janeway have different last names, but are married to each other, farming and animals. They purchased four acres in 1993 and added four more in 1995. Clearing started just after the house was built in 1996. By 2003 they started the CSA with three members, eight in 2006 and hope for twelve this year. “Twelve is all we want, so we can keep it personal,” claims Ritchie. “I pick the produce an hour and a half before the members arrive on their scheduled morning (Tuesday, Thursday or Sunday) every other week, that way it is nice and fresh. They bring bags and boxes to fill,” said Ritchie. The Brocher family has six children. They all come out to help and see the Llamas. One of the interesting things grown at the farm is Luffa cylindrica, yes as in sponges. According to Ritchie they are edible when immature and can be dried for sponges. Llamas are their secret to great soil. Llama poop (which they sell at Clarkston Farmers Market), is added to the soil. “It is a great fertilizer and soil conditioner. The Llamas have three stomachs so the food is processed completely, no seeds and no odor,” claims Ritchie. Ok, now go out and visit a CSA, tour the farm, sample the produce, pet the animals and learn about organic and sustainable farming. Happy eating!
Other CSA Articles by Sandie Parrott: |
|||||
|
|||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
|
|||||
" About Me ~ Articles ~ Resume ~ Links ~ Contact Me "
All art, photos and written material is the
copyright of Sandra (Sandie) K. Parrott
and cannot be used without permission from the owner.
