Residents Can Partner With Area Farmers
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The local farmers market is not the only way to find the freshest homegrown foods. Community Supported Agriculture – or CSA – farms allow residents to purchase shares from their area farmers before the season begins. “The consumers have basically loaned us money, but they’re getting produce throughout the season,” said Ray Tyler, farm manager at Rose Creek Village Farms. The pre-purchase buy-in goes towards things such as seed, fertilizers, and feed. It also helps farmers project how – and how much – to grow. “We were committed to them and they committed to us. So now, you have people that are committed to take taking care of each other,” said Tyler. “They’re committed to taking care of me financially, and I’m committed to taking care of their family.” That commitment means bringing the best farm fresh foods to familiar faces. “If I’m growing a tomato, I want to grow the best, high quality, chemical-free tomato, because I have a customer’s face,” said Tyler. For Susan Melton-Piper of Mammaw’s Heirloom Gardens, CSA works on a smaller scale – growing fresh produce on her land, and her neighbors’. “Basically, they’ve just said, ‘Come on over and just work the land to your heart’s content, and use whatever you need to grow fresh produce,” said Melton-Piper. “We wanted to see how it would take off, and it has really taken off. Every year – this is our third year – and every year, we’ve had a waiting list.” A growing waiting list means growing more food. “We know the farmer, we like him, we like his family, we like the way he’s raising our food, and we want to support that,” said Tyler.
