Community Supported Agriculture depends on consumer commitment to thrive
Consumers can reap the benefits of knowing where their food comes from by partnering with local farmers to purchase shares of seasonal, fresh grown produce directly through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).
In exchange, high quality fruits and vegetables can be enjoyed as a stakeholder along with dairy, meat, and sometimes flowers, herbs, or even baked goods distributed weekly or bi-weekly at designated pick up and delivery locations.
According to the Pennsylvania State University Department of Agriculture, CSAs provide farmers with up-front income to cover at least the variable expenses of producing the crops.
Despite success stories of CSA’s across the state, the concept is not taking root locally at Christner Farms in Dawson, Fayette County.
Owner Matt Christner said he’s been having a tough time getting people to commit because they don’t want to take a risk with production.
“People are reluctant to put up front money and be part of the investment,” said Christner.
As a result, Christner has changed gears to operating a farmers market he opened last year that includes products from vendors in neighboring counties. He also attracts business by posting produce on social media.
So far, Christner said, the move is proving profitable.
“This year I quadrupled production,” said Christner, who went from planting 600 tomatoes to 2,000.
He was also able to buy new machinery.
After picking cucumbers one morning, Christner noted he had a customer within fifteen minutes of posting them on his farm’s Facebook website.
Christner said the farmers market will open next week when tomatoes and corn will be ready for the season adding to his assortment of vegetables. He also plans to sell his produce at a farmers market in Ligonier.
Hours of operation are set for 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported a total of 8,268 farmers markets in the United States in 2014, up from 1,755 in 1994 and 3,706 in 2004.
Because the government does not track CSAs, localharvest.org said there is no official count of how many there are in the U.S., but currently has over 4,000 listed in its database.
Getting consumers to share in the harvest of local food production is just the opposite at Republic Food Enterprise Center (RFEC), according to Bob Junk, sales and marketing director.
The Center operates similar to a CSA with its Local Eats, Local Treats buying program in which consumers sign up for shares of seven to 10 different varieties of locally grown produce distributed either weekly or bi-weekly at designated pick-up locations.
The market operates from May to November and lists a harvest schedule of items on its website.
Value added items that are created in a shared use kitchen are also offered such as jams, sauces, pickles and salad dressings that is in the process of being expanded to include consumer requested product lines.
“The more we can work with area farms and provide local produce, the more we will help the local agriculture industry in the community,” said Junk.
Junk further stressed RFEC’s commitment to educate the public on the nutritional value and economic impact of eating and sourcing local food products through social media and a weekly talk show he hosts, “Locally Yours,” airing from 11:15 a.m. to noon each Friday on WMBS in Uniontown.
Those interested in joining the Be Local Network can contact Clint Rhodes at 724-439-7518 or by email at crhodes@heraldstandard.com. Discount cards are available at the 无毛视频-Standard, 8 East Church St., Uniontown, and at the Greene County Messenger, 82 West High St., Waynesburg.