What is a CSA?

Weekly CSA share at Willow Haven Farm

It’s late-July and vegetable production is in full swing across the state.  I know my garden is so awash with produce I can barely keep up with yield, so much so that I’ve been doling out zucchinis to my friends at every social function.  Vegetable farmers are equally inundated with produce this time of year.  To ensure they have an outlet for these crops, many vegetable farms offer CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, shares.  The premise behind a CSA program is to encourage consumers to create a closer relationship with the farmer and get a closer look at how their food is grown.

In a CSA, consumers support farmers by paying for a share of the harvest before each growing season.  This helps the farmer purchase seeds, equipment, and pay farm hands when needed, instead of waiting until the harvest to bring in funds.  By paying upfront, consumers are assuming the risks of crop failure due to pests, diseases and weather, just like farmers do each year.   The majority of these risks can be managed with proper planning and diagnosis, but there are some that cannot be avoided.  If a farmer’s tomato harvest is destroyed by late blight and the cucumbers are thriving, that would be reflected in the weekly share – no tomatoes but ample cucumbers.  This CSA structure allows consumers to be more closely connected with how food is grown, while helping to support the farmers by removing unpredictability of income.

CSAs are growing in popularity.  Current estimates show that there are between 30,000 and 50,000 people in the U.S. that belong to a CSA.  CSAs can range in size, from smaller operations with 10 or 20 members to much larger operations with a few hundred members.  Most CSAs provide a variety of eight to twelve vegetables, herbs and fruits in their share each week in the summer, with an average of five to seven pounds of vegetables.  CSAs offer weekly share pickups in the summer, while winter CSAs may only distribute once or twice a month because of lower produce availability.

CSAs are a great way for consumers to help support local farmers and make sure they eat their veggies each week.  By having a set amount and type of veggies each week, you have to learn to both cook and eat them!

Sources: http://extension.psu.edu/business/ag-alternatives/others/community-supported-agriculture-csa

Support Your Farmer:

LEHIGH VALLEY:  Willow Haven Farm nestled in the rolling hills of the Blue Mountain in rural Weisenberg Township grows natural, chemical free vegetables for their CSA.  The farm also raises chickens, sheep and cows.  Come visit Willow Haven Farm on the 2013 Lehigh County Open Gate Farm Tour!

BUCKS: Blooming Glen Farm in Perkasie grows a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers, available at farmer's markets and through their CSA. 

Say Chevre!

Dove Song Dairy

According to the USDA, the goat industry in the U.S. is growing.  Internationally goats and goat’s milk are very popular; in fact, goat’s milk is the most consumed milk in the world.   There are over 210 breeds of goats and approximately 450 million goats worldwide, with the majority of the population in Asia and the Mid-East.

Last year, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, there were about 63,500 goats in Pennsylvania  and about 15,000 of those goats were dairy goats.  The majority of the goat milk produced in the U.S. is utilized for cheese production.  Goat milk is well-suited for cheese production because it is slightly higher in fat content than cow’s milk. The higher fat content increases the amount of cheese that can be produced per gallon of milk. 

Female goats – does or nanny goats –produce milk after giving birth.  Goats are seasonal breeders, like deer, that go in heat in the fall and have their babies in the following spring.  The does will produce milk for an average of 284 days with peak production occurring 4 to 6 weeks after giving birth, so farmers usually need to process a large flush of milk in spring.    

There are six major dairy goat breeds: Saanen, Nubian, Toggenburg, LaMancha, Oberhasli, and Alpine. Average milk production from the 6 main breeds ranges from 1,820 to 2,577 pounds per year!  Some Saanen and Alpine goats have been known to produce up to over 5,000 pounds of milk.

A goat’s diet can have a big impact on the flavor of the cheese.  Goats are good browsers and can select high-quality plants they need for a balanced diet.  The type of plants they choose to eat can affect the taste and quality of the cheese.  This allows farmers to produce unique cheese flavors by planting specific forages out in the pasture.

Sources: PSU Ag Alternatives,  USDA The Goat Industry, Florida A&M Goat Facts

Support Your Farmer:

LEHIGH VALLEY:  Stryker Farms is a 47-acre pasture-based livestock farm situated between the Lehigh Valley and Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. Their farm operates on the principle that all animals are entitled to fresh air, sunshine and plenty of open space. They produce goat meat, raw goat milk, cheese, and yogurt as well as heritage breed pork, and pastured eggs.  They hope you will visit the farm and see what they're all about!  

BERKS: Dove Song Dairy, is an old-fashioned family farm located in the rolling hills of Berks County. Their farm, which dates back to the colonial era, uses a modern-day milking facility they designed to ensure quality conditions for their milk and comfort for our animals. Their 200 goats, made up of mostly Alpines and LaManchas are individually named and enjoyed by friends and family alike. Dove Song Dairy is located in Bernville and produces certified raw goat milk, goat milk soap, and artisan goat milk cheeses. 

Knee High by the Fourth of July

There are several types of corn: sweet, pop, flour, silage, or grain. Each have been historically bred, selected, and adapted for different uses. In Pennsylvania, most of the corn fields you see are silage or grain corn used to feed livestock. Over the course of this past week, you may have heard the phrase “knee high by the fourth of July” in conversation, but what does it mean and why wouldn’t corn reach knee height?

“Knee high by the fourth of July” is an old adage that has served as a benchmark for a good yield of corn at harvest time. With new varieties allowing farmers to plant earlier, most corn crops surpass knee height by Independence Day, but there are cases when the corn doesn’t reach the desired height. Here are a few reasons why: 

Low pH: Corn growth can be stunted when the soil pH is too low, since soil pH plays a critical role in the availability of nutrients. Aluminum and Manganese particularly become more available at low pH levels, and can reach toxic concentrations that could suppress growth or kill the plants. Low soil pH also decreases the available of key nutrients the plants need like nitrogen and phosphorus. To adjust the pH, farmers would need to apply lime in the fall, in hopes of a better harvest for next year. The ideal soil pH for corn is between 6 and 7.

Shallow planting depth: Corn should be planted about 1.5 inches deep. Corn planted at a depth one inch or less, could have poor root development. Once and if the plants germinate, the shallow roots, being so close to the soil surface, are likely to dry out faster during hot, dry weather; whereas, kernels planted at the proper depth will have roots that can access deeper soil moisture.

Weather: This spring brought heavy rain and cool conditions. Heavy rain can ruin soil structure, by compacting the soil, eliminating pore space for water infiltration, and creating a soil surface that is sealed and crusted. The crusted, compacted soil prevents water from soaking through to the plants roots, creating a difficult environment for plants to survive. Increasing organic matter, crop rotations, manure applications, and reduced tillage could help improve soil structure for future plantings.

Sources: http://extension.psu.edu/plants/crops/grains/corn

Support Your Farmer:

LEHIGH VALLEY: Newhard Farms is a 5th generation grain and vegetable farm located in North Whitehall Township, Lehigh County. Don Newhard and his son Joel are currently farming over 2500 acres of crops, which include corn, wheat, soybeans and sweet corn. In the summer, their primary focus is growing and selling their premium quality sweet corn. Most of the sweet corn they grow is sold at The Corn Shed, which is located on their farm in Ruchsville.

BERKS: Fisher’s Farm Fresh Produce is located in Oley. The Fisher family has been farming in the Oley Valley for over 200 years and a sizeable portion of the family's 150+ acre farm is now devoted to growing sweet corn. Fisher's Farm Fresh Produce also offers an array of fresh vegetables for sale.

BUCKS: Eastburn Farm is a family operated farm located in Pineville. They sell delicious white sweet corn starting in mid-July through September, as well as tomatoes through the summer season. They also sell pumpkins, ornamental squash, and gourds in the fall.