THIS is a worthwhile program!

FARM LEAGUE: CSAs a chance to
buy local and protect rural land

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By Linda Murphy
Special to The Herald News
Posted May 11, 2010 @ 04:37 PM
Last update May 11, 2010 @ 04:56 PM
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Dartmouth — If there’s one bit of advice that farmer Andy Pollack hopes the public will follow, it’s the local food movement mantra: Eat your view.
One of the best ways to maintain rural farmland and ensure an abundance of locally grown food, he said, is by joining a community-supported agriculture program such as the one he runs at Silverbrook Farm on Chace Road in Dartmouth.


“If your goal is to encourage agriculture in Dartmouth, then the best way to do that is by making the work profitable for local farmers,” he said.
In a CSA program, customers sign up and pay in advance for a share of the farm’s crops, which they pick up at the farm every week during the growing season, which at most area farms starts at the end of June and runs for about 20 weeks. The benefit to farmers over customers purchasing from local farmers markets in the summer is that the CSA advance payments provide farmers with much-needed funds at the start the season.


“We have a lot of money going out in labor this time of year without a lot of money coming in,” he said. “A CSA is a partnership with the farmer.”
In turn, he said, CSA members get the pick of the crop every week at prices discounted below his farmers market prices and the opportunity to reconnect with the farmers that produce their food.
“When I was a kid we had strawberries in June and July and that was it — now you can get blueberries at Christmas and corn all year long. People are so disconnected from their food systems now. They don’t know what’s local anymore,” he said. “With a CSA people bring their kids to a farm so they can have an imprint of the farm. They can see how the fields are being taken care of, how the animals are treated, and they can see that their food is being produced by people who are being paid fair wages.”


Pollack’s parents purchased the farm, which dates back to the 1600s, in 1953 and operated it as a horse farm. When he returned to live at the family homestead about 14 years ago, he decided to give up a successful career in the medical field and devote his time to returning the farm to agricultural production. He said they use sustainable farming practices on the farm — meaning no herbicides or pesticides — elephant manure from Buttonwood Park Zoo in New Bedford and even the natural energy of the farm pig, Ellie Mae, to rut the fields.
Though the first pickup date of June 23 is several weeks away, he’s already inviting members to pick up fresh eggs, which he said he has in abundance right now.
“That’s another benefit; when we’re swamped with something we pass it along to our CSA members,” he said.
But as anyone who has ever tried to grow a vegetable garden in the unpredictable New England weather knows, there’s also a risk: a lousy growing season means smaller crops. In order to mitigate the risk, he said, they’ve entered into a partnership with several other Dartmouth and Westport area farms whose products are also featured at the weekly pickups.


“That’s something that’s a little different at our CSA — most CSAs are just one farm. We try to eliminate the risk by working with other farms. Instead of competing with each other, we all work together.”
When the season officially kicks off on June 23, CSA members, who purchase a half-share (good for about two people) or a full share (a family-sized portion) get to pick out their produce from a makeshift farm stand assembled in the second floor of the barn every Wednesday afternoon. The partnership with the area producers may also feature fresh eggs, herbs, locally made cheeses and jams as well as other farm products throughout the season. Though each week is different, he said a typical CSA share at the height of the growing season in late July, August and September might feature a selection of tomatoes, corn, green beans, blueberries, zucchini and summer squash, eggplant, peppers, peas and braising greens such as kale, bok choy, and Swiss chard.

“It’s wonderful for the kids and it’s very peaceful for the parents,” he said.
For more information, see www.silverbrookdartmouth.com. To find other area CSA programs and for additional information on the growing season, see www.umassd.edu/semap and http://www.farmfreshri.org/.

Very seldom am I able to present my readers with an idea that is timely, forward-looking, worthwhile and desperately needed. This one fulfills all those categories.

The growth of CSA'a, or community-supported agriculture, could solve numerous  problems for the Southcoast region, and Fall River especially.  Our community has precious few areas on it's outskirts that could be successfully utilized to provide money producing buinessses for those intrepid souls with the spirit, patience and talent to grow things. It also would be a way to maintain those areas from further encroachment by those looking to build more useless industrial parks. Green space in urban areas are a most neceassary resource. And the food that would be produced locally could both feed families on relief with cheaper, locally grown  produce and remove  individuals from the welfare rolls. This program works and needs to be expanded.

I wholeheartedly support the rise of CSA's in our region and urge you to support the  farms that provide us all with their agricultural products. A little cooperative farming never hurt a capatalist, and may provide a way to get by for a whole bunch of folks.