An area rich in farming and agriculture, Central Pennsylvania is home to an abundance of farmsteads and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). According to local owners and agronomists, these local farmsteads and CSAs play an important role.
CSA owners say their programs influence the local economy, the environment and the community in which we live.
Nell Hanssen, coordinator of GroundWork Farms CSA and Buying Club in Penns and Brush Valleys, said the network of farms offers both CSA shares and opportunities to order products throughout the year as they become available.
“Customers can also sign up for any combination of the shares we offer,” Hanssen said, such as produce, eggs, dairy, bread and herbs. “(They) receive them on a weekly basis throughout the growing season. In addition, CSA members and others on our mailing list receive regular emails about other products that are available for order on a certain day.”
These extra products, Hanssen said, include berries, meats, canned goods, mushrooms, baked goods, whole grain flour and other items.
Members’ shares and other products are delivered to their homes or offices on a weekly basis, he said. Those who live and work outside the delivery area have the option of several pickup locations for share boxes.
“Our main growing season runs from the beginning of June to the end of October,” Hanssen said. “We also have share options available during the winter, including dairy products, eggs, bread, soups and seasonal produce.”
In its ninth year, GroundWork Farms was created with the goal of making it as convenient as possible for customers to get their foods from local farmers, he said, and to provide farmers with a reliable market for their products.
Community Supported Agriculture provides a considerable advantage to the community in a lot of different areas, Hanssen said.
“CSAs offer a system that is good for eaters and also good for farmers,” Hanssen said. “Farmers really appreciate having a reliable outlet for their products throughout the season, and also the benefit of receiving an upfront payment during the time of year when their expenses are highest for items like seeds and other farm inputs.”
Additionally, CSA members themselves reap many benefits, Hanssen said.
Besides a guaranteed source of local products throughout the year, members benefit from a connection to their farmers, he said, which offers them insight into the methods used to produce their foods.
“CSA members can choose farms that use organic methods, that refrain from the use of antibodies and hormones for their livestock and that treat their animals humanely, and they can visit those farms and meet the folks who are raising their foods,” he said. “CSAs also offer the opportunity for seasonal eating, and a connection to the local ecology that is missing from the grocery store aisles.”
GroundWork Farms itself uses organic methods to raise produce and other products, Hanssen said. Refraining from using synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides improves the health of soils and protects air and water from runoff and airborne pollutants, he said.
“Organic family farms can provide a habitat for wildlife as well, through buffer strips, cover crops, plantings that attract pollinators and other beneficial birds and insects, and polyculture cropping,” Hanssen said. “GroundWork’s livestock growers are raising their pigs, cows and poultry on pasture rather than in confinement, which is healthier for the animals and also eliminates the air and water quality problems that arise from systems where animals are confined.”
Besides organic farming, CSAs may also play a role in reducing fossil fuel and emissions use, he said, which is important to the environment.
“Our (GroundWork Farms) farms are located within 30 miles of our customers,” Hanssen said. “Most foods available in the grocery store have traveled, on average, over 1,500 miles to reach our plates.”
Hanssen said eating locally through CSAs creates relationships and opportunities for growth and education.
“Local farms and businesses provide a channel for investing in our community,” he said. “The more channels that are available, the healthier our community becomes. Local dollars multiply, when they stay in our community rather than traveling out of state. (Community Supported Agriculture) membership allows you to connect to the people growing your food, to connect to other local eaters, to visit farms and to learn to cook new foods. It enriches our present and helps us prepare for the future.”
Dave Eckert, who owns and operates Healthy Harvest Farm with his wife Sandy, said his Bellefonte CSA prides itself on allowing its members to pick and choose the produce they want. And part of what makes the business unique is that it emerged through a partnership with Musser Farm, located right next door.
“The CSA is located on Musser Lane … right next to the Musser Farm Market. We started up the business in 2012, and we lease our land from the Musser family,” he said. “After working and managing various other vegetable farms, we were at a point where we decided that we either needed to start up our own business or change careers.”
Eckert said the Musser family was willing to lease them 15 acres, which really enabled him and Sandy to start up the business.
“We are very grateful to them,” he said.
Healthy Harvest Farm offers fresh produce throughout the year. It doesn’t come pre-boxed, Eckert said; instead the distribution is set up like a farmers’ market or produce aisle of a grocery store.
“Our members get to pick and choose the produce that they would like to take home with them,” he said. “If there are some vegetables that they don’t like, they can simply pass them up and take more of the vegetables they do like. We feel that our members really like that feature because it cuts down on food wasting away in the fridge and makes it a better value for their money.”
Additionally, members have access to local meat from Over the Moon farm at Healthy Harvest’s Thursday pickup in State College, Eckert said. And at the Tuesday Bellefonte pickup at the Musser Farm Market, members get the vegetables Healthy Harvest grows for them, and also have access to whatever Musser happens to be selling, he said.
“The (Musser Farm Market) is a great source for local food,” Eckert said. “They have grass fed beef that is raised on the Musser Farm, they have local milk, eggs, honey, crafts from local artisans, and homemade Greek-style yogurt that is out of this world. It really is a one-stop shopping trip for all things local, right here in Bellefonte.”
Healthy Harvest pickup is from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the Musser Farm Market in Bellefonte; and from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Unitarian Fellowship in State College. Summer/fall share starts the first week of June and ends the week before Thanksgiving, and the winter/spring share begins the first week of December and ends the last week of May. For more information visit www.healthyharvestfarmcsa.com.
CSA-State College Listings
Clan Steward Farm Address: 5662 Wesley Chapel Road, Huntingdon What to buy: Beef, pork, lamb, brown eggs and vegetables. Website: www.clanstewartfarm.com
Dancing Creek Farm Address: 193 Barton Hill Road, Port Royal What to buy: Vegetables, fruits, chickens, eggs, fresh herbs, gourds, plants and seeds. Website: N/A
Fallywalker Farm Address: Lower Georges Valley Road, Spring Mills What to buy: Carrots, radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, potatoes and lettuce. Website: www.fallywalkerfarm.com
Friends Farm Address: 142 Friends Farm Lane, Williamsburg What to buy: Vegetables, fruits, eggs, meats and honey bees. Website: members.localnet.com/~buyfresh
Full Circle Farms Address: 132 Goodhart Road, Spring Mills What to buy: Cows, heritage turkeys, chickens, sheep and pigs. Website: www.fullcirclefarms.com
Greenmoore Gardens Address: 193 Eagle Field Road, Port Matilda What to buy: Vegetables, flowers, berries and nuts. Website: www.greenmooregardens.com
GroundWork Farms Address: P.O. Box 158, Millheim What to buy: Produce, dairy, eggs, bread, herbs, pasture-raised meats, whole wheat, rye, and spelt flour, mushrooms and fruits. Website: www.groundworkfarms.com
Healthy Harvest Farms Address: 2423 Jacksonville Road, Bellefonte What to buy: Vegetables Website: www.HealthyHarvestFarmCSA.com
Howard’s End CSA Farm
Address: 345 Hidden Valley Lane, Howard
What to buy: Vegetables, fruits, berries, herbs, mushrooms, chickens and other livestock.
Website: N/A
Jade Family Farm
Address: 1424 Matamoras Road, Port Royal
What to buy: Vegetables and fruits.
Website: www.jadefamilyfarm.com
North Atherton Farmers Market Address: Home Depot parking lot 2615 Greentech Drive, State College What to buy: Vegetables, fruits, dairy, sweets, homemade baked goods, pasta, soaps and beauty products Website: www.nathertonmarket.com
Plowshare Produce Address: 12900 Greenwood Road, Huntingdon What to buy: Spinach, lettuce, radishes, white turnips, peas, scallions, kale, cabbage, broccoli, beet, carrots, zucchini and herbs. Website: www.plowshareproduce.com
Setter Run Farm Address: 855 Forest Ave., Bellefonte What to buy: Eggs, Cornish game hens and broilers and vegetables. Website: setterrunfarm.com
Tait Farm Foods Address: 179 Tait Road, Centre Hall What to buy: Sauces, jams, shrubs and eggs. Website: www.taitfarmfoods.com
Village Acres Farms
Address: 229 Cuba Mills Road, Mifflintown
What to buy: Asparagus, rhubarb, spinach, lettuce, radishes, white turnips, peas, scallions, kale, beets, carrots, strawberries, summer squash and cucumbers.
Website: www.villageacresfarm.com
— Compiled by Brittany Svoboda
