CSAs in Lycoming County a Sprouting Business

Raspberries, and blueberries and snow peas--oh my! This is a typical half-share offered by Little Red Hen CSA.

One of the better financial decisions my husband, Rod, and I made this year involved a CSA. CSA, you ask? What might that mean?

According to www.localharvest.org, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer over the last 20 years.

Here’s how it works: a participating farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be occasionally be included, such as freshly-baked bread, jams, jellies, and even fresh eggs.

Interested consumers purchase a share, membership or a subscription--weeks, perhaps even months--before planting season begins.

The farmer designates a specific weekday and time for the consumer to pick up their share of garden bounty, typically beginning in late May or early June and lasting until late September or early October.

In return, consumers receive a box, bag, or basket of seasonal produce for said designated amount of weeks throughout the farming season. Each CSA’s share price and length of share time vary; some farmers permit half-shares for smaller families. Additionally, each CSA varies in whether the consumer must pick up the share, or if the farmer will deliver; some offer both.

The particular CSA we decided to invest in comes from a rich agricultural heritage in Lycoming County. Little Red Hen CSA, on 50 Chestnut Street Extension, located in Muncy Creek Township, is owned and operated by Keith and Susie Styer. They willingly worked with our half-share request.

After payment and the initial paperwork was provided involving our likes, dislikes, and possible food allergies, we had only to wait until Memorial Day weekend to reap the benefits. And what delicious benefits! The cold wet spring affected the strawberry season this year, cutting the narrow harvest window in half, but we were able to sample several baskets of the juicy gems, thanks to Little Red Hen. Fresh rhubarb, eggplant, blueberries, red and black raspberries, sugar peas, snow peas, broccoli, kohlrabi, potatoes, apples, pears, onions, carrots, mouth-watering sweet corn, herbs … each week held a different surprise.

An additional benefit that Little Red Hen CSA provided to us at no extra cost was recipes using the items included in that share’s basket. For example, one week, Susie tucked a recipe using Swiss chard inside the basket; another week she included a recipe for rhubarb pickles.

Advantages that a CSA benefits farmers are that they are able to spend time marketing the food early in the year, before their 16-hour days in the field begin. They also receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm's cash flow, and have an opportunity to get to know the people who eat the food they grow.

Consumers benefit by ingesting the fresh food, are introduced to new vegetables and new ways of cooking, developing a relationship with the farmer who grows their food. Imagine the pleasure of enjoying a garden harvest without weeding or watering!

Consumers may balk at the share asking price, but considering the length of time (15-20 weeks) the produce is received, the cost is negotiable. Some CSAs permit installment payments as well; if the one you are interested in supporting doesn’t, it couldn’t hurt to inquire. Knowing that your money is investing in a local family business, rather than supporting a mega farm in the Midwest, is an incentive to both parties as well.

The most disappointing part of our CSA experience? When the September flood intervened in Lycoming County and abruptly ended the harvest season prematurely, but it was an uncontrollable risk---we are already setting money aside for next year’s share.

Little Red Hen CSA is also found on Facebook, and Susie periodically posts photos and updates pertaining to business activities. They can be contacted at 570-546-7424. A listing of CSAs in your region can be found at www.localharvest.org.