Growing interest in food suppliers boosts agriculture consortiums

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/business/articles/2008/07/11/20080711biz-csafarms0711.html

Just off 16th Avenue in Phoenix, next to the roaring Interstate 17, sits a 40-acre parcel that helps feed thousands of people each week.

It's home to Crooked Sky Farms, one of a handful of community-supported agriculture programs, often called CSAs, offering metro Phoenix consumers a healthy - and oftentimes cheaper - alternative to grocery store produce.

The farms have grown in popularity during the past few years as more people seek organic products and become more discerning about where their food comes from and how it's processed, said Julie Murphree, spokeswoman for the Arizona Farm Bureau.

"It's a unique and very valuable way to access fresh and local produce," Murphree said.

Rising gas prices, which have hiked food processing and delivery costs, also may be contributing to the community-farming trend that is blossoming nationally. The trend probably won't go away, because the U.S. Department of Agriculture expects food prices to rise between 4.5 percent and 5.5 percent this year.

What's more, a recent survey by the National Gardening Association said that spending on vegetable plants jumped 21 percent and spending on herbs rose 45 percent as more consumers search for locally grown organic food.

"In the last couple of years, people are way more educated," said Kelly Saxer, owner of Desert Roots Farm in Queen Creek. "I think they're really becoming more involved and taking some ownership in what they eat."

Saxer, who started her community-supported program in 2003, said her membership doubled in the past three years. Her 25-acre farm now serves 225 families, and she recently leased additional land to help meet a growing demand for organic food.

"It's finally kind of caught on, and people are seeking us out," Saxer said. "People are definitely into supporting local agriculture and knowing where their money is going."

Frank Martin of Glendale, who has operated Crooked Sky Farms since 2002, said his members are also interested in supporting the local economy.

Also known as "Farmer Frank," Martin said his farm added 150 members since last summer. He serves about 800 members during the summer season, but will average closer to 1,200 during the fall and winter seasons, which produce a larger variety of crops, he said.

CSA members typically pay to become part of their farm communities at the start of each season. The farmer uses that money, usually between $20 and $25 a week from each member, to plant, grow and harvest the crops. Members then receive a share of the produce, which can be picked up or delivered, depending on the farm.

For some, the CSA experience goes beyond the benefits of eating healthy or saving money on food, said Shyrron Kolb, who started Whole Earth CSA in Waddell in 2006. Many of her members are residents new to the area looking for a sense of "community."

"The whole point of a CSA is to get the farmer and the people connected to one another," Kolb said. "People are moving from elsewhere where they had a connection with a farm, perhaps."

Kolb farms 2 acres of land and serves about 60 members. But she usually has more people wanting to join the CSA than she can feed, she said.

Still, farmers say CSAs aren't for everyone. The programs require understanding from members who receive the same type of produce weekly for 10 to 12 weeks.

"You really have to kind of commit to eating what's in season," Saxer said.

One of Saxer's members, Colleen Byron of Tempe, said it takes creativity to know what to do with so many radishes and eggplants each season. But she calls herself the CSA's biggest fan.

"If you allow your CSA to expand your horizons, the payoff is just huge," Byron said. "My life is so much better because Kelly is doing what she's doing."

Byron started her membership with Desert Roots Farm two years ago, and the produce makes up the bulk of the groceries used in her vegan diet.

Knowing her farmer well also brings peace of mind.

"I know she's not out there at midnight spraying pesticides on her crops to get a higher yield," Byron said. "I trust her completely."