January 29, 2009 Issue
Maverick Farms Launches High Country CSA, A Multi-Farm Project
Maverick Farms, a nonprofit educational center for food and farming, has launched the High Country CSA, a community-supported agriculture (CSA) project linking area consumers to several local vegetable farms.
In a CSA, consumers take direct responsibility for supporting their local foodshed, pre-buying produce before the season begins and pitching in with work during the season. Maverick Farms launched the area’s first CSA in 2005 with 10 members; last season’s CSA had 25 members. The High Country CSA marks an expansion of that effort, said Hillary Wilson, co-director of Maverick Farms.
“As a single farm with three acres under production, our CSA reached its limit in 2008,” Wilson said. “Each year, we’ve had more demand for shares than we could meet. People are getting more and more interested in using their food dollars to support our community economy—and buy the freshest food possible.”
To expand to meet community interest in local food, Maverick Farms has turned to a multi-farm model, inviting other area farms to join. The group has hired Franya Hutchins of Boone to coordinate the High Country CSA project. The coordinator position is funded with a grant from the N.C. Rural Center that Maverick Farms received to fulfill its mission of “reconnecting local food networks and promoting family farms as a community resource.”
“Choosing local food is one of the best ways to support the health of both your family and the community,” Hutchins stated. “Our farmers are committed to growing without the use of chemical pesticides or fertilizers, and CSA members will receive absolutely fresh produce once a week. Our goal as a multi-farm CSA is to make farming viable for locals and the local economy. Having lived in Watauga County all my life, my experiences as both a daughter and a mother here have made creating a stronger local economy a great priority to me.”
Maverick Farms co-founder Tom Philpott concured, adding that High Country CSA can be a tool for building community in the High Country. “We strongly believe that if the High Country is going to create a sustainable and fair food system, many more people are going to have to step up and take responsibility,” said Philpott. “CSAs provide people the opportunity to form direct, supportive relationships with the folks who grow their food.”
For more information about the CSA initiative, contact Hutchins at franya@maverickfarms.com.
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