The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Geauga County farmers seeing benefits of selling directly to customers
Geauga County farmers seeing benefits of selling directly to customers
For Miller Organic Produce owner Andy Miller, the Geauga Family Farms Community Supported Agriculture program is another way to sell directly to his customers.
Miller Organic Produce, located in Middlefield, is one of nine farms, most of which are Amish, currently involved in the CSA. All of the farms in the cooperative which started in 2009 are certified organic.
“It’s been nice for us,” Miller said. “We can sell more at a fair price to the farmers because there’s no middle man.”
The Geauga Family Farms CSA program offers subscriptions for a share of produce available in the summer and winter.
Summer shares come in three sizes. The small share is enough for one person to have several servings throughout the week. The medium share is enough for two to three people to have several servings throughout the week and the large share provides enough for four people.
The summer program is 20 weeks long, which runs from June through mid-October. In previous years, a 15-week program that began in July was also offered, but now people can subscribe anytime during the season for a prorated price.
Produce included in the shares can vary from year to year. Early-season produce can include foods like lettuce, collard greens and strawberries. Mid-season produce can include foods like tomatoes cucumbers and peppers and late- season produce can include items like sweet corn, potatoes and squash.
This year, farm representative Laura Dobson said, they are trying different varieties of produce like Caraflex cabbage and Cylindra beets.
For the summer season, small shares are $300, medium shares are $450 and large shares are $750.
The winter season runs in six-week blocks beginning in mid-October and continues as long as produce is available. Unlike the summer season, the winter shares only come in one size and provide enough for three or four people to have several servings throughout the week. Applications to subscribe for the winter season are available in September.
Miller said the farmers involved in Geauga Family Farms share ideas and meet to determine who will plant what before the season. The farmers double-up on what they produce so if one farm has a crop that flops, maybe the other one won’t, Miller said.
The produce is delivered to more than 20 sites each week, with pick-up on Tuesdays, Thursdays or Saturdays depending on location. Deliveries are made to sites in five counties — Geauga, Lake, Cuyahoga, Trumbull and Summit.
Pick-up sites include the Lake County History Center in Painesville Township, Sage’s Orchard in Chardon, Hill’s Family Karate in Mentor and the Marigold Bed & Breakfast in Chester Township. Once a pick up site is chosen, it cannot be changed according to the Geauga Family Farms’ website. Any shares that are not picked up are donated to a hunger center or a family in need.
Pick-up is also available directly from Miller Organic Produce. Those choosing to go this route receive a $50 discount.
The subscriptions are paid up front (though a payment plan is available for those who sign up early), which Miller said helps him and the other farmers pay for needed supplies and other farm-related items like fertilizer and seeds.
It also takes away some of the uncertainty in pricing.
“We know what we’ll get for it before it’s planted, as long as it can grow,” Miller said.
Another benefit, Miller said, is the CSA allows him to meet and interact with new people.
“I like to see people concerned with what they’re eating,” he said.