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Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

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Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Buying Straight From the Farm: A Growing Trend in ME

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Monday, February 28, 2011   

FREEPORT, Maine - The popularity of providing locally-grown food to local consumers continues to rise in Maine agriculture. The number of Maine and regional farmers turning toward community-supported agriculture, or CSA, has tripled in the last decade. Under the CSA model, people buy shares in a farming operation on an annual basis. In return, the farmers provide a regular supply of fresh, natural produce throughout the growing season.

Lisa Turner, who owns Laughing Stock Farm in Freeport, says farming is hard work, but the connection to community members is priceless.

"You really get a sense of community; you get to know who is coming but, you know, they're coming week after week. Some people have been coming for ten or twelve years, so you just end up with a lot of stuff to talk about, you meet people you never would have met before."

Popularity for year-round CSAs is gaining with some farmers. Turner's farm offers veggies in the winter by utilizing greenhouses.

Julie Rawson, the executive director of The Northeast Organic Farmers Association, says farmers have huge expenses going into the growing season, and this model relieves a lot of that burden.

"When people who are buying a share put up their money up front, that helps us not have to go into debt. So it's a great way for the consumer and the farmer to work symbiotically; they get their money up front, and then they get their food throughout the season, and you know it's of great value to both sides."

Lisa Turner says that CSAs vary in terms of how the produce is presented and delivered and some offer a choice, while others give you a box or basket of pre-selected produce. She adds that those interested should be sure to shop around and ask questions before joining.

"If you're comparing them, you want to look at how many weeks they run, do you have to pick you own green beans, or is that picked for you, is the bag made up? You know, what suits you best."

CSAs aren't limited to produce; some farms offer shares for eggs, cheese and other products in their weekly distribution.


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