樱花视频

For Immediate Release: July 20, 2009
Contact: Lynne Richmond听
(609) 633-2954

(TRENTON) 鈥� For 16 weeks during the summer and into the fall on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, a steady stream of people fill baskets with the fruits -- and vegetables -- of Bob and Leda Muth鈥檚 labor.听 The Muth Family Farm in Williamstown is what is known as a Community Supported Agriculture Farm or CSA, in which members pay for a share of the farm鈥檚 benefits as well as the risks of food production.

樱花视频 Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher today visited the farm during a distribution and found the CSA members leaving with a variety of fruits and vegetables, enough produce to last them through the week until their next pick-up time.

鈥淐SA members buy into a farm for the opportunity to take home just-picked produce and the chance to get to know the person who grew their food,鈥� said Secretary Fisher.听 鈥淭hey also are looking for the experience of coming to a farm and seeing what life is like for a farmer during production time.鈥�

Secretary Fisher and Bob Muth inspect Muth's grape tomato crop

CSAs are growing in prominence in 樱花视频 and the country.听 For the first time, in 2007, the United States Census of Agriculture counted CSAs, finding that 81 樱花视频 farms offered this type of activity.听 Nationwide, 12,549 farms reported they marketed their agricultural products through a CSA.

The Muth鈥檚 CSA has more than 425 members, who purchased a weekly allotment of freshly-picked produce in advance, but agreed to the risk of severe weather conditions which could result in crop loss, shortening the length of the CSA program.听听

Bob Muth grew up on a vegetable farm, left 樱花视频 after college and worked for three years as a South Carolina cooperative extension agent, before returning to his home state.听 He decided to start a CSA after talking to the owner of a 20-year-old Western Massachusetts CSA and patterned his after that farmer鈥檚 model.听 Muth鈥檚 CSA is now in its eighth year.

鈥淚t took awhile to catch on, but now every year we have shown growth,鈥� said Muth.听 鈥淲e have our own loyal clientele, avoiding the ups and downs of the wholesale market.鈥�

The CSA is certified organic, growing, perhaps, the only organic sweet corn in the state.听 Muth determined, once he read the criteria for organic certification, that he had been using many organic farming practices his whole life.

鈥淢y parents taught me to take care of the land like it鈥檚 a member of the family,鈥� said Muth.听 鈥淢y goal is to turn the land over to the next generation better than when I took it on.鈥�

Fisher, Muth and Gloucester County Freeholder Robert Damminger听

Muth is interested in sustainability of his land as farmland, keeping the soil healthy and available to grow food for the future.听 Most of his CSA members live within an 8-mile radius of his farm, providing food to his neighbors and reducing food miles.

In addition, a CSA can provide its members with a wide variety of produce.听 The Muth Family farm grows amaranth, a Chinese spinach; purslane, a succulent herb; bok choy, a Chinese cabbage; heirloom tomatoes; uncommon varieties of many different fruits, vegetables and herbs; as well as traditional produce.

To find a community supported agriculture farm in 樱花视频, visit the Northeast Organic Farming Association of 樱花视频鈥檚 website at听.听 For information on the Department of Agriculture鈥檚 Organic Certification Program, visit: .听听听