Maverick Farms Launches CSA Program By Scott Nicholson A group of local farmers are adding another tool to expand their connection to the community and local economic system. Maverick Farms is launching a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program this year, allowing people to essentially buy shares in the produce that will be grown on a two-and-a-half acre plot in Valle Crucis. Maverick Farms is a small family farm and non-profit organization that launched last year, offering agritourism, community dinners, educational workshops and local produce. Sara Safransky, one of the participants, said CSAs started in Japan in the 1960s, when a group of housewives grew concerned over the level of imported foods and the pesticides used on the imported produce. They approached a local farmer and agreed to pay up front to be able to get produce from the local garden that year. Since then, the idea has expanded, with 1,000 CSA organizations in the U.S. Maverick Farms plans a small scale for its inaugural year, seeking 11 people to buy shares for $500 for the season. Those who buy into the garden will receive a box of fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs every week for 20 weeks, beginning in June. This encourages people to be attuned to in-season crops and also improves the likelihood of variety in case some crops fail. Two positions for “working shares” are also available, meaning garden labor is given in exchange for a lower cost. From left, Maverick Farms founders Hillary Wilson, Alice Brooke Wilson and farm volunteer Shelly Slocum display some of the farm’s products. Photo by Marie Freeman Maverick Farms’ Tom Philpott said he believes this is the first CSA produce farm in the county, though noted apple grower Bill Moretz of the Big Hill area has used a similar idea for his orchards for years. Moretz describes his effort as more of a “subscription service,” where people pay $35 to get a different bag of apples each week for 12 weeks. Since he grows 95 different varieties of apples, this gives people a chance to sample. Philpott said the CSA method not only brings people to invest in local farms, it spreads the risk and reward of small farming among a number of parties. He said if a small farm fails, it disappears, and that would be the community’s loss. Under this method, a bad year would not be the end. “Whenever a farmer plants a crop, there’s always a chance a crop can fail,” Philpott said. “The economics of small farms are really difficult. There’s the cost of land, seeds, and prices in the commodity markets keep shrinking.” He said small farms in the region are at a disadvantage not only to large commercial agricultural operations in California and Florida, where the growing seasons are practically year-round, but to farms in the coastal region of the state that have an extra month or two of viable growing seasons each year. “Small farms won’t exist if people don’t choose to support them,” Philpott said. “This way, others take some of the burden of risk from small farmers. If the community wins, we win, and they get a load of veggies.” Because it’s a pilot program, the number of shares are limited this year, though the group is building a passive solar greenhouse to augment next year’s crops. The members hope to start their own plants and seedlings during winter and get a jump on spring growing. They plan to offer 30 different types of vegetables and fruits, including squash, tomatoes, beans, corn, potatoes and a variety of salad greens. The farm also grows a number of specialty or imported crops. Alice Brooke Wilson, who is pursuing a master’s degree in sustainable agriculture at Appalachian State University, said interesting research on “microclimates” reveals similarities between Boone’s climate and that of a mountain region in northern China. Crops from that region in China seem to grow well here, too, such as a variety of mustard greens, bok choy, and other Asian greens. They also grow late into the season, and Maverick Farms was harvesting into December last year. Several members of Maverick Farms have been involved in CSA projects before, but only as consumers. Wilson said her experience taught her to think more seasonally about produce, as she had a box of food each week which had to be prepared and eaten. That created challenges and opportunities, so Maverick Farms plans to offer recipes and connect some educational programs to the CSA idea. Philpott said selling shares for future produce would literally allow farmers some seed money for the coming year, as most agricultural income sources end with the first frost. It’s nearly half a year until enough crops come in to provide income again. While there’s always a chance all the crops will fail or a flood will wipe out the garden, the CSA consumers also get the benefit if the yield is bountiful. “The burden is on us to be as good a farmer as we can be,” he said. The CSA program works like a contract, with the consumer agreeing to pay the money and Maverick Farms agreeing to provide available produce each week. The boxes can be picked up on-site or at the Watauga Farmer’s Market each weekend. While the group will continue to sell a portion of their produce at the market and to local restaurants, Philpott characterized those as specialty items, since restaurants typically have larger, reliable networks for their common vegetables. Each week should feature about seven in-season crops. Besides the “worker shares,” participants may be able to visit the garden to pick certain crops and will be able to inspect the produce. Philpott said the group hasn’t gone through the process of receiving organic certification, so people can see for themselves the techniques used on the farm. The CSA idea is part of a larger philosophical effort to bring agricultural closer to the neighbors. Maverick Farms is trying to operate in an area that faces developmental pressure. As Philpott said, “We’re competing for the same land.” The group’s community dinners are held one weekend a month, rooms in the farmhouse are rented for short-term stays, and the greenhouse will offer more income potential. The group is also seeking out heirloom seeds, growing crops from strains that have developed in the mountains and proven successful through natural selection. If the CSA program proves successful, the group plans to expand it next year. Philpott said the program may eventually create paid employees, and the money spent remains in the community, while also opening another avenue for sustainable agriculture. The effort has also brought members of Maverick Farms into contact with their fellow farmers. “The average age of the farmer in the United States is 56,” Wilson said. “We’re trying to lower that a little. We’ve gotten so much support from the community and people have been so helpful.” For more information on Maverick Farms, call 963-4656.