New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Ed Wengryn visited Chickadee Creek Farm in Hopewell Twp. to highlight National CSA Week. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) allows customers to pay for a season’s worth of produce, meat, eggs, or other specialty products in advance. That provides farmers with working capital so they can prepare for the growing season, and the CSA member receives locally produced goods during harvest season.
“CSAs are an important part of our local food system,” Secretary Wengryn said. “It is this true partnership between the farmer and the consumer that permits the farmer to plan planting and harvest cycles knowing there are consumers that have invested in the farm and who will benefit from the harvest.”
According to the CSA Innovation Network, which marks CSA Week as February 16-22, the most popular time to join a CSA each year is mid to late February.
Chickadee Creek Farm is a USDA Certified Organic operation owned and operated by Jess Niederer on 80 acres of permanently preserved farmland in Hopewell Township. Chickadee Creek features a farm membership CSA, which allows for fully customizable share pickup at different locations as well as access to pick-your-own crops during the summer and fall. The farm also has a farm-to-workplace membership, which delivers fresh produce to work locations. The farm grows fresh produce and plants year-round, featuring leafy greens during the winter season, and a wide array of fruits and vegetables during the summer and fall months.
Check out Hopewell Twp’s Jessica Niederer Named National Outstanding Young Farmer
“The CSA is an important aspect of what we do here on our farm,” said Niederer, who was a National Outstanding Young Farmer winner in 2016. “More and more people want to know where their food comes from and care that it is safe and clean. When they pick up their produce from the farmers markets or from the farm, it is always a great opportunity to talk with our customers to make sure their needs are being met. Our farm memberships provide an opportunity for people to deepen their relationship with our farm and see the care that is taken in growing our organic produce.”
MercerMe will be sharing more about CSAs later this month, exploring the cost benefits of these programs in a time of rising food prices. Stay tuned for more on how CSAs support both farmers and consumers.
