Take a moment and search for organic farming in your area on the internet. If your search shows results similar to mine, words such as sustainable, natural, and humane begin to canvas the page. Lists of websites hosted by small organic farms built on just a few acres encourage their audience to take a deeper look into their farm, their organic practices and especially their passion. Images of crisp, colorful vegetables and lush green grass begin to depict common ideals of what farming should look like.
A large majority of my search results returned websites of small local organic farms that sponsor CSA’s. CSA’s or Community Supported Agriculture has become a very popular way for the community to purchase locally grown produce and goods. Consumers are able to purchase shares of a local farmer’s crops in exchange for weekly deliveries of produce and other whole goods, such as eggs, honey, herbs or other products. CSA’s give consumers the opportunity to have a more active participation in where their food is grown and how.
Many have said that CSA’s and organic agriculture is expensive compared to conventional growing techniques; however, a steady increase in demand from consumers encourages this type of agriculture. Customers want to know that the extra money they spend to purchase these products is going directly to the farmers. Encouraging them to put increased efforts into producing safe, humane and environmentally sustainable products; thus, benefiting the environment by preserving biodiversity and conserving national resources.
Silver Reef Organic Farms is a local organic farm that has chosen to take a different approach to organic farming. Our farm stewards over 1,000 acres of organic farm land yearly. Due to the large size of our farm, hiring laborers to hand-maintain our fields would not be financially feasible and thus inhibits our ability to participate in local CSA’s. Instead, our farm specializes in producing quality organic corn, sorghum, wheat and alfalfa crops that we sell to local organic dairies and distilleries. We also produce organic beans that are sold as dried beans or canned for distribution in grocery stores.
Our principles and values in growing our crops are the same as our CSA neighbors. We both believe in sustainability, being stewards of the land and producing wholesome organic products for our customers. As modern organic farmers, we are able to integrate machinery use, technology, science and old agricultural practices to manage our acreage effectively, safely and within strict organic regulations.