We first met Reuben Riehl in the fall of 2012 and began talking about this crazy idea of him supplying a CSA. Now…
…we’ve grown to a collaborative network of over 10 farmers growing nutritious and sustainably grown products for those who care about:
Longevity
Trust is built brick by brick. After a few good seasons, more farmers were interested in joining. Crops were carefully planned, meaningful prices agreed upon, standards established, and commitments followed through on. Some seasons were more challenging than others, but over time we’ve built a farming network that is strong and flexible enough to thrive into the future.
Efficiency
We leverage the efficiency gained through understanding the needs of a tightly-knit food community and strategically networking key relationships.
Incorporating producers’ needs, extending beyond our regular customer base, leads to savings for all of our customers.
Nutrition
The nutrition of the food we eat is a reflection of the health of the soil it’s grown on and the care given to its harvest, handling, and the timeliness of its delivery.
Some of the most ground-breaking research in the nutrition and soil health fields is being done by Amish farmers and is embraced by our community.
Given the scale of our farms, there are more eyes per acre compared to most farms, and thus, more experiential knowledge of their plants and soil health. Supplement that with our farmers’ regular joint farm walks and crop meetings and the result is a superior product.
Sustainability
Environmental, Economic, and Social Health are all metrics that contribute to the survival of any community; the fact that Amish farming is one of the oldest agrarian cultural traditions in the U.S. ought to speak for itself…
…but in an era of rising input costs and food prices, it is imperative we do everything in our power to both make good food accessible, and ensure the health and financial wellbeing of our farmers and farms.
Innovation
Our farmers find themselves in a unique situation. They are growing to feed their families, must preserve their land for their children, all the while being constrained by a cultural resistance to a broad range of technology.
If necessity is the mother of creation, the creativity of these farmers is unmatched.
What results is a human-scale approach to farming that respects and works with nature while leveraging every efficiency that can be achieved with minimal external inputs.
Connection
In a world of weakening organic standards, overly processed foods, and questionable, if not outright destructive farming practices, it is increasingly important for customers to know where their food comes from.
We make a point to facilitate direct relationships between our customers and producers. Whether meeting a producer at one of their farmers’ markets, scheduling an in-person farm visit, or being involved in our crop planning, everyone in our network is deeply invested in the food system and dedicated to providing customers with the knowledge that they are consuming food our producers are proud to feed to their own families.
Transparency
With a diversity of small farms in our network there is strength, but also a diversity of farming practices. We have a deep commitment to being transparent with our customers about who is growing what and how with the understanding that wherever possible we strive to use the best farming practices that work for our farmers.