alafarmnews

Gary Weil,
not a farmer in the traditional sense
Community Supported Agriculture connects city dwellers to the food they eat
by Jaine Treadwell

Somewhere in the distance, a rooster crowed. The sun was peeping over the horizon and a soft mist covered the ground and settled gently on the shoulders of Gary Weil, farmer.

Weil is not a farmer in the traditional sense. His farm is nestled in the small town of Banks in rural Pike County, just off the highway and behind a row of houses. However, that’s not what keeps him from being traditional in his farming venture. What sets him apart is the way he farms and how he sells his products.

Gary Weil, CSA farmer in Pike County, washes bushels of sweet potatoes that will be packed in 10-gallon boxes of produce that will be delivered to members of Red Root Herb and Vegetable Farm, which he owns and operates.

Being a member of a Community Support Agriculture farm provides the member and his or her family good tasting, fresh nutritious food that is grown organically and a share in a farming operation.

“I had done a lot of reading and research about Community Supported Agriculture for several years and was very interested in getting involved,” Weil said. “I have a friend in Auburn, Amy Phillips, who was also interested. One day I called her and asked, ‘Do you want to do this?’ And things have kind of snowballed since then. CSA is a good way to market organic produce and that’s what I grow.”

A CSA farmer sells shares of each season’s crop to consumers up front. For their investment, the share member receives a portion of the harvest, which is delivered on a weekly basis.

“Members are asked to take a fair share in the cost of the farm – seed, insect control, labor – and they learn what it’s like to be a farmer and dependent on factors beyond your control,” Weil said. “Crops are dependent on the weather. If it’s dry, the members will learn that they might not get a big share of the harvest. If rain comes when needed, they can expect a bigger share of the harvest.”

CSA is a good way for members to know what they are eating and how it is grown. It’s a good way for consumers to be a part of the farm.

“CSA is good for the farmer and good for the consumer,” Weil said. “Financially it’s really a loose system.”

In his first season, Weil sold shares in Red Root farm for $700 for 35 weeks. Shareholders receive a 10-gallon box of farm-fresh vegetables each week. What’s in the box is determined by the time of the season – and the weather.

“That breaks down to about 20 bucks a week,” he said. “A box feeds an average of two to three people. That’s not a bad price to have fresh, organically grown produce delivered to you once a week.”

Members of Red Root CSA Farm are invited to visit the farm and be in touch with the food they eat and the farmer who produces it, and that’s a plus for shareholders.

Most of the members of Weil’s farm are in the Auburn and Montgomery areas and he has a pickup point for those members. However, he has a growing number of members in Pike County and he delivers their boxes to their doors, much like the milkman used to place fresh milk on his customers’ doorsteps.

Members received a variety of fresh vegetables during the spring and summer harvest season — cabbage, five varieties of lettuce, radishes, arugula, kohlrabi, turnips, cauliflower, red Russian kale, broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, squash, stringbeans, okra, corn, cantaloupes and watermelons.

Weil also harvested old timey Carolina Black peanuts that originated in the 1700s.

“We have most of the traditional garden produce and some things not so traditional,” he said with a smile.

For the fall, Weil said he’s packing a Japanese turnip that is exceptional in its taste.

“The turnip is not as sharp as other turnips and much more tender,” he said. “We also have several varieties of sweet potatoes, lettuce, baby collards, mustard and kale.”

Weil said he also has broccoli raab which has tender leaves with a small broccoli head.

“We have cucumbers and tomatoes that are ready to take off and several herbs – oregano, dill and fennel,” he said. “For Thanksgiving, we’ll have a sauté mix that’s really incredible. And, we’ve got mushrooms and sugar cane. So, we’ve got a lot going for the fall.”

And a busy fall it is.

“We still have a lot of harvesting to be done and I’ve already planted crimson clover and rye to enrich the soil for next year’s crops,” he said. “I depend a lot on the Pike Farmers Co-op in Troy and Goshen Farmers Co-op. Even though I’m an organic farmer, I still depend on the Co-ops for my cover crops, seeds and plants. I purchase blood and bone meal for supplements to my fertilizer. And, Dipel – that’s how I manage insects. The Co-ops are friends to all farmers and I appreciate the advice and assistance they give me. They are very knowledgeable about anything that relates to agriculture and play a huge role in the business I’m in.”

Weil said he is excited and encouraged about the future of the business he’s in. “CSA is definitely a good way to farm,” he said.

For more information about CSA, contact Weil at (334) 243-4072.

Jaine Treadwell is a freelance writer from Brundidge.