Local produce available year-round

Burlington Free Press
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
By Phyl Newbeck
Correspondent
Original Article Here

All winter, vegetable lovers can stop by the Jericho Settler's Farm on Barber Farm Road to pick up their CSA shares. The Jericho Settler's Farm is one of four farms in the state that participate in a winter community supported agriculture program.

Last week, 30 people gathered at the Emile Gruppe Gallery next to the Jericho Settler's Farm stand for a potluck dinner and tour of the farm.

Christa Alexander; her husband, Mark Fasching; and her mother, Emilie Alexander, started with a winter CSA before launching the more common summer series.

This is the fourth year for their winter program, and it has grown exponentially. Forty-five families have signed up, doubling the number from last year. Half of these families are from Jericho; others are from Burlington, Cambridge and South Burlington.

The Jericho Settler's Farm was founded in 2002 as a part-time venture. Christa Alexander took the plunge to go into farming full time in March 2006, and her husband followed one year later. For Alexander, the decision to offer winter shares was a simple one.

"Growing up, I ate with the seasons. I wanted to show that you can eat locally almost all year," she said.

Jericho Settler Farm's winter selection includes brussels sprouts, cabbage, a variety of herbs and several kinds of greens through December; and beets, carrots, celeriac, garlic, leeks, shallots, onions, oyster root, parsley, parsley roots, potatoes, turnips and winter squash through February.

Thanks in part to the successful CSAs (both summer and winter sold out this year); the family is in high demand as community speakers. The family members gave the keynote address at this spring's Jericho Underhill Land Trust's annual meeting and will be guest speakers at the Jericho Underhill Democratic dinner Friday, and the Deborah Rawson Lecture Series on Tuesday.

Chris Smith of Jericho enjoys the opportunity to buy fresh food close to home.

"It's easy to forget how the land right around us can sustain us," she said. "Making most of our meals from the meat and produce of our local farm connects us to our community and reminds us that good food can be enjoyed year-round without transportation from faraway places."

Danielle Graham's reason for enjoying the CSA is more mundane. She loves bringing her 3-year-old daughter Lelia to the farm to pick up her CSA shares because "she eats things at the farm that she wouldn't eat at home."