This past weekend, Yellow Stonehouse Farm hosted a potluck dinner for members and friends of the farm. We invited everyone to bring a dish to share plus a chair. We provided the venue in the farm’s courtyard and set up the food in the barn along with the Western Mass band called Axis Mundi. We hoped to schedule it so the evening would be a little cooler and the tomatoes would be at their peak. We got one of the two right!
Despite the heat – and boy, was it hot and sticky – everyone had a great time! Members met other members, shared recipes (did I mention how yummy everything was) and traded stories. It was an experience in community and fellowship that I feel is often missing in today’s fast paced world.
Fellowship and sharing is what Community Supported Agriculture is all about – individuals coming together to support their local farm and farmers, and share in and celebrate the bounty of the harvest. John and I couldn’t run the farm without the support of our members!
Not to mention that our members are really fun and witty, so nice and very talented. Did I mention the band, Axis Mundi, played throughout the party with only a brief stop for dinner? They played everything from Pure Prairie League to the Grateful Dead – with much singing along and bobbing of heads – and a grand time was had by all. A special thank you to our member Brett for helping with the arrangements including his guitar playing!
A key aspect of CSA membership is that our farm is directly supported by the local community. One of the key goals of sustainable agriculture is to support locally grown food. Yellow Stonehouse farm’s food is fresher (often harvested the same day), healthier (organic growing practices contribute to soil health which translates to healthier vegetables), with a smaller carbon footprint (the food isn’t travelling far), and if you know the farmer – you know their cultivation practices, i.e. whether they are certified organic, using pesticides or GMO seeds, and respecting the land they grow their food on.
If you’d like to join our farm community, we have harvest and winter shares available. Learn about us on our website or come see our beautiful certified organic vegetables and flowers in person – the farm market is open to the public Wednesday to Fridays from 3 – 6:30 pm and Saturday’s from 9 am – 2 pm.