Fresh From The Farm: Wheeling Produce Subscription Service Grows In Popularity
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WHEELING -- Area residents who sign up for Grow Ohio Valley's Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program are signing up for a 15-week subscription of fresh produce provided by local & regional farmers.
Tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, red potatoes, corn, bell peppers, onions, watermelon, lettuce, radishes and berries are some of the many items available to participating customers at the weekly program.
In the second year of distribution at the Public Market in downtown Wheeling, the program is a partnership with several area farmers. Those farmers decide in advance what produce they're going to provide at the weekly distribution site, according to Sarah Stec, Grow Ohio Valley urban farm manager. Stec said customers sign up ahead of time for their shares of produce and pick it up in the front lobby at the Public Market in downtown Wheeling between 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Wednesday through October 6.
"CSA shares are really great because it's a commitment to get kind of the bounty of the season directly from the farmers," Stec explained.
"It's picked just for this (program). It's as fresh as it can possibly be.
"This CSA is not something Grow OV has invented," she added, "it is something that farmers all over the country have been doing. It's good for people who are picking up of course because they're getting all this great fresh produce, but it's also good for farmers ... it just really streamlines it."
This year's participating farmers include: Eric Freeland, Oak Hill, Next 7, Grow OV and other farmers from the Captina Produce Auction.
"If you like cooking with fresh produce, it's a good arrangement," Stec said.
She said they also include weekly recipe suggestions in their newsletter for CSA members. In addition, Grow Ohio Valley sometimes includes colorful fresh cut flowers for CSA members to pick from in front of their produce arrangement. Stec said the flowers are not part of the cost, they are just flowers grown on Grow Ohio Valley's farm and kind of a "bonus" for members.
Wheeling resident Angie Hill, who has been a local CSA member for a couple of years, said she thinks it is a wonderful program.
"It allows people to get local produce, organic produce, and I love the variety of the things they have each week and also the educational components, because they always have a nice newsletter and recipes," Hill explained.
Wheeling resident Stuart Levy, who was picking up produce for his family, said the program is great.
"You get fresh vegetables all the time. It's marvelous," Levy commented. "Their newsletters are always wonderful and they have great recipes in them," he added.
Stec said it's not too late to sign up for weekly (prorated) shares of the program. Those interested in the program should visit their website at growov.org.