'Farm to You' to Connect Farmers With Customers

LEXINGTON, Ky., (Jan. 27, 2017) — For anyone interested in learning more about Community Supported Agriculture, commonly known as CSA, or for those who know, but would like to find out how many options are available, University of Kentucky is hosting the "Farm to You: CSA Event," Feb. 2.

Hosted by the UK Center for Crop Diversification and Bluegrass Farm to Table, an initiative of Lexington’s Office of Economic Development, the event, from 5 to 7 p.m., at West Sixth Brewing, 501 W. Sixth St., showcases at least 15 farm producers offering CSA shares in the Lexington area. The sponsors invite the public to browse the farms’ offerings for the upcoming growing season.

Community Supported Agriculture is a way for consumers to subscribe to fresh, seasonal food directly from local farmers throughout the growing season, typically May to October. By purchasing a share, the customer receives a weekly box that could contain produce, meat, eggs, flowers or value-added items such as jams and salsas. The customer shares in the abundance of the farm, and sometimes the risk, when weather or other situations takes a toll on a crop. For farmers, a customer’s up front purchase helps them with cash flow, and for customers, it’s a chance to get to know the people growing their food, to try new vegetables and to enjoy food that often is harvested that same day.

At "Farm to You," consumers can compare many of the area’s available CSAs’ prices and the kinds of products they can expect to receive each week.

“We’ll have some handouts, and you can talk to the farmers about how things work,” said Brett Wolff, senior extension associate with the Center for Crop Diversification. “If you’re a CSA novice, or if you’ve subscribed to CSAs before and you just want to figure out what your options are, this is a great opportunity.”

The UK Center for Crop Diversification, part of UK Cooperative Extension Service, provides information and support on both the production and marketing of fruits, vegetables and nursery crops.

“An event like this gives us a good forum to put some of our marketing support into practice and interact with some of our farmers, as well as our urban clientele,” Wolff said. “The joint effort with Bluegrass Farm to Table has resulted in both of our groups reaching a broader audience.”

This is the second year for the event. Last year, approximately 150 people attended.

More information about the event can be found on the Center for Crop Diversification’s website, www.uky.edu/ccd/event/farmtoyou, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/events/353836588313048/.