Photos courtesy Enterprise Farm
Enterprise Farm CSA, a farm-managed CSA
In operation: CSA since 2008, farm since 1985
Pick-up location: Thirst Merchants, Fort Greene, 187 Dekalb Ave. at Carleton
Cost: $440 small share; $545 medium share; $723.50 large share; SNAP; 22 weeks, June 8-Nov 7
Website: http://enterprisefarmcsa.com/?page_id=10
“Heirloom” is more than a cultivar of tomato that Enterprise Farm grows and distributes to 800+ CSA members and homeless shelters. The word is also apt for the history and future of the farm.
“Being a second generation organic farm is the single most defining moment in our history,” writes Dave Jackson, the founder and lead grower of Enterprise Farm. Dave began growing on his family’s organic homestead in Marlboro, Vermont.
The birth of the local food movement and the demand for organic produce inspired Dave to pursue a career in farming. Between leaving his homestead in Vermont and founding Enterprise Farm in 1989, Dave gained agricultural knowledge and know-how working on several farms, completing two years in ag school, living in California and Mexico, returning to complete his degree at UMASS, and laboring at Funny Farms for the Northhampton Food Cooperative.
More than 25 years since its founding, Dave and his team including Barrington Webb from Jamaica and Alex Peterkin from Massachusetts, have grown Enterprise Farm from 2 acres to 110 acres. Now Dave considers the birth of his three sons, Asa, Cal, and Beckett, a constant source of inspiration and motivation.
“That family perspective is really an important part of the farm,” said Alex. “There’s a lot of talk about sustainability, but if you don’t have plans to continue that for generations you’re not looking at the appropriate time scale; it’s important to plan far into the future. If you’re thinking about sustainable ag over hundreds or thousands of years, you might need to take actions that you might not otherwise consider.”
Those sustainable agriculture actions for Enterprise Farm include providing wildlife habitat and practicing soil conservation methods. Enterprise Farm fosters wildlife habitat by creating and preserving buffers such as the ensuring that the space between the farm crops and the river, an unusually large space for most farms, remains a wetland habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.
This year the Farm underwent a comprehensive review of such practices as a supplier to local Whole Foods for Whole Foods’ Grower Rater Program. Alex highlighted that Enterprise Farm CSA members get the same produce as distributed to Whole Foods for half the price, and that Enterprise Farm’s value for organic goes far deeper than Whole Foods ratings.
“We’re organic because it's better for the earth, it’s better for the people who are eating, and it’s better for the people who work here,” said Alex.
For its organic practices, as well as for other reasons, Alex said that Enterprise Farm is one of the best farms in the area for employees. That Enterprise Farm pays the highest wages of local farms, and fosters an overall pleasant work culture also make it a good place to work, said Alex.
Enterprise Farm articulates its concern for community in its mission: “Our job is to grow you the freshest quality produce with the greatest benefit to the environment, our staff, and the local economy,” and has gone the distance to make its organic vegetables accessible in areas where fresh, affordable produce is lacking. A few years ago Enterprise Farm converted an old yellow school bus to sell its produce in the neighborhoods of Springville and Somerville that USDA labels as food deserts. After founding these projects, Enterprise Farm has passed them on to organizations within those communities. Enterprise Farm is now working on a project to feed between 100-140 families in homeless shelters in Springfield and Holyoke this year.
“This seems reasonable, this seems like something we can do, and there are a lot of people who need food in these areas,” said Alex, with the humility and matter-of-factness of people who do good work. “Our community supports us and we try to give that back to the community as well through these food access projects. We’re a farm, we’re a business, but the real goal has been to grow good, organic food so that people can eat it.”
During the past decade, those eaters have mostly consisted of Enterprise Farm CSA members living in Boston. Enterprise Farm has developed relationships with small businesses with similar values, from pizza shops to community centers, that are located in places convenient to CSA members.
This summer in Brooklyn, for the first season since September 11, when transportation issues to Lower Manhattan were insurmountable, Enterprise Farm welcomes New Yorkers to its CSA. The Farm will distribute to New Yorkers who had subscribed to the CSA of the recently-dissolved Full Lane Logistics.
Alex expressed enthusiasm to provide Enterprise Farm’s organic vegetables to New Yorkers again, and to connect with small businesses and organizations in the way that Enterprise Farm has developed relationships with similar-minded small businesses and organizations in Boston. This summer Enterprise Farm is partnering with Thirst, a small wine shop in Fort Greene, to distribute farm shares.
Enterprise Farm might supply to some local restaurants as well, Alex said. But they won’t be at the Greenmarkets because the Farm is located just outside the geographical bound that GrowNYC requires. Yet Enterprise Farm is located closer than some other farms that supply to CSAs in New York City, Alex explained.
Thinking outside the box
Having a tradition of thinking outside the box brought Enterprise Farm to a box: Enterprise Farm has preserved its CSA model while adjusting for convenience. Recognizing that companies located in New York City and elsewhere use CSA language but not the model, and have met success for the convenience they offer customers, Enterprise Farm now boxes vegetables for each shareholder, offers members the option of shifting pick-up dates if need be, and offers a smaller share in addition to the regular size share for those persons who cook a few times per week for themselves and perhaps one other person, rather than every day for a family.
The Farm’s decision to offer a smaller-sized share in addition to a full sized share and the option to put one’s share on a vacation hold also came from conversations with members about food waste. Alex explained they had listened to members who expressed guilt that they had let an over-supply of lettuce rot in the refrigerator. As well, Alex said, Enterprise Farm aims to have no leftover produce at pick-ups; offering the option to shift pick-up dates constitutes food waste prevention.
“We’re big on avoiding waste,” said Alex.
Enterprise Farm continues to accept new members for the summer season, and is planning to arrange a farmer Meet and Greet in Brooklyn as they do in Boston.
Enterprise Farm CSA, a farm-managed CSA
In operation: CSA since 2008, farm since 1985
Pick-up location: Thirst Merchants, Fort Greene, 187 Dekalb Ave. at Carleton
Cost: $440 small share; $545 medium share; $723.50 large share; SNAP; 22 weeks, June 8-Nov 7
Website: http://enterprisefarmcsa.com/?page_id=10
“Heirloom” is more than a cultivar of tomato that Enterprise Farm grows and distributes to 800+ CSA members and homeless shelters. The word is also apt for the history and future of the farm.
“Being a second generation organic farm is the single most defining moment in our history,” writes Dave Jackson, the founder and lead grower of Enterprise Farm. Dave began growing on his family’s organic homestead in Marlboro, Vermont.
The birth of the local food movement and the demand for organic produce inspired Dave to pursue a career in farming. Between leaving his homestead in Vermont and founding Enterprise Farm in 1989, Dave gained agricultural knowledge and know-how working on several farms, completing two years in ag school, living in California and Mexico, returning to complete his degree at UMASS, and laboring at Funny Farms for the Northhampton Food Cooperative.
More than 25 years since its founding, Dave and his team including Barrington Webb from Jamaica and Alex Peterkin from Massachusetts, have grown Enterprise Farm from 2 acres to 110 acres. Now Dave considers the birth of his three sons, Asa, Cal, and Beckett, a constant source of inspiration and motivation.
“That family perspective is really an important part of the farm,” said Alex. “There’s a lot of talk about sustainability, but if you don’t have plans to continue that for generations you’re not looking at the appropriate time scale; it’s important to plan far into the future. If you’re thinking about sustainable ag over hundreds or thousands of years, you might need to take actions that you might not otherwise consider.”
Those sustainable agriculture actions for Enterprise Farm include providing wildlife habitat and practicing soil conservation methods. Enterprise Farm fosters wildlife habitat by creating and preserving buffers such as the ensuring that the space between the farm crops and the river, an unusually large space for most farms, remains a wetland habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife.
This year the Farm underwent a comprehensive review of such practices as a supplier to local Whole Foods for Whole Foods’ Grower Rater Program. Alex highlighted that Enterprise Farm CSA members get the same produce as distributed to Whole Foods for half the price, and that Enterprise Farm’s value for organic goes far deeper than Whole Foods ratings.
“We’re organic because it's better for the earth, it’s better for the people who are eating, and it’s better for the people who work here,” said Alex.
For its organic practices, as well as for other reasons, Alex said that Enterprise Farm is one of the best farms in the area for employees. That Enterprise Farm pays the highest wages of local farms, and fosters an overall pleasant work culture also make it a good place to work, said Alex.
Enterprise Farm articulates its concern for community in its mission: “Our job is to grow you the freshest quality produce with the greatest benefit to the environment, our staff, and the local economy,” and has gone the distance to make its organic vegetables accessible in areas where fresh, affordable produce is lacking. A few years ago Enterprise Farm converted an old yellow school bus to sell its produce in the neighborhoods of Springville and Somerville that USDA labels as food deserts. After founding these projects, Enterprise Farm has passed them on to organizations within those communities. Enterprise Farm is now working on a project to feed between 100-140 families in homeless shelters in Springfield and Holyoke this year.
“This seems reasonable, this seems like something we can do, and there are a lot of people who need food in these areas,” said Alex, with the humility and matter-of-factness of people who do good work. “Our community supports us and we try to give that back to the community as well through these food access projects. We’re a farm, we’re a business, but the real goal has been to grow good, organic food so that people can eat it.”
During the past decade, those eaters have mostly consisted of Enterprise Farm CSA members living in Boston. Enterprise Farm has developed relationships with small businesses with similar values, from pizza shops to community centers, that are located in places convenient to CSA members.
This summer in Brooklyn, for the first season since September 11, when transportation issues to Lower Manhattan were insurmountable, Enterprise Farm welcomes New Yorkers to its CSA. The Farm will distribute to New Yorkers who had subscribed to the CSA of the recently-dissolved Full Lane Logistics.
Alex expressed enthusiasm to provide Enterprise Farm’s organic vegetables to New Yorkers again, and to connect with small businesses and organizations in the way that Enterprise Farm has developed relationships with similar-minded small businesses and organizations in Boston. This summer Enterprise Farm is partnering with Thirst, a small wine shop in Fort Greene, to distribute farm shares.
Enterprise Farm might supply to some local restaurants as well, Alex said. But they won’t be at the Greenmarkets because the Farm is located just outside the geographical bound that GrowNYC requires. Yet Enterprise Farm is located closer than some other farms that supply to CSAs in New York City, Alex explained.
Thinking outside the box
Having a tradition of thinking outside the box brought Enterprise Farm to a box: Enterprise Farm has preserved its CSA model while adjusting for convenience. Recognizing that companies located in New York City and elsewhere use CSA language but not the model, and have met success for the convenience they offer customers, Enterprise Farm now boxes vegetables for each shareholder, offers members the option of shifting pick-up dates if need be, and offers a smaller share in addition to the regular size share for those persons who cook a few times per week for themselves and perhaps one other person, rather than every day for a family.
The Farm’s decision to offer a smaller-sized share in addition to a full sized share and the option to put one’s share on a vacation hold also came from conversations with members about food waste. Alex explained they had listened to members who expressed guilt that they had let an over-supply of lettuce rot in the refrigerator. As well, Alex said, Enterprise Farm aims to have no leftover produce at pick-ups; offering the option to shift pick-up dates constitutes food waste prevention.
“We’re big on avoiding waste,” said Alex.
Enterprise Farm continues to accept new members for the summer season, and is planning to arrange a farmer Meet and Greet in Brooklyn as they do in Boston.