We're lucky to have two CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) organic farm stands in our county (there may be more... if there are, will the owners please contact jeff@PlanPutnam.org to arrange for a visit?)

Cascade Farm is in Patterson on Harmony Road just north of Route 292 and just west of the traffic light at Route 311. Their farm stand is open on Saturdays from 9 until noon. This Saturday, July 30th, the farm will host its ANNUAL JAZZ CONCERT at 7PM. Tickets will be $20. Call 845.878.3258 for information. Pictures of the farm are here

Ryder Farm is in Southeast on Starr Ridge Road just about 2 miles below the Route 6 traffic light (Citgo Station). The Ryder farm stand is open from Tuesday through Friday in the afternoons until about 6 and on Saturday and Sunday from 11 until 4. Tell Ashford or Jason I sent you. Pictures of the farm are here:

A Short Article on the Farms:

On a recent and beautiful Saturday morning, and at the invitation of farm volunteer Margaret Wilder of Kent, I was treated to a tour of Cascade farm and breakfast at the barn where once a month members gather for a communal breakfast which is open to the public for a donation. Cathy Croft of CRSE and a Master Gardener came along for the tour. (Look for Cathy at the 4-H fair this weekend)

Cascade farm sits on several hundred acres of spectacular land adjoining the Patterson Town Park and the Great Swamp. Ryder Farm also sits on several hundred acres which share borders with a land trust preserve and with Peach Lake.

Both Cascade and Ryder farms are good neighbors within the environment since they do not use any pesticides or chemical fertilizers (good for your health too!) and practice standard organic methods such as composting and cover crops.

Ryder Farm, owned by the well known Hall Gibson, has been farmed continuously since 1795 making it one of oldest working farms in the Hudson Valley. The farm today is run by a small staff and volunteer " interns" and my buddy Jason has been working on the farm this summer. Work days start at 0700 and end early in the evening. Machinery use is at a minimum.

Cascade Farms was purchased by William and Karen Falencki in the mid 1950's. David Frost, who became the Falencki's caretaker, took over the farm operation in 1987. It wasn't until 1996 that a decision was made to begin farming organically - and for sale - at Cascade. Ryder Farm became a CSA a year later in 1997

Since then both farm operations have grown and could grow further if more of you would sign up for farm "shares" each season and for volunteer work at the farms.

A farm "share" works like this: each week a portion of crops are set aside for each CSA member (both farms charge around $20 a week) into shares. Some CSA farms have "half shares" for single people and small families but most would prefer you purchase a full share. Each week, for about 20 weeks, you drive over to the farm to pick up your share of produce, organic vegetables and other goodies.

When you buy produce in the supermarket you usually don't know where it comes from but you do know it's laden with pesticides and  chemicals and the harder surfaced veggies are waxed (yuck!) to protect them through shipment. So, when was that pepper picked? last week? A month ago? And, shipped by truck half-way across the country. And, what's with those little stickers?

But with CSA farms and local agriculture, that pepper was picked the morning of the day you drive over to get it. It's that fresh. It's  not got chemicals, it's not waxed, it's not been in a factory and it comes from the earth beneath your feet and within your community and in your part of the world. And man, can you ever taste the difference!

The benefits of local farming are too numerous to count!

Head on over to one of these farms this weekend and tell them you heard about them at PlanPutnam. You may not get anything special for that (sorry, no discounts) but you'll make the farm volunteers happy and when you make dinner - everyone who eats will be happy too. I promise.

Jeff

PS: Brewster Village hosts a farmer's market at the municipal lot on Sundays from 10AM until 2 PM.