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Chehalem Business Connection Page 7 September 2013
Especially during difficult eco-
nomic times, growing your own
food in a personal garden can be
an inexpensive, sustainable way for peo-
ple to provide nutritious food for their
families. But such an option can be out
of reach to many,
often because of a
lack of space or
know-how.
An alternative is
the ever-popular com-
mun i t y - suppo r t ed
agriculture (CSA)
program, which gen-
erally involves individuals signing up for
a weekly share of produce from a local
farm in exchange for a subscription fee.
Dave and Nancy Brown’s Mustard Seed
Farms near Newberg offers a CSA, but
they also have a program with a slightly
different setup.
Dubbed the Community Garden, the
program’s been going strong for more
than 30 years and has grown to more than
80 families participating. It’s simple,
straightforward and founded on the
honor system. The Community Garden
model trades the monetary compensation
for hours spent pitching in on the farm.
The garden does charge a fee, but it’s
nominal ($12 per adult and teenager and
$6 per child 8 to 12, as compared to the
$420 it costs for a full share of Mustard
Seed’s summer CSA program). Instead,
participants are expected to pitch in 12
hours of labor per season per adult or
teen and six hours per child.
In exchange, they get “all the vegeta-
bles you need to feed your family,” Dave
Brown said. Participants are allowed to
take their pick from the harvest.
When asked how such an honor-based
system has worked over the years, he
seems almost surprised by the question.
“I guess I’ve never really worried too
much about people abusing it — both
sides of the equation seem to be pretty
happy,” he said. “I think I’m getting a
good deal because I’m getting all this
labor to help grow our crops and they
think they’re getting a good deal because
they’re getting all this wonderful, organic
produce.”
Lesley Woodruff, Newberg city coun-
cilor and a participant in the Brown’s
community garden
for three years run-
ning, definitely seems
to think she’s getting
“a good deal” for her,
her husband and their
two young daughters.
She said the model
appeals to her more
than shopping at a traditional supermar-
ket.
“I like knowing that it’s grown by peo-
ple I know, and that it’s grown close by,
and that I’ve actually helped produce the
stuff,” she said. “And it’s certainly
cheaper than anything I could find in the
store. I mean, these are great, organic
vegetables — this is primo stuff that’s
practically free. You just have to put in
the hours.”
The work around Mustard Seed Farms
varies. If participants are especially
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Mustard Seed’s community garden continues to grow
Families pitch in on the farm in exchange for weekly shares
of fresh, organic produce
“I like knowing that it’s grown by people
I know, and that it’s grown close by, and
that I’ve actually helped produce the stuff.
And it’s certainly cheaper than anything
I could find in the store. I mean, these are
great, organic vegetables — this is primo
stuff that’s practically free. You just have
to put in the hours.”
In exchange for a nominal fee and hours spent working the fields, community garden folks have access to healthy produce.
Please read more about Mustard Seed
on page nine