New Kid on the Block

     The Heebner farm in Worcester, PA had been in the family for over 10 generations, beginning just twenty years after the Schwenkfelders arrived in Philadelphia in 1734.  When there were no more family members to maintain the proud farming tradition it was sold to Drew & Melissa Smith.  Drew had the dream of operating an organic farm with fruits and vegetables sold to the public from their own farm stand.  His dream was realized at the newly named Willow Creek Farm, but not without an overwhelming amount of energy and man power.  Now his dream continues to be carried on by a non-profit group, Greener Partners.
     Greener Partners operates the farm in Worcester and another in Elwyn, Delaware County with the goal of "making local food accessible by offering multiple ways of experiencing fresh local food..." as they state in their brochure.  The Longview Center for Agriculture is a combination of agriculture and education on Stump Hall Road and provides opportunities for the non-farming public to participate in the joy of tasting home grown produce fresh from the field.  This 90 acre Certified Organic Farm is actually getting back to the roots of farming the way it originally was when the first Heebner cultivated the soil.
     At the recent Philly Farm and Food Fest I met Jennifer Brodsky, the Chief Operating Officer at Longview and discovered that they were continuing Drew Smith's dream on an even larger scale.  So on Wednesday I decided to take a look at what was happening down on the farm.  As I drove in the driveway to the retail store I pulled into the gravel parking lot and admired the flats of pansies for sale and saw in the distance the grape orchard coming to life past a small plot of rhubarb:

       As I turned around I noted the large blackboard hanging by the door.  It chronicled the educational opportunities available to young and old alike.  A major effort at the farm is to educate the public concerning good stewardship of the land.  And rightly so, since in reality we are all renters, not owners of the God's green earth.

     The Longview Center is unique in that it sells not only it's own fruit and produce but also the products of 90 other local farmers and artisanal businesses in their retail store.  I was amazed as I looked around the market and saw quite a variety of goods from locations within 50 miles of the farm.  And some early Spring produce was also ready to be taken home as well:

         As I was admiring the kale and leeks Jennifer arrived at the market and greeted me.  She explained how their non-profit model differs from a family owned farm, but that they still incur the same challenges with the rising cost of both material and transportation.  Profit margins are slimmer than ever.  It's a daunting challenge just to break even.  She invited me to take a walk out to some of the newest projects to see for myself the work that is underway.

     There was excitement and enthusiasm in Jennifer's voice as she told me that their goal as a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) had been reached.  In their first year of operation they had 120 individuals/families purchase farm shares.  It is a program whereby nearby residents receive weekly units of produce throughout the growing season for a predetermined price.  Longview offers both a full share suitable for a family of 4 and also a half share better suited for couples.  One added benefit from the Longview CSA is that share partners can come to the market and selectively pick their weekly unit share, unlike some other programs that merely offers partners a predetermined weekly provision.  Longview also offers share partners preferential admittance to the PYO (pick your own) fruits and produce as they become available through out the season.  Another added feature is the option to provide labor in exchange for the market share.

     We soon arrived at a field of blueberry bushes and I observed some work going on there.  Last year, Jennifer told me, the mid to late blossoming blueberries were decimated by the birds.  As soon as the blueberries were ready to be picked they were consumed by flocks of birds.  So with a generous gift this year the bushes and berries will be protected by an acre's worth of netting.  Work was already under way to set the poles in place to support the protective barrier and thus preserve the potential crop.  Turning around I saw another field in bloom.  This time it was a planting of Asian pear trees with white blossoms as far as the eye could see:

     As we turned back to walk toward the market Jennifer informed me that in just one year the Longview Center was about to be the recipient of the Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence in Farm Revitalization.  She will be present to receive that award on April 18th in Harrisburg.  So the new kid on the block is doing very well, thank you.  And it is my hope that the neighbors will notice and welcome Greener Partners into the community.