By Mike Donahue

Moapa Valley Progress

Those attending Western Nevada College’s CSA workshop included, front row from left, Lyndy Olmer, Bryce Olmer, Deborah Bagley and Juniper Olsen, all of Moapa Valley; back row, from left, Janet Knight of Brighter Ideas CSA in Las Vegas, Susan Haas, Las Vegas, and Laura and Monte Bledsoe of Overton. Photo by Mike Donahue.

Subscription farming or community supported agriculture (CSA) is rapidly growing in popularity across the country, in Nevada and even in Moapa Valley.

Currently there are two Moapa Valley CSAs — Quail Hollow Farm owned and operated by Monte and Laure Bledsoe in Overton, and Meadow Valley Farm and CSA owned and operated by Bryce and Lyndy Omer in Moapa. Both were recognized as excellent subscription farm examples during a workshop last month hosted by Western Nevada College in Fallon designed to teach interested Nevadans CSA basics.

The workshop, which was video conference to the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension (UNCE) office in Logandale, was attended by more than 70 people across the state all of whom were either CSA owners or Nevadans seeking information on how to become one. Eight took part at the local UNCE office.

Ann Louhela, WNC Program Facilitator, explained that the seminar was an attempt to expand the CSA base throughout the state, to teach others how local, successful CSA farmers make a profit and “discover that friendly competition can mean more profits for everyone. You’re all partners in this.”

Basically, CSAs are farms that grow produce and sell directly to the consumer. CSAs typically offer “shares” for sale, each of which gives the buyer a certain quantity of food on a regular schedule.

Two successful CSA farmers from Northern Nevada, Ray Johnson and Wendi Baroli were featured speakers at the workshop and both detailed their paths to profitability.

Johnson, who has been farming produce since the 1990s said CSAs are “teikei, a Japanese word that literally means putting the farmer’s face on the food we eat.”

Johnson said that as consumers have become more interested in eating healthier and knowing exactly how their food is grown and where it comes from, the ability of CSA to turn a profit has increased.

He started his operation selling produce in a roadside stand, and it was until the 2000s that he began selling membership in his CSA.

Becoming a CSA provides the farmer with a guaranteed market for produce, he said. “It also supports a sense of social responsibility and stewardship for the land.”

Baroli discussed several different types of CSAs and explained that her members in her co-op actually become owners in the produce and livestock the farm produces.

She requires that members visit the farm on a regular basis and perform work.

In other words, members pay her for the right to come out and “slop the hogs, butcher the chickens and weed the garden” among other things, she said. In return they get quality home grown food, meats and poultry.

Laura Bledsoe said the workshop was invaluable in learning new CSA ideas and how to adapt to changing circumstances.”

“We’ve been doing this for six years now, and we’re looking for ways to do it better,” she said.

The Omers agreed and added, “It’s great to learn there is a family of others (CSAs) across the state that are doing the same things we are, facing the same problems and seeking the same solutions.”