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ONE APPLE AT A TIME

© Connie Krochmal

In 2003 will we wake up and face the music? American farmers, including fruit growers, are facing a crisis. The 2002 apple harvest was the worst in years, partly due to the extended drought.

Consumers can support sustainable agriculture by buying from local farmers through community-supported agriculture (CSA).

For several years I belonged to an organic CSA. It entitled me to a specific share of the farmer's harvest. Every Sunday afternoon I picked up a huge box of fresh fruits and vegetables.

Every CSA is different. Some have fresh flowers in the week's pick-up, while others will not. Some even publish a weekly newsletter with recipes and information on the various varieties they're distributing.

Both the consumer and the farmer benefit from a CSA. The farmer knows there is a market for the crops. The consumer gets freshly harvested produce at the peak of flavor.

As with all ventures, there is a downside to the CSA. In the event of a crop failure, the consumer will get less than usual. One year my CSA didn't have many potatoes to distribute.

Within the last decade farmers' markets became very popular. New ones are opening in response to consumer interest. Some of the existing ones are expanding their facilities.

Small farmers may travel to farmers' markets within their region, such as the New York City greenmarkets.

Buying from local U-pick fruit farms and orchards are another great way we can support local agriculture.

In addition to CSA's we hear a lot about sustainable agriculture these days. Bigger isn't better, it turns out. Some small farmers are starting to make changes. They've found there's great demand for their products. They enjoy a better quality of life than those engaged in industrial farming.

Sustainable agriculture can succeed. These small farmers have already proven that. In order to produce a decent crop it isn't necessary to use the standard pesticides, manure, and fertilizers-all of which are associated with contamination of groundwater and damage to wildlife. Each minute of the day 100,000 tons of manure are produced in America. All of this has to go somewhere. Excess amounts of sewage sludge and manure are spread on fields, and the result is polluted water, algal blooms, and dead zones in the oceans.

Much of our agriculture depends upon irrigation. Our supplies of water are dwindling. Albuquerque, New Mexico is asking the federal appeals court to set aside the Endangered Species Act so they can use all the water they want from the Rio Grande at the expense of wildlife.

The copyright of the article ONE APPLE AT A TIME in Fruit Gardens is owned by Connie Krochmal. Permission to republish ONE APPLE AT A TIME in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.