Shortly before Hurricane Irene dumped nearly a foot of rain on the Northeast and ravaged many farmers”™ fields on Aug. 27 and 28,  Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) arrived in Putnam on a bright, sun-filled morning to visit Glynwood Farm in Cold Spring.
Her visit to the farm and agricultural study hub was to introduce legislation to encourage community supported agriculture. Farmers”™ markets are popular, but CSAs seem more of a well-kept secret she”™d like to see expanded to a growing population of food-savvy consumers.
With hundreds of CSAs scattered across the state, a number which many farmers would like to grow to help sustain their own bottom line, Gillibrand”™s proposed Community Supported Agriculture Promotion Act would create a competitive grant program and award federal funds to organizations, extensions services and state and local government agencies to encourage grower support””from marketing to crop development distributed to new or current CSA farmers, building on the number of those that would promote the program.
Gillibrand also seeks the development of more innovative delivery and distribution programs to attract more consumers to buy their fruits, vegetables and meats directly from farms through CSA arrangements, as well as to build on the increasing interest about where that pound of green beans on the dinner table came from.
In the U.S., where foods from outside its borders are now labeled with the country of origin, concerns about the use of pesticides, artificial coloring and possible toxic ingredients being added (i.e., China”™s recent deaths from improperly prepared infant formula mix) has helped heightened awareness in consumers.
“More families are looking for food grown close to home, and families want to encourage their children to understand that carrots are not growing in grocery stores,” emphasized Gillibrand.
Her visit coincided with the farm”™s regular CSA pickup day, where subscribers come for 22 weeks and fill their shopping bags with different fruits and vegetables.
“The selection varies week to week,” said Dave Llewellyn, CSA manager, who also offers recipes.  The farm sells eggs, fresh chicken, goat meat and other free-range livestock products.
With the obesity epidemic in the U.S., Gillibrand says introducing K-12 students to farming and CSA groups is a good way to keep them involved in what they are eating ”“ and to think about where the foods they consume come from.
“Becoming involved with your family in a CSA program is a whole educational component,” said the junior senator. “Kids who are overweight tend to have lower scores in math, reading, develop sleep apnea and also have lower self-esteem. By involving them in agriculture, they get an appreciation of the foods they eat and how much better fresh foods are as opposed to processed ones.”
Farming is also emotionally healing, and Gillibrand says for returning combat veterans, people are who incarcerated or in high-risk groups benefit from working outdoors and getting involved with growing food.
“It”™s mentally calming and a wonderful feeling for them to see their labor bear fruit.”
It”™s a good concept, but can be a pricey one. Membership in a CSA can range from $300 to $700, depending on the amount of food and the number of visits subscribers sign up for. Some families choose to split the cost to save on expenses.
Glynwood doesn”™t just concentrate on CSA markets or sustainable agriculture. The farm recently rolled out its first mobile slaughterhouse in 2010, currently stationed in Delaware County.
Because local farmers often have difficulty getting their livestock to a U.S.D.A.-certified slaughterhouse, they are forced to sell their animals for a lesser price than they would if they could have the butchering done for them and sell directly to the insatiable marketplace in New York City.
Glynwood is currently in the process of developing new docking sites for its 53-foot long trailer, which will travel the Hudson Valley and allow area livestock farmers to become more profitable. It is one of the many innovations Glynwood has cultivated, along with its growing CSA program.
Agriculture and its by-product, tourism, are essential components in New York”™s economy, said Gillibrand, the first New York senator to serve on an agriculture committee in four decades. With roots in the farming community, Gillibrand hopes to bring more than awareness to the table. She also hopes to bring awareness ”“ and revenue ”“ to farmers and to shoppers about how to eat better and support local farmers.
Gillibrand also commented on the upcoming 2012 Farm Bill and the E-Verify program, which the agricultural community is fighting to keep from becoming compulsory.
“E-Verify is going to be very problematic for our farming community if it becomes mandatory.”
