Organic farming

MSU farm provides locally grown fresh alternative to commercially produced fruits and vegetables

| The State News Grand Ledge resident Sarah Salisbury, 7, works on the MSU Student Organic Farm, with seven family members on Thursday morning. The Salisbury family spent several hours working on the farm to fulfill a share requirement of eight hours. "Watching the little children means I don't get a whole lot done," said Keely Salisbury, Sarah's mother. "But, it's a good learning experience for the children," she said. The Salisburys had to wait a year before they were able to buy a share in the farm.

The MSU Student Organic Farm, 3291 College Road, in Holt serves as a place not only to grow certified organic food, but research organic farming techniques as well, according to its Web site.

The farm focuses on Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, in which the produce from the year-round farming is divided into shares and sold before the food is harvested.

A share feeds up to about four adults and is not limited to one family, said farm manager and instructor Jeremy Moghtader.

Shares are sold in spring, summer and fall and cost $460 per share, said Holly Markham, an environmental policy and anthropology senior, who works at the farm.

Since its first season in 2003, the farm has gone from producing 25 shares to about 50 or 60, Moghtader said.

Anne Misener, an MSU graduate who works at the farm, said the system of selling shares is more risky than traditional farming.

"The traditional farm grows food in debt — no one has bought it yet. But at a CSA farm, its shareholders buy the food prior to being harvested, so buyers are taking a risk," Misener said.

Markham said she finds that the best thing in this type of farming is the freshness.

"The benefit comes down to distribution. Food coming from California travels thousands of miles," she said, "Organic farming is (the) ultimate in fresh foods."

Markham added that the food grown on the farm is distributed hours after it is picked. All the farming is done on-site, from planting the seed in the nursery to harvesting the crop in the field.

The workers are divided into groups and put in charge of a certain greenhouse, Markham said.

Working at the farm has been an educational and rewarding experience, she said.

"I found it a really awesome way to help out in the community � I really think it's a cool thing to be a part of, and I wanted to see how all these things worked out together," Markham said.

The farm looks to use natural methods, such as composting and physical barriers to keep weeds and insects away, according to its Web site. Hay, straw, leaves, and waste from barns around campus are also used as alternatives to pesticides.

The farm is looking to expand its focus beyond growing organic food to teaching how to grow it, Moghtader said.

"In January we are starting a teaching program that will give out one year certificates that will be given to either undergraduates at the university or people coming from other countries that take a one year course," Moghtader said.

"Overall, our big, major goal is to do a lot more teaching," he said.

To become a shareholder at the MSU Student Organic Farm, visit www.msuorganicfarm.com or contact Corie Pierce at msufarm@msu.edu.

Staff writer Justin Kroll contributed to this report.

Photo: Environmental policy ...