Blooming Glen Farm, LLC is in its second year as a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm in Perkasie, Pa. Community Supported Agriculture is a mutually beneficial relationship between a local farm and the community of people who receive the food the farm produces. Members purchase a share of the harvest in the spring and in return receive a weekly supply of fresh seasonal vegetables. The members agree to share the inherent benefits and risks of the agricultural season. People are increasingly separated from the source of their food. Community Supported Agriculture is a creative response to this crisis. It is a model that emphasizes locally grown, which promotes a local economy, and a safe food system. Participation in a CSA leads to a deeper understanding of our interdependence on one another and the land. The farm supplies not only nutritious chemical-free food, but an opportunity for a community to come together to develop a sense of place, to reconnect with one another and the rhythms of the seasons, and to preserve open space as working farms.

Farmers Tom Murtha and Tricia Borneman have been farming together for seven years. We have worked on organic farms around the country and have been involved in all matters of diverse vegetable production and marketing. We returned to Bucks County where Tricia grew up because we are committed to preserving and encouraging the rich agricultural heritage of this area. Young farmers, part of a steadily growing group, yet still a rarity in the realm of agriculture, face many challenges, not the least of which is financial. The CSA model of sustainable farming helps farmers receive a fair share of the profit, by eliminating the costs of marketing, packaging, and shipping. This is in direct contrast to a national system where the average produce at the market travels 1500 miles. It also enables cash flow in the early part of the season when farmers heed it the most to buy seeds and supplies. The cost of owning land hi Bucks County is prohibitive as development continues to usurp prime farm land, which can be discouraging to young farmers. Borneman and Murtha partnered with Henry and Charlotte Rosenberger who own the agriculturally preserved land that is Blooming Glen Farm. The Rosenbergers want to see the preserved land they own put to use hi creative ways that will continue into the future. They share our vision for encouraging sustainable agriculture in Bucks County, and were willing to supply the capital to fund the startup of the business, to eventually be paid back with the growth of the farm. The Rosenbergers also currently own and operate a grass fed, hormone and antibiotic free, beef business on the surrounding land. This creates a nice symbiosis with the CSA. As they clean their barns in the winter, we receive a very local source of manure, which is then mixed with our township collected leaves, and turned into compost for the farm.

At Blooming Glen Farm we strive to be good stewards of the land through sustainable farming practices. Our crops are grown without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. We use compost, cover crops, mulching and crop rotation to encourage healthy soil and plants and to build long term soil fertility. We believe a healthy body is inseparable from a healthy soil. Through the CSA experience we strive to encourage a sense of place by reconnecting people with the land that sustains them. A healthy community is as important to us as healthy soil and plants are. We ask our CSA members to complete a minimum of a four hour work commitment at the farm over the course of the season. The success of our CSA depends on the involvement of the community. It is vital to making our community farm sustainable. Members have fun getting to know their farmers and neighbors, chatting while moving down a bed thinning and weeding carrots they will be eating some point soon. They go home at the end of a morning at the farm a little more tired, a lot dirtier, but also a bit more knowledgeable about what goes into growing their food. We provide numerous opportunities for community interaction, not only at group work days, but through pick your own crops, a children's garden, monthly farm potlucks and farm festivals. A biweekly farm newsletter keeps members abreast of happenings at the farm. Many members commented that now when they hear the weather forecast they think about how it will affect "their farm and their crops". Those involved in Blooming Glen Farm last summer experienced the 12 inches of rain and the subsequent flooding in our region in a way they never would have otherwise.

We provide a model of sustainable agriculture that can be replicated by other new or transitioning farmers. Our business is a self-sustaining, economically feasible example of a creative way for small scale farms to challenge the existing models of agriculture hi this country. To counter economic disparity, we offer a handful of work shares to those who are financially unable to pay for a share but are able to contribute their tune and physical efforts. We also donate leftover produce to our local food bank. To continue to be leaders in all manners of sustainability, our long term goal includes researching ways to power our farm using sustainable energy, for example using windmills, and to begin to reach out to schools in the area, and encourage student field trips and workshops. To address the future of sustainable agriculture in general, this season we will be hosting an apprentice, a young person interested in pursuing a career in farming. In this way we can pass our farm knowledge on to others. Young farmers need to think outside the box to start up a farm in this era. They must find creative solutions and forge new partnerships, whether it is with landowners, townships, or groups of interested community members. Blooming Glen Farm provides one very real possibility amongst many.

Starting Blooming Glen Farm in Dec. 2005 was a leap of faith. We believed it would be a success and it was. Over 100 families became members of the farm, with many more on a waiting list, causing us to aim to sell 150 shares this season. The response from the community to the creation of the farm was inspiring. There was and continues to be an outpouring of support and involvement. People are looking for a way to reconnect to the land, to each other and to the source of their food. They see the landscape around them changing drastically and rapidly. Decisions we make today concerning land use and local agriculture will be realized by our children and grandchildren. Blooming Glen Farm begins to address these important issues, by making people aware of something as basic as the source of their food, and all that entails. As Bucks County farmers and members of PASA, (Pennsylvania's Association of Sustainable Agriculture), we are part of a greater community of farmers working toward similar goals. As parents and citizens, we are part of a global community charged with protecting our planet's natural resources. We take this task very seriously at Blooming Glen Farm. We are part of a movement inspired by the phrase "face to face agriculture". Our community now has a farm where they can meet and talk to the farmers, ask questions, and come together to learn about sustainable food. I could provide you with charts and data that show how much food we grew (over 75 different varieties of vegetables, herbs, flowers and small fruit), acres cultivated (5), native pollinators, bird, and insect populations protected (numerous), local newspaper articles written about us (3), or photos that show the quality and vibrancy of the vegetables grown on the farm. But 1 would rather let the community speak for themselves, and tell you how they feel. Here are a few comments about Blooming Glen Farm CSA, provided specifically in support of our nomination for the Philadelphia Sustainability Award. (And as these also fall under the category of letters they will spill into part #4 of the application).

"Blooming Glen Farm CSA has given my children the opportunity to understand where their food comes from and to understand how the rain and sun and earth are all connected to them. More than that, my children now see their community as not just a group of houses, but as place where their food grows. My kids are little but the impact of farm work and fresh food has already impressed in them an understanding of the connectedness of all things that many adults do not have." Kelli J. Scarlett, Souderton PA

"Becoming a member of the CSA was one of the highlights of last year for our family. With my brother being so ill, most of the typical fun activities of our lives have completely stopped. Getting fresh vegetables every week was like breathing fresh new life into my family. Everyone looked forward to seeing what we got each week. My family got so excited about things like kohlrabi cole slaw, fresh pesto and our weekly Tuesday night stir fry. Whenever someone ate with us, they would be amazed at the taste of fresh produce. Not only did we benefit from the taste of something that was just picked that day but the Earth thanked us as well. By purchasing the organic produce from the CSA that I usually bought from a supermarket, the pollution from transporting it (in trucks, in plastic bags, keeping it chilled, etc.) was virtually eliminated. I used the same bags to pick everything up all season and picked up the share on my way home from work each week. Best of all the relationship with the farmers proved to be an added treat. I personally experienced how much Tom and Tricia care about their members, the earth and the human population in general. They've personally taken action to make our earth a better place to live. The icing on the cake was that if you weren't able to pick up your share for that week, it was donated to a local food pantry." Mandy Sitko, Sellersville, PA

"The Blooming Glen CSA has meant a number of things to our family. It has created an opportunity for us to participate in and support locally and sustainably grown produce. We love the fact that we know where the produce is grown, under what conditions and by whom. We also love being a part of the harvesting of the produce, sharing some of the risks of the CSA venture and getting to know some of our fellow members. The produce itself has been excellent in quality and variety and has stimulated our interest in trying interesting vegetables and dishes previously unknown to us." John Travers and family, Telford, PA

"In our world where folks are looking for "good return on investments" my suggestion is "our farm" which we truly feel a part of- a small investment for such a large return." Kathy Donovan, Sellersville, PA

For more information, please visit www.bloomingglenfarm.com