Q&A on Growers’ Fare with Rachelle from the West Michigan Growers Group
Rachelle Bostwick is the Director of the West Michigan Growers Group and is the head farmer at Earthkeeper Farm. Rachelle has worked alongside MSU Extension and Local First to bring you Growers' Fare, an event created under a USDA grant-funded CSA promotion project.
nn
Q: What is the West Michigan Growers Group and how is your organization affiliated with Growers’ Fare?
nn
A: The Growers Group is a farmer-to-farmer organization that support small farms and is building a more local food system. Our farmers were striving to increase customer awareness about the CSA model and the amazing farms we have in West Michigan. Therefore, we partnered with Local First and MSU Extension to create the Growers’ Fare CSA Open House and project.
nn
nn
Q: What is the purpose of Growers’ Fare?
nn
A: The Growers’ Fare will give local food-loving people a chance to meet and talk to 20 CSA farmers from around West Michigan. Attendees can start building a personal relation with their farmer and they can gain a deeper understanding of how your food is grown and why this matters.
nn
nn
Q: What does the Growers Group hope that attendees will get out of Growers’ Fare?
nn
A: Customers can gain a deeper understanding about how their food is produced, start building a personal connection with their farmers, and choose the farm that best suits their family.
nn
nn
Q: Who should attend Growers’ Fare?
nn
A: The Growers’ Fare event is mainly intended for people who eat, which is EVERYONE! The farms are located all over West Michigan. Many have pick ups in Grand Rapids or Holland, with other locations including Caledonia, Greenville, Coopersville, Rockford, Ada, Muskegon, and more. Some of the farms accept Double Up Food Bucks for their CSA, making it half price for folks receiving EBT benefits. The event is free to attend. There will be kids activities for families, cooking demos, refreshments, and door prizes!
nn
nn
Q: Why is the CSA model important to members of the Growers Group?
nn
A: Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, is a great way to support small farms, and has a lot of benefits for the farmer and customer. The farmer is able to pay for the upfront costs of running the farm (such as seed, labor, equipment costs), and shares some of the risk of production with the CSA members. These factors help make small scale, ecological farming more financially viable. The customer is able to build a connection with where their food comes from, know how it was produced, and get a bunch of super-fresh food every week for a great price. CSAs build a community connection between eaters and farmers. CSAs are the ultimate example of the local food economy.
nn
nn
Q: What are you most excited about for the event this year?
nn
A: We have an amazing group of farmers coming to the event this year. Some of the best farms in West Michigan will be there to meet you, including fruit, vegetable, meat, egg, flower, mushroom, and milk CSAs. Many of the farms use natural or certified organic growing practices. With the wide range of farms and locations, everyone will be able to find a farm that works for their family.
nn
nn