Local farmers prepare for growing season as Community Supported Agriculture Week kicks off

LONDON, Ky. (WYMT) - What exactly is Community Supported Agriculture Week? Ford Waterstrat calls it the beginning of the busiest time of the year.

“We grow fruits and vegetables for people in our community,” Waterstrat said. “They sign up to get vegetables from us every week through the growing season which is May to October.”

While the fields remain empty for now, those at Sustainable Harvest Farm are preparing for spring by giving the communities they serve a head start on buying their freshly-grown product.

“It gets people that participate the opportunity beyond supporting a local farmer to try a lot of different vegetables, maybe eat healthier, to cook healthier as well,” Jeff Fox said. “And then really to be able to eat through the growing season.”

A USDA-certified organic farm, Waterstrat and his family’s produce is chemical and pesticide-free, which they feel only adds to the quality.

“It’s more challenging, but knowing that my kids, when they were just infants could go to the field and get something to eat and not have to worry about any chemical residues that are harmful for their bodies, it was a huge blessing,” Waterstrat said.

That initiative lives on to this day, as the Waterstrat boys relish in the opportunity to help their dad.

“I really like it because it’s fun, and when they bust you always get to eat them,” Finley Waterstrat said. “And they taste really good.”

Sustainable Harvest’s reach is not limited to London either. With each passing year, they continue to expand all over the southeast.

“Our delivery locations are continuing to expand, you know as we kind of connect with more families in Knoxville and Lexington, you know we’re always adding new drop-off sites because we want people to have access to our food,” Waterstrat said.

Those looking to sign up can do so by clicking here.

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