IRENE's NY DAMAGE TO UPSTATE CSA's

The Tragic Legacy of Irene

The New York Times  September 7, 2011, 3:17 pm By MARK BITTMAN

Deborah Kavakos Stoneledge Farm post-Hurricane Irene.

This report, from Deborah Kavakos of Stoneledge Farm — a CSA in the Greene County, N.Y., town of Cairo — is a harsh reminder that farming is a risky business. (I’ll be posting other reports from farmers in New York and Vermont — (here’s another, from Intervale, VT) — as they come in; submissions welcome via mark@markbittman.com.) Visit Stoneledge’s Web site for more (heartbreaking) photos and information.
Hurricane Irene came to upstate New York and left behind tragic loss of homes, roads, bridges, businesses and farms. Our small family farm — a CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture farm in which members share in the farms’ harvest — has been devastated.
Fall is what we work for and look forward to all year; it’s the season that our work and preparation pays off. The smell of fall is in the air, yet it lacks the excitement that we have become accustomed to feeling. Cool mornings would be paired with the sounds of crops tumbling through the washing facility as workers’ morale is lifted with the fruits of our labor. This excitement is transported to our members as our delivery trucks present fresh produce to our members. It is normally the time of bounty for the farm and for the CSA members’ shares.
But Irene’s floodwaters came and went with amazing speed and power, leaving behind devastation which shook the lives of many friends, neighbors and businesses in our town. In the days to come we came together as a community cleaning up and helping with whatever was needed. Our spirits began to lift as we could see our produce still hanging strong in our fields. We thought we could continue to provide our members with the organic produce that has filled refrigerators and dinner tables for well over a decade.
Two days after the flood waters receded we received information from the FDA, NYS agriculture and markets and Cornell Cooperative extension that produce that came in contact with flood waters could not be used for human or animal consumption. This was devastating news as a helpless feeling of disappointment and frustration set in. We continue to work through the implications of the storm day by day.
The CSA membership has risen to support the farm in this difficult time. We’re in direct contact with members, who’ve been demonstrating their understanding and commitment to the CSA model and the farm. The flood was overwhelming, but each day we are encouraged by the outpouring of continued support. CSA is about a community of members supporting the local farm and truly being part of the local, natural food supply that we as farmers dedicate our lives to produce.