OLES FAMILY FARM - Edible Communities

OLES
FAMILY FARM
The Promised Land
Edible Communities Reader’s
Choice Local Hero Award
Farm: Oles Family Farm & Promised Land CSA
BY LAURA ELIA BALCOM
PHOTO BY PAM OLES
You could say that farming is in Dan Oles’ blood. Growing
up, he got to experience the lifestyle first-hand on his
father’s hobby farm. Back then, the Oles had a three-acre
vegetable garden, as well as some cattle. But Dan knew
that while farming was his father’s hobby, it was his own life’s passion.
Soon after graduating from Cornell University with a degree in Farm
Business Management in 1979, Oles married his wife Jane. A Lancaster,
NY, native, Jane Oles had never been exposed to life on a farm,
but she was eager to support her new husband in his vision of making
a living off the land. Together, the two purchased property in Alden
and began buying farming machinery and equipment, piece by piece,
part by part.
Dan worked full-time on the farm, while Jane worked full-time as a
registered nurse. Any extra money they made always went right back
into their first love – the farm.
Over the years, the couple eventually welcomed four children, Meg,
Andrew, Ben, and Pam. “All the kids worked on the farm growing up,
from the time they could walk,” Dan recalled. “It really taught them
about hard work and responsibility. But it also taught them about appreciating
the simple, everyday beauty in nature.”
Today, the Oles Family Farm is the epitome of a “family-run” business.
Dan is the crop planner and field manager; he always has an eye on
the fields, carefully watching over the crops. Jane, who retired from
nursing in 2005, helps customers at the roadside market, picks fruits
and vegetables, and authors the weekly newsletters.
Two of the Oles four kids remain on the farm, helping to run the
business. Daughter Pam manages the greenhouse, overseeing all the seed
planting. She also heads up the flower and herb production. Son Ben returned
to Alden in June after working for a logging company in the
Adirondacks. He brings a wealth of mechanical experience to the farm.
Together, the family works harmoniously with nature to make a living
off the land. They also work to build awareness among their surrounding
community about the benefits of sustainable agriculture and
buying locally grown food. It’s a role they’ve grown to love – but not
necessarily one they anticipated having.
You see, originally, the Oles only grew cash crops, such as wheat, corn,
oats and hay. Then one day, a neighbor asked them to grow some
pumpkins. Other neighbors asked them to grow other types of
produce and, before they knew it, they were farming more than 20
acres of fruits and vegetables. To sell the produce, they opened a
roadside market.
However, one of the frustrations the Oles experienced with the market
was inconsistency in sales. “You’re always growing, but you’re not
always selling what you’re growing,” Dan explained. After doing some
research, the family decided to adopt the model of Community Supported
Agriculture, or CSA, two years ago, naming their CSA
“Promised Land.”
A CSA is simply a partnership between the consumer and the farmer.
The consumer signs up to receive a weekly share of fresh, locally
grown produce at a fair price, while the farmer benefits from receiving
22 EDIBLE BUFFALO | SPRIING 2009

a consistent wage as well as being able to better gauge demand since all
the produce is pre-sold.
Besides being a smarter business model, Promised Land CSA allows
participants to really get to know who grows their food. It also provides
the Oles family with the opportunity to educate customers about
topics like growing seasons and the use of cover crops versus chemicals
and sprays. As a result, their customers have a better understanding of
the “who, what, when, where, and why” of their food.
the family is able to work together and play together. For them, that’s
the biggest reward. eB
Laura Elia Balcom is a freelance writer who has a passion for food
and cooking. She has written and edited for numerous trade magazines
within the agriculture industry.
In addition, through the CSA, the Oles have been able to create more
variety and experiment with different crops. In the roadside market,
which the Oles family still runs, customers expect “the meat and potatoes,”
said Dan. “The basics.” But with Promised Land CSA, the
Oles are able to offer items like bok choy or orange cauliflower –
produce that wouldn’t typically sell well in a farm market.
To communicate with customers, the Oles family sends out
newsletters every week so people know what produce to expect and
what’s coming further in the growing season. Their newsletters also include
recipes for the more exotic items, like bok choy, that customers
might not know how to cook.
Again, Oles said, it’s all about educating the customer, while also
helping them plan their meals using locally grown, fresh produce.
“With the CSA, it’s a relationship, a business, and a teaching model all
rolled into one,” he added.
In addition to the CSA, the Oles family sponsors different events on
their farm. For instance, each Fall they host a potluck supper where
everyone brings a different dish using produce grown on the Oles
Family Farm. Families can also take a tour of the farm and pick
pumpkins with their kids. “It’s really neat to see a community build
over food,” said Dan.
This year, the Oles family will be teaching customers about canning
and freezing – which, according to Dan, is a lost skill. These sessions
will give people a chance to learn and ask questions about preserving
food so they can have access to locally grown produce year-round.
Beyond farming and educating, the Oles family makes food fun and
exciting for their customers. In fact, when out recently for a beer at a
local pub, several men who participate in Promised Land CSA came
up to Dan. “They wanted to share their enthusiasm about the vegetables
they’d gotten in their latest share,” said Dan. “All they were
talking about was the vegetables and how excited they were to see
what was coming next.”
It’s all in a days work for the Oles family. Soon, they will be gearing up
for the growing season – and 14-hour workdays. But they don’t seem
to mind. For Dan, Jane, Pam, and Ben, it’s a calling. They are stewards
of the land, producing healthy and delicious produce for their surrounding
community. That’s just what they do. And it’s a job that
holds many advantages for them – the most significant one being that
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