Consolidation in Organic Agriculture - CCOF

MEMBERSOrganic Farming: Proactive EnvironmentalismBy Keith L. ProctorTEN YEARS AGO, JASON MCKENNEYmerged his passions for biologyand farming with his strong sociopoliticalbeliefs—and landed on a 12-acrefarm just south of San Francisco. Schooledin Rhode Island on an environmental educationfarm where he also taughtbiology, Jason later moved to Californiato continue farming. Througha friend, he started working on afarm where he learned about localsoil types and microclimates, environmentalconditions that make Californiaunique as a farming state. Healso learned about building relationshipswith a new and growing sectorof organic consumer: small restaurantsfrequented by customers willingto pay a fair price for deliciouslocal organic produce prepared witha skilled hand.Today Jason operates PurisimaGreens Farm, eight miles south ofHalf Moon Bay. Like the first farmhe worked on in California, Jasoncaters a portion of his crop productionto restaurant orders. Chefs visitthe farm, sit down with Jason, andtogether they build custom saladtypes, even deciding the style of howthe greens should be harvested.Chefs have a lot to choose from onthe 5 acres at Purisima Greens:spinach, chards, kales, broccoli, cabbage,roots, cauliflower, beets,turnips, carrots, strawberries, potatoes,artichokes, summer and wintersquashes, onions, garlic, leeks, shallots,dry farmed tomatoes, and more.Like many successful organicfarmers, Jason appreciates thestrength in crop diversity. Varietymay be the spice of life, and theexciting spice in a good restaurant,but Jason is also thinking in practicalterms of economy and marketing. “If youmaintain a level of diversity, you can havea buffer to withstand almost any marketfluctuation.” In addition to restaurants,Purisima Greens offers Community SupportedAgriculture (CSA) shares from Mayto December.Many small farmers attend severalregional farmers’ markets as a way to earna living. Jason, however, has chosen onlyone market—the Alemany Farmers’ Marketin San Francisco. Here, the discriminatingbargain shopper searchesthe booths, and questions the produce,the price, and the farmer.Unlike the trendy, almost pseudoyuppiefeeling of other Bay Areafarmers’ markets, the Alemany Marketis frequented by regular neighborhoodpeople looking for goodproduce at a decent price. “Theyreally confront the issue of organicfood cost,” says Jason. But after fiveyears as a regular vendor, and onlyone of two organic greens vendorsout of hundreds, customers havecome to recognize Purisima Greens’produce as cheep, organic food that’ssuperior. His prices are often underthose of local retailers, and the marketcustomers know that. Some ofthem come to the market beforesunrise, flashlights in hand, ready tohelp Jason and other vendors unloadand set up their booths so that theycan be the first ones to purchasefood and wares for sale. “Peoplecome out like locusts.” He laughs.“It’s fun and energizing.” But thePurisima booth is usually sold outof everything by 10 AM. The marketwasn’t always like this, explainsJason. He has watched the AlemanyFarmers’ Market transform over theyears from a mostly Hmong market,with farms based in the Central Valley,to a market of extreme diversity—stillwith the same Hmongfarmers, and now with so manymore from around the area. “It’s likePage 8CCOF Magazine