Meet the Farmers

FarmShare works with a community of small-scale, family farmers throughout the Northeast Ohio region.
Below is a sampling of the farms we're working with for the 2008 season.



WAXWING FARM
Waxwing Farm, a brand new Northeast Ohio farm specializing in sustainably produced vegetables, herbs, and eggs, has taken flight this year. The vegetables and herbs are grown in soil that is rich in organic matter, allowing the plants to flourish without the use of chemicals. Waxwing Farm’s crops include a delectable sundry of greens, peas, onions, garlic, carrots, beets, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, squash, dill, cilantro, parsley, thyme and basil. Waxwing Farm has three different varieties of chickens, which lay eggs in various shades of colors including, blue-green, green, pink-brown and pale brown. The chickens are pastured. They roam about in a field with plenty of fresh green plants, which chickens need in order to produce the highest quality eggs. 

Waxwing Farm founders include twin sisters, Laura and Lisa Cyrocki, Pete McDonald (Lisa’s fiancé) and Tessa McDonald (Pete’s sister). With Laura and Lisa’s life-long passion for gardening and growing delicious produce, and Pete and Tessa’s experiences growing up on a farm, the foursome created a small farm in Munson Township on the land where Pete and Tessa grew up. They named their farm after the lovely Cedar Waxwing — an elegant, gregarious bird, who travels through the rolling hillsides of the farm foraging for berries. This year Waxwing Farm has the good fortune of more than just the beautiful passer-by. A pair of Cedar Waxwings has made a nest in a pine tree in front of the 1920’s farmhouse.



INFINITE GARDEN FARM
Infinite Garden Farm is a small organic vegetable farm located in Litchfield. Farmer, Larry Luschek has used ecological methods for over 25 years and has been certified organic since 1988. A full range of vegetable crops are grown. Last year 25 different vegetable crops were grown for sale. Larry's major crops include several varieties of garlic, peppers, broccoli, heirloom tomatoes, lettuce, beets, and greens.

Produce is available from May to December and is sold to local health-food stores, a college student food co-op and at farmers markets. On Saturday mornings this year, you can find Larry at the Countryside Farmers' Market in Peninsula. FarmShare subscribers will be enjoying Larry's superb garlic and vegetables throughout the 2008 season. Some produce is sold at the farm and to restaurants. 

 

GREENFIELD BERRY FARM
The Greenfield Berry Farm is a Certified Naturally Grown farm that features pick-your-own blueberries and raspberries and offers a wide variety of small fruits and vegetables. Farmers Daniel and Michelle Greenfield offer the following in limited quantities: strawberries, blackberries, black raspberries, elderberries, garlic, fingerling potatoes, sweet potatoes, heirloom pumpkins, and sunflowers for cutting.
In the next few years, the Greenfields will also have gooseberries, currants, asparagus, horseradish, and rhubarb. Honey is also available from the hives on the farm and the Greenfields also produce delicious jams and other farm-based products. The Greenfield Berry Farm also offers field trips and educational farm tours.

The Greenfield Berry Farm is located in the heart of the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley National Park and is a Countryside Initiative Farm. This historic farmstead is surrounded by 33,000 acres of protected land and is situated on the outskirts of Peninsula Village at the intersection of Major and Oak Hill Roads. Perched at the edge of a wide plateau, the Greenfield Berry Farm affords visitors a charming place to pick berries and purchase vegetables, jams, honey, and more.


A GLOSSARY OF LOCAL FOOD & FARMING TERMS:
FarmShare makes every effort to source foods that are produced in a sustainable manner. We also purchase responsibly grown conventional produce. Below you'll find definitions terms commonly used to describe farming practices.  

Certified Organic: Produced in accordance with specific regulations and that has been inspected and approved by an accredited certifying agent. The USDA Federal Rule governing organic certification requires that an organic production system is managed “to respond to site-specific conditions by integrating cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity.

Certified Naturally Grown: A non-profit alternate certification program created for small-scale organic farmers who follow USDA Organic Standards. CNG minimizes the recordkeeping and inspection process to accommodate the needs of small-scale mixed-agriculture farmers.

Sustainable Agriculture: An integrated system of plant and animal production that will satisfy human food and fiber needs; enhance environmental quality and the natural resource base upon which the agriculture economy depends; make the most efficient use of nonrenewable resources and on-farm resources and integrate, where appropriate, natural biological cycles and controls; sustain the economic viability of farm operations and; enhance the quality of life for farmers and society as a whole.
 
Conventional Agriculture: An industrial agricultural system characterized by mechanization, monocultures, the use of synthetic inputs such as chemical fertilizers and pesticides, with an emphasis on maximizing productivity and profitability.