Community Supported Agriculture {Guest Blog}

Guest Blogger: Mitchell Walters

Summer in Mississippi is a wonderful time to enjoy locally grown fruits and vegetables. Farms around the state are yielding an abundance of fresh produce, and many Mississippians are taking advantage of a Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA.  A CSA is a locally-based model of food distribution, where consumers receive a weekly share of a farm's harvest. What a perfect way to support local farmers, and treat yourself to wholesome, delicious fare! 

I had the pleasure of speaking with Van Killen, owner of Two Dog Farms with his wife, Tori.  Named for their beloved blue heeler/lab mix, Sid, and English Springer Spaniel, Arlo, Two Dog Farms is an organic-inspired produce farm that sells shares of their harvest through a CSA, at local farmers markets, and in restaurants. Killen grew up on a farm in the delta and says, "the idea of growing fruits and vegetables in a sustaining way has been a passion of mine for a long time." 

Here, Killen describes his passion for us, and gives details on how to provide your family with fresh vegetables and fruit, grown right here in Mississippi:

{Where do you get your produce?   Is it all Mississippi grown?}
 The produce in our CSA comes from what we grow in the dirt. We supplement the weekly share with our partner and neighboring farm, Hydroponic Farm (on salad days). Everything is grown in Flora, MS.

{How can people sign up to receive your food?}
 We have an application on our Facebook page (Two Dog Farms) or people can email me at twodogfarmsllc@gmail.com.

{How much does it cost to join the CSA?  Do you also sell at local farmers markets?}
The cost is $28 a week and people can pay for the full season in advance, or in 2 payments. The CSA has already started, but we are happy to prorate anyone who is interested in joining. The CSA will last until the end of August.
Also, we are selling at the High Street farmers market on Saturdays and the Madison farmers market on Tuesdays.

{Why do you think it is important for Mississippians to eat locally grown produce?}
 We have some of the most fertile land in the country right under our feet. A great way to embrace what we have is to enjoy the bountiful seasonal food that can be grown here.

{What inspires you?}
I get inspired when someone tells me how great the produce is, how they prepared it, and that they can't wait to get more. That's what makes me want to keep doing what I'm doing and growing the farm to supply more people.

{What is your favorite thing about living and working in Mississippi?}
The people of Mississippi!

Thanks to Van and Tori Killen for sharing their business and these beautiful photos with us. We hope you are all inspired to fill your table with fresh, local produce this summer!

Photos courtesy of Two Dog Farms