Independent downtown bookstore and publisher Lawn Gnome Publishing will aid in the sale of Farmyard garden seasonal fruits and vegetables as a Community Supported Agriculture registration site.
Farmyard sells Community Supported Agriculture baskets, also known as CSA baskets. The baskets are filled with fruits, vegetables and herbs that are harvested weekly at Farmyard and portioned to feed a person or family.
Sisters Rebecca and Sarah Kidwell founded Farmyard in 2009, expanding Rebecca’s existing organic garden. This attracted attention from neighbors and local members of their Phoenix community.
“All of our produce is grown using micro-farms in Phoenix and Scottsdale,” Sarah said.
The spring crop baskets will include green onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, arugula, radishes, green cabbage and leeks, she said.
Baskets are purchased in five or 10-week subscriptions in full, half or family-sized shares. A half share is for one person, a full share is up to two and a family-sized share is for three to four people.
Farmyard will deliver the basket for free within a five mile radius of the farm, which is located near 41st Street and Indian School Road.
“In a few weeks you will start to see tomatoes and cucumbers,” Sarah said.
Farmyard also installs organic food gardens in suscribers’ homes. People can go online and fill out contact information, service of interest, budget, current irrigation system and desires for the yard used.
“Everything is custom, depending on the size and space we have to work with. We go to homes, businesses and schools,” Sarah said.
Lawn Gnome provides information on CSA baskets and the packet needed to set up a share subscription.
“If we can get 10 people to come in and sign up at the bookstore, then there will not be a delivery fee,” said Aaron Johnson, owner of Lawn Gnome Publishing.
Johnson’s wife Casey is a farmer at Farmyard.
Bragg’s Factory Diner on Grand Avenue will make a weekly special using their own CSA basket.
“Chef Liam is inspired by whatever various fruits and vegetables we get in our basket for the week,” said Tristan Jemsek, social media manager for Bragg’s. “Saturday and Sunday we will have a different special dish, such as a vegetable burrito, potato and leek scramble with sorrel herbs, or even a sweet potato salad.”
Farmyard also sells fresh eggs. Their chickens are fed the leftover trimmings from the fruits and vegetables on the farm, as well as flax seed organic feed of lay pellets and cracked corn.
“This is such a wonderful way to eat healthier and enjoy what is being grown locally here in Phoenix,” Johnson said.
Contact the reporter at lucianicolai@asu.edu
