Photos by Sierra LaDuke
A local farm’s community-supported agriculture program, which delivers baskets of the farm’s current produce to its members, is accepting 50 more applications this spring for its 12-week program.
Maya’s Farm, located on 32nd Street and Southern Avenue, has been providing many downtown Phoenix restaurants with its produce for more than 10 years, Owner Maya Dailey said. The delivery program is available in the spring and winter.
Members are effectively purchasing a share of the future harvests, and will receive whatever variety of foods and flowers are growing that week, Dailey said. It costs $300 for the entire program, which spans from April 8 through June 27.
Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is described as a “community of health and environmentally conscious people coming together to share the bounties and risks of their local, independent farm,” and makes eating local (and healthy) easier, especially for those located downtown, according to the farm’s website. The farm has a booth regularly available at the farmer’s markets at Phoenix Public Market every Wednesday and Saturday.
Dailey said she began her full-time venture back in 2006. She took over the market-farm production at The Farm at South Mountain, and in 2009 her farm had expanded to two acres. She said the idea of taking on a full-time enterprise was daunting at first.
“I was fortunate to hire a wise and experienced farm manager who taught me that I should not fight with the earth while working, but get in tune with it, ‘dance’ with it,” Dailey said.
Dailey focuses on earth-friendly production, avoiding pesticides, herbicides and commercial fertilizers. She said all the farm’s produce is certified organic by the California Certified Organic Farmers, an agency accredited by the United States Department of Agriculture.
“Farming is the only way to democratic freedom, a healthy environment and healthy communities,” Dailey said. “Good, healthy, clean and fair food is also good for the soul.”
One of Maya’s resources is Local First Arizona, a nonprofit that works to strengthen and celebrate locally owned businesses across the state. The organization has noticed a huge boom in demand for local food in the past few years, despite the market for it still being relatively small.
“The localism message is finally starting to click … people understand that local economies are more resilient,” Local Foods Coordinator Steve Russell said.
Common concerns with buying locally often include price and logistics, which Russell explained is often a misconception.
“This is due to the prices reflecting the true cost of producing that food, including fair wage practices,” Russell said. “When buying produce with the seasons, many will actually find the food to be at the same or better prices when compared to the produce from the large-scale conventional food system.”
Phoenix Public Market is a hotspot for local vendors like Maya’s. Open year-round and located just off the light rail, it brings together not only small businesses but fosters community as well, according to a local leader.
Dan Klocke, the vice president of development for Downtown Phoenix Inc.,serves on the community board of directors for the open-air market. He said more than 10,000 people come to the market each year.
“I’ve always found markets to be a wonderful mirror of what is important to the community and how markets bring amazing vibrancy to the neighborhoods,” Klocke said.
Contact the reporter at svedward@asu.edu.
