Each week, for the Phoenixville Farmers’ Market, Market Manager Elizabeth Comiskey announces the producer of the week, with Charlestown Cooperative Farm being the current notable neighbor.
Here’s what Elizabeth details about the organic fruits and veggies’ hub:
Charlestown Cooperative Farm, a CSA farm (Community Sustained Agriculture), founded in 2000, grows non-certified organic vegetables and small fruits, on 40 acres in Charlestown Township.
Melissa Ingaglio, the farm manager, working with a crew of ten, plus the help of volunteers uses that acreage to produce a harvest enjoyed by the 150 members of the CSA, the many customers of the Phoenixville Farmers’ Market, as well as, two local restaurants.
The harvest, which is savored in late spring, summer, fall, and winter, includes twenty varieties of heirloom tomatoes, such as, Cherokee Purple, Great White, and Striped German, as well as, Swiss chard, arugula, winter kale, leeks, sweet turnips, garlic scapes, strawberries, raspberries, and most other popular vegetables and small fruits.
Sustainability is a hallmark of the Charlestown Cooperative Farm. The utilization of no-till planting, deliberate rotation of crops, and the use of green manure and cover crops protects and enhances the fertility of the soil. The carefully constructed network of swales, berms, and contour strips arranged throughout the farm has nearly eliminated soil erosion; an engineering feat, given the rolling topography of the region. Two solar panels provide energy to the farm, and the excess is sold back via the grid. To make their sustained lifestyle even more enjoyable, they built a cob oven in which they make pizza.
Stop by the booth to speak with Melissa, or any of the other crew from Charlestown Cooperative Farm to learn more about responsible, sustainable farming right in our own backyard.
Charlestown Cooperative Farm
Organic Vegetables & Fruits
www.charlestowncooperativefarm.org
610.917.0252
