There are more than 60 community supported agriculture businesses in the Portland area, up from 15 in 2000. However, the increasingly popular way to buy vegetables isn’t foolproof.
There are more than 60 community supported agriculture businesses in the Portland area, up from 15 in 2000. However, the increasingly popular way to buy vegetables isn’t foolproof.
[Michael Halstead] and his wife, Angela Carpenter, gave their money to Singer Hill Gardens LLC of Milwaukie, their first experience with a CSA, as these enterprises are called. Subscribers pay up front to help nearby small farmers with the cash they need for the growing season. In return, Singer Hill promised them a bounty of organic vegetables and sustainably raised meat and eggs in a weekly bucket.
But Singer Hill Gardens didn’t deliver on its promises. The supply of produce stopped, Halstead and other subscribers never saw a refund, and the owners cut off communication with dozens of people who are out their money.
“We do need to be careful when we’re investing our money in a startup business,” says Steve Cohen, who heads up food policy and programs for the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. “When we see more young people getting into farming—which we need—who are untested, there are probably going to be individuals who aren’t going to make it.”
Read more at Willamette Week.
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