“My grandfather used to say that once in your life you need a doctor, a lawyer, a policeman, and a preacher. But every day, three times a day, you need a farmer.”
- Brenda Schoepp
Community Supported Agriculture &
Community Supported Fishery
Consumer Supported Agriculture (CSA) and Consumer Supported Fisheries (CSF) are alive and well in Carteret County. Traditional definitions might involve a single farmer who grows, cultivates, harvests, markets, and sells from their farm to consumers. We sometimes stretch the definitions as needed to satisfy the consumer, such as our Farm Share Subscription. Customers purchase their CSA very early in the season, giving the farmer needed income to buy seeds and supplies. In return, consumers enjoy the delights of a farming calendar, risk the farming woes, and can ultimately relish a wide variety of diverse vegetables and fruits. Weekly boxes can expose families to varied seasonality not found in grocery stores and give the farmer stability and confidence in sales and profits.
We invite you to subscribe to our weekly produce delivery. Supporting our local farmers is the primary reason for signing up! They work blazing hard for the freshest product and our dollars show our respect and appreciation for their efforts. Plus, it was harvested only hours ago! This keeps the nutritional value at its peak.
CSA farmers like Sherri Garner of Garner Farms in Newport repeated their successful Produce Boxes in 2022, offering weekly boxes of the freshest ingredients they could grow on their farm. “We were pleased with our first year’s orders in 2020, and we’ve continued to expand and make new customers each year. We plan to start early in 2023 with lots of strawberries and salad greens and run through the fall season again.” Pickup is at the farm so you can add extra ears of corn or, my fave, the Jalapeno Popper Dip! Details and order forms are available at GarnerFarmsNC.com.
Also repeating last year’s success are Carteret Local Food Network’s Mobile Market and multi-farm FSS. We offer fresh ingredients from farmers like Sherri and other locals like Willis Farm, Merrell Farm, grayzfarm, Paradise Produce, Harlowe Custom Microgreens, and Dennis Collins. In 2023, this produce will be sold by subscription shares instead of individual boxes. Pickup is at several food businesses and farmers’ markets. Details and order forms are available here.
Shenk Family Farm also manages a CSA called the “Farm Family Package” with chickens and pork, where you may order either a small or large package for delivery every two or four weeks; fresh eggs are an add-on order. Consumers may purchase what they need from the website individually instead of buying the package. Farmer Rachel Shenk claims that these orders allow her “work smarter, not harder.” Pickup is at several food businesses and farmers’ markets. Details and order forms are available on their website at Shenk Family Farm.
Carteret does not have a CSF (Community Supported
Fishery) here. We have many well-run and well-stocked
seafood dealers. Find your favorite fishmonger on your
phone app Visit NC Farms. This app can lead you to many
fishermen and women. Also, visit Carteret Catch to learn
who our locals are!
There is a local CSF for folks in the Triangle - provider
Walking-Fish buys Carteret County caught and farmed
seafood and delivers these to Raleigh/Durham to
consumers who have purchased a seasonal subscription. Board member Debbie Callaway recalls that 2022 has been a great year. She says this is “probably due to the pandemic and unavailability of easy travel to find fresh fish at the coast.” Debbie also reveals that she relies solely on word-of-mouth advertising, and they sell out each season. Here’s your word-of-mouth promo – tell all your Durham and Raleigh friends that they can buy from Walking Fish and support Carteret fishing families! Details and order forms are available at Walking-Fish.
This popular marketing method is a bonus to farmers and consumers alike, and we expect to see more farmers and fishermen cropping up in Carteret. Let us know of new ones!
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