Gov't. offers free produce to seniors, mothers
Roosevelt's CSA farm tries to bolster jeopardized program
BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP
Staff Writer

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JEFF GRANIT staff Cody Parker, 15, of Roosevelt, breaks off yellow beans from a plant at the organic farm in Roosevelt on July 13.

ualified seniors and mothers can sample locally grown produce for free through a government program.

The Farmers' Market Nutrition Program is a joint effort of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services to give vouchers for fresh produce to both low-income seniors and mothers in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program to improve their health and nutrition.

In exchange for a little time, effort and paperwork, those eligible for the program receive four $5 vouchers to spend at participating farmers markets. The Roosevelt Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Farm at 10 Nurko Road is participating in the program.

"A representative came from Trenton to the farm to give us the required face-to-face training," said Barbara Burlew, of the Roosevelt CSA Farm. "We got our yellow signs, and we're ready to go."

Tara Keegan, of Roosevelt, (above) arranges some fresh-cut flowers while Devin Kostar, 16, of Roosevelt, (top right) carries crates of beets to Roosevelt resident Ben Johnson (center right), who rinses them off. Johnson later helps Ocean's Barbara Burlew (bottom right) bundle beets at the Community Supported Agriculture Farm in Roosevelt on July 13.

The vouchers can be used at the CSA farm stand on Nurko Road, which is open Friday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., or at any other farm market that participates in the program.

Other Monmouth County farmers markets partaking in the program are those in Freehold, Highlands, Red Bank, Asbury Park and Belmar, as well as the Englishtown Auction Sales Market.

"We've been told there's over a million dollars statewide to be used," Burlew said.

To be eligible for the program, mothers in the WIC Program and seniors over 60 must have an income below approximately $18,889 per year. Couples whose combined incomes do not exceed $24,000 per year are also eligible.

To receive the vouchers, individuals must take proof of income, residency and age, such as a driver's license or birth certificate, a utility bill or income data, to the Office of Aging at 21 Court St. next to the Monmouth County Hall of Records in Freehold. At the office, the eligible person or a designated proxy must present the necessary documentation and fill out a two-page form.

Although the efforts to get the vouchers seem like a lot, Burlew said, $20 can buy a decent amount of fresh produce. She explained that the vouchers can be used to purchase various items in a single shop, such as fresh greens and herbs, beans, several cucumbers, an eggplant, a couple of squash, radishes and broccoli.

Despite seeing the necessary efforts to become part of the program as somewhat cumbersome for the elderly and those unable to afford their own transportation, Burlew is trying to promote the free program because she believes it is an important service that is in jeopardy.

"As far as we can tell, there is almost no publicity done," she said. "Nobody really knows about this program, and possible funding cuts could eliminate [it] altogether."

Burlew said it seems to her that the program's success is falling upon the farmer who has to search out people who are eligible.

"We are so busy farming and are at a loss as to how to locate eligible people if we did have the time," she said. "I've attached a notice on the bulletin board at the Roosevelt post office."

The Burlews learned about the free produce program through the annual Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) convention at Rutgers University's Cook College in New Brunswick. Burlew said representatives of the state Department of Agriculture had a booth there and eagerly pulled her family over to tell them about the program.

Once they were involved in the program, the Burlews learned that funding for it decreased dramatically from the previous year and that next year it could be eliminated altogether.

Believing that farm-fresh veggies are important to the health and welfare of mothers and the elderly, Burlew said the CSA is even willing to act as proxy for locals who qualify but may not be able to make it to Freehold to fill out the paperwork. The farm has the necessary proxy forms for locals who are interested.

"If people are not interested, the government may further cut or eliminate the program, which would be so sad," Burlew said. "It's important to people's health to eat nutritious veggies, and here at the CSA Farm you get your bang for the buck.

"This is nutritious stuff grown without pesticides," she added.

A diet rich in organic produce can help with various aspects of a person's health, according to Burlew. She said eating organically can help reduce a person's weight or blood pressure. She also said that a diet high in leafy green vegetables can help ward off dementia.

PHOTOS BY JEFF GRANIT staff Jeff Keegan, 17, of Pennington, picks yellow beans from a crop at the Community Supported Agriculture Farm off Nurko Road in Roosevelt on July 13.

"There is data that organic produce has many benefits to health," she said. "So, we would like to see this program expanded rather than be eliminated."

The Burlew family, which has had generations of farmers in the area for decades, is used to helping things grow. Dave Burlew took over the Roosevelt CSA operation last year and has seen its membership almost double from serving 60 families last year to serving 100 of them this year.

Dave calls the organic farm a true family farm, as he and his girlfriend, Tara Keegan, who live in Roosevelt, operate it with family members, CSA volunteers and part-time teenage employees from Roosevelt.

Shareholders of the CSA receive a harvest of crops picked at their peak each week from July through October, or as long as the growing season lasts.

The CSA offers a more diverse range of the vegetables that can be found in local produce stores, as well as some vegetables that cannot be found in local stores.

This year, the CSA has cultivated 5.5 acres of produce such as leeks, onions, collard greens, chard, peppers, heirloom tomatoes and melons, kale, lettuce, cabbage, cucumbers, scallions, cauliflower, green and dragon tongue beans, and Black Beauty, Clara and Orient charm eggplants. The farm also offers its members some pick-your-own crops such as cherry tomatoes and herbs. In addition, it sells fresh flowers such as zinnias and celosias.

The Burlews urge locals to support organic farming by joining the CSA or purchasing produce at its farm stand because the produce is nutritious and the operation helps slow down global warming.

The family also encourages those interested in utilizing the Farmers' Market Nutrition Program to contact the CSA Farm at (609) 477-0467 or the Monmouth County Office on Aging at (732) 431-7450.

"We need to show the Department of Agriculture that there is interest in this program so it will be simplified and expanded," Barbara Burlew said.