Regional Farm Strives for Healthier Food, Lives

Movement to a greener, healthier world starts with the actions of one individual, according to a local farmer Rick Fonda.

The Longview Center for Agriculture, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Greener Partners organization, occupies a stand of fruit and vegetables at the Malvern Farmers Market. The fresh products are locally grown at farm and food hubs in Media & Chester, Collegeville and Radnor Township.

The farm hub is a center for both growing food and educating on sustainable practices. Aside from providing natural, unprocessed food, the center also provides a number of programs for people interested in learning or volunteering. Some of the educational programs include summer camps, trips and tours, Seed to Snack® and community food projects.

“I think it’s important to address our environmental and health problems which are such a challenge to society nowadays,” said Rick Fonda, a farmer in his fourth season at the Longview Center in Collegeville. “It’s all about starting with the little things—deciding that your individual actions make a difference.”

“It’s easy to say that they won’t but it in aggregate they will.”

Fonda has farmed in the Philadelphia area for 10 years. After working a series of jobs after college and opting away from the office life, he did an Internet search for local farms in need of an extra hand. He farmed for several years at the Red Farm CSA in Aston until his mentor encouraged him to take a job with Greener Partners where he has farmed ever since.

Though he appreciates the security of a regular paycheck and insurance plan, Fonda feels the obligation to treat the center as his own farm. As one might have guessed, farmers don’t operate on a regular schedule. During the peak season from March, to April when “all hell breaks loose” and through October, Fonda works approximately 70 to 80 hours per week.

“Policy is important too but we can conserve starting with one individual,” he said. He emphasized that purchasing locally grown foods “reduce food miles and support small producers that aren’t taking such a toll on the environment.”

There is a steady “push to plant” in the spring months until the summer when Fonda spends many weekends selling his products at markets. Then, the schedule begins to slow down in October with the fall weather and controlled weeds, and the greatest concern is growing and selling brassicas, or broccoli, kale and cabbage.

In the winter, Fonda works the equivalent of a standard full-time job, engaging in tasks such as budgeting, planning for the following season, maintaining machinery and equipment and spreading compost if the ground freezes.

Chosen crops to grow change seasonally and based upon the input of consumers and other farmers. But they are most heavily dependent on the wishes of the CSA which Fonda calls “the bread and butter of our goal.”

The Greener Partners also operate farm hubs in Media & Chester and Radnor Township.