Local farm offers seasonal organic produce

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Aaron Zeis (foreground) and Adam Flake tend to crops Thursday afternoon at Center Valley Organic Farm in Clayton. / Photo by Wade Coggeshall

May 16, 2008

By Wade Coggeshall The Hendricks County Flyer Fri May 16, 2008, 04:45 PM EDT

CLAYTON — The idea of knowing where the products you use come from really came to a head last Christmas.

Numerous children’s toys made in China were recalled for containing dangerous levels of lead. It prompted many consumers to consider buying more American-made products.

That philosophy is seeping into the food market too. More citizens are seeking out locally-grown food. Aaron Zeis, owner of Nature’s Harvest Organics, can attest to that. He farms 14 acres with his fiancé, Alisa Drury, in Atlanta, Ind., and six acres at Center Valley Organic Farm here. They also have a partnership with LIFE, a certified organic farm in Morgan County.

The concept behind their farms is known as Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Those who join receive boxes of freshly-harvested vegetables throughout the growing season. Specific produce depends on what’s in season. Zeis has about 15 delivery sites, including here and Plainfield in Hendricks County.

Demand for organic farming is growing. Nature’s Harvest Organics had a membership of about 30 in 2005 and ’06. That grew to 100 in 2007 and 300 this year.

“More people are starting to care about what they eat,” Zeis said. “They like knowing where their food comes from.”

Zeis maintained a garden with his family growing up, but never considered a career in th field. He was an audio engineer major at Indiana University. He took this path after working on an organic farm in Portland, Ore.

“That experience taught me the importance of the land,” Zeis said. “It really is the basis for all human life.”

There are myriad reasons for buying local organic food, besides knowing where it comes from. Not having to ship it a long distance means less fuel used and a fresher product. You’re also supporting local farmers. And eating fruits and vegetables when they’re in-season means you’re getting the appropriate nutrients for the time of year.

“That’s something most of us have really gotten away from over the years, with our ability to ship produce anytime from all over the world,” Zeis said.

Adam Flake, who manages the farm here and has a horticultural background, has been working in organic farming for about a year now. He likes it for one very good reason.

“I don’t have to handle any dangerous chemicals or pesticides,” he said. “That’s something a lot of consumers have become more concerned about.”

As administrative director of Indiana Certified Organic, the state’s only organic certification agency accredited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Zeis spends more than 30 hours a week overseeing that process for some 400 farms, livestock, and processed food operations nationwide. Like with any business, it involves a lot of paperwork. That makes him appreciate the organic farming side all the more.

“It’s nice to get out from in front of the computer, get my hands dirty planting something in the ground, and watch it grow,” Zeis said.

———

Online:

www.naturesharvestorganics.com

wade.coggeshall@flyergroup.com

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