The Herald-Zeitung

Come this fall, imagine a refrigerator bin full of fresh, organic produce arriving at your doorstep each week. This isn’t like the organic produce you will find at the grocery store, though, says Michael Steele, who owns Steele Farms in Seguin with his wife Barbara.

“We call it boutique produce,” he said. “We have a lot more latitude in our varieties. The grocery stores are carrying mostly produce that is grown for shipping quality. Tomatoes are picked green and gas ripened with ethylene. Here, we have some produce such as our winter squash and onions in storage, but most of our produce is being delivered within 24 hours of picking.”

Steele Farms, occupying 10 acres at 150 Santa Ana Drive on the Guadalupe River, will start produce deliveries Aug. 26, offering the farm produce membership program FieldFresh that delivers the goods to the front steps of its customers along the corridor from New Braunfels to Austin and also in Seguin.

Michael, who enjoys cooking, picks a bright orange, heirloom pepper from a nearby plant and holds it up to give a visual on the boutique produce.

“These Gypsy pepper plants are ultra sweet,” he said. “They almost taste like candy when you sauté or grill them.”

Depending on the growing season, the farm also offers tomato varieties that include Purple Cherokee and Green Zebra, and Turkish Orange eggplant. Cucumber varieties include Lemon, Indian and Straight Nine. Radish varieties include Icicle, French Breakfast and Easter Egg.

The Steeles began thinking about the Community Supported Agriculture idea after working the Austin Farmer’s Market and realizing there was a need for home delivery.

“The farmer’s market is a very social event,” Michael said. “But not everyone has time for it.”

According to the Steele’s Web site, www.freshtexasproduce.com, farming and ranching in Central Texas had been a family way of life for 150 years. And with Barbara’s master’s degree in microbiology, she knew a thing or two about soil, Michael said.

“And where she comes from—Switzerland—that is where Community Supported Agriculture originated,” he said. “They paid the farmer in advance. And they took a risk in the harvest. It’s now becoming more common in Central Texas, but I would say the biggest thing folks are worried about is that they might not get something back should something happen with the harvest.”

Michael says Steele Farms guarantees its produce.

“It would be made up—either with added produce the following week or an extended season. It would be made up,” he said.

Michael says the idea of Community Supported Agriculture is increasing because there is an increased desire to know more about food sources.

“People want to know their farmer. That really came across to us last year with the salmonella scare,” Michael said.

The Steeles started slow with a small “research” garden in 2005, mostly giving away produce to family and friends. They soon expanded, beginning their home delivery service two seasons ago.

Customers have three levels to choose from when signing up for the produce delivery program. Regardless of the level, e-mail lists are sent out on Fridays to advise members of the produce options, and deliveries are made on Wednesdays.

The four-week seedling standard harvest share program is a beginner’s trial program that allows customers to try out the produce for four weeks at a cost of $35 per week. The seedling expanded harvest share for $45 per week is for larger families.

A 10-week seasonal standard harvest share is offered at $30 per week, with an expanded harvest share at $40 per week. Heirloom members make a 40-week commitment and pay $25 per week standard or $35 per week expanded and $99 annual fee.

This past week, a standard harvest share included a carton of green beans, assorted sweet peppers, bell peppers, two types of squash, eggplant, red onion, optional cucumber or zucchini, and duck eggs or chicken eggs (additional price). With the exception of the seedling harvest share, customers have the option of customizing their deliveries.

“We also will have pecans, probably in the winter season, and we offer herbs—basil, cilantro, sage, rosemary and parsley,” Michael said.

It is not light work on the farm.

“We get up at 4 a.m.,” Barbara said.

Michael’s brother, Trey, vice president of consumer experience, also helps out on the farm as well as with deliveries.

Triple digit temperatures mean extra precautions need to be taken to protect plants from the extreme heat beating down on the ground.

“Keeping the plants irrigated is not as much of a problem as protecting them from the heat,” Michael said.

The Steeles use a large shade hut to protect some of the plants and keep temperatures cooler. Offering specialty items such as duck and chicken eggs means there are animals to tend to as well.

Future plans also include partnering up with a local rancher to offer locally raised beef.

The Steeles will be capping membership to 75 customers for the fall growing season, but they hope to expand their membership for future growing seasons.

“I always encourage more local farms,” Steele said. “Because we could never produce enough food locally to meet the local demand.”

Beginning Sept. 3, the farm will be open to non-members from 3 to 7 p.m. on Thursdays. For information, call (830) 386-3276 or visit freshtexasproduce.com.