By Chris Young
MethuenLife Writer

Community Supported Agriculture has come to Methuen.
The popular way to buy the freshest local, seasonal vegetables directly from the farmer is available this year for the first time from Rich and LuAnne Bonanno, owners of Pleasant Valley Gardens, 255 Merrimack St.
Shareholders will receive a wide variety of the Bonannos’ freshest vegetables for about 20 weeks, from mid-June through October.
In exchange, shareholders pay their share upfront, which helps the farmer meet his early bills, such as buying seeds, fertilizer, etc.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a concept that first appeared about 20 years ago in this country, helps both the consumer and the farmer. The consumer gets to eat the freshest and healthiest vegetables, is encouraged to try new things and to visit a farm regularly. Families report that their kids actually eat the vegetables from “their farm.”
The upfront payment allows the farmer to do his marketing early in the year, before his 16-hour days start and to have the money when he has most expenses.
Although the Bonanno family has been farming in Pleasant Valley for 100 years, this is the first year that current owners, Rich and LuAnne, are participating in this upscale agricultural movement.
Brox Farms in Dracut has been offering CSA shares for three years; Appleton Farms in Ipswich for eight years; and Green Meadows Farm, Hamilton for seven years.
Farmer Dave Dumaresq, owner of Brox Farm, located in Dracut just beyond the West Methuen line, operates a total of six CSAs.
He started three years ago, partnering with Lawrence Community Works out of 60 Island St., Lawrence, when he purchased a second farm at 437 Parker St., Dracut. He has since added CSAs in Somerville, Gloucester, Tewksbury and at Boston Medical Center.
Due to popular demand, he also offers a separate fruit share, which include strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, apples, cantaloupe and watermelon.
Response from shareholders is overwhelmingly enthusiastic, he said.
“People are surprised at how fresh and flavorful everything is. All of it has been picked that morning,” he said.
In Lawrence, many businesses buy a share for the office. One business bought a share for every employee, he said.
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Except for a brief interlude in the 1970s when the family ran a roadside stand, Bonanno Farms has always been a wholesaler, selling to local supermarkets and restaurants and beyond, to upscale markets in Boston.
The Bonannos also run a retail greenhouse business in the spring, selling flower and vegetable plants.
What made Rich finally decide to offer shares in a CSA?
“Other farms who offer CSAs were buying from us because of our diversity of crops,” he said. “In other towns, people are clamoring for CSAs.
“Then for us, this is a new way to deal directly with the public. We’ve always been so busy with wholesale.”
He promises that his CSA customers won’t find anything fresher than his produce.
“Most of it will have been picked that morning. And they will have the choice of all kinds of vegetables. We grow 25 different crops here.”
At Pleasant Valley Gardens, a full CSA entitles shareholders to a weekly bushel bag or box of vegetables weighing 5 to 20 pounds. Bonanno estimates that it would feed a family of four, or two vegetarians. A full share costs $600.
He also sells a half-share for $400, which suits a couple who eat a normal amount of vegetables.
People are free to split a share, but it must be picked up as one.
The literature on CSAs talks about “shared risk,” a euphemism for bad weather that would destroy a crop. Rich said that rarely happens, but when it does, he grows plenty of other crops to more than make up for the lost vegetable.
“I grow 25 different crops here on our 50 acres. CSA shareholders would start out in June with the early lettuces, rhubarb, flowers from our greenhouses. In early July we’ll have the lettuces, plus kale, beets, parsley, summer squash, zucchini. In August, we have hot and sweet peppers, eggplant and specialty eggplants, okra, cukes, melons, Swiss chard. Later, we have fall leeks, cool season vegetables and pumpkins. We may plant corn and people can choose our mums.”
Pleasant Valley Gardens is not an organic farm, but Rich, with a Ph.D. in agriculture, uses Integrated Pest Management (IPM), a scientific approach to using pesticides. With IPM, pesticides are used sparingly and only when necessary.
Dumaresq said he has gone beyond IPM toward organic.
“It was getting out of the wholesale realm and into farmers markets and CSA that allowed me to do it,” he said.
For about 90 percent of his crops, he uses no sprays or organic sprays. He said he feels like he is working smarter by keeping an eye on nutrients and insect pests and calling on beneficial insects when needed. One day, he said, he will fill out the paperwork to be certified organic.

Here are the details on two local CSAs:

Pleasant Valley Gardens, 255 Merrimack St., Methuen.
Cost: full share, $600; half-share, $400.
How long: 20 weeks
What do you get? Full shareholders receive one bushel of vegetable produce per week. Half shareholders get one half-bushel produce per week. Early and late, flowers.
Pickup: One pickup at the farm per week, either on Tuesday from 3 to 6 pm or Saturday from 9 am to noon.
How do I get started? Pay at www.pleasantvalleygardens.com or drop by the greenhouses 8:30 am to 6 pm Monday through Saturday, and Sunday from 9 am to 4 pm.

Farmer Dave’s, Brox Farm, 1276 Broadway (Rt. 113) and 437 Parker Road, Dracut, and 60 Island St., Lawrence.
Cost: vegetable share $430 in Lawrence; $475 in Dracut (runs two weeks longer); fruit share: $100 in Lawrence; $200 in Dracut which is twice as much product.
How long: 18 weeks, starting June 30.
What do I get? Wide variety of vegetables including summer favorites like tomatoes, corn, basil and occasional gourmet varieties such as arugula and lemon cucumbers.
Pickup: Once a week at designated times.
How do you sign up? Visit www.farmerdaves.net or call Heidi at (978) 996-3399.

Becoming Mrs. Essex County was on LuAnn Bonanno’s life-list.
It took two tries to make it, and she was crowned Mrs. Essex County in the fall of 2009.
For the past eight months, LuAnn Bonanno has been popping up at garden club meetings, agricultural groups, schools and senior centers promoting farming in Essex County and putting in a good word for Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs).
Wife of a third-generation Methuen farmer and the greenhouse manager for the family business – Pleasant Valley Gardens – Bonanno speaks from experience.
A lifelong fan of the Topsfield Fair, she loves encouraging people to become involved in the fair tradition, whether it is beekeeping, wine-making, baking or gardening.
The 2009 Topsfield Fair runs from Oct. 2 to 12. Admission is $10 weekdays; $12 weekends. Children under 12 admitted free. www.Topsfieldfair.org or www.northeastharvest.com.