What Goes Around, Comes Around

Edith, high on a small bit of fame north of Boston.

When I was farming twenty-one years ago, a woman in Marblehead, Massachusetts contacted me. A small group there wanted organic produce, and they were willing to drive north for an hour to West Newbury to get it. Of course I said yes. Sarah-Lincoln Harrison joined my small CSA and one of the group picked up several bags of the weekly share every Friday.

That small group grew into the Marblehead Eco-Farm CSA with twenty-two families the next year, and my small farm was unable to meet their needs. Another farmer nearby could, though. Now the CSA has grown into a very large Farm Direct Coop with three pickup sites north of Boston, a couple of dozen supplying farms, and over 750 member families.

Sarah and her husband have acquired a farm of their own in Maine, True North Farms, where they stay from April until well into the fall growing their own organic produce.

Last Sunday the coop invited me to their annual meeting potluck in Marblehead to talk about my history with them, and to let them in on how that led to my writing a Local Foods mystery series. What an honor! I brought a dish for the potluck, some books to sell, and my smile.

It was a busy meeting with children running around and lots of delicious dishes. The members were friendly and devoted to local foods. Their primary farmers, Rob Lynch and Meghan Arquin (and their two darling little children) were there, and Rob spoke about what a boon the coop’s business is for their certified-organic Riverland Farm in Sunderland, Massachusetts.

After I spoke, I sold several books and enjoyed talking with members as well as some of the hard-working staff. It was worth the drive.

Readers: Share your moment of fame. Has some small thing you did in the past come back to you as an honor?