Ajo CSA was started by Nina Altshul in June 2008. Due to Ajo's remoteness and the lack of fresh organic produce available locally, Nina sought out the people in the community who were interested in joining a CSA. She chose Crooked Sky Farms due to their wide variety of produce, year-round service and proximity to Ajo. After more than three years of working closely with Farmer Frank Martin and everyone at Crooked Sky Farms, in 2011 Ajo CSA began producing its own locally-grown shares. We are now moving to an exclusively locally-grown format, with a core group of dedicated members and new adventurous eaters and cooks who have expanded their culinary horizons and found a steady source of high-quality, nutritious fruits and vegetables.
Ajo Community Supported Agriculture offers its members shares from local Coyote Gardens in Ajo. There are four annual sessions, usually running 12 or 13 weeks. A share consists of a weekly bag of fresh, local, naturally-grown produce brought straight from the garden to your table. Members share in the risks and benefits of beyond organic, sustainable local gardening, and receive produce that has not been treated or processed in any way. We grow desert-adapted varieties, prioritizing heirloom varieties, all of which are pesticide-free and grown with organic fertilizers and compost. Pest control is performed manually and through a combination of crop rotation and stimulation of healthy and biodiverse microclimates, which promotes plant vigor and reduces their susceptibility to disease and infestation.
Wendell Berry said "eating is an agricultural act," and we as consumers have the power to demand healthy, nutritious foods produced in a sustainable manner every time we eat. We believe that supporting your local gardener allows you to be a part of a local food system, and to have a personal relationship with the people who grow your food and the environment it grows in. It brings fresh, nutritious and tasty fruits and vegetables straight to our tables, challenges us to cook creatively and above all allows us to connect with other people in our community through sharing tips, recipes and good food.
If you are interested in Ajo CSA and would like more information, we would be delighted to hear from you. Please see our Contact Us page for more details.