We are often asked if we are organic … and the short answer is no. In order to be certified organic farm fields must be free from commercial fertilizer and synthetic pesticides and farmers must keep a ton of extra records, which adds a lot of additional cost and labor. As a farm family we have decided not to be an organic farm, but instead to be responsible in being the best stewards of the land we can while providing safe, healthy, fresh and quality produce for our customers. 

We use an IPM (Integrated Pest Management) Program here on the farm…we hire Cooperative Extension employees from Rutgers University to scout our fields a few times a week and make suggestions as to what (and when) we need to apply to our crops so we can be assured of quality produce to harvest. When we do use sprays on a crop, it is used at the recommendation of the Rutgers scout to keep a crop from falling victim to insects or disease. The crop protection products that we use are very expensive and using an IPM approach helps to limit our costs. Every time the scout comes out to the farm we’re hoping he says the fields are free of insects and disease!

In addition to scouting, we use many other farming practices to help limit the number of sprays we apply. We rotate the location of our crops from year to year to keep the insect and disease pressure low. We use black plastic mulch on raised beds to help keep weeds down and provide well drained soils to help prevent root issues with our crops. These practices, coupled with the Rutgers scouts allow us to grow some of our crops without any sprays at all. We cannot, however, claim these crops as organic because we do use fertilizers (similar to that used on your lawn) for our crops.

As a family, we eat all the crops we grow (except for Tim who doesn’t eat tomatoes…go figure!) and raised our children using the same growing methods we use today. We take pride in producing safe, healthy, fresh quality produce for our family and the community. We feel that knowing who grows your food and where your food comes from is MUCH more important than it being organic or not. Know your farmer … know your food!!

With spring right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about local farm fresh produce! Once again, VonThun Farms is proud to offer our CSA Program…and this year we’re offering CSA at both our South Brunswick farm AND at our new farm location on Route 57 in Washington, NJ (Warren County).

National CSA Sign-Up Day is this Friday…we’ll be giving ALL the folks that sign up (& pay in full) between now and then a 10% OFF Pick-Your-Own Pass, good for any and & all your 2016 spring and summer U-Pick purchases at our South Brunswick location.

Joining a local CSA and committing yourself to weeks & weeks of Jersey Fresh produce is all the rage this year. Eating fresh, eating local, and eating healthy is easy when you buy a CSA membership…the CSA concept is simple:

• You’re purchasing a “share” of the season’s harvest.
• Each week our farm staff packages a basket of homegrown, in-season produce just for you!
• Pay for the entire season of produce now, before the season starts & the crops are ready to be picked – reap the benefits when the crops are ready for harvest.  (This early payment enables the farmer to plan for the season, purchase seed and fertilizer, make equipment repairs, etc.)
• Your early payment provides you the promise of eating fresh, locally grown, healthy food throughout the year!

There’s lots of benefits of joining a CSA…

• Eat fresh, eat local, & eat healthy!
• Support your local farm – know YOUR farmer who grows YOUR food!
• Eat more fresh produce – buy the freshest food for your family
• Experience new foods & learn to cook with them
• Learn that there are lots of vegetables that aren’t just good for you, they’re tasty too!
• Share healthy eating habits with your kids, exposing them to a variety of local produce
• Cut down on the number of miles your food travels from farm to plate

We also offer a Harvest Host Program (we’ll deliver our weekly CSA baskets right to your house or to a local business) and a Jersey Fresh @ Work Program (we’ll deliver our weekly CSA baskets right to your work place.) We have a 12 member minimum for both programs to deliver.

We hope you’ll visit our website and check out our South Brunswick and Washington CSA details. We’ll have limited shares available once we get our crops planted and accounted for – so be sure to sign up soon!