Jasen Woodworth of Farmer John’s Plot had a simple explanation of what community supported agriculture is during his talk Friday.
“It’s the Netflix of vegetables,” said Woodworth, the farm manager for the Dublin-based non-profit farm. “The CSA model is great for our farm. It has people pay up front, which helps us with our cash flow.”
Woodworth came to the Dublin Community Center on Friday night to talk about his farming techniques, the business model behind Farmer John’s Plot and its recent expansion.
Woodworth said that Farmer John’s Plot has grown since he began as an intern in 2012: the plot has expanded to five plots of land throughout Dublin and Peterborough and supports a 95-member CSA.
“This is our biggest year to date,” said Woodworth, who said he works seven days a week to ensure the plot’s vegetables continue to grow properly. “We’ve doubled our membership and acquired three new plots of land.”
In addition to producing and selling foods for the local community, Farmer John’s Plot is also working to supply the community with the next generation of farmers.
Woodworth also described the farm’s incubator program, which finds farmers in need of more training and links them with unused farm land to help provide healthy food for the surrounding community.
“We pay you and you learn with us,” said Woodworth of the program. “It’s a challenge to find the right fit, but we have out person right now who has been a great help.
Nicholas Handy can be reached at nhandy@ledgertranscript.com, or at 924-7172 ext. 235.