Local Food Network

Plans are underway for an exciting new way for local citizens to access fresh organic and naturally grown food while supporting their local small farms and businesses. The Local Food Network is being spearheaded by Bob and Pam Portwood, owners of Harvest from the Heart, a small Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) business located in Wakulla County.

The Portwood’s dream began about 5 years ago when they began Harvest from the Heart. This small CSA provides organically-grown vegetables to their customers and to “adopted” families each spring and fall season. “We love to grow vegetables and we love sharing what we grow even more.” Harvest from the Heart has given the Portwood’s the ability to do just that – but on a very small scale.

The new dream builds on the same concept but brings together other small farming businesses and backyard growers in the Big Bend area to provide a steady supply of good nutritious food from local sources for the local community. A growing number of like-minded folks have agreed to participate in a master plan and pilot project for a Big Bend Area CSA Cooperative. The project will take advantage of the benefits of linking sustainable agriculture to local community development efforts by establishing community partnerships.

Partnerships between the growers and the community are vital to the success of the cooperative. The excitement is growing about the co-op. “We believe the co-op can provide benefit to all parties involved from the backyard grower and small farm to the tables of our local families and restaurants.” The network will also ‘adopt’ a number of limited-resource families so that they may also participate in accessing locally grown organic produce, free of charge.

Look to this website for more information coming soon on how you can participate.