Green Phoenix Farms of Mansfield, Texas, an established local firm specializing in education, design and installation of aquaponics farming systems, has announced plans for a production facility and CSA farm in northern Johnson County. The first season of production is expected to commence in September, with plans to supply subscribers with 12 weeks of fresh produce for a single fee each growing season. A CSA, which refers to “community supported agriculture,” is a unique farm that allows interested consumers to prepay for market shares of locally-produced foods. There is no middleman involved.
The working farm’s first phase will include a 2,400 square foot greenhouse, 3,000 gallon capacity for fish tanks, and growing beds capable of producing 400 plants each week in a deep water trough. Additional media beds will be used for growing other seasonal crops, including a variety of specialty tomatoes. Aquaponics is a closed-loop method of growing produce and fish in a balanced eco-system that is totally natural and self-contained. In effect, it is a combination of hydroponics (growing in water) and fish farming. It is a completely natural system, with no need for chemical additives or supplementary fertilizers. The science of aquaponics can be adapted successfully for individual backyard gardeners or for large-scale commercial production.
Pre-season subscriptions are available to local residents at an introductory rate: $300 for a 12-week season, plus an initial $50 enrollment fee that covers the cost of the market basket and packaging consumables. Initial enrollment is limited to 50 subscriptions. For an enrollment form, click here.
Each weekly “basket” will contain 6-10 different varieties of vegetables, ranging from salad greens and fresh herbs to a variety of fruiting crops, including tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, melons and seasonal specialties. In addition, each subscriber will receive weekly suggestions on storage, as well as how to incorporate the produce into a healthy diet. The CSA will share recipes from local chefs as well as some traditional and seasonal favorites. Subscribers will be responsible for picking up their weekly market baskets during a specific time window on a specific day during the season. All produce will be fresh, usually harvested within hours of the distribution.
Because it is a natural farm and is subject to weather and crop fluctuations, Green Phoenix Farms cannot guarantee specific amounts or pounds of produce each week, but expects that each share will be roughly balanced in volume between fruits and vegetables.
Adam Cohen formed Green Phoenix Farms in 2012, after exploring the concept and incorporating small systems as demonstration tools during his years as a high school science teacher. A graduate of Texas A&M University with degrees in marine biology and marine fisheries, Cohen now devotes his time to his company’s “hands-on” classroom and demonstration systems. He and his staff also work with local schools that have added aquaponics to the curriculum; several area institutions, including Mountain View College (DCCCD) and Alvarado High School (Alvarado ISD) operate systems on their campuses.
CSAs are defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as groups “of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm . . .” In return, subscribers receive shares in the farm’s bounty throughout the growing season, as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land.”
Cohen endorses that philosophy: “As a family-operated business,” he says, “we have seen the value of working together to achieve a goal. We hope that we can expand our family’s commitment to healthy food to a wider community through our Green Phoenix Farms CSA.”
In 2012, the USDA numbered 12,167 CSAs in operation nationwide. In the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, the growth of CSAs has mirrored the proliferation of local farmers’ markets and an increasing demand for healthy foods and natural ingredients. Grocery stores and restaurant chains also have adapted to consumer preferences, with several local chefs expressing interest in on-site gardens or “living walls” of fresh herbs and salad greens.
Notably, the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Dallas and Garden Café in Old East Dallas rely on their own gardens to grow some of the produce their chefs incorporate into signature dishes. The Fairmont even uses honey produced by the bees in its rooftop hives. Increasingly large numbers of local eateries embrace “farm-to-table” philosophy and attract a loyal following.
Green Phoenix Farms has an ongoing schedule of workshops and classes open to the public, and also is the sponsor of DFW Aquaponics, a Meet-Up group for those who wish to explore the topic and meet with other “ponners” on an informal basis. 2015 plans for the still-young company include a retail sales division as well as the new CSA. For additional information about the CSA Farm, email info@greenphoenixfarms.com.