There is no doubt that family-owned farms are struggling across the country, but innovative produce farms, like Gruber Farm in South Carolina, are taking matters into their own hands by reaching out to their local communities for direct support. This business model is not new, but lately it is becoming increasingly more popular with small, family-owned produce farms. It’s called Community Supported Argiculture or CSA, for short.
Gruber CSA Farm was founded in 1948 and has been producing fruit and vegetables under the same family ownership every since. This Spring they will be offering that same fresh produce as CSA shares to the Carolinas, from Charlotte to Savannah. Stanley Gruber grew up working this farm and now heads up the entire operation,” says his sister, Susan G. Kirlin, “he is excited at the prospect of bypassing all of the middlemen to bring his produce directly to the families in communities across the state.”