In keeping with the Conservancy’s mission to preserve Radnor’s open space and historic resources, it is our long-term goal  to preserve the tradition of an agricultural presence in Radnor  Township.  In study after study, it has been established that the only practical way to make agriculture viable in a suburban environment such as Radnor is through Community Supported Agriculture  (CSA).  Commercial farming will never be economically feasible on land with such high property values as ours. Yet communities in general, and our community specifically, overwhelmingly support local organic food production and the sense of community fostered by our CSA.

Skunk Hollow Community Farm opened in the spring of 2009 at the Skunk  Hollow Park adjacent to the Willows in Radnor.  The Radnor Conservancy  partnered with Radnor Township, the Friends of the Willows Cottage,  and Greener Partners joined forces in a unique and innovative public/ private partnership to bring this project to fruition.  Greener Partners, a local non-profit organization committed to introducing  sustainable farming to the suburbs, actually manages the farm and oversees the day-to-day operations.

Here’s how it works: A CSA is a system in which community members purchase a farm “share” at the beginning of a growing season, when the  farmer needs start-up capital for equipment, seeds, etc.  In return,  the member receives a weekly supply of fresh produce, picked at the  peak of ripeness and flavor during the growing season (generally from May through October.)  The cost per share within our region varies  between $700 and $850 a season for a three to four member household.   This season, a share at Skunk Hollow Farm is $780 for approximately  twenty-six weeks of production.  Shares are in very short supply and are awarded by lottery.

The project has been very well received by the community.  Indeed, we  literally have hundreds of community members interested in  participating in Skunk Hollow Farm and the CSA, and only thirty-five  shares available this season, up from last season’s twenty-five shares.  For this reason, open shares must be allocated by lottery. (Click on the link below to find out more about the lottery).  We are extremely grateful to the Township for allowing us to use a parcel of idle parkland for the inaugural years of this pilot program. However, we are tightly constrained in the number of shareholders we can serve  due to the limited acreage currently available. We hope that in the  future a larger parcel of land will be secured to enable increased production and better meet the community’s demand for farm shares.
 

In addition to regular shares, we are offering Work Shares and Core  Shares, each with their own requirements, terms, and mode of allocation, all different from that of regular farm shares.  To find out more about Core Shares or Work Shares, click on the links below.

In the mean time, it is important to remember that the community farm is more than just shares of produce. The community farm includes  workshops, educational programming, surplus sales, summer camps, volunteering, digging in the dirt, and a sense of community and common 
purpose that the many people who have participated in this undertaking find so valuable and rewarding. This year we will offer eight weeks 
of summer camps for children ages five to eleven.  Radnor Conservancy   invites anyone who is interested to come out and join us.  Please  click on the links below to check out our programming calendar and summer camp offerings. In addition to formal programming, our farmer welcomes observers and volunteers who want to assist him and learn about suburban organic farming. Don’t let the fencing put you off- it  is meant to keep out the deer, not the public!

Skunk Hollow Farm is truly a grass-roots, community  supported operation.  We are proud of all our volunteers and the many  tens of thousands of dollars we have raised in private, mostly small individual contributions.  While the revenue obtained via payment for the produce shares by shareholders largely cover the operating costs  of the farm, we still need additional funds for capital improvements.   Our wish list includes such solar panels to run the irrigation systems to replace the noisier generators, and a much-needed shed to store  tools and other materials. If you would like to contribute to our  efforts, and we surely hope you will, click on the link below to access our Online Donation page.