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grows the crops, and the
consumers pay a fee up front
with the anticipation they will
receive a box of produce
each week during the sea-
son.
This is the first time the
Lengels have offered this
program. What the con-
sumers get is a box of fresh-
ly picked produce to feed to
their families each week
from Aug. 1 until Oct. 31,
when the market closes for
the season.
CSA members will be able
to join with other members
on the farm’s Facebook
page, where they can ex-
change recipes or share sto-
ries about their experiences
on the farm. This can be a
family experience where
members can pick their own
vegetables, help pull a few
weeds and socialize with oth-
er members and farm em-
ployees in the field.
Members share in the re-
sponsibilities if a crop failure
occurs or the joy of a hearty
and plentiful crop. They
learn of the damage caused
to the crops by the whitetail
deer and other wild critters.
The payment schedule for
the 2012 season is $350 for a
full share or $200 for a half
share. If necessary, an install-
ment plan can be worked
out.
All CSA boxes will be
picked up at the farm and
additional items can be
bought from the farm mar-
ket.
Vegetables that have been
offered in previous years in-
clude sweet corn, lettuce,
beans, peas, broccoli, cab-
bage, cucumbers, summer
squash, tomatoes, peppers
(sweet, hot and bell), water-
melon, cantaloupes, winter
squash, garlic, onions and
several varieties of pump-
kins. This year beets will be
grown for the first time. If all
goes well, they will be added
to the selection.
Customers also can buy
bulk grass- or bunk-raised
beef.
Membership must be
completely paid by June 1
with regular harvest offer-
ings beginning Aug. 1.
The CSA is a natural pro-
gression of providing quality,
fresh produce to area cus-
tomers.
The farm market has re-
placed the wagon, and the
produce selections have in-
creased each year.
“It is good to know what
you do well and let others do
the things they do well,” El-
liott said. He buys the seeds
for the season and has peo-
ple who have the facilities
and talents to grow thriving
seedlings.
And they’re realistic about
what they can and can’t do
themselves.
“We tried potatoes,” he
said. “We now get our pota-
toes from a farm near Ship-
penville. We partner with an
orchard in Enon Valley for
apples, apple cider and other
fruits. I get honey from a
man in Slippery Rock.”
Through these partner-
ships he also takes apples to
the beekeeper and honey to
the orchard.
Over the years they have
developed wholesale markets
and sell to local grocery
stores.
Brothers David and Gary
are the dairy and field crop
men. They are milking about
110 cows, mostly Holsteins,
and raise about 75 to 100 re-
placement heifers and
around 35 Hereford/Holstein
beef cattle that they sell
through private or commer-
cial sales. They are members
of Dairy Farmers of America,
a dairy cooperative.
Through the cooperative
Lengels will soon be selling
all types of cheese to Bon
Appetit for its farm-to-fork
program.
Overall, the brothers farm
about 900 acres of owned
and rented land.
About five years ago, El-
liott approached Bon Appetit,
the food service contractor at
Grove City College, to see if
they could assist with the
construction of two high tun-
nels (unheated greenhouses)
where produce could be
raised for the use in the cafe-
teria. The company gave
Lengel Brothers a grant for
the construction of the
greenhouses, where they are
growing raspberries and
strawberries.
The food-service corpora-
tion strives, when possible,
to have 20 percent of the
food offered to the students
produced locally.
Elliott has been working
on a partnership with AVI,
the food service provider for
Slippery Rock University, for
two larger high tunnels
where peppers, tomatoes and
cucumbers will be grown.
This food service company
also wants to provide local
produce to the students in its
cafeterias. This partnership
has been worked out, and
construction will begin soon.
A farmer in the Slippery
Rock area has two high tun-
nels that the Lengels will use
to expand their season. They
plan to grow lettuce and
herbs in March, which is be-
fore they can plant and har-
vest outside.
The brothers look forward
to the CSA venture opening
more communication be-
tween area customers and
the agricultural community.
And for some, it will also
bring back memories of
helping their parents plant,
care for and harvest large
gardens in the past.
Lengel Brothers Farm and
Market can be found on Face-
book. The farm market is at
1346 Mercer-Grove City Road
(Route 58), Findley Town-
ship, near Mercer.
Share
Consumers to share
farmers’ risks, bounty
from page E-1
E-2
THE HERALD,
Sharon, Pa.,
Sunday, February 5, 2012; HUBBARD PRESS,
Hubbard, Ohio,
Saturday, February 11, 2012 í
Outlook 2012
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Tom
David Scott started working in 1971 a
Hall , which was founded in 1950 by his fath
Scott and Sam’s brothers Francis, Joseph an
David and two cousins run the bowling alley
Jason Kapusta/Herald
Dave Lengel bottle feeds a calf. The Lengels are milking about 110 cows and raise about 75 to 100 replace-
ment heifers and around 35 Hereford/Holstein beef cattle that they sell through private or commercial sales.
Jason Kapusta/Herald
Gary Lengel feeds some cattle in a barn.
Tom
Beverly Carpec keeps score for her chil
Carpec, 7, left, Alan Carpec, 9, and Artie R.
IV, 13. The kids say they bowl because it
they’re good at it.
steady” over the 32-week
bowling season.
They’ve also hosted seven
state bowling tournaments,
David Scott said.
There’s also still an inter-
est in non-league, or “open”
bowling as it’s called, al-
though the clientele at
Thornton Hall is getting old-
er. The business caters to a
crowd that can add to 300,
the top score a bowler can
achieve in a game.
David Scott smiled when
he thought about “the num-
ber of people I’ve given a
crash course in score-keep-
ing.”
But by bowling there,
players “get a b
standing of that p
ing,” he said.
“We’re old sch
the game has en
on its own that
dure,” he said.
A unique asp
business is that w
ton Hall is open,
Scotts is always p
They pride the
the “personal se
offer, David Scott
and his cousins
Mike. Cousin
longer a part of t
“None of us is
what the future t
lar business ho
said, quickly a
plan to keep on a
“We’re still ha
time doing it,”
said. “It’s a great
surrounded by
want to have fun.
Thornton
Alley reflects a
golden era of bowling
from page E-1
More about
the program
Attend one of these
meetings to learn more
about Lengel Brothers
Farm and Market’s
communi ty-supported
agriculture program,
which offers weekly pro-
duce for members who
pay an upfront fee.
ä
6 p.m. March 1
at Callahan Supply,
New Wilmington, next
to New Wilmington
Livestock Auction.
ä
6 p.m. March 8
at Agway, 4065 E.
State St, Hermitage.
ä
6 p.m. March 28
in Penn-Northwest De-
velopment Corp. confer-
ence room near Avalon
Springs, 749 Greenville
Road, Mercer.