Happy Valley Berry Farm at Bacharach Institute

Happy Valley Berry Farm at Bacharach Institute

By Marci Lutsky

According to Slow Food USA, a dollar spent buying directly from a farmer has about twice the impact on the local economy as spending a dollar on food that goes through a middleman like a supermarket.  One of the many reasons why I co-founded the Linwood Farmers Market was to help connect local farms to people in our community.  Through this opportunity I was fortunate to get to know Shirley and Wes Kline, farmers at Happy Valley Berry Farm.  They are two of the most genuine and knowledgeable farmers, and fortunately you don’t need to visit them in Bridgeton, New Jersey to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

Happy Valley Berry Farm is one of the farms that participates in the Linwood Farmers Market each season selling their pesticide-free produce.  This summer they are trying something new by setting up a farmers market every Wednesday from 10-3 in the cafeteria of the Bacharach Institute for Rehabilitation in Galloway.  The market is open to the public, so if you find yourself in Galloway on a Wednesday, make sure to stop in and load up on fruits and vegetables.  On a recent visit, I chatted with some Bacharach employees who told me how much they enjoy the new Wednesday farmers market not only because it’s so convenient having fresh produce available in the cafeteria for purchase, but also because of the high quality of the fruits and vegetables.

So what can you expect to find from Happy Valley Berry Farm when you visit Bacharach?  Just about everything!  When Shirley and Wes bought their farm in 1997, they started by growing raspberries, and later diversified into vegetable production.  Through trial and error they learned that growing berries in high tunnels made them free from disease and prolonged their shelf life.  Several years ago they also started growing vegetables in high tunnels enabling them to grow cool season crops like carrots, beets, kale, and collards so that they could offer a winter CSA (community supported agriculture).   Joining a CSA is a wonderful way to support a farm by getting a weekly share of what they grow.  Happy Valley Berry Farm offers a spring, summer and winter CSA with various size options.

Shirley and Wes are more than just farmers who sell fruits and vegetables.  They are kind people who genuinely care about their customers.  Shirley always has recipes available to help people come up with ideas about how to use their produce, and I’ve seen her at the farmers market recognizing and chatting with repeat customers.  Even if you don’t have plans to be in Galloway on a Wednesday, I strongly suggest that you make a special trip to Bacharach to not only stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables, but also to support a special farm.  Once you get to know Shirley, you will keep going back for more.  More information about Happy Valley Berry Farm can be found at www.facebook.com/happyvalleyberryfarm.

Marci Lutsky is a food blogger at Vegging at the Shore, www.veggingattheshore.com and can be reached at veggingattheshore@gmail.com.