The Importance of Community Supported Agriculture:
The Produce Peddler

Zay & Leah López are first-generation farmers. Together, they own and operate The Produce Peddler. On 26 acres at the west end of the Grand Valley, they grow a large variety of vegetables, melons, and raise chickens and sheep for eggs and meat.

Zay and Leah believe that healthy food begins with healthy soil. They spend much of their time composting and cultivating techniques to improve their soil health which in turn enhances their product.

The Produce Peddler’s mission is simple: Connect people to their food source, and grow excellent produce for their community in a safe and responsible way.

“We respect the land and continue to educate ourselves with the latest advancements in sustainable agriculture. We thrive on building relationships and consider good conversation & good food a necessity of life,” said Leah and Zay.

The Community Supported Agriculture model The Produce Peddler utilizes works through community members signing up for a share of the farm before the season begins and then picking up their produce once a week throughout the summer. This method encourages locality, community, and wholesome food. The CSA model is a symbiotic relationship between eaters and farmers. Farmers feel respected and financially stable when individuals in the community invest in the harvest before seeds have even been planted. If people want to see local agriculture thrive they should look for ways to directly support the family farms in their community.