Is not for the faint of heart. Especially Certified Organic Farming which Fellenz Family Farms has produced for the past 13 years. Eric Fellenz grew up on the Phelps, NY farm and for the past 3 years, along with his partner, Jenny Frederick, whose background in medicinal herbs and crop rotation, have run the entire farming business.
Certified Organic Farming is closely watched with local inspectors who follow national guidelines. Water, soil and produce are inspected annually with samples taken randomly or when there might be an infraction. That could be if pesticides were used at a nearby farm, used equipment brought in and not thoroughly cleaned, institutional seeds mixed with organic, or in other words, a comprehensive review. There are three levels of organic: Certified Organic – the most stringent with inspection; Organic Products which are pesticide free and Farmers’ Pledge where they check up on each other’s practices.
Fellenz farms year around using high tunnels – pictured above with fall/winter crops and greenhouses. Acres of open land are farmed with ground cover and a U-Pick option with tomatoes, herbs, peppers, squash, corn, strawberries and several other summer seasonal items.
Every month has specific duties so time off is pretty much nonexistent. At this fall time of year, harvesting and curing 
onions, potatoes and apples are stored and then packed for winter sales and consumption. Oats, clover and rye are planted as cover crops adding nitrogen to the soil. Early winter brings harvesting greens out of the high tunnels, more storage, fixing equipment and marketing. The beginning of the year starts with ordering seeds and plant planning, rebuilding houses and in last year’s case, rebuilding a storage facility that caught on fire. February and March starts the seeding of tomatoes, peppers, kale, kohlrabi, and more greens in the high tunnels. Planting outside starts in April with fields getting prepped in May requiring 15 hour days.
Their CSA (Community Supported Agriculture; explained below) program starts in June with sales of summer squash, strawberries, herbs, radishes and storage crops. July, or nick-named, burned out month, with longer days of picking, packing and sales of their complete line of produce is when they’ll bring in a couple of part-time workers. Otherwise, all the work is done by just the two of them.
CSA has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Fellenz Family Farms offers a certain number of shares to the public. The share consists of a box of vegetables and interested consumers purchase a share (aka a membership or a 
subscription) and in return receive a box of seasonal produce each week throughout the year. They offer both summer and winter subscriptions. The Summer subscription lasts 20 weeks and ranges from $16-$36 per week. The Winter subscription runs Nov-June and starts at $10. Your produce can be picked up in Canandaigua, Geneva, on their farm and at the year-around Sunday Brighton Farmers Market. If you pick up on Thursday’s at the farm, you’re allowed unlimited U-Pick produce which is a great benefit. Unless you get greedy. “One woman ripped out 3 basil plants and was told not to return, but basically people are honest. Same with the on-location farm stand, it’s an honor system that has worked,” Erik explained. The nice part about their CSA program is that you can choose what items you want. I don’t like kale, so I’d be able to substitute for another item. Few farmers do this since they have their subscriptions locked in with specific produce.
In this era of commercial industrial agriculture that use toxic seeds, pesticides and polluted water, knowing who grows your food is more important now then ever. Go to farmers markets, buy into CSA programs and support local farmers. They put their hearts and souls into their work; it’s truly a labor of love. Jenny mentioned, “it’s rewarding building a community knowing people and soil. It’s important work and a lot of responsibility.” Erik responded, “I can be proud and more importantly make sure everyone is happy. I under-promise and over-deliver.” For more information about their farm and CSA program, go to their website.
Opinions of the author are her own and products were purchased for discussion. I welcome your comments and suggestions for food and specialty items from upstate New York and can be reached at: linda@anexpatreturns.com
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