Farmer's Market headline here

Jim Reed from Fallen Leaf Farm, offers fresh vegetables at the Farmers Market in Coudersport. Reed left his jjob to start the organic farm and is volunteer manager of this year's market. Lugene Heimel photo

Potter County agriculture was in the spotlight

Thursday as a farmers' group held its 21st annual

"Progress through Communications" tour across

several operations. See next week's Endeavor News for details.

The county was once the king of Pennsylvania

potato farming and one of the state's top milk

producers. Gradually, many farms were sold

for real estate development and younger

generations opted out.

In recent years, several Amish families have helped to resurrect local farming,

supplementing their income with

woodworking and construction contracting.

Meanwhile, active FFA chapters at

Coudersport and Northern Potter continue

to prepare young people for agribusiness.

Agriculture remains big business in Potter County, with approximately 350 farms in operation, most of them in the county's northern sector. Sales of crops,

milk and meat exceed $30 million

annually.

Over the past two years, some

farmers have signed on to the

Community Sustained Agriculture

(CSA) program. A successful pilot in 2006 laid the foundation for an expanded effort this year.

With CSA, growers decide what to plant and consumers sign agreements to purchase the crops. This guarantees the farmer financial support, helping the smaller and moderate-sized organic family farms to remain in business. It also brings the consumer wholesome foods harvested at the peak of their ripeness, flavor, and vitamin and mineral content.

A related project is the Potter County Farmers Market. Products are marketed on weekends at the courthouse square in Coudersport, as well as locations in Galeton and Genesee. Several of the Amish families have joined the Farmers Market, featuring goods traditionally associated with southeastern Pennsylvania.

Potter County has also been linked this year to "Buy Fresh, Buy Local." That's a nationwide network of partners working together to revitalize local food production, funded through the popular Farm Aid concert series.