Grant needs ‘crop mob’ in a flash

It’s harvest time and Grant Family Farms is a few hands short – 50 to 100 hands, to be exact.

Colorado is in the midst of an agricultural labor shortage and all traditional means of acquiring help in the fields have been exhausted by the organic operation north of Fort Collins. So, they asked shareholders of their Community Supported Agriculture venture to don some overalls and be part of a “crop mob.”

The community of 4,500 shareholders bought into the CSA in return for a box of fresh produce delivered once a week for the 26-week growing season. The arrangement lets consumers support local producers and provides the comfort of knowing exactly where their kale is coming from.

But now, Grant Farms is closing the circle even more by letting shareholders actually work in the fields. The win-win is that the farm avoids a labor shortage that could harm the harvest and members get to play farmer for a day without dealing with any of the hassles of owning a farm, like drought, crop disease and … labor shortages.

Harvest season continues through September with Saturday work days scheduled for Aug. 27 and Sept. 24. Members can find RSVP information in their CSA newsletters. Nonmembers can find more information on the CSA at http://grantfarms.com.