Lackawaxen Farm Company recently named Joel Portice as its General Manager. Portice will oversee a multi-farm CSA that provides fresh, sustainably grown local food and other farm products to people and businesses in Pike, Wayne and Lackawanna counties, in PA, and Sullivan County, NY.
CSA is Community Supported Agriculture, which delivers weekly boxes of farm products to customers who subscribe to the service. Lackawaxen Farm Company’s CSA program is unique in its multi-farm approach, which sources food and products from regional small farms and an emerging network of food hubs and organic growers’ cooperatives. A winter and summer CSA are offered.
Portice grew up in Wayne County, and moved to Bucks County, PA after earning a degree in History from Bloomsburg University in 2000. He and his wife, Jill, currently reside in Honesdale.
Portice has worked in the health and fitness industry as well as hospitality. His interest in local small farms began while working with a family-owned private company to open a chain of organic pizza restaurants that relied heavily on farm fresh ingredients.
“I love to know that we provide a healthy and delicious product that not only benefits the consumer and the producer, but the land, economy and community,” says Portice, whose primary focus is to expand Lackawaxen Farm Company’s multi-farm CSA to reach more people in new locations.
“I would like to see us working with community associations and more local restaurants, so more local product can be offered to patrons regularly,” he adds.
Portice enjoys meeting CSA members at each drop-off site. “It’s a great way to get in touch with the people we serve,” he says. “Nothing is more valuable than first-hand feedback.”
When he’s not busy supplying organic veggies from local small farms, Portice likes to “cook crazy dishes, eat a little too much, mildly exercise and spend time with my family.”
Visit lfcfresh.com for more information about Lackawaxen Farm Company.
