Growing food from the earth is hard and dirty work. George and Annette Cuzzolino, the owners of Casa Bianca Farm in Mount Bethel, started selling their vegetables on a card table on the side of the road 10 years ago using a coffee can honor system. From there they graduated to a roadside stand and eventually their operation evolved into a fully-fledged Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). Now they sell their products wholesale and offer pick-your-own blueberries by appointment.
George and Annette hold full-time jobs working for a large greenhouse operation in New Jersey in addition to raising their five growing sons, and yet they somehow find the energy to run their family farm. Even through the craziness of their hectic schedules, George and Annette make sure that their surplus product finds its way to Second Harvest Food Bank. The produce donated to Second Harvest is high-quality, but might not meet the quality standards of retail grocery markets. It is much easier to plow under or compost unsold products than to coordinate the logistics to pack, store, and ready them for transport to the food bank. Annette tells us, “No food should go to waste; Second Harvest helps us to achieve those goals. We are so very thankful for them.”
Casa Bianca Farms is making a big impact in our community. If you are a local grower with surplus product, please consider donating to Second Harvest. Give us a call to learn more.