Lehighton has a new face in the farming community and new ideas.

A recent graduate of The Seed Program in Emmaus, 22-year-old P.J. Salerno learned about a method of farming called Community Supported Agriculture. A CSA connects farmers with people to provide pesticide-free vegetables on a weekly basis. Salerno and his family provide a Christmas tree at Foothill Farms in Lehighton along with fruits, vegetables and eggs. The farm opened to the public for Christmas tree sales the day after Thanksgiving and will be open from 8 a.m. to dusk Sunday through Saturday. The cost is $4 a foot.“Probably the most affordable in the area,” said Sue Salerno, P.J.’s mother. She and her husband Peter Salerno own the farm. “We’re a family of seven, so I know the importance of economical.”The CSA members could tag their tree earlier in the year.A CSA works like this.People sign up to become members of the CSA. They pay a fee and receive a share of the produce weekly for 21 weeks.The membership fee is $600, which can be paid in three installments of $200 each. If paid in full, then there is a $50 discount. The cost equals about as much as it costs to buy a week’s worth of vegetables in the grocery store for a family of four, Peter Salerno, said.“When you buy a share, you’re investing in that year’s crop,” P.J. Salerno said.This helps the farmer purchase all of the supplies he needs when the season starts.Although the amount of food provided each week is supposed to be enough for three or four people, it actually turns out to be more than most people consume in a week, he said.“They ate a lot more vegetables at the end than when they started,” P.J. Salerno said.“We are following all of the practices of organic farming,” he continued. “We’re just not certified yet.”“It’s a lengthy process,” Peter Salerno added. It takes five years and several requirements before certification is granted.The Salernos bought the 75-acre Christmas tree farm a year ago. Peter Salerno and his wife, Sue, purchased it just in time for the Christmas season last year, which went pretty well. “It was a lot better than we expected,” P.J. Salerno said.The Salernos renamed it Foothill Farms. It was formerly owned by the Frey family.This year is turning out even better. P.J. Salerno said they have shipped out 3,000 trees so far through wholesale to Mew York, New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania and expect to ship out many more. Next summer, he plans to plant another 7,000 trees. The farm has Douglas fir, Fraser fir, concolor fir, blue spruce and Norway spruce, as well as a gift shop with wreaths, swags and other decorations.Although P.J. started off as a criminal justice major in college, he had already fallen in love with farming. As a teen, he spent many summers working at Yenser’s Christmas Tree Farm and most recently at Galen Glen Winery.“I needed to find something different,” he said.“I certainly support his decision,” Peter Salerno said, who retired from the Pennsylvania State Police in August. “I need something else to do.”