The Lehigh Gap Nature Center has partnered with organic farmers of The Good Farm to provide the community with a chance to join this season'scommunity supported agriculture program, giving members a chance to enjoy fresh locally grown vegetables over the next 22 weeks.

The farm, located at 8112 Church Road in Germansville, is a certified organic farm raising vegetables, berries, flowers and herbs for a CSAand farmers markets.According to the nature center's Associate Director and Network Development Program Coordinator Amber Breiner, there are only seven spaces left for this season's share sign-up."We want to support local farmers and keep food growing in the communities," she said.The Good Farm is the longest running certified organic CSA in the Lehigh Valley. Beginning in 2006, family farmers John and Aimee Good have been raising certified organic produce."The food in supermarkets tend to get shipped from all over the county. This keeps the money local since the food is local," Breiner said."There are ecological, economic and health benefits for the program," she said.The support of local organic farms helps to support the diversity of wildlife and keeps chemical runoff into waterways to a minimum."Chemicals like fertilizer run off into streams and rivers and are passed off onto others' communities," she said."The Good Farm has made a commitment to not use those chemicals. They're a very small family-run farm and members of the nature center. That's how the idea for the center being a pickup site got started."Along with supporting wildlife and the local economy, the health benefits for incorporating fresh vegetables every week into daily meals are numerous."We all know we should eat more vegetables. It gives people a chance to be creative in the kitchen and inspire them to try new things through their share," she said.In addition to the weekly vegetables, members have the opportunity to add-on "cooperative shares" including fruit, cheese, artisan bread, gourmet mushrooms and pastured meats.People who buy the weekly subscription have two options, to buy a half share that feeds two people or full share for up to a family of five. The vegetables in a share will change throughout the season, with a typical summer share consisting of tomatoes, red peppers, zucchini, watermelon, eggplant, bunch carrots, Swiss chard, lettuce, garlic, onions and red potatoes."You share in the bounty of what the farm has to offer," she said.Pickup of shares will start June 7 and continue every Wednesday from 2 to 6 p.m. until November at the 8844 Paint Mill Road, Slatington, nature center location."It's all prepacked and convenient for pickup at the center," Breiner said.The cut-off date to sign up for the produce share is Monday.To join the program, visit the farm's site at

www.goodfarmcsa.com or call the nature center at 610-760-8889.