By Jessica Coleman -- Daily Staff Writer

FRONT ROYAL — Matt Burch shares his farm with 60 people.

Lei-Kei Farm, named after his two oldest daughters, Leilani and Keilena, is an example of community supported agriculture in the valley. Burch sells shares of his farm, and these shareholders reap the benefits of his harvest weekly.

He delivers boxes of in-season fresh organic fruits and vegetables to them with directions about how to store and cook the unusual ones. This year he had about 60 shareholders who each paid about $400 to $500 for 20 weeks of fresh produce, depending on how far he had to travel to deliver their goods.

Burch started selling shares of his farm three years ago with 15 shareholders. That grew to 30 the following year and now he is up to 60. He said he thinks he could comfortably support 100. Lei-Kei is an 111/2-acre farm, with 5 acres in production.

"It gets the food to the people that are interested in it," Burch said. "It keeps things local."

Even before his farm became community supported, he sold his organic harvests at farmers' markets and to restaurants, but sharing his farm has proven to be more profitable. This year he has focused solely on the sharing portion of the farm and cut out the farmers' markets and restaurant sales.

"So far, so good," Burch said. "This is definitely the direction I'll be moving into."

And it's also the direction many farmers are moving in, according to Virginia Cooperative Extension.

"It definitely is a trend," said extension agent Tracy Tomascik. "It's a bit of a movement, the buying fresh and local produce."

Crop and Soil Sciences Agent Amber Vallotton said she knows of at least three CSA farms in the valley. She said this trend allows more stability for farmers and for customers, because they share the risk.

"The people want a continual supply of whatever they can get," she said. "There's more and more of a demand out there for [CSAs]."

The quality and freshness of the produce is far superior to what you would get at your typical grocery store, Vallotton said, because the farmers pick and deliver the food quickly, often in the same day, and cut out the middle man. This also reduces the cost for farmers, she said.

Burch said he tries to vary the selection of items he provides for his customers, but the availability of certain crops depends on the season. Early in the growing year, he said it is mostly lettuces and greens, which are not always everyone's favorites. But later on, when the tomatoes, squash, potatoes, cucumbers, cantaloupe, watermelon and strawberries come in, it appeases most customers.

"I've never had a complaint at the end of the season," he said. "When they're eating local, that's one of the things they have to adjust their tastes to, and sometimes it's stuff they've never eaten before."

In these cases, Burch said he tries to include information about the item and instructions for how to store and cook them.

"Sometimes they like them," he said. "It varies just like anyone else's tastes. ... You end up eating a lot of things you wouldn't normally eat, but it's good, healthy stuff."

Burch said he likes to try new things to keep customers interested. He will also take requests. In both cases he normally grows an experimental row to see how the plant grows before committing it to more space on the farm.

"Anything I can think of, I grow," he said. "And every year I try new things."

The favorite item Burch grows, by far, he said, are his heirloom tomatoes. They are an antique variety of tomato with a short shelf-life, but an amazing taste. He said many people buy a share of his farm for these goodies and say the rest of the items they get are just a bonus.

"I try to let the flavor set the standard when I grow," Burch said.

Organic standards are also important to the farmer with a bachelor's degree in horticulture from West Virginia University. He said the process is much more work, but worth it in the end.

"It's got to be [a passion]," Burch said. "If it's not an obsession, you'll burn out in the end."

For more information about Lei-Kei Farm, call 535-0676. For more information about community supported agriculture, visit www.localharvest.com.