Moutoux Orchard Selling Local Grains, Planning Year-Round CSA & Organic Fruit
 Aiming for a unique "year-round full-diet" community supported agriculture (CSA) program, Rob Moutoux of Moutoux Orchard, near Wheatland, VA, is one of the few local farmers offering locally produced grain products to consumers. "I've been growing my own for several years and grinding it myself," Moutoux explains. "I figured why not? Self-sufficiency is what did it for me. The driving force was to be able to provide a full diet for myself and my customers."
This year, his new winter CSA-with pick-ups December through March-will include "grass-fed, grass-finished lamb (a variety of cuts), as well as other pasture-raised meat products, unlimited whole grain (pesticide-free) flours, storage root veggies, certified organic apples and pasture-raised eggs," notes the farms' website.
"I'm trying to provide a full-diet. Grains are a big part of it," says Moutoux. In a CSA, consumers buy a "share" of a farm's harvest at the beginning of the season and then receive a selection of foods on a weekly basis. Typically, CSAs cover fruits and vegetables, but increasingly farmers like Moutoux are including other options, such as meat, grain, beans, flowers or dairy products. The winter CSA is the latest step toward the full-year CSA he envisions.
Located in Loudoun County, Moutoux also sells on-farm and at several farmers markets. (Check the website for dates, as he doesn't always attend every week. Currently, he is scheduled to attend the following markets: Falls Church and Arlington on Nov. 21; Dupont Circle on Nov. 22 and Dec. 20.)
Having experimented with spelt this year, Moutoux plans on adding it to the grain line-up next fall. Indeed, just as "Local Mix" contacted him recently, he was already getting ready: "Right now, I'm sitting on the tractor hoping to make it happen," he said. "It should be harvestable in late June or early July."
To mill his grain, Moutoux uses a series of four small steel-burred mills. "I might look into buying a stone mill," he notes. But the mills he has are "the new generation of steel mills that don't heat the flour up," so the high temperatures that may concern some buyers are not really a problem here, he notes.
Continuing the fruit production tradition his grandfather launched in the 1940s, Moutoux continues to be dedicated to his orchards as well. Moutoux specializes in peaches, but he is ramping up production of plums, Asian pears and apples. This year (2009) he began the transition of his orchards to organic production. "As I'm sure you know, there's not too many folks in this area doing that, especially with peaches," he says. "It's only an experiment, but we are working diligently at it and are committed to healthy fruit production."
For more information, go to www.moutouxorchard.com. (There are still openings in the winter CSA!) Posted Nov. 12, 2009.
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