SHARES FOR THE 2013-2014 CSA WILL BE AVAILABLE THIS JUNE!
SIGN UP TO OUR MAILING LIST (LOOK ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE BLOG) TO RECEIVE AN APPLICATION TO JOIN THE CSA AS WELL AS INFORMATION ABOUT UPCOMING WORKSHOPS AND SEEDLING SALES.
-In basic terms, CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm or garden operation so that the land becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production. Members or shareholders of the farm or garden pledge to cover the anticipated costs of the operation and the farmer’s salary in advance. In return, they receive shares in the farm’s bounty throughout the growing season, as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land.
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) definition
The 2013-2014 CSA will run from November 2013 through April 2014. Pick up is every Saturday (skipping Christmas and New Years) at the garden, located in Little Haiti. By subscribing you get a share of the garden harvest once a week for that time period. Your share will be harvested the morning of the day you pick it up, meaning you will be getting the freshest food possible! We will update this blog regularly with a list of what you can expect each week along with recipes. In the garden we use zero chemicals to grow your food, just good old fashion organic methods. We believe a healthy living soil is at the root of growing nutritious vegetables so we focus on composting, cover-cropping and no-till to sustain the micro-organisms and organic matter in our fields. Because our produce goes directly to the consumer, we can choose vegetable varieties for taste, rather than how they ship, pack, and look on store shelves. We will be growing about 30 different varieties of vegetables (many of them heirloom), some fruits, herbs and flowers which you can enjoy as they come into season. CSA members are invited to visit the garden anytime, giving you an opportunity to really connect to the food you and your family eats. Member potlucks will be hosted at the garden to celebrate the start of the season, the end and throughout. Workshops on food preservation will be scheduled to coincide with bumper crops, i.e. tomato sauces, pickles, pesto, jams and more! As a CSA member you can look forward to fresh eggs, which will be available during pick-up days.
The role of the garden is to be a fertile place for nourishment, gathering, education and good times outdoors for our neighbors, friends and family. As a CSA member you are eating fresh, seasonal vegetables and playing an important role in supporting our efforts. You will see the difference this makes starting with your first distributions!
SHARE DESCRIPTIONS:
We offer a FULL SEASON SHARE, which is 20 weeks, from the first greens to the final roots and everything in between. You pick up a share at the garden, located in Little Haiti, every Saturday from November to April. Please consider this commitment carefully before signing up. If you miss a pick up day, your share will be donated to a needy family.
One vegetable share will satisfy a small family or 2 dedicated vegetarians. Compared to other CSAs our shares are on the small side, making it easy to manage on a weekly basis. We strive to grow as close to 100% of the vegetables in our shares within our 2 small urban gardens so the variety is a bit more limited than what you might get from a buying club or multi-farm CSA.
