July 24, 2013
Community Supported Agriculture
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D.A.R.E./Risk Watch Camp An EarthDance farmer shows off a harvest.
Photo courtesy of EarthDance Farm in Ferguson
Join a CSA in your area for delicious locally-grown produce. For over 25 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Localharvest.org, an organization that supports local, sustainably-raised foods, offers the following information on CSA’s. Read on to find some CSA’s near you. “Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of ‘shares’ to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (a ‘membership’ or a ‘subscription’) and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season. This arrangement creates several rewards for both the farmer and the consumer. Farmers get to spend time marketing the food early in the year, before their 16 hour days in the field begin. They also receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm’s cash flow, and they have an opportunity to get to know the people who eat the food they grow. Consumers get to eat ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits.
They are also exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking; they usually get to visit the farm at least once a season to develop a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how food is grown. Also, their kids typically favor food from “their” farm—even veggies they’ve never been known to eat. It’s a simple enough idea, but its impact has been profound. Tens of thousands of families have joined CSA’s. LocalHarvest has the most comprehensive directory of CSA farms, with over 4,000 listed in our grassroots database.” Here are a few from our area: EarthDance Farm: Ferguson EarthDance Farm’s CSA offers pickups at their Ferguson location of a variety of vegetables, herbs, and occasionally flowers May - October. Members sign up in late winter or early spring until the CSA is full. They receive 24 weeks of fresh produce, boxed and ready for pickup. CSA members are asked to contribute 4 hours of work on the farm over the course of the season. Members are welcome to spend time on the farm during open hours and participate in Earth-
Dance’s special events, such as our Summer Solstice potluck. The cost for the season is $600, and new members pay a $25 dollar sign-up fee. To sign up, email farm@earthdancefarms.org, or consult our website, www.earthdancefarms.org around December. See CSA page 2
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