WHAT IS CSA?
CSA is a farm model that began in the northeast United States in the 1980s and has been dramatically growing ever since. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and is a model unlike any other traditional marketing arrangement. CSA provides community members a direct relationship with the land where their food is grown and with the farmers who grow it. Members have the opportunity to play an active role in growing healthy foods and supporting land stewardship in their community. Members who join CSA agree to support their farm and farmers by purchasing a share of the farm at the beginning of the season. This show of financial support on the part of the farm-member guarantees the farmers a fair price for their work and harvests and also acknowledges that the farm will be supported regardless of uncontrollable circumstances, such as weather. We as farmers support this relationship by committing our skills, labor, and utmost care to providing members with the best produce grown at the farm (CSA gets first choice of our harvest, and the excess goes to farmer’s market). We work very hard to mitigate as many risks as we can by encouraging healthy, organic soils and using a diverse crop rotation. We do all of our work with our hands and a few small machines to keep our impact on the land within human limits. And, although there will certainly be a few disappointments, there will also be the incredible abundance that is part of the yearly cycle of eating with the seasons. We promise. GIVEN GARDENS SHARES
At Given Gardens we offer two share options: A weekly-share, which is delivered once a week for the entire 18 weeks of the CSA season. If you are a smaller household, you might prefer the Every-Other-Week (EOW) share, which starts at the beginning of the season in June and includes delivery every-other-week during the CSA season, resulting in 9 weeks of CSA produce. All CSA shares will contain between 8-15 different vegetables and fresh herbs throughout the growing season, from June through October. The produce is fresh, pre-washed, and usually picked within 24 hours of pick-up; when stored properly it should last for several weeks. In addition, we will be offering organic, pasture-raised chicken throughout the season to CSA members. Members will receive a weekly email telling them when meats are available, what is in their box that week, and a collection of recipes to help guide them through their eating experience. We will offer a Given Gardens newsletter as well, which includes farm musings, news, and proper handling and storage techniques for the produce. We are open to offering a work-share option to a limited number of members who might otherwise not be able to finance a CSA share or to members who are simply desiring to involve themselves more actively with the routine at the farm. A work-share member would be required to spend one full morning or afternoon on the farm, equivalent to about 4 hours time, preferably on the same day each week throughout the harvest season. We are happy to help work-share members do jobs that are suitable to their needs and skills.
If you would like to make a donation on behalf of a community family or individual that would not otherwise be able to finance a CSA share, we would be happy to help make those arrangements. In this case, the share would be paid in full by the donor/group and the receiving family would pick up their share each week. Please contact us if you are interested in a work-share membership or would like to sponsor a member through a donation.
COST
The CSA will run for 18 weeks, starting in June and ending in October. See the PICK-UP section below for more specific information on dates. Decorah: Weekly Share = $400 for 18 weeks Every-Other-Week (EOW) Share = $250 for 9 weeks Cedar Rapids/Iowa City: Weekly Share = $475 for 18 weeks Every-Other-Week (EOW) Share = $285 for 9 weeks We price our shares to be more economical than if you purchased the same local, certified organic product in a retail grocery store. Over the course of the growing season you should get a better value for your money, especially in the summer and fall months when high-value crops are in abundance (heirloom tomatoes, basil, melons, corn etc.) However, in farming there is always risk and we cannot guarantee that it will always be a better value. The CSA shares are a fair amount of food to deal with each week–it seems to work best for people who have the time and enjoy to cook, love the surprise of getting a pre-packed CSA box, and will eat a wide variety of vegetables.
PICK-UP
Decorah: Given Gardens CSA members can pick up their produce on Wednesdays from 3-6p.m. at the Winneshiek County Farmers Market, located adjacent to Decorah City Hall.
Decorah EOW Share Schedule: June 15, June 29th, July 13, July 27, August 10, August 24, September 7, September 21, October 5. A total of 9 deliveries.
Cedar Rapids: Fickes Home, NE part of Cedar Rapids, a few miles off Collins Rd. Pick up Saturdays from 10am-12pm.
Iowa City: Johnson Home, W. of downtown, off of Benton Ave. Pick up Saturdays from 10am-12pm.
Cedar Rapids EOW Share Schedule: June 18, July 2, July 16, July 30, August 13, August 27, September 10, September 24, October 8. A total of 9 deliveries.
Click here: CSA REGISTRATION FORM to become a 2011 farm-member. |
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CSA Program |