Eat Local – Farmer Shares – Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

[Heather K]

 Eating local through your own garden and through a local farm share is growing each year!

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is an ancient practice that has become popularized in many local communities across the globe over the last couple of decades. By contacting your favorite local farmer, you can create greater food security for your family and share in the harvests abundance & losses. If you are a small family, you can join with another family to split a farmshare, or some farmers offer smaller half shares that cost less. The benefit with joining with another family is that you can also save transportation & pick-up time costs. Don't let low cash flow stop you from signing up for a share, since many farmers can offer partial labor exchanges or alternative currancy options!

 

In Whatcom County, the Community Food Coop publishes a list of many (but not all) of our local farms who offer a CSA share. The new 2010 list will soon be published in their printed newsletter.

 

Below I'll list a few of the farm shares I'm aware of, and also below are 3 links that will contain many, but not all, of our local farms who offer CSA shares.

There is not a complete list in any one location, but the current choices can be found between the new farmer created TW group - “CSA Share Program – Producers” at http://transitionwhatcom.ning.com/group/csashareprogramsproducers,

(If you are a farmer or gardener offering a CSA share, please do add your name & info to our TW Producers group!)

and the Food Coop's 2009 online list at: http://communityfood.coop/pdf/CSA%20Farms%202009%20WEB.pdf

and the brochure for the 2009 'Whatcom Food & Farm Finder” can be found on the Sustainable Connections website at-

http://sustainableconnections.org/foodfarming/guidetoeatinglocal/2009%20Whatcom%20FoodandFarm%20Finder.pdf

 

In Urban Areas, there are also Farmers Markets and some are able to accept food stamps!

 

(I hope my cut & pastes of these links works the first post around)

[Heather K]

Farmers & Gardeners offering shares in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model that were listed in the 2009 coop newsletter are listed below, along with a 2010 listing from our Transition Whatcom's Farmer Mike Long and Farmer Walter.
...Go direct to a link to find farmer contact information, their location, and their style of farming.


Alpenhorn Farm, formerly Galactic Organics, with Farmer Mike Long -
Located off of Laurel Road, Pickup on farm or at the Saturday Market in Bellingham. 360-303-6095 .
Farm consists of biodynamically managed gardens, pasture, and fruit trees. We host sheep, honeybees, goats, chickens, ducks, veggies, herbs, and fruits. Our mission is to create a self-sustaining farm organism, treated homeopathically and with special regard to natural rhythms. Our CSA runs 20 weeks (June-Oct.), and shares are available for $400 a share. You are what you eat, and our farm is complete.

F.A. Farm with Farmer Walter,
is a small five-acre farm using sustainable practices and specializing in fruit and vegetable production. For more details, go to www.fafarm.org. You may also call us at 360-312-0335. Our motto is "Food With Full Attention - Fresh Absolutely!" We offer CSA share and custom-harvesting to order . In addition to selling produce, we teach those involved with our farm sustainable farming practices using small-scale technology. Our desire is to utilize the calorie-efficient human brain and hand, rather than conventional petrol-intensive practices, and we use low-impact efficiencies, such as tillers instead of tractors, sheet mulching, sheet composting and lots of hand labor. Vacations are not a problem with our CSA share program - we just extend your season. For those of you who might not be able to use a full share of 18 weeks for $500, we offer Farm Bucks. With Farm Bucks, you buy in for a minimum of $200 and receive an instant 10% bonus. Since we are primarily a CSA farm, we offer multi-tiered pricing and you pay less for your share for early payment. 5890 Barr Road, Ferndale WA 98248

More Farmers listed in the 2009 food coop list:

Holistic Homestead
Gretchen Woody
P.O. Box 125, Everson WA 98247
360-966-4939
[e-mail]
www.holistichomestead.net

Rabbit Fields Farm
Roslyn McNicholl
P.O. Box 821, Everson WA 98247
360-393-874
[e-mail]

Rosa Verde Farm
Wiley and Amber O’Donnell
6255 Aldrich Road, Ferndale WA 98248
360-383-0893
www.rosaverdefarm.com
Located six miles north of Bellingham in the Laurel area.

WakeRobin Farm
Brigget LeClair, farm mistress
2660 Thornton Road, Ferndale WA 98248
360-815-1190
[e-mail]
Located outside of Ferndale


Double Rainbow Farms
David Peterson
360-303-1391
[e-mail]

“The Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) movement, with roots in
Europe, came to life in the U.S. in 1985 and since then has grown to more
than 2,000 farms—with at least a dozen or more in Whatcom County. Local
farmer Gretchen Woody of Holistic Homestead says, “CSA is an oldtime
tradition. It provides consumers the opportunity to directly support
a farmer early in the season, which helps the farmer plan for the growing
season. In that way, a shareholder shares the gains and potential losses of
crop production.” Purchasing a CSA share is a way to support local farms,
local workers, and our local economy.”
___________________________
from the 2009 Whatcom Food & Farm Finder brochure-
“Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a
convenient and fun way to invest in local agriculture. Typically, a flat
fee for membership is paid to the farmer before the season begins,
providing spring capital. Members then receive a weekly “subscription”
of the freshest items the farm has to offer. CSA programs vary widely in
cost, size and content—check the listings in this guide and call around
to find one that fits your needs!”

Alm Hill Gardens, Bellingham Country Gardens, Cedarville Farm, Cooperative Jacel, DEVine Gardens Inc., F.A. Farm, Galactic Organics, Garden Treasures Nursery & Organic Farm, Holistic Homestead, La Paz Farm, MojoCoho, Inc, Moondance Farm, Rabbit fieldsFarm, Rosa Verde Farm, Terra Verde Farm, WakeRobin Farm, Wildroot Botanicals


FARMERS MARKET
Bellingham Farmers Market (Downtown)
Bellingham Farmers Market (Fairhaven)
Ferndale Farmers Market
Blaine Farmers Market

above list from Sustainable Connection adobe copy of the 2009 brochure: “Whatcom Food & Farm Finder” Go to the link or google to find farmer contact info.
http://sustainableconnections.org/foodfarming/guidetoeatinglocal/20...

[Heather K]

Eat Fresh Local Foods Direct from your neighboring farmer! Currant List of CSA at http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs047/1101522987442/archive/1103...

An article from Sustainable Connections March issue!
Thanks for posting Laura!
If possible it would be great to have at a table at the Unleashing event some copies of the currant CSA’s that possibly might still have member farm-shares in their CSA!


Laura Ridenour said:

complicating the issue of listings is the fact that when listing time comes, some CSAs have sold out of memberships, so they choose not to be included in various lists.

The Food & Farming Programs' e-newsletter, "What's Fresh" featured an article on CSAs last month, and the list of area CSA farms that were still accepting shares is included. Read the March issue here: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs047/1101522987442/archive/1103...