|
Invest in a Local CSA
Community Supported Agriculture
What is CSA?
CSA is
a wise alternative food source, instead of a corporate
food system
A farmer commits to producing food, and community
members pledge to buy that food in a growing season.
Each party shares in
the risks and rewards of farming.
Members pay an up-front fee to supply the farmer with
much-needed capital at the beginning of the season,
guaranteeing an outlet for the food.
In exchange, members get fresh, local produce picked
just for them.
Do I need a CSA?
Do you care
about how your food is being grown and by
whom or even where.
Generally if
you want fresh, high quality, biodynamically produced
food from someone you know and trust, you need a CSA.
CSA Quality this fresh you cannot buy at a grocery
store.
CSA:
The roots of CSA stem back to Japan to around the mid
1960's where a group of ladies started a direct
relationship between their group and local farms.
This new farming concept was quickly picked up in
Europe.
I knew a couple in the LaCrosse area with a small CSA
type farm operation in the early 1970's, but CSA is said to
have officially started in the USA in 1985 in
Massachusetts.
As of 2005 over 1500 CSA farms, like ours operate across
North America.
We are continuing our research study on the general
health of individuals participating in natural home
gardening and/or CSA members consuming primarily
naturally grown fresh food.. Some preliminary
survey reports are phenomenally positive. We will
keep you posted as we compile a larger data base to draw
on and analyze.
Join our Nutrition Revolution
- Viva la Revolution
Many of the medical systems health care overload
problems, ...will be gone.
Dependency on medication and its research will be nearly
eliminated, needed only for necessary research and cures
of none nutritional related illness. I guarantee
the negative propaganda will pour out and continue to
grow very cleverly disguised by professional
testimonials and research to the contrary about natural
cures and our almost holistic approach to our food
production methods.
I note posting this 7 Dec. 2007 Steven M. Freng
I can also envision our national health care system
including the Medicare and social security systems will
be dramatically and positively impacted as our NWF
networks (and other networks to come) grow and
communities become re-involved consciously in their
direct food line. But the communities must remain
totally involved and in marginal control of their food
lines, or too much control can be shifted by political
and governmental intervention and a quagmire will
develop such as in the present organic movement.
The present organic public awakening has been a
tremendous start from all the efforts of everyone over
the past decades. But it was subverted an covertly
hampered by greed, power and huge profits. Profits
and prosperity have gone not to the common small
grassroots farmers which started the organic movement,
but to middle men and the same huge corporate food
factories, chemical companies, lobbyists, in general the
industrial food chain. This is one chain that
should be broken to better mankind and protect and
preserve our natural resources and Earth.
What is a share? - A wise
investment
Simply a weekly share of food - a bag/box of food.
When you buy a subscription to our CSA you buy a share
of the the harvest.
Each week beginning in May and running through October
you will receive a share of the harvest, a bag or two or
three of fresh wholesome produce. As the season changes
so do the share sizes.
>Membership subscriptions help pay for seeds,
fertilizer, water, equipment maintenance, labor, etc
>In return, the farm provides, to the best of its
ability, a healthy supply of seasonally fresh healthy
produce throughout the growing season.
When you buy shares you are kind of underwriting an
agreement to risk some financial investment in the farm
operation. Your share investment should be returned to
you as weekly shares of high quality fresh food, and
maybe with some interest. Sometimes nature throws you a
curve. There is the chance for partial or total crop
failure due to weather, bugs, etc., the risk portion to
the share agreement. Our operations attempt to minimize
the risk.
This relationship between local farmers and community
members helps create a stable farm operation in
which members are assured the highest quality produce,
often at below retail prices. In return, farmers and
growers are guaranteed a reliable market for a diverse
selection of crops.
How Does CSA Work?
1. You
select a Natures' Way Farm nearest you
2. Purchase the number of shares to fit your needs.
3. Pick up your shares weekly at the farm or scheduled
distribution site
Our CSA shares are sold by the share.
One share is meant to provide one person 15-16 years or
older a healthy portion of fresh produce for 6-7 days.
You may customize your purchase of shares to fit you or
your families needs.
Remember this is an investment.
-
Delivery is available for an extra fee.
-
Due to insurance restrictions, visitors are welcome,
tours not allowed.
-
We do not provide Working shares at this time.
-
Apprenticeships are not offered at this time, but coming
soon
-
At select locations we will also provide food items such
as honey, fruit, eggs, free range chicken, and free
ranged beef.
Distribution
Once produce is harvested, and inventoried
(e.g. heads of lettuce, pounds of beans, peas, ears of
corn,
to be received by each member) each share packaged for
pickup.
Shares shall be picked up at the farm or a designated
distribution point
At the distribution points, members may decide to leave
behind any items they don't want, at a surplus table,
and may find something there they could use.
Some advantages to the farm growing environment, in
addition to shared risk and pre-payment of farm costs,
are the minimal loss and waste of harvested farm
produce, little or reduced need for long-term storage,
and a willingness by members to accept produce with
natural cosmetic imperfections.
In late fall, we will:
-
conduct surveys to gather input to improve future
service
-
set new short range goals and adjust long-range goals,
-
prepare the budget for the next two years, adjusting
next years budget
-
conduct publicity and community outreach
-
organize events, for next year.
-
conduct our annual fall harvest meeting/festival
-
update our newsletter
CSA is Important
-
With a "guaranteed market" for our produce, we
can invest our time in doing the best job we can growing
rather than looking for buyers.
-
CSA's gives farmers the fairest return on their
products.
-
CSA keeps food dollars in the local community and
contributes to the maintenance and establishment of
regional food production.
-
CSA supports the biodiversity of a given area through
the production of a wide variety of crops.
-
CSA creates opportunity for dialogue between farmers and
consumers.
-
CSA creates a sense of social responsibility and
stewardship of local land.
-
CSA puts "the farmers face on food" and
increases the understanding of how, where, and by whom
our food is grown.
We
use and promote biodynamic
agricultural methods to produce healthier, wholesome food for your table
and freezer.
|
Farmer
Markets
&
Drop-Site Locations
Gift Card |
