Welcome to the Great River CSA!

ENROLLMENT DUE DATE IS: March 31st, 2010.


What is Great River CSA?

Great River CSA is made up of three family farms: Terripin Farm, Feiner Gardens, and Grassy Hills Farms. This is our 2nd year as a CSA!

Terripin Farms is a family farm operated by Jessica Dyer and Brad Whiston. Jess and Brad started farming in 2006 with a push tiller. They grow on twelve acres, three of which are in cover crops. This year they will provide the vegetables and some fruit.

Feiner Gardens is operated by Kate and Jim Daniels. They cultivate a variety of naturally grown herbs. This year, they purchased a green house. As the gardens develop, they hope to provide a wide variety of variety of heirloom herbs, vegetables, fruit, flowers, and specialty crops such as hops.

Grassy Hills Farm is operated by the Hochstetlers, Miriam, Jacob and their children. They raise vegetables for a CSA is St. Louis and this year they are offering chickens, eggs, and turkeys for our Great River CSA.


How does the CSA work?

Members purchase a share in advance and then receive a basket of fresh, local, and in season produce or meat throughout the season. Our season will run from Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010 through September 29th, 2010.


What can I expect in my basket?

For the vegetable share, each week you can expect a wide variety of in-season, delicious, fresh vegetables and herbs. One share will contain enough to feed 2 adults per week or one hungry vegetarian.

For the chicken share, every other week you can expect 2-3.5 pound chickens, quickly frozen, and packaged in a plastic bag.

For the egg share, every other week you can expect 2 dozen fresh eggs of various sizes and colors (mainly brown and white).

For the turkey share, one fresh turkey delivered just in time for thanksgiving!


Where will I pick up my basket?

There are two pick-up locations:

In-town delivery (vegetable share only) - Wednesday afternoons between 4:30 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. at the side entrance of the Unitarian Universalist Church (1479 Hampshire Street). Limited availability.

On-site pick-up - Wednesday evenings between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. at Feiner Gardens (6426 Church Hills Road, Quincy, IL – call or email us for directions). While there, you are invited to walk around the gardens and pond and pick up “extras” when they are available.

You are always welcome to come to the farm on Wednesdays between 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to pick up extras.


How much does it cost?

Vegetable share: A full, charter season share is $450. This provides enough produce for two adults or one hungry vegetarian over the 18 week season. A 1/2 share option costs $340.

Egg Share: $49.50 for 18 dozen eggs ($2.75 per dozen); 2 dozen eggs delivered every 2 weeks. (The delivery dates are: June 2nd, 16th and 30th, July 7th, and 21st, August 4th and 18th, September 1st, 15th and 29th.)

Chicken Share: $135 for 18 chickens ($7.50 per chicken); 2 chickens delivered every 2 weeks. Delivery dates are the same as the egg shares.

Turkey Share: $33.00 for a fresh approximately 16 pound turkey delivered the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.


How many shares are available?

We are again limiting the number of available member shares to 20. Membership enrollment is accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Our charter members will have the 1st option to purchase shares until February 28th, 2010. If there are shares available, new members will have until March 31st to purchase there shares.


How can I become a member?

For more information contact Kate Daniels at (217) 440-7608 or kate@greatrivercsa.org. Or download the Membership Information and Membership Agreement. Mail in the agreement and your payment to reserve a share.

It is customary for members of a CSA to pay for their share of produce in advance. This enables the growers to buy seed and equipment before the season begins, thus reducing the burden of up-front costs for the grower. In order to guarantee your participation in our 2010 season, the signed membership agreement and a payment must be returned to us as soon as you are ready to commit. The deposit is non-refundable, and is $100 for a share. The remaining balance must be paid in full by March 31st, 2010.

May 11, 2009

After what I have been told is the wettest April ever, we continue to work with Mother Nature to bring you the freshest local and naturally grown food.

At Feiner Gardens, I have been planting asparagus roots (67 done so far), raspberries and a variety of herbs: 3 kinds of basil (Italian Basil, Thai Basil, and Lemon Dani Basil), Rosemary, Culinary Thyme, Sage, Chives, and French Sorrel. On the asparagus, I spread manure (to fertilize) and ash (to bring up the PH). I spread manure on the herb bed and mulched the new plants. I also put in a few tomatoes and mulched them. The majority of the tomatoes will come from Terripin Farms. All of the inputs have come from our farm.

I was a little worried about the Basil as it wasn't doing too well. Since it has been in the ground, it has really come back. I put gallon milk container over the top to keep them warm. I have a few other herb plants to put in as well: Lemon Thyme, Tarragon and Fennel. Some of my plants didn't make it out of the basement grow area. I just really needed more natural light and warmer temperatures. Feiner Gardens bought a 40 foot by 24 foot greenhouse and should have enough space to start our own seeds next year. Now, I just have to get it up! I'll also direct seed Cilantro, more Basil (you can never have enough Basil), and Lovage. The flower beds are the next on my agenda.

My Eggplant and Peppers (some hot, some sweet) did do well in the basement and outside, so they will be going into the ground in the next week.

At Terripin Farms, the volume planting continues: spinach, Michilli, spring mix, various greens, radishes, beets, and on. They are running out of room!! The back field is still a bit wet and we are hoping for a couple weeks stretch to dry it out. Hopefully, I will get out there this week to bring you back a better report of what is going in!

We practice naturally grown techniques and continue to find ways to go "beyond organic." Below is a study I thought you might find interesting:

New Evidence Confirms the Nutritional Superiority of Plant-Based Organic Foods (March 2008)
An in-depth, 53 page study published by The Organic Center. Includes an overview of published studies comparing the nutrient content of organic and conventional food, differences in the nutrient content of organic and conventionally grown foods, and more. Read full study.

Remember:

Our first pick-up of fresh, local and tasty produce basket is just around the corner, Monday, June 1st. We are working diligently to bring you the freshest, most nutritious, and best tasting vegetables and fruit. Please remember to check out our website every now and then to see what we are up to.

Some Logistics:

For those of you who have registered for the UU Church pick-up, the delivery time is from 4:30 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. The address is 1479 Hampshire, Quincy, IL. (Directions: 2 blocks South of Broadway on 16th Street). Please remember that after you pick-up your basket at the church, you are more than welcome to come to Feiner Gardens to see what we are doing there. If you don't remember what you signed up for, send me an email or call me.

For those of you who have registered for the Feiner Gardens pick-up, the pick-up time is from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. The address is 6426 Church Hills Road, Quincy, IL 62305. (Directions: Take 48th Street South past John Wood Community College (JWCC), turn left at the next street St. Anthony road. After you will drive over Hwy 172, the road takes a 90 degree turn to the right. St. Anthony Church is on your left. Take the next street on your left, Church Hills Road. You will go down the hill, up the hill and over the hill. Our farm is on your right, about 1/4 of the way over the other side of the hill. I will have the gate open and hopefully a sign.) You are welcome to walk around the gardens, bring a picnic basket (and blanket as we don't have our picnic tables built yet) and enjoy the atmosphere. Kids are welcome!


Take good care,
Farmer Kate.

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