We are preparing for our 2010 season! The seed catalogues are coming and we are getting excited about growing vegetables, herb and raising poultry. We can't wait to try some new vegetables.
For those of you who were members last year, thank you for trusting us to grow your food and supporting us in our first year. We depended on your early payment to purchase seed and equipment. Last year Brad, Dick and Jessica provided us with a large quantity of vegetables and good quality of vegetables. They are open to suggestions on what you would like to see in the baskets. We can't promise they will be in the basket this year. We continue to expand what we provide and to provide new and different options to serve you better.
Based on your requests, I planted garlic this fall and some of it is coming up!! I have been out to weed and baby the garlic a little. It needs this cold spell and will take about 9 months for the garlic to be ready to harvest. I understand that it is edible as green garlic (right out of the ground) though I haven't used as such yet. I am pretty excited and looking forward to feedback about the varieties of garlic I planted. One of the varieties is Inchelium Red, a member of the Slow Food's Ark of Taste Program. (http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/programs/details/ark_of_taste/)
"Hailing from the Colville Indian Reservation in Inchelium, Washington, this garlic is a large and beautiful artichoke variety. The dense bulb can have anywhere from 9-20 cloves and a thick outer bulb wrapper to protect the bulb. The flavor of the Inchelium Red is softly robust but not so strong as to be overwhelming; the flavor often sharpens in storage."
Great River CSA Shares
This year we are looking forward to offering you the same great vegetables and fruit as we did last year as well as some new varieties. We are changing the pick up day to Wednesday and we are adding chicken, turkey and egg shares. We changed the pick-up day to provide vegetables closer to the weekend when people have more time to cook and to provide Brad more time in the field. Please contact us if you have any questions or would like additional information. Payments are due by March 31st, 2010, and are non-refundable.
We will offer 20 Vegetable shares.
Pick-up Days: Wednesday evenings 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Unitarian Church and 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m at Feiner Gardens.
Season: 18 weeks starting June 2nd to September 29th.
Cost for Vegetable Share: Due March 31st, 2010.
Full share: $450, this comes out to about $25 per week.
Half share: $340, this comes out to about $18 per week.
There is no basket deposit this year. If you paid your basket deposit and you returned all your baskets, we will give you a $10 credit on your purchase of a share! Yay!!
Pick-up sites:
Unitarian Church, 1479 Hampshire in Quincy for vegetable shares only (we have room for 10 baskets, so 1st paid/1st choice on pick-up) from 4:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. & Feiner Gardens, 6426 Church Hills Road from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
NEW THIS YEAR
This year we are teaming up with Grassy Hills Farm from Pike County to provide an egg share, a chicken share and a turkey share. Because of storage issues, the only pick-up site available for these shares will be Feiner Gardens 6426 Church Hills Road. Another member and I purchased eggs, chickens, raw milk, and romaine lettuce from this farm last summer. I have been very satisfied with the products. Grassy Hills Farm also provides vegetables for a CSA in St. Louis and does farmer's markets in Pike County. They have enough chickens and turkeys to provide the CSA with the 20 shares we are offering. They really like the idea of a CSA as it provides them with the money up front. Similar to Brad and Jessica, they agree to fill the CSA orders before other orders. Let me know if you have questions I will do the best I can to answer from what I know about Grassy Hills. Because they don't have a phone, it will take a little time to get answers from them.
20 Egg Shares
The egg share will offer 18 dozen farm fresh eggs delivered every other week starting with June 2. I believe the eggs will be a variety of brown and white eggs and a variety of sizes. They are from free range chickens which scratch for food and are also provided feed and water. I would recommend that you bring a cooler with ice to pick up.
Pick up days: Wednesdays, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Season: 18 weeks starting June 2nd to September 29th.
Cost: $49.50 for 18 dozen eggs ($2.75 per dozen); 2 dozen eggs delivered every 2 weeks. (The delivery dates will be: June 2nd, 16th and 30th, July 7th and 21st, August 4th and 18th, September 1st, 15th, and 29th.) March 31st, 2010.
Pick-up site: 6426 Church Hills Road
20 Chicken Shares
The chicken share are farm fresh chickens, harvested on the Friday before delivery. They will arrive in a plastic bag frozen and will be approximately 3.5 pounds. The are raise by the Joel Salatin method: housed in a moveable pen with an open floor. The pen is usually moved 2 times daily, they are able to scratch for bugs and they are provided feed and water as well. The pen is partly covered to provide shade and it protects them from predators as well as keeps them from straying. It fertilizes the ground and provides some insect control on the farm. I would recommend that you bring a cooler with ice to pick up.
Pick up days: Wednesdays, 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Season: 18 weeks starting June 2nd to September 29th.
Cost: $135 for 18 chickens ($7.50 per chicken); 2 chickens delivered every 2 weeks. Delivery dates are the same as the Egg shares. Due March 31st, 2010.
Pick-up site: 6426 Church Hills Road
20 Turkey Shares
The turkey shares are farm fresh turkeys. The turkeys will be delivered fresh, not frozen, a few days before Thanksgiving. It will be approximately 16 pounds and will include the liver, heart and giblets. I would recommend that you bring a cooler with ice to pick up.
Pick-up Day: Tuesday, November 23rd.
Cost: $33; 1 turkey delivered November 23rd, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. Due March 31st, 2010.
Pick-up site: 6426 Church Hills Road
I think I included everything!! If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please contact me. Thanks!
Welcome to the Great River CSA!
2012 is our 4th year!! We've learned a lot and want to thank our members for joining us in building this community relationship and to welcome new members on this journey.
We are getting ready for the 2012 summer season and have started to offer Veggie, Chicken and Egg Shares. We will offer Thanksgiving Turkeys shares at a later date. So, keep your eyes and ears open! Please contact me at: kate@greatrivercsa.org and let me know that you want to be on our mailing list.
What is Great River CSA?
Great River CSA is made up of three family farms: Terripin Farm, Feiner Gardens, and Grassy Hill Farm.
Terripin Farms is a family farm operated by Jessica and Brad Whiston. Jess and Brad started farming in 2006 with a push tiller. They currently grow on twelve acres, three of which are in cover crops. They provide the vegetables and some fruit. This year they moved to the farm!!
Feiner Gardens is operated by Kate and Jim Daniels. They cultivate a variety of naturally grown herbs and garlic. They purchased a green house which fell due to snow weight in the January 2011 snow storm. They got a new one and it is finally got it up. Jim planted some grapes and bought 5 alpacas and a llama. 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 Hill Farm is operated by the Hochstetlers: Miriam, Jacob and their children. They are offering chickens, eggs, and turkeys for our Great River CSA. They completed the switch to 100% organic and non-GMO feed which they grow themselves on the farm.
How does the CSA work?
Members purchase a share in advance and then receive a basket of fresh, local, and in season produce, meat or eggs throughout the season. Our summer season usually runs from June through September. We also offer Thanksgiving Turkey Shares (common and Heritage) the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and Winter Shares of chickens and eggs from December to May. Our current members will have 1st choice on the share options.
Summer shares (June 6th through October 3rd)
What can I expect in my basket?
For the summer chicken share, every other week we offer approximately 3.5 pound chickens, plucked, quickly frozen, and packaged in a plastic bag with the giblets, heart, and liver inside the chicken. You may order as many as you like on the offered dates.
For the summer egg share, every other week we offered 2 dozen fresh brown eggs of various sizes.
For the vegetable share, each week you can expect a wide variety of in-season, delicious, fresh vegetables and herbs. One full share will contain enough to feed a family of 4 each week. The half share will contain enought to feed 2 people.
For the summer egg share, every other week we offered 2 dozen fresh brown eggs of various sizes.
For the vegetable share, each week you can expect a wide variety of in-season, delicious, fresh vegetables and herbs. One full share will contain enough to feed a family of 4 each week. The half share will contain enought to feed 2 people.
Where will I pick up my basket?
We have two pick-up locations for summer shares:
On-site pick-up - Wednesday evenings between 5:00 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 the pond and pick up “extras” when they are available.
In-town delivery - Wednesday afternoons between 4:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the side entrance of the Unitarian Universalist Church (1479 Hampshire Street).
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 or feed the alpacas and llama.
How much does it cost?
Summer Chicken Share: $8.75 per chicken available every 2 weeks. Delivery dates are the same as the egg shares.
2011 Winter Chicken Share: $99.00 for 12 chickens ($8.25 per chicken); 2 chickens once a month. Delivery dates are the same as the egg shares.
Membership enrollment is accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
When does the summer season start and end in 2012?
Pick-up for the egg shares are every other week, starting June 6th, 2012. The dates are as follows:
On-site pick-up - Wednesday evenings between 5:00 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 the pond and pick up “extras” when they are available.
In-town delivery - Wednesday afternoons between 4:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the side entrance of the Unitarian Universalist Church (1479 Hampshire Street).
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 or feed the alpacas and llama.
How much does it cost?
Summer Egg Share: $54.00 for 18 dozen eggs ($3 per dozen); 2 dozen eggs delivered every 2 weeks. (The delivery dates are: June 1st, 15th and 29th, July 13th, and 27th, August 10th and 24th, September 7th and 21st.)
Summer Chicken Share: $8.75 per chicken available every 2 weeks. Delivery dates are the same as the egg shares.
Vegetable shares: A full share is $450. This provides enough produce for a family of 4 or two hungry vegetarian over the 18 week season. A 1/2 share option costs $340.
2011 Winter Egg Share: $36.00 for 12 dozen eggs ($3 per dozen); 2 dozen eggs once a month. (The delivery dates are: December 14, 2011, January 11, 2012, February 8, March 7, April 4, and May 2.)
2011 Winter Chicken Share: $99.00 for 12 chickens ($8.25 per chicken); 2 chickens once a month. Delivery dates are the same as the egg shares.
How many shares are available?
Membership enrollment is accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
When does the summer season start and end in 2012?
The summer share pick-up day is every Wednesday, from June 6th through October 3rd, 2011. The 4th of July falls on a Wednesday, so we will have the pick-up on Tuesday, July 3rd.
Pick-up for the egg shares are every other week, starting June 6th, 2012. The dates are as follows:
June 6th
June 20th
July 3rd
July 18th
August 1st
August 15th
August 29th
September 12th
September 26th.
Thanksgiving Turkey Shares
For the Thanksgiving turkey share, one fresh turkey ready for pick-up just in time for thanksgiving. Available at: 6426 Church Hills Road on Tuesday, November 2oth from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. We will send out an email regarding cost. We are looking at a per pound share with small, medium and large options.
We aren't sure we'll offer the heritage breed.
Heritage birds are also natural birds, not hybrid. They can naturally reproduce and don't have to be artificially inseminated. The common white broad breasted turkey was bred for its quick feed to meat conversion. From what I've been told, for this reason they often are very top heavy and become lame more easily and cannot reproduce. These birds are getting more rare and raising them helps to increase genetic diversity.
They do cost more. The poults (baby turkeys) cost about 4 times as much. They also have a lower survival rate, so not as many make it to full maturity. It takes more feed to convert to pounds on the bird and it takes about 2 months longer to raise them to maturity.
Winter Shares (December through May)
For the Winter Egg Share, once per month we offer 2 dozen farm fresh eggs. The Hochstetlers don't use any antibiotics and they grow their own feed from non-GMO corn and beans with no chemical pesticides, herbicides, nor fertilizers.
For the Winter Chicken Share, once a month we offer
two approximately 3.5 pound chickens, plucked, quickly frozen, and packaged in a plastic bag with the giblets, heart, and liver inside the chicken.
The Hochstetlers don't use any antibiotics and they grow their own feed from non-GMO corn and beans with no chemical pesticides, herbicides, nor fertilizers.Winter Shares are available at: 6426 Church Hills Road, Quincy, IL 62305. Pick-up dates are:
February 8, 2012
March 7, 2012
April 4, 2012
May 2, 2012
How do I become a member?
For more information, contact Kate Daniels at (217)440-7608 or kate@greatrivercsa.org. Or check out the Membership Information and Membership Agreement.
It is customary for members of a CSA to pay for their shares 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 2011 season, the signed membership agreement and your payment must be returned to us as soon as you are ready to commit.
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