CSA issues and a video "What to expect when you join a farm."

LocalHarvest.org

LocalHarvest Newsletter, January 25, 2011 photo by Maplewood Organics Welcome back to the LocalHarvest newsletter. I spent the weekend thinking about what motivates people to join CSAs. 'Tis the sign-up season, after all, and tens of thousands of you are coming to LocalHarvest to look for a CSA farm near you. Researchers say that most people joining a CSA anticipate that their dinner menus will change as a result, and they are up for the challenge. "Veggies we've never heard of? Bring them on!" This is brave. There are few things as personal as our habitual eating patterns, and to consciously turn over some portion of the control for what you'll cook night after night for a some months is a big deal. Often it goes swimmingly. I can not tell you how many times I have heard people compare opening their weekly CSA box to Christmas morning. Whether it's the freshness and flavor of the food, the feeling of belonging to a farm, the knowledge that their children are eating better, the satisfaction of eating locally, or all of the above, many people simply love being part of a CSA. And it's not for everyone. Many CSAs lose 10-40% of their members at year's end. For some members the necessary culinary creativity becomes a burden instead of a joy. Others find they don't actually cook as much as they thought, or hoped to. Still others get a bad case of greens fatigue. For all of us interested in seeing the CSA movement thrive, it is as important to pay attention to the rationale of people who decide not to re-join a CSA as it is to take in the praise of the enthusiasts. If CSAs are to keep up their impressive growth trajectory, farms will need to attract more and more "mainstream eaters". That, in turn, requires CSA farmers and CSA members to work together to find the right balance of unfamiliar items and old standbys, the right quantity of food so members don't waste, and where feasible, giving members some level of choice. We would love to hear about your experiences with CSA. If you've been a CSA member for years, what do you like best about it? If you tried CSA but decided not to join again, what was your reason? For both groups, what do you wish you'd have known about CSA before you joined? If you'd like to share your thoughts, please do so here. We saw a great little video this month called, "Community Supported Agriculture: What to expect when you join a farm." I highly recommend it for all who are considering joining a CSA for the first time. Great advice, straight from CSA farmers themselves! As always, take good care and eat well, Erin Erin Barnett Director LocalHarvest

Winter Shares

Winter Shares

(December to May)

Season: December 2010 through May 2011 (6 months)

Pick-up dates:

December 1st,

January 12th,

February 9th,

March 9th,

April 6th and

May 4th.

Time: 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Location: 6426 Church Hills Road, Quincy, IL 62305 (at

Winter Chicken Shares-SOLD OUT

Quantity: 2 chickens once a month (about 3.5 per chicken)

Price: $90 (12 chickens at $7.50 each)

Egg Shares

Quantity: 2 dozen eggs per month n the same days as the chicken shares.

Price: $33 (12 dozen eggs at $2.75 a dozen.)

Putting Small Acreage to Work Program

Do you have a small amount of land or would like to earn extra income? Do you like to can for yourself or your family? Have you considered a value added canning business? How about growing vegetables in a high tunnel during the fall and spring?

This February 12th at John Wood Community College consider attending the "Putting Small Acreage to Work."

GENERAL SESSION

Direct Marketing Rules and Regulations

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

High Tunnels

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Goats

Nut Trees

Tractors/Equipment

Canning Basics

Brambles

Winter Activity and a Big Decision

Winter activity on (and off) the farm can be busy. I have been digging a trench in the greenhouse for worm beds and getting ready for spring starter plants and microgreens. Also, I am reviewing seed catalogues to select and order seeds and plants. Off the farm, I am attending 2 conferences: Illinois Specialty Growers Conference in Springfield, IL the first week of January and the Organic Farming Conference in La Crosse, WI the last week of February. I have been attending Western Illinois Sustainable Agriculture Society (WISAS) meetings and catching up on my reading. All this activity has lead me to a decision.

The Illinois Specialty Growers Conference included various types of growers including conventional and hydroponic as well as organic growers. The attendees raise fruits, vegetables, herbs, grains and livestock. The topics range from irrigation, pest and disease issues, hoop houses, marketing, agritourism, and enterprise management. In short, it covered a wide range of farmers, topics and growing methods. One noteable feature of this conference was maximizing income. While I would like to get to a point that I am not paying money to farm, my main passion is to provide good, safe food for our community and protecting our environment.

For some time, I have been toying with the idea of getting certified Organic. Since we have the CSA and a close relationship with our members, I haven't felt the need to be certified. I check to be sure the any inputs on the farm are listed on the Organic Materials Resource Institute (OMRI) List. I attend conferences to understand which practices are organic and I use those practices. I feel that our relationship is important because I hope that you trust me to do as much as I can to be a good grower of your food. So, the cost of certification isn't necessary.

Another group that I have been involved with is Western Illinois Sustainable Agriculture Society (WISAS). We have been reviewing our mission and focussing on whether we are fulfilling that mission. We are talking about a range of focus from being an organization that promotes just locally-grown agricultural products to being an Organic organization. I think that if we use the word "sustainable" in our title that it ought to mean something and that something should communicate what we mean to people outside our organization. In the past, WISAS had a difficult time defining sustainable and has somewhat thrown up its hands saying: our customers all have a different definition and each of us has a different definition of sustainable. I think this approach leaves us not communicating at all.

Our recent discussions have centered around a three pronged definition of what sustainable means: environmentally sustainable, economically sustainable, and community sustainable. We are still discussing this issue, but I think we will ultimately land somewhere between just local and Organic. (Consumers are welcome to join WISAS and the discussion: wisas.org.)

I am also catching up on some reading. I was sent a blog link by one of our members. (Zweberfarms) This farmer outlined why she and her family eat organic. It included some research about pesticide residue in children and how quickly a change to an organic diet reduces the pesticide residue in their bodies. It is a good blog entry worth reading. We will be seeing more research about Organics as the taste, nutrition content, safety issues for us and the environment are just being studied. I think some will confirm and some will debunk what we have thought about raising Organic food.

For me, I think I have made an important decision. After attending the Illinois conference, because the discussions that we are having within the WISAS, and the recent research, I am beginning to believe that I will transition to Organic certification. I still have a lot of research to do, to look at what it costs and the timeline.

Take good care and enjoy the snow while we still have it!!