Join us for our 6th Year! Now accepting members for the 2013 Season.
Community Supported Agriculture
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a commitment between individual members of a community and a local farmer. You commit to the health and well being of the farm by advance purchasing a “share” of the harvest. April Joy Farm commits to providing you with a weekly box of fresh, diverse, organic produce from June through November. The beauty of the CSA model is that everyone shares in the inherent risks and rewards associated with eating seasonally.
How Does it Work?
Early in the season, you purchase a share of produce, which provides funds for the annual operating expenses (seed, equipment, supplies) of the farm. Starting in June, each Wednesday we will harvest, wash, and pack a box of produce for you to pickup at our Farm.
In addition to your box of produce, we will post our newsletter, Nourishing Bites, which highlights recent happenings on the farm and lists the items in your box for that week. Recipes and storage tips will also be included in the newsletter.
“Those who are stepping into seasonal eating by participating in a CSA deserve recognition for their extra efforts. It is revolutionary eating, refusing to be part of the environmental degradation that characterizes the current food system. It is charitable eating, wanting those who produce your food to be earning a decent standard of living, and so loving others as yourself. It is Zen eating, requiring mindfulness, a simplifying of and a concentration on what we consume. It is environmental eating, for what better action than to provide an example to those around you on living more harmoniously in your world? With revolutionary spirit, charitable hearts, thoughtful practice, and sensitive action, we can learn to eat seasonally. As we do so, we learn about our region and, with creativity and caring responsibility to place, we can develop our own regional epicurean fare.”
~David Bruce, “Eating Seasonally: A Personal Reflection”
What’s in a Share and How Many People Will it Feed?
Our goal is to provide you with a box of produce each week that is balanced, diverse and reasonably sized. Take a look at our harvest schedule for a list of the produce we are growing this season as well as approximate harvest dates. Our share will typically feed two vegetable loving adults or a family of four. Approximately 6-9 items will be included each week, at a value of $30, (fluctuates with the season and calculated using market prices). If you need a half share, you may sign up with a friend or family member, or participate in our half share program. The half share program includes the same produce and box size, but you pick up your share every other week, instead of each week.
Can I Choose the Vegetables (What if I Detest Broccoli)?
At April Joy Farm, we feel strongly about simplicity, sustainability and cultivating gratitude. Part of the adventure and education of a CSA is trying new vegetables and learning to eat within the seasons of our local foodshed. This means enjoying fresh tomatoes in August, not in December. It also means appreciating the labor required to harvest, wash, and pack so much produce week in and week out without the added burden of special requests. However, our goal is for the produce you take home to be thoroughly enjoyed, therefore if there is a certain vegetable you know for sure will not be eaten in your household, you can most definitely ‘exchange’ that vegetable for double of whatever else we are offering that week. One of the benefits of coming to the farm to pickup your share is the added choice and flexibility we are able to provide to our members. We strive to offer as many options as possible in any given week throughout the season.
How Much Does it Cost?
The share price for the 2013 season is $825. This represents 25 weeks of delicious produce. The half share price for the 2013 season is $430. This represents 12 weeks of the same delicious produce!
While advance payment is greatly encouraged (and appreciated), if this is not possible, please contact April to arrange an alternative payment plan. April Joy Farm believes that everyone deserves access to healthy, local food, and everyone has something to contribute.
April Joy Farm is approved to accept your SNAP Benefits for payment for your CSA share. Contact April to learn more.
How Do I Sign Up?
To sign up, please complete the CSA 2013 Commitment Form and mail with payment to the address listed in our contact page. We will contact you upon receipt and provide additional information. Thank you for your support!