CSA Member Information
What is a CSA Community Supported Agriculture?
CSA programs are a relatively new movement in the United States, creating a closer relationship between farmers and the people they hope to nourish. Our CSA program creates a community between our farm and consumers, like you, who supplement the farm budget by purchasing “shares” of the upcoming harvest produced on the farm. This is a commitment between both the farmer and the “share” member for the entire growing season.
The cost of a share is based upon the true cost of production in order to keep small, local, family farms and farmland within the city of Boise economically and environmentally viable.
How much food will I get?
The 2010 season will begin sometime in mid-May, depending on the weather and Mother Nature’s cooperation, and continues for eighteen weeks ending in October.
We grow about 80 types of veggies and each week you will receive between six to eight different items. The share is a nice amount of produce. Every family eats differently so it is hard to say how much food this can feed. I would say it is a good amount for a family of 2 who love veggies or a family of 4 who have a veggie with every meal. The total amount is estimated at $22 or higher per week at farmer’s market prices.
You will receive cool-weather crops such as turnips, radishes, and mustard greens as well as the hot crops that everybody loves during the heat of the summer. These include such produce as the beloved tomato, watermelon, and pepper. The harvest calendar will give you an idea of what may be showing up in your weekly pick-up. You will receive whatever is ripe and in season. That means no cucumbers till July.
Seasonal Crops
A MAY share will have, turnips, lettuce, spinach, green onions, boc choy, and red mustard. A JUNE share may have carrots, peas, onions, lettuce, arugula, fava beans, and beets. A JULY share will have potatoes, basil, summer squash, cucumbers, kale, chard, and cherries. An AUGUST share will have tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, beans, peaches, cabbage, melon, and lettuce. The last week’s pick up is on the farm at the fall harvest festival. Harvest Festival
Where’s my P-Spot?
Pick up your veggies at pick up points. There are 3 pick up points in town and you can choose from any of them. There is one in the north end, the east end, and off of Hill Road. Once you choose a pickup it is your job to pick up your produce there every week. Or have someone pick it up for you.
A CSA is not for everybody. We as farmers will be choosing what veggies you will receive every week based on what can grow in our climate. This presents a challenge that many CSA members love and many can never overcome.
