Concept
Don't we all love to buy "fresh produce"? Don't we feel that we are making healthier choices when we stop by a farmer's market to purchase produce? Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a step above the farmer's market, it connects the farmer and the buyer directly. The CSA member pledges to help the farm with their expenses in exchange for a discount and a connection to the farm. The goal of the CSA is to connect a local farm that produces food with a local community that consumes the food. This provides the farmer with a stable income and the community with quality produce from year to year. Many CSA farms have members work on the farm or be actively involved with the farming process.
History
This concept was developed in Japan, about 30 years ago, when a few women became concerned with the shift to imported food versus local food and initiated the first CSA. The CSA then traveled to Europe, Canada and finally to the United States around 1985 where there are now thousands of CSA farms.
Our CSA
Our CSA program allows each member to order each week what they want from our selection. Members receive a 10% discount from the market price. In addition, each member is required to benefit from the experience of coming to the farm and helping with a produce delivery twice during the growing season. We want members to be involved and participate with us in this small way.
It is our goal to provide a choice of 6 or more varieties of vegetables each week from approximately from May and then slowing down about October. After October, produce will probably limited to greens, carrots, onions, and winter squash. Each week we aim to provide lettuces and other salad ingredients along with other wholesome staples. The amount and varieties will vary from week to week and from the beginning to end. We plant more than enough but the harvest on a farm varies from year to year, but it takes alot to slow down the garden! During the 2007 season we began with the worst freeze since the mid 60's, followed by almost no rain for 6 weeks or more, a little rain in the middle of the summer, and then another severe drought that many said was a 50 year drought. We delivered for the entire 22 weeks during all this, and each week we had enough produce to fill the bags. Just remember there is never a "normal" year in farming. This keeps us on our toes and on our knees.
We have a pickup location in the city of Clayton, GA. Our delivery day is tentativlely scheduled for Thursday (2010 season).
Our CSA will begin delivering produce as soon as the first crops are ready to harvest. Be aware that we can have frost as late as the first week in May. The weather does effect when the vegetables will be ready for harvest. Some vegetables like lettuce grow even in the frost, but the frost slows down the growth so harvest may be slow.
Please read our FAQ page to find out more of the details of our CSA program.
If you would like to join us visit the Payment Options page.
Coleman River Farms LLC
Rabun County, GA
email: cropY@colemanriverfarmsY.com
Remove all "Y" from the address above before emailing.
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