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In 2014, Wallace Homestead/Cackleberry Hollow will
offer a 21 week C.S.A. season, which will begin the week of May 19th, and
will run through the end of October. We are also looking at a "post
season" C.S.A. offering to run weekly in November and December, until
Christmas.
With this being our initial CSA year, the number
of shares will be VERY limited. We will only be taking 4-5 family
shares and 2 individual shares.
Individual Share ($265)--The individual share is designed
for an individual or a family of two and will include approximately $17-$20
worth of fresh, seasonal local produce each week.
Family Share ($425)--The standard share is
designed for families of three or more, and will include approximately
$28-$30 of fresh, seasonal local produce each week.
Post Season C.S.A. ($110)--In the post season your
share is likely to include such cool weather and storage crops as kale,
chard, spinach, broccoli, brussels sprouts, potatoes, onions, garlic, winter
squash, turnips, carrots, dry beans, and others. You are, of course, invited
to sign up for both an in season share and the post season. However, there
will be fewer post season shares available overall.
The dollar value examples for the weekly shares
are simply meant to give you a rough idea of how much produce you get. During
times of bounty in the season the shares are considerably larger than these
estimates. However, in farming there are risks, and inevitably there will be
a very few slim weeks. I am confident that you will find at the end of the
season that your share was money well spent.
There are also planned events for the
CSA/Herdshare members including an “on the farm” open house day, possible “U-Pick”
opportunities, and a “really LOCAL” craft / produce market in the fall. You are always encouraged to come be a part
of the farm and spend some time working in the sun and the dirt!
Picking Up Your Shares
There are three ways to receive your weekly C.S.A.
share. Part of the fun of a C.S.A. is getting to know the farm and the farmer
that produces your food . For this reason, we encourage you to pick up
your weekly share at our farm in Marengo on Wednesdays from 2:00pm - 6:00 PM.
However, many people have busy schedules that might prohibit an on-farm
pickup. To accommodate for this, you may choose to pick your share up at
the meeting times for "Herdshare Pickups" in the parking lot of
Grace Brethren-Polaris on either Tuesday Mornings or Friday afternoons
How to Reserve a CSA Share
Membership spots will be filled on a first come,
first serve basis.
Starting March 19th, new members may sign up for
any shares that may still be available. Please complete the CSA Registration
form to reserve your share soon as you can. I will contact you to
confirm your membership and the receipt of your payment. In the event all
C.S.A. shares are booked by the time you sign up, I will let you know and
return your check post haste with regrets and many thanks. Payments
can be made as a $225.00 deposit and two $100.00 interest free monthly
payments starting in May.
CSA
Produce List
The following is a partial list of produce which
might be included in your share, as well approximate seasonal dates.
Greens May-Dec.
Peas
(shell, snap and snow)
May, June
Potatoes
(two varieties)
June-Dec.
Misc
root crops (radish, beets, turnip)
June-Dec.
Spinach May, June, Oct-Dec.
Tomatoes(heirloom,
hybrid, cherry) July-Oct
Peppers
(hot and sweet) July-Oct Cucumbers
June-Sept
Zucchini
and summer squash July-Oct
Beans July, Aug, Sept
Herbs July-Nov.
Onions
(green and storage)
July-Dec.
Cabbage Sept-Nov.
Winter
Squash Oct-Dec.
This is not meant to be a complete list of
produce, for a complete list go to the blog. Absolutely 100% of the items in your share
are grown by me and my small crew on our farm. We are not
certified organic but follow sustainable practices.
A Note about Reusable Boxes And Bags
. One way we seek to lessen our impact on the
planet is to utilize reusable produce boxes and cotton produce bags to
package the CSA shares. Reusing boxes and bags takes a bit of a commitment.
You will need to return the bags and boxes regularly and care for them while
they are in your possession. At the
pickup, you can choose to transfer your share from the box I provide into your
own cloth type shopping bags so that you don't have to worry about returning
it the following week. You are welcome to take the box with you, just make
sure to bring it back the following week.
I am very thankful that so many people are willing to make this effort
to reduce waste and conserve resources. We will always be on the lookout for
ways in which we can preserve and protect the environment.
A Note about a possible Hiatus
We have found over the last few seasons that reliable
production of a wide variety of food crops is very difficult in midsummer at
this latitude. In an effort to keep your weekly shares interesting and
bountiful I feel the need to begin to shift away from midsummer production.
Thus we'll begin a few weeks earlier than usual, in May, which has become a
very nice month for growing. And we may take a break for a few weeks in July/August. This is tentative, so I will give more
information as we get into the season.
Weekly Contact
We will be posting farm updates, pictures, and
recipes on both the blog (www.wallacehomestead.blogspot.com
and on our newly created Facebook page.
We encourage you to send in your recipes and thoughts to add to the
fun!
PLEASE
PRAY FOR A GOOD SEASON!!
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I took a turn at tilling even though my big strong teenager is usually the one doing all the "muscley" things around here.
