Millsap Farm Summer 2013 Community Supported Agriculture ( C S A )
How does it work?
We, the farmers, are responsible for the planting, tending, harvesting and distribution of the crops. Farm members buy a share of our harvest in advance of the growing season; this allows us to purchase seeds and other supplies when needed without incurring a debt. Members also commit to help out on the farm 12 hours per season, usually for 4-hour shifts on harvest days, providing the extra labor needed to get all the produce harvested, cleaned, bagged or bundled, and ready for pick-up.
Each week during the growing season members pick up their share of the harvest at the farm from 4-6 p.m. on Tuesdays, or one of our off-farm pick up locations, or choose our home delivery option. As always, please remember that Community Supported Agriculture is a risk sharing proposition.
As farmers, we pledge to farm in a sustainable manner, and to do everything in our power to produce a high quality, large harvest. We’ve already got crops in the ground, and we are planting more every day. Additionally, we purchase some crops, such as sweet corn, melons, or winter squash, which we don’t have adequate space to grow quantities of ourselves, from other local farmers. We always prioritize sustainably grown produce, but we do end up buying from farmers who use chemicals at times. When we purchase outside produce, we always let our members know who grew it, and how it was grown. We sell through multiple markets, but CSA is our top priority, so we fill CSA boxes first, and then sell the remainder through other markets. As members, you pledge to support the farm with your financial and moral support, understanding that farming is risky business, and there are inevitably losses and wins in every season.
What kind of veggies will I get in my share?
Pick up for the summer CSA will be 24 weeks long from May 14, thru October 22rd. Our commitment is to provide you with 7-10 different vegetables per week, depending on the season. A full share will feed a family of four or two adults who cook at home regularly and eat a lot of veggies. We are offering half shares for those of you who can not use a whole share each week. Half shares contain less variety, and smaller quantities, although we strive to include the same variety over time, so for example, if you don’t get asparagus one week in a half share, you should get it the next week. We strive to include a diverse array of veggies, including spinach, lettuce, arugula, cucumbers, melons, sweet corn, kale, turnips, zucchini, potatoes, pac choi, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, salad mix, yellow squash, basil, green beans, acorn squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, pepper, onions, eggplant, and many more. Every week the share will change; the best way to understand is to check last year’s harvest gallery; here are a few examples:
Spring: Boc Choi, Beets, Spring Onions, Basil, Mint, Cucumbers, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Radishes, Carrots, Kale, Baby Arugula, Baby Greens Mix. Fruit Share is a quart of Strawberries.
- Week 18
Summer: Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, okra, melons, cucumbers, onions, garlic, hot peppers, green beans, head lettuce, baby lettuce, basil. Fruit share is peaches
Fall: Hot Peppers, Bell Peppers, Sweet Corn, Summer Squash, Cilantro, Swiss Chard, Radishes, Sweet Potatoes, Garlic, and Celery. Fruit share is Apples.
To view the rest of the harvest gallery, click Here
Pick up will be at the farm Tuesdays from 4-6pm, or delivered straight to your door, or at Homegrown Foods from 4-7 pm.
At Millsap Farm we use a buffet style of pick up, where we clearly label the items in a share and you fill your own share. The farm is 4.5 miles north of Springfield city limits, just off of Glenstone Ave, which becomes Highway H north of Springfield. Click here for a map. The benefit of picking up at this location is you get to connect with the farm and us, the farmers. Many of our members gladly drive weekly so their families have the chance to walk through the fields, cavort with the chickens and see how their food is grown all season long. Many people find this connection drawing them back from year to year, and we really enjoy it too! You also get the benefit of choosing your produce yourself from our bulk crates, which means you can decide if you want a big or small squash, yellow or red tomatoes, etc. This also includes any items which are choices of one item or another. Many times there may be a choice between two items which we don’t have enough of to give everyone a full share of ie; Okra and Eggplant were offered as opposite choices a couple of times in summer of 2012.
Home Delivery- to your door step- if you live within city limits, you have the option of having your CSA share delivered to your door, sometime between 4 and 7p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, for $6/week, with a one-time container fee of $10.
Homegrown Foods pick up This pick-up is located at Homegrown Food store at the corner of Pickwick and Cherry, in the heart of Springfield. There is a $3/week charge for picking up there, plus a one time charge of $10 for purchase of two plastic totes for us to bring your veggies to the pick-up (allowing us to swap them weekly). Each week your share will arrive at the store at 4pm, delivered by someone from the farm, and will be there for you to pick-up until 7pm. If you are unable to make it to the store by 7pm, it gets moved to the walk-in cooler, where they will hold it for you until Wednesday evening, at which time it is assimilated into the store’s inventory. This pick-up can save a great deal of driving, and also give you the chance to shop for other local goodies, like milk from Ozark Mountain Dairy, Askinosie Chocolate, and a full variety of meat. If you haven’t been in to check out this local hot spot, you need to see it in person.
How much & when do I work on the farm?
- Team work, job done, thanks to many hands!
Each share holder contributes by assisting with the farmwork for a total of 12 hours per season. The primary work share opportunities take place Tuesday helping with harvest; it includes harvesting, washing, sorting, and packing of the produce with the farmers. There are also a limited number of weekend workdays, to do general farm work like weeding, transplanting, and even construction. Several shifts can be satisfied in one day based on the number of participants a household brings. Members will schedule these shifts at the pre-season kick off meeting Saturday May 4th at 5:30 at the farm (please mark your calendar). A Core Group of members helps administer the CSA and provide input. Voluntary participation in the Core Group is open to any member and work with the core group can fulfill part or all of the 12 hours committed.
What can we get besides Veggies?
Feel free to sign up for as many shares as you want.; if 2 loaves of bread feed your family for a week or 2 shares of fruit would be more adequate, that’s great.
- rye bread
- A bread share, which provides a loaf of delicious fresh-baked handmade bread each week. Cost is $132 or $5.50/week
- The fruit share consists of locally grown fruit that is in season, grown on other farms. Quantities will vary, but are based on using our bulk buying ability to get you the most local fruit for your money. Spring brings strawberries, then blueberries, followed by blackberries, peaches, apples and pears. Cost is $110, or $4.55/week
Feel free to sign up for multiple shares of fruit or bread; if your family will eat two loaves of bread, or two fruit shares, then order two per week.
How much does it cost?
This summer, veggie shares will cost $27 per week for 24 weeks, for a total cost of $650, spread out over three monthly payments. Half shares are about half the produce of a full share for $375 a season. We arrive at this cost by budgeting our expenses, including seeds, fuel, greenhouse wear and tear, compost, tractor operation, etc., and our labor costs, which includes one full-time farmer and several helpers, then divide that by the number of people we can serve given our land (we are offering 100 shares this season), greenhouse size, and ability to grow.
Discounts and charges
- There is a 3% discount for paying with check or cash instead of credit card.
- We are offering a free t-shirt to returning members who sign up before the spring pot-luck. New members can purchase a t-shirt for $15/pc.
- Delivery charges are added based on which option you choose at checkout.
- There is a 2% discount for paying your entire balance when you sign up, just enter the coupon code “pay in full” on the final checkout page.
How Do I Join ?
If you’re ready to sign up, and you are a new member, then click on this link: http://millsapfarm.csasignup.com/members and get started. If you are a returning member, click this link: http://millsapfarm.csasignup.com/members/returning
Millsap Farms CSA Blog 