Stones Throw CSA

Silvermine Farm is excited to participate in Stone’s Throw CSA, a multi-farm CSA in its third year of operation. In conjunction with Sweet Birch Farm of Douglas and Hidden Hill Farm from Oxford, MA, we look forward to this opportunity to provide our neighbors with their summer vegetables.

Stone’s Throw CSA is dedicated to supporting sustainable local food systems in the Blackstone and French River Valleys of Massachusetts. All of our farmers are committed to growing fruits, vegetables and herbs using organic and ecologically-sustainable methods, without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, working in harmony with nature to control pests and diseases. Our farmers often focus on planting heirloom and open pollinated varieties of vegetables that encourage plant genetic diversity, have natural resistance to pests and diseases and have been selected over generations to taste great.

What is a CSA?
A CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, is an agreement between farmers and consumers in which members buy a share of the farmers’ harvest at the beginning of the season. This benefits farmers by giving them a guaranteed market, allowing them to concentrate on growing high quality produce rather than on marketing.

In turn, CSA members receive a variety of freshly-harvested produce once a week throughout the harvest season. CSA members share in the risks and rewards of farming. What members receive each week depends upon growing conditions and varies by season.

CSAs encourage personal relationships between local farmers and consumers and encourages a sense of social responsibility and stewardship of the land. This sense in encouraged by the shared work, risk and benefit of crop production between the shareholders and the farmers. The CSA model often gives farmers the best chance to earn a living wage for their work.

What’s in this CSA for me?
Sustainably and organically-grown produce has been shown to be higher in nutrition than produce grown with conventional methods. The US food industry emphasizes crops that are high-yielding and ship well over long distances, while taste and nutrition take a back seat. In contrast, since we are close to your home, our CSA can place flavor and nutrition first, as the need for shipping is eliminated. And as your neighbors, you can be assured that we share your concern for a healthy local environment. Come join us and enjoy the taste and health benefits of local food.

Additionally, supporting local farms provides you access to local growers. Knowing your food producer lets you evaluate food issues for yourself and just as importantly, influence the direction of food production. As concerns grow about food safety, knowing how your food is raised and seeing it first hand becomes more important.

How does it work?
What is a membership and what does it give me?
Annual membership in Stone's Throw CSA costs $30 and provides an identification card, reduced or free admission to workshops, an emailed copy of the newsletter Share, access to purchasing a share of produce, an opportunity to help sustain local farms and an opportunity to participate in the running of Stone's Throw CSA's organization. While the membership is open to everyone, it is required for anyone who wishes to purchase a share of the produce.

What is a share?
Stone’s Throw CSA members pick up vegetable shares once a week for 18 weeks from the week of June 20th through the week of October 17th. The value of produce planted for our shareholders will be based on $550 using 2009 prices.

People often ask how many adults a share will feed. Since everyone's eating patterns are so different, we feel the best way to answer that questions is to let you know that the amount of produce planned for the year will average out to $30 per week. As you may or may not know, eating seasonally means that the variety and amount of produce you get weekly will vary as crops become more plentiful in the summer. Distribution in the first three to four weeks or so will be much less than in the height of summer production. We have learned that this is important information for first time CSA members!

We are planning to plant over 25 crops for 2010, and we will strive to give you a variety of delicious vegetables each week, along with recipes and tips on how to cook them. CSA's provide a very different eating pattern than grocery stores. Eating in season and locally grown produce can mean a lot of one crop at a time over an extended period or just a taste of another crop. You also need to be willing to be adventurous when it comes to new vegetables and menu planning! CSA's also work best for a family that cooks regularly.

Cost of shares
Shares for the 18 week 2010 season will be $550. Membership in Stone's Throw CSA is required for all vegetable shares and the $30 membership fee must be paid at the time of the application. Payments for the share may be paid in full or under the installment plan: $184.34 due April 1, $184.33 due May 1 and $184.33 due June 1. Shares must be paid in full prior to the first produce distribution. Some work shares are available. Please call for more information.

Members will also have the opportunity to purchase additional items at the pickup site, including chickens, turkeys, eggs, fruit, herbs, vegetables and honey produced by local farmers. All of these other products are grown by our farmers outside of the share agreement.

Split Shares
For families who need less produce, we have some suggestions on ways to split a share. One is for a family to become a member, purchase the share and split it with a friend or neighbor away from the distribution site at their convenience. Another would be to have both families become members of Stone’s Throw CSA to provide both families with access to the membership benefits. If necessary, one family could package up the share produce for the week and leave half of the weekly share at the distribution site for the other family. A third way would be to have two families that don’t yet know each other become members of Stone’s Throw CSA and ask for assistance to find another family to split with. No matter which option is chosen, a single distribution day for split shares must be chosen.

Working together
Stone’s Throw CSA is a community of people working towards the common goal of fresh sustainable food. To that end, each season members commit to a work contribution of 10 hours per season in the running of the CSA. Work opportunities can vary from helping in the field to picking up after distribution to collecting recipes for the newsletter. Members can put in their hours all at once or over the season. Some of our shareholders are unable to fulfill their work hours and so elect instead to make a donation to be used for a youth group to do their work. We are looking for youth groups who are looking for fund raisers (either for an activity for themselves or to support their own community outreach programs) and have young energetic hands willing to work on one of our farms. The shareholders donations then turn into a donation to the youth group for hours worked. Of course, any youth group that is interested in donating their time and energy to this community cause is also welcome to come and join us. If you know of anyone who runs a youth group or run one yourself and are interested in participating in any way, please contact us.

Pick up days
We will be holding two different distribution days for members to pick up their shares, Tuesdays and Saturdays from 3 - 6 PM. Distribution will take place at Silvermine Farm in Sutton, MA. Please indicate which day you would prefer on your registration form. The number of spots each day is limited and will assign them on a first come, first served basis. Unfortunately, we can no longer accommodate changes in your schedule. Shares not picked up by the end of each Tuesday and Saturday will be donated to a local food bank.

Alternate Forms of Payment
In our continued desire to make shares available to as many people as possible, we are exploring the possibility of taking SNAP payments for shareholders. Additionally, if you have a need for financial assistance, please contact us. Our Stone Soup Fund was established through the generous donation of our shareholders and T-shirt sales to help our neighbors in need. Applications for the Stone Soup Fund will be accepted through April 15^th.

Work for Food
Members interested in trading work for the price of their share should contact a specific farmer to make arrangements. Requests submitted to info@stonesthrowcsa.org will be forwarded to all three farmers for review.

Workshops
There are several workshops in the planning stages for this summer and we would like to offer many more. Current ideas are on food drying and dehydrators, an edible weed walk and garden chime construction. Members who have a particular talent in the food, nutrition, nature or growing arena are urged to consider running a workshop for fellow members. If room is available in a particular workshop it can be offered to the community at large.

Opportunities
This year we are looking for two shareholders to manage the distribution process. Responsibilities would include overseeing the distribution for one of the days throughout the season, training and assisting other shareholders prepping the produce for distribution and managing the schedule of shareholders staffing distribution. Since these positions involve a summer long availability the Steering Committee has decided to provide a discount of 20% on the cost of the share. If you’re interested please email the Steering Committee at info@stonesthrowcsa.org with a note explaining your skills and interest.

Pick Your Own (PYO) Produce
Strawberries, peas, beans and cherry tomatoes will be offered on a PYO basis this summer. This will allow shares to contain more since the labor of harvesting these crops adds significantly to the cost. Shareholders who are not able to pick their own vegetables due to medical issues will be assisted by other shareholders so they don't miss out on the full harvest. The PYO portion of the share can be picked any day of the week, not only on the pickup days.