Want to know more about special orders? This section is to introduce you to, or remind you about, the national counterpart to the CSA, which is Spiritual Food for the New Millennium. (SFNM) SFNM was started by Victor (Vyasa Deva)
Landa back in 1997, when, struck by
the potential of Biodynamic food to be a catalyst for spiritualizing people's
consciousness, he and his wife Lakshmi took over the then "lame-horse" Mail
Order Service (MOS) of the Biodynamic Farmers and Gardeners Association
(BDA).
From the beginning, the primary
mission of SFNM has been to support Biodynamic Farmers by assuming the burden of
marketing and distributing the food, allowing them to focus on the vital work of
farming, and ensuring that not only
fair, but ideally good, compensation was paid to the farmer for the fruits of
his or her labor. The idea from the beginning has been to move away from
predatory corporate practices and destructive market forces, and to provide True
Food at a time when the "conventional" agriculture yields spiritually
impoverishing and physically poisonous "food."
You may well
imagine that this was a significant task, involving: contacting the farmers;
becoming a food distribution center; coordinating orders and physically
packaging up the food; and perhaps most challenging--creating a customer base
who, by consistent educational efforts, was willing to pay sometimes higher than market
prices (and shipping
costs) for this precious, soul and body nurturing
food. (For more information on why Biodynamics is so special, please go here )Three beautiful small books were born during
this process, which explain the inspirations behind and the ideals ahead of this
ultimately monumental project. They
are:
and
are all available on-line here or in print
from the center. (We really encourage members to read these booklets to gain a
better sense of how by simply being a member of SF CSA you are truly a
part of something beautiful and noble.)
The
CSA was created as a local
counterpart to the MOS, to bring Biodynamic food to local people (in
the beginning for the ashram's own students!! starting with 26 shares in 1998), and as
an additional support for the farmers which SFNM worked with throughout the
country. For example, thanks to the CSA, SFNM is able to purchase Farmer John Krohn's whole citrus crop. And of
course, CSA members derive great benefit from having access to the output
of SFNM's other providers, from whom we get the grain for our bread,
apples, dried fruit, as well as black and green teas, raw apple
cider vinegar, cheese, other
grains such as rice,
etc.
So, the
practical part of this letter is to let you know: you can place an order
with us any time you like for items beyond the
CSA weekly shares.
Please see the attached product list below for what is
available.
Just reply to
this e-mail with your order, and it will either be shipped direct to you form
the farm, or be sent to your CSA pick-up site as a "special order." (If it
citrus or another farm order we'll need your mailing address and please
be on the lookout for it on your doorstep! )
Gift Boxes are also a
wonderful way to introduce others to Biodynamic food. We have a
standard gift package of 6 items or can create a 'care package" of your
choosing. Can also include other items carried by the ashram (like incense, relaxation
music, etc.)
Thank you for your
commitment to support Biodynamic Farmers, care for the earth, and contribute to
the world via higher consciousness. |
