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How do I join? How much does a share cost? For the 2009 year i.e. 12 months of weekly food from June 2009 to May 2010: Registration deadline for the full year share is March 15th. Summer/Fall option if available (June 1 to end of October – 5 months): $ 850
Winter/Spring option if available (November 1 to end of May- 7 months): $1,150
The payment may be made in 1, 3 or 5 installments. Please see the registration form for details. Preference will be given to current and past members who register by Feb 15th.
What is in a share? Every season is different. A CSA teaches us to eat according to the seasons and locally, but also year by year as food is offered by Mother Nature. Please remember that we are working with small, very special farms. The size of the share and availability of items may vary as CSA members share risk with the farmers. Shares are planned to include: vegetables, fresh fruit, dried fruit, grains, legumes, sourdourgh bread, homemade pasta, eggs, cheese, yogurt and special items for sampling such as raw honey and vinegar. What kinds of food are in the shares throughout the seasons?
The fresh vegetable and fruit crops vary through the year while the supplements (dry goods and dairy) are fairly consistent. Vegetable-wise, the Summer provides lighter lettuces and veges, Fall moves into squashes, roots and hearty greens, Winter provides more roots with the heartier greens giving way to greenhouse lettuces after the ground freezes, and in Spring locally grown vegetables are just not in nature’s plan although some organic fare is usually available. The greenhouse can usually provide fresh lettuce and Asian greens until early April when space is needed for summer seedlings but there is a normally a lull, until the first new harvest in late May, which is filled in with extra dry goods. Fresh fruit varies through the year with a good supply of apples in fall, citrus in winter and a variety throughout the summer. However, there is less in summer than one would expect until more local biodynamic or organic farms surface. Dried fruit from biodynamic farms is available when fresh fruit is not. The supplements including grains, legumes, bread and pasta, and dairy products round out the shares year round. The share is normally good for:
If I only want half a share, what should I do? Since only one share size is offered, those who want half a share need to find a partner and each person would pay half the share price and take half the food offered. Some partner pairs decide to pick up the whole amount on alternate weeks while some prefer to pick up the food every week and divide it into 2 bags for the 2 partners. The first way, alternate pickups, is easier as you don't have to figure out what to do with single items such as a loaf of bread or head of lettuce while the second way ensures a weekly supply of fresh food. During the Winter season, one thing to keep in mind with the first way (alternating pickups) is that in the Winter we only go to the Biodynamic farms every other week. This means that the Biodynamic greens, bread and yogurt will be distributed on those weeks and the weeks in between will be organic greens, when available, and no bread. There will be root crops and other vegetables and dry goods evenly distributed. Bread and yogurt can be ordered and purchased separately by the person who picks up on the alternate week if they wish. Partners can agree on their preferred schedule or be creative and mix up their pick up rotation to get a taste of things from each. Many CSA partnerships are formed between parent/child, co-workers and neighbors. If you don't have someone to partner with, send in a registration form with half the payment noting that you are looking for a partner and at what location; and if someone appears in the same situation we will put you in contact with each other. Partnerships are private arrangements but please be sure to provide e-mail addresses of both parties so we may be in communication with everyone. What if I’m going out of town?
Joining a CSA means committing for the full period of time, yet sometimes unforeseen circumstances arise. It is the member’s ultimate responsibility to ensure a replacement for the remainder of the season. However, staff can help and as there is often a waiting list it should not be difficult to pass a share on to someone else and a pro-rated refund would be given. Please do not give installment checks with the intention of “trying” the CSA and withdraw before all checks are cashed as this would leave staff and other members picking up the tab. I just found out that the CSA won't be starting a new season for many months. Is there a way to get some food now? Yes, there are several ways. If you are serious about joining, you may send in a registration form and ask to be put on the waiting list. A letter will be sent with options for participating such as taking shares from members who go out of town. You may also order some of the items through Spiritual Food for the New Millennium [link] and pick them up in Bethesda or have them shipped to your address. What Biodynamic vegetables can we look forward to each season? This Crop Chart shows what was planned last Summer (2008) by the Sankanac CSA Biodynamic Garden. Slight changes will be made to accommodate the year round plans of the farmer and will be posted as soon as available. In Winter, the Biodynamic farm plans lettuce and Asian greens, chard and kale, potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, winter squash, beets, rutabagas, and onions and this will be supplemented with other seasonal organic vegetables. (Some items in the crop chart are pick-your-own and thus not part of the weekly shares here in Maryland. Members are welcome to head to the farm in Pennsylvania.)
Can you give me an example of some shares? Summer 1 Mountain Brown Bread
1 Oatmeal Bread 3 lbs Apples
1 Rye Poppy Bread 1/2 lb Asian Greens or Lettuce
3 lbs Juice Oranges Kohlrabi? Some of those foods are new to me. How do I cook them? When can we visit the farm? Is home delivery possible?
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