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Community Supported Agriculture
We are now accepting sign-ups for our SIXTH Community Supported Agriculture Program, serving the Chicago area! As a way to combat this bitter cold winter, we wanted to give you the opportunity to sign up early for our 2009 CSA summer season and think ahead of glorious organic produce and summer weather! Due to the issues with the economy, we did have to increase our prices for our 2009 summer shares. We made every attempt to keep our costs down to help keep our price increase to a minimum. Our farms are planning with us to make this the best CSA year yet!
Sign-up soon to secure your spot for your preferred pick-up site (some sites fill up very quickly for the summer share season).
DOWNLOAD 2009 CSA Season Brochure
Requires
The specifics of our 2009 season
The 2009 CSA summer season is 20 weeks long, and will run from June 17-October 28. Again this year we are offering full shares, half shares, egg shares, and cheese shares! The full share, delivered every week, costs $600 for the season, and the half share (delivered every other week) costs $335. Egg shares are also available for $42 - one dozen farm fresh eggs delivered every other week, for a total of ten dozen eggs throughout the season - order as many egg shares as you wish to make sure you have enough eggs during the season! Our cheese share offers you the chance to purchase award-winning organic Wisconsin cheese every other week. The cost is $165.00 - we try to send an assortment of varieties, including seasonal raw cheddar pesto, mozzerella, muenster, and more,every other week.
We are now using Google checkout to accept online sign-ups paid by credit card. Payments by check should still be mailed along with your sign-up form to PO Box 6171, Madison, WI 53716-0171.
To sign up for one of our 2009 shares and pay by credit card, click on the "Small Farm Central" link below:
We have several drop-off/pick-up sites for our 2009 Summer Share Season:
CHICAGO SITES
Lincoln Square Neighborhood (5061 N. Claremont Ave.)
Old Town Neighborhood (163 W. Division) NEW FOR 2009!
5604 N. Kenneth Avenue NEW FOR 2009!!
Summerdale Community Church, 1700 W. Farragut NEW FOR 2009!!
2418 W. Grace St.
737 W. Gordon Terrace
5056 N. Ravenswood
Luther Memorial, 2500 W. Wilson
West Ridge Neighborhood (6701 N. Rockwell)
SUBURBS SITES
Evanston - North/Central (1428 Noyes)
Evanston - South Western(1916 Lee Street)
Northbrook (2924 Woodmere Dr.)
Highland Park (306 Maple Avenue)
Lake Bluff (455 Pine Court)
Prospect Heights (105 Garden Lane) NEW FOR 2009!!
Park Ridge(2701 W. Sibley Avenue) NEW FOR 2009!!
*Note: We may be looking for additional sites in Chicago and the suburb areas- please contact our CSA Coordinator, Katrina Pine at (608) 333-1227 if you are interested in serving as a site coordinator for 2009.
To get onto Home Grown Wisconsin' CSA member list for the 2009 season or to find out more about the CSA program contact our CSA Coordinator, Katrina Pine at (608) 333-1227 or csa@homegrownwisconsin.com
We hope you will join us for another great season!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
What is Community Supported Agriculture?
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. A CSA consists of a partnership between agricultural producers and consumers. Consumers, known as shareholders or members, provide enough money in early spring to meet a farms operating expenses for the upcoming season. In exchange, the members receive a portion of the farms produce each week throughout the season. Excerpt from Asparagus to Zucchini Cookbook, John Hendrickson and Marcy Ostrum
CSA buys you more than just fresh produce-it's an investment in building community, a social experience that allows you to connect to your food, the land, and those who tend the soil. CSA farms engage their members in agriculture through newsletters, harvest days, and farm celebrations. Throughout the season, members get to know the farmers who grow their food, learn how that food is grown, and experience the joys of cooking with the seasons! By joining a CSA, you also improve the safety of your food supply, help to preserve the environment, and enjoy the vast genetic diversity of local fruits and vegetables.
What is "certified" organic? Are your farms certified organic?
"Certified organic" means the produce is certified pesticide free, and organic methods must be used to fortify and maintain their soil. All certified organic farms must submit to an annual inspection to maintain their certification. To receive specific information on the certification process and the criteria our farmers must adhere to in order to maintain their certification, copy and paste to your broser: http://www.mosaorganic.org/. While many farms are using organic practices (and we applaud them for that) the best way to guarantee that your local produce is pesticide free is to choose local produce that is certified organic. All of our farms are certified organic and adopt sustainable practices to reduce the impact of agriculture on the environment. Also, our farms deeply respect the health, taste, and nutritional value of your food.
How does Home Grown Wisconsin differ from other CSA's?
Homegrown Wisconsin is a cooperative of many farms. We are a regional CSA, meaning our produce comes from a wide region of Wisconsin - not just one farm, but many farms. Most traditional CSAs are centered around one farm who grows the produce for member shares.
What happens when there is a crop failure or bad weather? How does this affect my share?
When extreme weather is happening, crops are most likely affected. Your share may look a little scarce until the farms have a chance to recover, and crops come back to life. Keep in mind there is no such thing as the ultimate growing year good weather for tomatoes and melon isnt necessarily good weather for other summer crops like greens. When you join CSA, youre taking a risk along with the farmers. You will also share in the bounty when the farmers are doing well. Sometimes crops are completely destroyed, and sometimes farms can replant and start over. You may not get specific items in your share during a bad weather period, although we try to plan each season very carefully with our farmers 6-8 months in advance of the season. Our farmers plant the CSA crops according to that careful planning - we never sacrifice our CSA members to benefit other customers (restaurants or retail outlets for example) but sometimes, Mother Nature has other ideas about our CSA season, despite the careful planning! We may have to postpone a few deliveries during the CSA season due to extreme weather if necessary, although its not likely except during periods of weather extremes that have destroyed many crops across the entire region. The season may start a week or two later than anticipated, depending on the winter, the length and temperatures of the spring, late frosts, and heavy spring rains which may prevent farmers from getting into the fields as early as they would like. This year, many CSAs in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa were forced to delay the start of their season this summer due to heavy flooding in June. If we postpone deliveries or start later in the season than anticipated, the deliveries will be made up at the end of the season so you are not missing out on any deliveries and you will be notified in time to make adjustments to your schedule.
What are my share options?
We offer a full share, which is a delivery every week for 20 weeks; and a half share, which is a delivery every other week for 20 weeks (10 deliveries total). We also offer an egg share and a cheese share! See brochure for specific pricing details.
How big are the shares; how many people can a share feed?
The deliveries are generally packed in a 5/9th bushel box - enough produce to fit in a paper grocery bag. Occasionally we may send a bushel box when we have larger items, like cabbage, melons, and squash, which would fill a grocery bag and a half. A full share can help feed up to a family of four for a week, if you cook meals at home 4-5 times a week. A half share can help feed 1-3 people, veggie light households, or if you are cooking at home 2-4 times a week. Keep in mind that while we try to vary what we have in the box and keep the boxes full, normally one would have to supplement the box with other items for some meals during the average week.
We try to include 1-3 leafy greens in every box, 2-3 staple items like carrots, potatoes, beans, peas, fruit (when available).; 1-2 items such as cabbage, summer squash, peppers, tomatoes. You may get the occasional specialty item like honey or fruit butters. See brochure for specific crops and their growing season. Remember being a member of a CSA means seasonal eating, therefore apples wont be available in July and tomatoes wont be available in June. Leafy greens grow better in spring and fall than in mid-summer, and sweet corn isnt available until mid-to-late summer. We try to balance variety and quantity, and welcome your feedback every week.
What are my responsibilities as a CSA member?
When you sign up for a membership with the CSA program, you are responsible for picking up your share on the scheduled delivery day, and within the pickup time. You are part of the honor system, and are required to check the sign in sheets at your pick up site, to be sure you are listed and are scheduled to pick up that day. You then sign the sheet, and go enjoy your fresh organic veggies, eggs, and cheese!
How do I receive my CSA share? What is the procedure for picking up my share?
Shares are available for pick up Wednesdays from 4pm-8pm (some sites may have a different pick up time) but within that time allotment.
1) You arrive to the pickup site on your pick up day within the allotted pick up time.
2) Check the sign in sheets to see what you are to pick up if you are splitting a weekly or bi-weekly share with someone else, please make sure to coordinate which weeks each of you will pick up your share to eliminate confusion on pick up day.
3) Grab your goodies.
4) Sign your name on the sheet.
5) Transfer your produce into a canvas bag.
6) Unfold box and stack it neatly in a pile.
We ask that all members respect other members as well as their site coordinator by leaving things the way you find them, cleaning up after yourself, and always making sure you are only collecting what you are signed up to take. Youre now all set to enjoy your bounty!
What if my share is not available when I arrive at the site?
First make sure it is your day to pick up, and make sure you are at the pickup site during the pickup hours. If you are at the right pick up site at the right day and time, it may mean someone else was confused and picked up their share by mistake. At this point, please contact the Homegrown Wisconsin CSA Coordinator, and inform her of the missing share. When you have contacted the CSA Coordinator, we can work together to decide what happens next to make sure you receive your share.
Will I get a reminder to pick up my share?
The Homegrown Wisconsin CSA Coordinator will email out a reminder every Tuesday. Included in that email will also be a link to the weekly CSA newsletter which includes recipes, storage tips, farm histories and photos, and a section called Dining Out which features some of the premiere Chicago restaurants who offer our produce on their menus.
What happens if I forget to pick up my share?
If you forget to pick up your share, please make sure to contact your site host we recommend you put their contact information in your cell phone or PDA, and keep a copy of the information in your glove box or your bike bag. Because it is your responsibility as a CSA share member to pick up your share within the set time frame, please keep in mind that your site host is under no obligation to hold your share past 8 pm on delivery day. We give the site hosts permission to donate any shares that havent been picked up to a local food pantry or shelter. We cannot switch delivery dates , send replacement shares, or issue credits/refunds for missed pickups.
What if I have a vacation scheduled and I am gone for a scheduled pick up day?
If you are out of town for a last minute trip and cannot pick up your share, please try to contact a friend or family member to pick up your share. If you cannot find anyone to pick it up, call your site host to see if you can make other arrangements with them directly. We understand that occasionally you may need to be out of town unexpectedly, but if this is a common occurrence, perhaps our CSA is not the right choice for you.
When you are out of town for a vacation, you will need to find a friend or family member to pick up for you. Again, we cannot switch delivery dates, send replacement shares, or issue credits/refunds for missed pickups.
What if the pick up days or times don't work for my schedule?
We have tried different pick up days and times over the years, and the current system seems to work best for the bulk of our members. If our pick up day or time doesnt work for you, perhaps our CSA isnt the right one for you.
Can I change my pick up site once the season has started?
You can change your pick up location ONCE during the season if you find another location that works better for you, and if that location isnt already full. Some of the pick up sites fill up and cannot take any more members because of the amount of space they have available. If you decide to switch pick up sites during the season, you may not get into your desired pick up site if it is full at that time. You need to contact the Homegrown Wisconsin CSA Coordinator at least two weeks in advance before any changes can be made.
Sorry . . . administratively it is too difficult to switch groups and pick up schedules around. If you plan to be out of town during a pick up, please find someone to pick up your share for you and clearly explain the pick up procedure to them.
Take a look at your schedule before you sign up to make sure this program will fit into other summer activities you have planned.
We try and plan a couple of farm visits and festivals for the CSA members during the season, depending on the availability of our farms. The list of our farms is printed on the brochure. If you are in Wisconsin or planning a Wisconsin vacation, feel free to call any of our farms to see if you can stop at the farm while youre in the area.
The most efficient way to communicate with members is through E-mail. Please make sure that you always have a valid E-mail address, and you have set any spam filter to accept csa@homegrownwisconsin.com AND manager@homegrownwisconsin.com as an approved sender. At times, we also have to communicate by phone, so please ensure that we have your current phone number(s). If you call the CSA Coordinator and receive the voice mail prompt, please make sure to leave a message with your contact information and best time to call, so we can return your call promptly!
CSA members will also receive an informative newsletter which is posted on the website each week to compliment each box, filled with delicious recipes, storage tips, and farm news.
DOWNLOAD 2009 SUMMER SHARE CSA NEWSLETTERS
Requires
DOWNLOAD CSA Newsletter for Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Here's what some of our 2008 share members have to say: "Being a part of a CSA has made me someone who cooks more adventurously and eats more healthfully. It's one of the changes in my life in recent years that I'm happiest about."
"Fantastic program. We were new to CSA when we joined HGW last year, and we wouldn't dream of giving it up now. Our four-year-old daughter has become more adventurous about eating vegetables when she hears they "came from the farmer" (and taste a lot better than those from the supermarket!). I'm especially glad for the wide variety of items we receive from HGW. Couldn't be more pleased!"
"This was our first CSA experience and really enjoyed it. We've had friends/family who belong to other CSAs and they tend to get a box of one type of veggie/fruit (whatever is in season). It was great to get a variety. I looked forward to reading the newsletters every week!"
"Thank you to everyone who helped make the CSA a success. This program is really appreciated by those of us who want to feed our families fresh, healthful, pesticide-free produce!"
© Copyright Home Grown Wisconsin Cooperative - All Rights Reserved
Can I switch my pick up dates around? If I am a half share member, can I switch my pick up group from an "A" week to a "B" week pick up?
Are there farm events planned? Can we visit the farms?
How does Home Grown Wisconsin communicate with CSA members?
How do I know what will be in the box each delivery? Is there a weekly newsletter?
DOWNLOAD CSA Newsletter for Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Typical Produce Availability
Early
Mid
Late
Apples
X
X
Arugula (baby)
X
X
X
Arugula
X
X
Asparagus
X
Beans (dry)
X
Beans (green, yellow)
X
X
Beets (baby)
X
Beets
X
X
Bok Choy
X
X
X
Broccoli
X
X
X
Brussel Sprouts
X
Cabbage
X
X
Cantaloupe
X
Carrots
X
X
X
Cauliflower
X
X
Celeriac
X
Celery
X
Chard
X
X
X
Collards
X
X
Cucumbers
X
X
Currants
X
X
Eggplant
X
Fennel
X
X
Fresh Herbs
X
X
X
Garlic (fresh & cured)
X
X
Kale
X
X
Kohlrabi
X
Leeks
X
X
Lettuce (heads)
X
X
X
Onions (fresh & dry)
X
X
X
Parsnips
X
Peas
X
Pears
X
Peppers (Sweet and Hot varieties)
X
Potatoes
X
X
X
Radishes
X
X
X
Raspberries
X
Rhubarb
X
Rutabaga
X
Spinach (baby, bulk, bunched)
X
X
X
Strawberries
X
X
Summer Squash
X
Sunchokes
X
Sweet Corn
X
Sweet Potatoes
X
Tomatillos
X
Tomatoes
X
Turnips
X
X
Watercress
X
X
Watermelon
X
Winter Squash
X
X
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