2013 Echigo Farm CSA
CSA stands for “Community Supported Agriculture.”
A CSA membership represents an ongoing commitment both to our farm and to the health of you and your family. Echigo Farm’s CSA program allows you to support our farm more directly while saving money and gaining access to a unique array of organically grown produce year-round.
Your investment in Echigo Farm helps us to continue producing the highest quality and healthiest vegetables we can.
We have decided to make our CSA year-round, based on a credit system that allows you to get exactly the produce you want, when you want it.
How does a CSA help the farm?
A CSA is a mutually beneficial relationship between you and the farm.
Your CSA membership benefits our farm in many ways. Farming is a business where many costs are front-loaded, and it takes much more capital investment to start a season than to finish it. By the time our produce arrives at market, the bulk of our production expense is already 4 months or more in the past. CSA revenue helps even out our yearly cash flow, giving us a steady source of income from seed buying time all the way through harvest. This allows us to make improvements to the farm, increase our production, and refine our farming techniques. The result is that we can bring you higher quality produce grown both more effectively and more sustainably.
How does a CSA membership work for you?
(1) Get as much produce as you want, when you want it, & choose the exact kinds of produce you like. Echigo Farm CSA members can choose freely from the produce available each week; you are not limited to any kinds or amounts. If you only want cucumbers one week, that is fine. If you don’t want eggplant, that is OK, too. If you have a garden in the summer, you can choose produce to fill the gaps in your own production. On the other hand, if you happen to be traveling and can’t make it to market for a while, no problem: there are no weekly obligations to fulfill. We hope that this is an ideal way to tailor your membership to the needs and tastes of your family. Get produce when you want and need it... no need to worry about coming every week during the season.
(2) Extend the CSA experience year-round. Rather than limiting the CSA to the peak months, our new system will allow us to offer CSA benefits all year long. We want to help you turn healthy eating into a full time, 365-day a year passion.
(3) Save money. Our CSA memberships offer 10% off our normal market prices. This can save you anywhere from 10 to 50 dollars (or more) a year on our fresh, local, organically grown produce and baked goods.
(4) Expand your eating horizons with unique produce offerings, recipes, and more. We provide full support for our produce, offering recipes, web links, and cooking suggestions for everything we sell. CSA members also receive regular offerings of our probiotic-rich traditional fermented foods as well as chances to enjoy one-of-a-kind produce offerings throughout the year.
(5) Build healthy shopping habits. Convenient pick up at Farmers Market of the Ozarks allows you to expand your local shopping palate and support other fine local farmers and artisans. (Optional pick-up is available at the farm on most Friday afternoons--advance notice required).
(6) Make sure you get the produce you want through our pre-buy system. Any items that we will have at market the coming Saturday can be reserved in advance. This can be particularly useful for those who are not able to come to the market early and would like to be sure of getting their favorite items during the season.
(7) Participate in volunteer work days on the farm. Though it is not required to work on the farm as part of the CSA program, CSA members will be invited throughout the year to come spend a day volunteering with us. You can see first-hand how our farm works and gain a better understanding of where your food comes from. Families are welcome to these events.
Membership prices and benefits
$100 Basic Membership, 10% discount on all purchases (Your cost=$90)
$300 Standard Membership, 10% discount on all purchases; bonus items (fermented foods, etc.) (Your cost=$270)
Q & A
When can I join? Anytime. Full payment will be expected at the time of signing up. You can sign up at the farmers market any Saturday morning, or mail us a check.
How do I use my membership? With your membership, you will
have the equivalent amount of credit with our farm. When you come to
the farmers market and purchase something from our stall, the amount of
purchase will be automatically deducted from your account. We will keep
track of your account and let you know each time how much is left. We
will also send e-mail records of your transactions if you wish. There is
no need to carry a member’s card. Memberships must be used up within
one year of purchase, but during that time you can buy anything you
want, anytime you want, from our farm. You are not limited to choices,
amounts, or weekly time constraints.
What happens if I use all my membership credit before the end of the year? You can always purchase additional credit for your membership. We also offer larger, custom-sized memberships--ask us for more details.
More information:
tel. 417-849-4000
email. echigofarm@gmail.com
Or come visit us at Farmers Market of the Ozarks every Saturday morning.
