Tulmeadow Farm CSA Program
Visit our Facebook Business Page and sign up for the Tulmeadow Newsletter for periodic updates and the latest information and details of currently available produce. Thank you to our members for being part of Community Supported Agriculture. Read on to learn how CSA works. We are always available to answer your questions by emailing us at CSA@tulmeadowfarmstore.com
What is a CSA?
Seedlings are starting to grow in our greenhouses – March 2nd, 2011.
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It is a way to connect people with a farm in their community. When you join a CSA program, you are committing to buying a weekly share of the farms production. When you buy a membership, you are paying for a seasons share in advance. This provides the farmer, in this case Tulmeadow Farm, with start up capital for seeds, supplies, utilities, etc. for the upcoming season. When the harvesting begins in the late spring and throughout the season, the member (you and your family) pick up a weekly share of what the farm has produced. Costs of shares can vary. We will include at least that much value in your weekly pick-up.
Shared Risk
One of the concepts that go with a CSA program is shared risk. In theory, should there be a total crop failure, you would not get a weekly share. In our case, with our greenhouse crops and other farm produced products like beef and ice cream, we think we will not be coming up short.
How do we grow our food?
Tulmeadow Farm is not certified organic. That being said, most of the vegetables we produce are not sprayed with anything. If we have an insect or blight problem, we attempt to correct it with organic controls first. If stronger measures are needed, we might resort to materials not on the organic list. We use disease resistant varieties when they are available, but not genetically modified seeds or plants. The one crop that we do spray is sweet corn, because wormy corn seems to upset people. We only spray about half as is recommended, so control is not always 100%.
What will you receive for your membership?
- fresh picked Tulmeadow Farm grown produce and local fruit in season
- farm-raised grass fed, frozen, ground beef, hot dogs or kielbasa dogs without antibiotics or preservatives
- an opportunity to try some things you might not have tried before
- a more direct connection to the seasonality of locally grown produce