The New Year is upon us and while the ground is frozen, Conuco Farm is busy getting ready for the 2007 harvest season. I hope you are having a wonderful winter and that you are getting excited about what lays ahead – warmer weather and fresh, local food!
2007 shares are now available for the Bed-Stuy CSA. While we are still making final touches on the 2007 brochure and flyer and have not officially begun promoting it, I wanted to take the opportunity to reach out to you, as a 2006 shareholder, and invite you to join NOW. Please see below for new developments and changes at the Bed-Stuy CSA and updates from Conuco Farm.
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1. 2007 Bed-Stuy CSA shares are now available!
2. Help promote the Bed-Stuy CSA in your own way
3. Updates from Hector and Conuco Farm
4. The Core Group & 2007 Volunteer Requirement
5. Price Comparisons from the 2006 season
6. Join the Bed-Stuy CSA list-serv and stay in the loop!
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1. 2007 Bed-Stuy CSA shares are now available!
Prices are pretty much the same as last year ($400 for a full-share and $350 for low-income households; $20 discount for those paying before March 23, 2007). We have also added a half-share price and system, whereby small families can join at $200 – 250 (depending on income and with a $10 discount for those paying before March 23, 2007) and will pick-up produce every other week. The earlier you can send in your application and payment, the better – as Hector, our farmer, is having to make many investments right now in preparation for the harvest season (see below for an update from him).
Some of the exciting projects we hope to undertake this year include:
- Creating a website and email group where fact sheets about each vegetable can be saved, newsletters can be uploaded and recipe books can be organized for members to access.
- Creating a “swap box” at the stand so that you can easily trade with other members if there are certain vegetables you want more/less of.
- Creating a way for CSA members who live close to each other to comfortably exchange contact information so that they may carpool or take turns picking up their shares.
- Providing workshops and cooking demos at local schools and low-income housing developments to encourage low-income membership.
- Creating a Revolving Loan Fund, where the CSA will loan money to low-income food stamp recipients to pay for their share upfront.
- Donating a share in the form of “Veggie Checks” to either a NYCHA tenants’ association or a local health clinic, whereby 20 low-income households can try the CSA out for a week.
- Organizing a farm trip, possibly in coordination with the food pantry where we donate our excess vegetables.
- Organizing canning and preservation demonstrations to happen at the pick-up site, so that you can learn how to better utilize your share.
- And lots more! Please see the 2007 Membership Agreement and call or email Lauren if you have any questions.
2. Help promote the Bed-Stuy CSA in your own way
In the coming weeks, we will have brochures and flyers available to distribute throughout the neighborhood. Regardless of whether or not you choose to re-join this year, your help in putting up a flyer in your bodega, your church, your school, etc. will make a big difference in helping us meet our membership goal this year. We will be emailing out an official 2007 email announcement, the brochure and flyer in the coming weeks. We will also have copies available to pick-up at the Magnolia Tree Earth Center.
In the meantime, think of the ways you can help promote the CSA: Who can you forward an email to? Where can you put up a flyer? Are there upcoming neighborhood events you are attending where you can make an announcement? Does your church have a place to put brochures about local initiatives? Does your favorite coffee shop or restaurant have a bulletin board?
3. Updates from Hector and Conuco Farm
In November, Hector successfully moved his farm to New Paltz, NY, where he has a 5-year lease on the land. The 5-year lease will enable him to fully invest his time and energy into the land and crops he produces.
I have gone up to the new farm several times since November to build greenhouses, repair farm equipment and experiment with growing baby greens in his greenhouse! We are going to have an AMAZING farm trip in 2007. Hector is back at the NYC Green Market selling sprouts, baby pac choi, specialty salad greens, etc. on Fridays at Union Square and Saturdays at Fort Greene, so stop by to say hi and see what great vegetables are in store for the 2007 season!
4. The Core Group & 2007 Volunteer Requirement
This year, 5 brave shareholders from last year have stepped up to the plate to volunteer their time and help sustain the Bed-Stuy CSA moving forward as “core members.” I hope that their participation makes a stronger CSA that better meets the needs of the shareholders. You will be introduced to them shortly in upcoming emails and at future events. I will remain involved at the CSA Coordinator, but I am thrilled that we now have a Communications Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator, Events Coordinator and Outreach Coordinator.
VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENT: Each household will be required to give a TOTAL of 4 hours of their time to the CSA by the end of the 2007 season. While we are hoping that most of you can volunteer that time at the pick-up site, we will work with you to find alternatives (mailings, newsletter writing, special event coordinating, data entry, etc.) if it is impossible for your household to volunteer Thursday afternoons or evenings. Our Volunteer Coordinator, will be in touch with you after your membership agreement and 1st payment have been sent in, to pick a volunteer task and schedule.
5. Price Comparisons from the 2006 season
Last year, a woman named Nora volunteered each week to document the 2006 Bed-Stuy CSA share. She logged what each share included and what each item (on average) weighed. Then she went to 4 other grocery stores (NYC Green Market, Whole Foods, Foodtown and MET) and compared the price. You can imagine – many times she could not even FIND the vegetables you received (had you ever seen a Tennessee Sweet Potato Squash before?) and she would compare the item to “comparable products.” In the end, though, she prepared a chart to demonstrate how much your TOTAL Bed-Stuy CSA share would have cost elsewhere. Nora is still completing the final report, which I will share with you at a later date, but I just wanted to let you know (in case you were doubting our claims last year) THE BED-STUY CSA IS A GOOD DEAL!
6. Join the Bed-Stuy CSA list-serv and stay in the loop!
Olivia, our awesome Communications Coordinator for 2007 has set-up a Google group for us to communicate easier. THIS IS NOT A DISCUSSION GROUP (unless everyone else wants it to be???), but rather a way for myself, Hector and the Core Members to easily communicate with you about what’s going on with the CSA. Please join (whether or not you plan to sign up for the 2007 season) by sending an email request to: bedstuycsa-subscribe@googlegroups.com
Also, Olivia has started putting together a Bed-Stuy CSA website! It's not quite finished, but check it out at http://www.bedstuycsa.wetpaint.com
