Community Supported Agriculture
Definition: CSA is a movement to help connect community members with a local farm on a weekly basis.
Designed by a collective of like minded individuals somewhere on some farm long ago, a CSA is based on the wholesome of organic food produced by your family farmer. CSA has taken on a even deeper meaning in the days of corporate organic certified, which is still basically conventionally grown using organic inputs and regulation. Even though this food is organically certified the system is inherently driven by mono cropping, corporate profit, environmental impacts and the excess use of fossil fuels.
Today, the CSA has taken on even more importance, and especially here in Washington near Olympia, Seattle, and Bellingham the CSA has proven to be one of the only successful models available to small scale family farms. This interaction and involvement between farmer and consumer is much closer and helps seasonal startup costs, machinery repair, labor, and a myriad of other costs. The consumer in return gets guaranteed organic, environmental protection, and safe food for up to 50% below the retail value. Please Join our CSA and start a connection to your own local farm.
We have updated our 2010 CSA prospectus (see below) and are working diligently on the crop planning for the coming season. We have a limited number of shares and expect to sell out, so please reserve your share propmtly.
CSA shareholders receive a large amount of produce every week for the growing season. Our program is 24 weeks long from mid-June thru the Thanksgiving holiday and will always have 10, but usually more, types of mixed vegetables to choose from.
Buying a CSA share is the best way to eat 100% organic veggies, support local small farms, and significantly reduce the cost of your organic food. Garden Treasures also donates a large amount of food to the Arlington Food Bank to help less fortunate families in our community.
Getting your veggies is easy. Just stop by our farm on Thursdays or another pre-appoved day, and choose your box of mixed veggies from the pre-picked CSA display. Upon arrival, just pick up a weekly newsletter and use its' guidelines for what to put in your box. Take what you like, and leave what you don't- it's that simple. Friday and Saturday pickup is also available in pre-packaged boxes.
We ask members to pay or reserve for their CSA share in full before May 1st 2010, so we can adequetly plan our production. We also prefer to receive payment in Cash, Check, or Money Order this helps ensure all proceeds go to the benefit of the CSA.
