We are now taking deposits for the 2012 season. This is very useful for us since we start ordering seeds in January and starting plants in Feb! If you just want to get down to the nitty gritty of this post, scroll to the bottom, starting at "Pick-up Points."
I know many of you are growing your own local food…for you, this is an opportunity for you to pass this info on to others who may be interested. Thank you!!
Here is a general description of how things went last year. Each year is a bit different, depending on the weather and what new thing we decide to try growing. The season starts either last of May for first of June, with an abundance of greens such as arugula, lettuce, spinach, chard, parsley, mizuna, sorrel, and kale. Also at that time we usually have yummy Hakurei turnips, radishes, baby beets, pea shoots, and bok choy or related items. As the season progresses we move on to peas, scallions, broccoli, garlic scapes, beets, baby carrots, and cherries. Then it's on to basil, cauliflower, cabbage, baby potatoes, collard greens, carrots, and garlic. When summer gets into full swing in July, we add to these zucchini, yellow summer squash, cucumbers, dill, onions, plums, and apricots. Harvest season really gets going in August, and here we add more hot crops, such as tomatillos, cherry tomatoes, shallots, perhaps some melons, sweet corn, and peppers. Seasonal weather depending, we can add large tomatoes here too, and start digging out some larger potatoes. Toward the end we get the sweet peppers to ripen, as well as more melons (including watermelon!), peaches, and winter squash.
What is a CSA?
A CSA works best for *adventurous eaters* who are willing to plan their meals around whatever comes in their share that week (or perhaps put some things into the freezer for a bit), folks who are willing to try new things, or for experience vegetable eaters. A CSA consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farming operation where the growers and consumers share the risks and benefits of food production. In a CSA, full payment is given by the beginning of the season, so that the farmers can pay their expenses at the time they incur most of them. Members have the benefit of knowing exactly where their food comes from and how it is grown. Each week members receive an interesting variety of the freshest possible produce, and are often introduced to vegetables they may have never seen before. They will have the opportunity to visit the farm and even get their own hands dirty in the process.
What You Can Do
We are looking for 30 or so families who would like to join in this adventure. The CSA shares will start in late May/Early June and end in late Sept./Early October. We are offering both full and half shares. Full shares are meant to supply one family of 3-4, and half shares are for couples or folks who don’t want quite so much produce. We are selling a full share for $450, and a half share for $280. We aim to give you at least a 20-30% discount on the produce overall, compared to what you would pay in the store or farmer's market. This is more value than any other local CSA we are aware of! Each week or so, you will also receive an electronic newsletter about farm happenings, the produce of the week, and how to use it.
In the long-term, we will offer more fruits as they mature over the years…strawberries, raspberries, peaches, and plums.
What do we grow?
We will be growing at least one, and sometimes several different varieties of these items:
Arugula
Basil
Green Beans
Edemame soy beans
Beets
Bok Choy
Tat soi
Broccoli
Cabbage, red and green
Carrots
Swiss Chard
Sweet Corn
Cilantro
Cucumbers
Eggplant
Garlic
Peppers (hot, sweet, roasting)
Kale
Collards
Lettuce & Lettuce mixes
Melons & Watermelon
Onions: scallions, & yellow and red storage
Parsley
Peas
Potatoes
Pumpkins
Radishes
Various winter squashes
Summer squashes and zucchinis
Tomato (paste, slicing, cherry)
Tomatillos
Celeriac
Celery
Cauliflower
Gourds
Sorrel
Turnips, "summer"
Pickup-Points
We have two pick-up points. Each one is a unique experience with it's own special advantages.
1. Tues. afternoons/evenings, 4-6:30 p.m. at the North End Organic Nursery (2350 Hill Rd. in Boise). This coincides with their weekly farmer's market, where we sell a little extra produce, and you'll have the opportunity to pick up some extra things we don't have from other vendors, or some organic products to you use in your own yard at home.
2. Thurs. afternoons/evenings, 5-6 p.m. at our farm in Eagle (3439 Shadow Hills Dr., Eagle). The time on this one is a little more flexible, so please let us know what works for you here. This is usually a more casual, laid-back pick-up point since you get to see our farm, your kids can stay and play a while, and last year anyway, sometimes these folks sometimes got a little more, or interesting, produce for the week because it was a much a smaller group of folks.
To secure your membership, please send a check (made out to Evenstar Farm) for $100 (full) or $50 (half) to us at 3439 Shadow Hills Dr., Eagle, ID 83616. Our payment deadline is April 30th, and you can make payments as you like up until that time. We really appreciate receiving deposits int the winter because our expenses begin here. Memberships will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. As members, you are welcome to come spend time on the farm and see what we do first-hand, which we encourage.
Prices
Full share (3-4 people): $450
Half share (2 people): $280
If you would like more details and are wondering a bit more about what the heck a CSA is, please feel free to email us here: evenstarfarm@gmail.com or call us at 333-9637. We are also on facebook.
Many thanks and happy eating!
Kristin & Isaac Hasselblad
EvenStar Farm
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