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The goal of La Boca Farms is to provide community businesses and families high quality, local, organic (beyond certified) produce.
Farmers at La Boca demonstrate and cultivate sustainable land stewardship through growing not just healthy crops, but a healthy soil.
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La Boca Center for Sustainability is pleased to offer Community Supported Agriculture, (CSA) shares at our farm for the first time ever this year. This new program will provide local families and individuals an opportunity to eat the healthiest, freshest food possible, while supporting the mission of La Boca Center for Sustainability to:
'Develop, demonstrate, and teach sustainable agricultural practices that improve quality of life, local production, and environmental stewardship.'
The CSA model of direct farm marketing is one of the fastest growing models being adopted by small-scale agricultural producers, as a way of becoming more sustainable and financially viable. CSA participation is the most direct way for consumers to promote local production, preserve agricultural lands, support local farmers, enhance the local economy, and receive delicious local bounty, with an emphasis on quality, care, and consistency.
How Our CSA Works
When you become a member of our CSA, you agree to purchase a "share" of food produced from our market garden. In exchange for your up-front investment, you will receive a weekly box of seasonal produce grown on the farm, plus access to educational activities, animal product shares, and other La Boca goodies when available. Financial investments made by our shareholders at the beginning of the season help cover the costs of food production (seeds, tools, labor) that are incurred months before produce can be sold.
For this 2009 growing season, twenty CSA shares will be distributed over a period of 18 consecutive weeks from June 6th through October 3rd.
Delivery
CSA members living in Durango can pick up their shares from our stand at the Durango Farmer's Market each Saturday between 8am and noon. Bayfield and Ignacio residents have the option of picking up their share or having it dropped off at a central location each Friday evening or Saturday, depending on the number of members in the area. If transportation is an issue, home deliveries are available upon request for an additional charge.
If you are going on vacation, you can arrange for a friend to pick up that week's share or we can donate it to the Family Center or Manna Soup Kitchen. Please give us a week's notice if you choose to have your share donated.
What Does the CSA Include?
About 40 different products will be harvested and distributed throughout the growing season. We will provide the maximum possible vegetable varieties each week. The following items are included in this year's crop plan: basil, beans (both green and dry), beets, bok choy/tatsoi, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage (red), carrots, cauliflower/ romanesco, celery, chard/kale/collards, cilantro, corn, cucumbers, dill, fennel, leeks, kohlrabi, lettuce heads, melons, onions, parsley, peas, peppers, potatoes radishes, salad mix, spicy greens mix, spinach, summer squash/zucchini, tomatoes, winter squash, and assorted wildcrafted or locally gleaned fruits such as apples, apricots, cherries, peaches when available.
In addition to your veggies, you will receive a CSA newsletter listing that week's produce, recipe ideas (especially for the "unfamiliar" produce), updates from La Boca, interesting facts about gardening, and notes from the farmers.
CSA members will also be invited to attend a Member Appreciation Day for those who would like to meet the farmers, tour the gardens, and learn about our integrated growing methods.
Costs
The cost of each CSA share is $550 for La Boca Members. If you are not a member of the La Boca Center for Sustainability, you can become one for an additional $50 tax-deductible donation. A share is enough to feed 4 omnivores (mixed diets) or 2 vegetarians (all veggies, all the time). Equivalent to about $30/week, you, your friends and family can enjoy the bounty of fresh organic produce.
Important Dates
50% Deposit Due ($275): March 15th
Full Balance Due ($275): May 1
First Share Delivered: June 6th
Last Share Delivered: October 3rd
Risks & Rewards
Small-scale, organic farming has its share of risks and rewards. There are factors that can affect the quantity and quality of produce that are not always within the grower's control. Hail, frost, insects, and other natural events may cause crop loss. Community Supported Agriculture allows the investment in small-scale farming to be shared by the community, shareholders and farmers alike, securing the long-term success of local agricultural sustainability. A conscious shift from a corporate, large-scale distribution model to a locally grown, community-supported way of thinking will have environmental and social benefits that ripple through the generations.
The investment in Community Supported Agriculture will not only bring healthy, delicious food to your table; it is also an investment in environmentally friendly production, support of local farmers, and an economic boost for our community.
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