CSU CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Information for Members

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF OTHER LOCAL CSAs

		Crops, hand grown, lively Sustaining earth and people, Abundance: heartfelt -Greg Dickinson, 2005 CSA Member -

What is the CSU CSA?

In 2005, the Specialty Crops Program at Colorado State University initiated a campus CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). The CSU CSA provides people who become members a wide variety of local organic produce. The farm is tended by CSU students who are passionate about organic agriculture and who want to share their bounty with the local community. The advantages of signing up for the CSA are many. The consumer gets the freshest possible produce from a local farm; the opportunity to contribute to a sustainable, local economy; and a direct relationship with the people who grow their food. In the simplest of terms, a CSA offers consumers a "subscription" for weekly delivered produce during the growing season.

The Farm:

The Rocky Mountain Small Organic Farm Project was initiated in 2004 and includes 8 acres of certified organic land at the Horticulture Field Research Center near Fort Collins, Colorado. The project involves the establishment of an applied organic research and demonstration facility for the Intermountain region. We address special challenges faced by organic growers through the use of vegetable, flower, and small fruit variety trials.

We also study new techniques for fertility, pest and disease management, and the development of enterprise budgets catered specifically for small farmers. The project also provides unique field experience for students of the University looking to perfect their skills before they take on a farm of their own. This project is managed by the Specialty Crops Program in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture.

How does the CSU CSA work?

		At the beginning of the season, people who are interested in receiving tasty, local, organic produce, purchase a "share" of the farm's harvest for the season. Each share is designed to feed a household of four. Individuals are encouraged to sign up with others for a share if you would like a smaller quantity.

How much does it cost?

The FULL share price for the 16+/- weeks of produce is $500. We also offer a smaller share designed to feed a couple of pretty dedicated vegetable eaters, it costs $350. We also offer separate fruit and flower shares (see below).

Receiving Your Share

		Weekly shares will be brought from the farm to CSU's Plant Environmental Research Center (PERC) located at 630 W. Lake St. on Thursday afternoons and will be available for pick up from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Shares will be available beginning around July 1st and will continue into October.

We offer a farmer's market style pickup so you can pick and choose from the weekly offering, visit with co-members, and learn about how your food is grown or how to prepare a new variety you're unfamiliar with. This is a BIG part of the student's learning experience and we look forward to the chance to visit with you about food and farming!

What Veggies to Expect?

Following are some examples of a typical full share you would receive during the season (1/2 shares will be about 1/2 this amount). Exact amounts of produce will vary depending on weather and other variables, but you can expect something like the following:

• July
  1lb of salad greens (lettuce, spinach), a bunch of braising greens (kale, chard, mustard), a bunch or two of roots such as radish, beets, turnips or carrots), come grilling onions, a head of broccoli, a couple of small summer squash, a couple of cucumbers, a bunch of mixed herbs, possibly a few early tomatoes, eggplant and melons and a mess of green beans.
• August
  Same as above, but add a few tomatoes, a couple of melons, 8 ears of sweet corn, a couple of sweet peppers, a few pounds of specialty potatoes, a handful of baby artichokes. Okra anyone?
• September
  Similar to August, with an abundance of tomatoes, and the first of the winter squash, cauliflower.
• October
  This month is highly dependent on the weather, and it is likely that the tender warm season crops will have been frozen. But, we'll still be harvesting delicious greens, the best winter squash, tasty root crops and have storage onions and winter squash that will last well into the winter. We finish the season with a big party and field gleaning just before Halloween-complete with pumpkins and corn stalks!

Optional Fruit and Flower Shares

Communication with Members

We inform our members about the vegetables in their share, recipes, events at the farm, intern profiles, and other interesting farming tid bits in a weekly newsletter distributed with each share. Click here to see past newsletters. We also communicate primarily by e-mail during the season regarding special orders, pick-up reminders, and other correspondence. Unfortunately we do not have working memberships as a traditional CSA would, wherein members would come to the farm and participate in the growing and harvesting process. This is due to the research nature of our field plots. We do however host CSA Field Days (click on this link for photos from previous field days) where members and their families can see the crops growing or pick their own pumpkins.

Comments from Past CSA Members 

• "There is a good connection with food, growers, and the community of people who participated in it."
• "We'd rather 100% of our money go to farmers than to the grocery store."
• "Pick-up felt like Christmas!"
• "It's important for my child to see food doesn't come from the grocery store, but from people who labor to provide something that is high quality and delicious"

Becoming a Member

Click Here for 2011 Sign-Up Sheet

We encourage you to spread the word about CSAs to your friends and family. We are fortunate to have many great CSAs in the area. Please click here for more information about other area CSAs that you can support and be involved in. If you are a grower interested in starting a CSA, please see our "CSA Information for Growers" web page.