Geauga Family Farms offers winter CSA

Sad to see the summer farmer's market season coming to an end? Can’t get enough of those delicious fresh vegetables? The Geauga Family Farms Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program is expanding its program to include the winter season. Enliven holiday meals with certified organic goodness, laugh at Northeast Ohio’s winter as you enjoy local produce, or just get your fix of the good stuff as long as possible (next summer season is only 35 weeks away).

In a Community Supported Agriculture program, members of the general public can become partners or shareholders of a local farm by purchasing a portion of that farm’s growing season. In return, members receive a weekly delivery of fresh produce from the farm. By investing in the farm at the beginning of the growing season, members provide money to the farm when it is most needed.

Each week during the summer season, Geauga Family Farms CSA delivers fresh, organic produce to several pick-up points throughout the Heights. Nearby pickup sites include St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and Ruffing Montessori School in Cleveland Heights, First Unitarian Church of Cleveland in Shaker Heights and the Mandel Jewish Community Center in Beachwood.

The farmers of Geauga Family Farms have been planting crops to try a winter program this year. Shares would include items such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, lettuce, kale, winter squash, pumpkins, brussel sprouts, broccoli, apples, eggs and a baked good each week (whole wheat bread or pie). There will be one share size at $25 per week, delivered.

Shares will be sold in six-week blocks. The first block will start in early November and go through mid-December. The second block will run from early January to mid-February, and the third block from mid-February to late March. Each block will cost $150, with applications and payment due two weeks before the start of the block.

Geauga Family Farms is trying to gauge levels of interest and areas, so that it can work on finalizing pick-up sites. The pick-ups would occur on Saturdays.

The shorter commitment of a winter share is a great way to find out if the CSA way of eating works for you.

For more information on the Geauga Family Farms organic CSA program, go to www.geaugafamilyfarmsllc.org or e-mail bandyz@sbcglobal.net.

Michelle Bandy-Zalatoris is a Cleveland Heights resident with an interest in local food and a background in urban design and planning.

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Volume 3, Issue 10, Posted 2:19 PM, 09.23.2010