___________
Sharing the Harvest
Community Supported Agriculture
Close connection to farmers
Support of local economy
Awesome seasonal food
Community Supported Agriculture
CSA!
Now is the time to sign up.
This is how Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) works. You pay your subscription price for a season of produce now. The farmer plants crops with you and the other subscribers in mind. When the food is ready, you pick it up weekly or bi-weekly June through October. The benefits are so numerous. The vegetables are varied, seasonal, healthy, ripe and delicious. If this idea is new to you, try it out by splitting a share with a friend and neighbor. Below are four local farmers.
If you live in other parts of Illinois, you can find information about farmers and farmers’ markets in your area at Local Harvest http://www.localharvest.org/.
Real Food, Real Farmers, Real Community.
Beth Propst and Tim Fuller
Erehwon Farm
968 Pattee Ave.
Elburn, IL 60119
630-485-9963
http://www.erehwonfarm.com
Erehwon Farm started their farm in 2001 and is run by Tim Fuller and Beth Propst. They named the farm Erehwon after a mythical place where most everything was backwards. “We were surrounded with large farms growing crops for distant markets using large doses of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. We, on the other hand, wanted to be small, to grow in an environmentally friendly way for local markets. Hence the name Erehwon.”
Erehwon is neat. It’s just west of Randall on Rt 38. You pick up your food at the farm and they may offer you an opportunity to U-pick: beans, wild raspberries, weeds
Beth shares her favorite recipes. Their subscription brochure can be found at http://www.erehwonfarm.com/CSA-Application-2010.html.
Bronwyn Weaver and Bob Archibald
Heritage Prairie Market
2N308 Brundige Road
Elburn, Illinois 60119
630-443-8253
http://www.hpmfarm.com
Heritage Prairie Market began a new system of farming, designed to enable a small acreage farm to produce food during all four seasons in late 2007. HPM farm can bring fresh produce to customers all year long. In 2009, they acquired the rights to grow on a substantial parcel of land adjacent to the farm. In addition to the traditional summer season share, Heritage Prairie Market is also offering 2 holiday shares—one each before Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Visit their website to learn about their special farm events, classes for both adults and children and their honey.
Their subscription information and brochure can be found at: http://www.hpmfarm.com/csa_about.html.
Steve Tiwald
Green Earth Institute
10S404 Knoch Knolls Road
Naperville, IL 60565-5447
630-664-5681
greenearthinstitute.org
Green Earth Institute is a not for profit organization that started eight years ago in 2002. Their goal is to promote nutritional health and environmental sustainability which they do through their CSA and a wonderful children’s education program, Kids Touch the Earth.
The Green Earth Institute is situated on a 60 acre property, The McDonald Farm, in Naperville. In addition to the traditional summer CSA option, they offer a spring (now sold out) and late fall share. The Institute grows over 40 varieties of vegetables. Additionally all of the produce meets federal organic standards.
His subscription brochure can be found at greenearthinstitute.org/csa_brochure/GreenEarth2010CSA-c.pdf
Angelic Organics
1547 Rockton Road
Caledonia, IL 61011
815-389-2746
http://www.angelicorganics.com
Angelic Organics is located in Caledonia, Illinois, is one of the largest Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms in the United States, feeding more than 1400 families or over 5000 individuals. Angelic started their CSA program in 1993, this season it will be there 17th season. Although this farm is distant, they have a pick-up location in Geneva just off route 31. The farm offers many opportunities for you to visit and meet them.
Their subscription brochure can be found at http://www.angelicorganics.com/share.php .