*CURRENTLY OUR CSA IS SOLD OUT FOR 2008*
If you are interested in being added to our Contact List for 2009, please send us your POSTAL MAILING ADDRESS with your first and last name. Then we will send you a flyer and registration form sometime by the end of January of 2009. Thanks so much for your interest.
What is a CSA?
Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, is a way for small farmers to directly market their produce to the community. The community, in turn, directly supports its local farmers by purchasing an annual share of the farm’s products. When you join Tantré Farm CSA, you are joining a farm community. There is a community among all the members, the farmers, and the local ecology. No labor is required of members, but you are encouraged to come out and visit the farm to help nurture your ties with the land.
How does the CSA work?
Members will receive weekly distributions of fresh, organic produce from early June through the middle of October. The quantity and variety will vary with the time of year and the weather. We will distribute these boxes from our Ann Arbor Farmers’ Market stall on both Wednesdays and Saturdays. We also distribute at the Chelsea Farmers’ Market stall on Saturdays. These shares will cost $550. Shares picked up on the farm will be available for $500 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. A "share" feeds 2 people generously or a family of 4 with small children. Weekly newsletters, which list produce, recipes, and other farm information, will be available too. We also offer u-pick opportunities for berries, flowers, tomatoes, cucumbers, basil, beans, and other produce which members may want to buy in bulk and/or preserve.
What kind of produce will members receive?
(Harvest dates are estimated, since starting and ending dates are subject to weather conditions.)
Why should I eat locally grown, organic food?
Food travels an average of 1,300 miles from field to table. This requires an immense amount of fossil fuel energy. Commercial agribusiness harms the environment and farm labor through the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. In contrast, organic farmers provide fertility through the use of cover crops and compost. They use no synthetic chemicals on their land. Eating local, organic food renews the connections between people and farmers and fosters respect for the land. Knowing the source of one's food brings peace of mind and good health.
Pick-Up Procedures
You will receive your produce each week in a 3/4 bushel or 1 bushel box that will have been stored in a cooler as soon as it is packed in the mornings on Harvest Days (Tuesdays and Fridays). There will be about 8-10 items in your share during the first 4 weeks. You'll continue to receive more items as the season continues, ranging from 8 to 16 items. Each week our goal is to provide 1 to 4 salad greens (lettuce, arugula, etc.), 1 to 4 cooking greens (collards, Swiss chard, spinach, etc.), 1 to 4 root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, etc.), 1 to 4 fruiting vegetables (tomatoes, corn, squash, etc.), 1 or 2 alliums (onions, garlic, etc.), 1 to 3 brassicas (broccoli/cabbage family), 1 or 2 herbs. We grow a large variety of crops, so you’ll be able to try new things and find out what it means to eat seasonally (i.e. asparagus is a spring/early summer crop, so it will not be available past June).
You will pick up your share once a week for 20 weeks on your chosen pick up day only during the hours that are listed below. At each of the four distribution sites, there will be a Tantré Farm worker or a white board to remind you of Pick-Up procedures. Here is a general overview:
- Ann Arbor Farmers' Market--We will try to be in the same location every week but are not always able because we are Daily Vendors, not Annual Vendors (who have permanent stalls). There is a map on the outside wall of the market office where our stall is listed. Please always look for the large, canvas Tantré Farm sign as you walk around the market. Then follow instructions on the white board, and especially remember to check off contact person's name and take a newsletter if you need it. It can get very crowded at the market, so for those of you who split shares, it might work better if you split your share at one of your houses, instead of at the stall where a lot of people are coming and going. Please remember to ask a Tantré Farm worker for help, if needed. DISTRIBUTION at Ann Arbor Market: Wed. 7 a.m. until Noon.
- Community High School (west side lawn)--Saturday CSA members will be picking up their shares across the street from the Ann Arbor Farmers' Market on the east side of 5th Ave. in the middle of the horseshoe lawn. You can look for a sign that reads "TANTRE FARM" and follow instructions on the white board. Please check off the contact person’s name, and take a newsletter if you need it. There also will be someone available at the Community High distribution site to help you. You can still find us at our Tantre Farm market stall somewhere at the Ann Arbor Farmers' Market, especially if you need to purchase extra produce or have specific questions. DISTRIBUTION at Community High: Sat. 7 a.m. until Noon.
- Chelsea Farmers' Market--Look for Tantré Farm sign. Introduce yourself to us at the stall, and you will be helped. DISTRIBUTION for Chelsea: Sat. 8 a.m.-Noon.
- Tantré Farm--Go behind house on 2510 Hayes Road to "Distribution Center". Follow the instructions on the white boards inside. Get share box from walk-in cooler and get any extra items in Distribution Center. Leave your box from previous week in stack inside Distribution Center. Please remember to check off contact person's name and take a newsletter from clipboard, if necessary. Also, please feel free to knock on house door, if you have any questions. DISTRIBUTION for Farm: Tues. 2 p.m.-7p.m, Wed. 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Fri. 2 p.m.-7 p.m.
