CSA+CSF Day Coming to Winter Farmer’s Market
Do you like to eat lots of fresh vegetables and try new things? Do you want to support a local farm and get to know the people who grow your food?
Seacoast Eat Local will be hosting a CSA + CSF Day at their upcoming Winter Farmers’ Market on Saturday, February 27th, at the Wentworth Greenhouses in Rollinsford. Residents will have the opportunity to learn more about CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and CSF (Community Supported Fisheries), meet the farmers and fisherfolk offering shares, and sign up for the 2010 season. Fifteen CSA farms are signed up to take part in this event.
Community Supported Agriculture and Community Supported Fisheries offer a terrific way for people to get a steady supply of local food directly from the producers. Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, is a partnership between consumers and farmers in which members buy shares of the farm’s harvest and receive regular allotments of food throughout the growing season.
For farmers, this provides much needed cash flow for the beginning of the season, as well as a ready market and community of supporters. Shareholders join in the risks of the growing season but reap the benefits of the harvest. Community Supported Fisheries, or CSFs (modeled after CSAs), are a way to buy seafood directly from fishermen, and support our local fisheries by purchasing seasonal shares.
Each CSA and CSF has its own pricing structure and distribution schedule, and some farms have work requirements. Signups for CSA and CSF shares often begin in February by directly contacting the farm or sponsoring fishery. A list of CSA farms in the Rockingham, Strafford, and York Counties is available at Seacoast Harvest, an online guide to local food sponsored by Seacoast Eat Local.
Community Supported Agriculture or CSA is a partnership between consumers and farmers in which members buy shares of the farm’s harvest and enjoy regular allotments of food throughout the growing season. For farmers, this provides much needed cash flow for the beginning of the season, as well as a ready market and community of supporters. Shareholders join in the risks of the growing season but reap the benefits of the harvest. Each CSA farm has its own pricing structure, disbursement schedule, and some have work requirements. Signups for CSA shares often begin in February by directlycontacting the farm.
List of Participating Farms & Fisheries
More information about CSA + CSF Day can be found here. The website also provides details about Seacoast Eat Local’s series of Winter Farmers’ Markets, including a list of the 35+ other vendors you can expect to see at the February 27th market in Rollinsford. Wentworth Greenhouses is located at 141 Rollins Road, Rollinsford, NH, a mile past Red’s Shoe Barn of Dover.
Seacoast Eat Local connects people with sources of locally grown foods and advocates eating locally for the health of our environment, community, culture and economy. Through advocacy, organizing and education, they work toward a sustainable local food system that meets the needs of both producers and consumers. They organize winter farmers’ markets, co-produce Seacoast Harvest, sponsor workshops and events, and provide information through their email newsletter, blog, and website.