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Contracting for a season of organic produce This is an
option offered most everywhere in the country and if you've thought
about it, as I have, here are comments from my sister’s experience in
Minneapolis. She has sent in her check to the same farmer for the third
year. Be sure and check the related web site listed below. Dear Mary: I don't
know when I first heard about the co-op farms but a friend had a friend
who ordered from a farm and passed on the name. We were going to split
the bounty but as she lives on the other side of Minneapolis it would
have been a pain to meet once a week. Then there was an article in the
food section of the newspaper with more names and numbers. I contacted
two. At one, north of St. Cloud, they strictly raised produce that could
be used in salads. Her price was about $215 for twenty weeks. The second
place had a bigger variety and was $420 for the same time period. I sent the
money in March but you can make payments if necessary. Talking to my
neighbor, we decided to do the split. When you
pay there is no guarantee on how the crops will be. If the weather is
bad and the crops wiped out, you're out of luck. There are no refunds
you just take a chance. The first
year we were so impressed by everything. It started with lettuces,
spring onions, radishes and all the early crops. Then beans, cabbage
(red and green), broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, red peppers, sweet and
hot, green peppers, kale, kohlrabi, fennel, summer squash and romaine.
Later came tomatoes, corn, squash, pumpkins, onions, carrots, and
raspberries. I can't even remember it all. Because
they're so fresh, it's very good and even the lettuces last a long time.
After our first pick up, Mo and I had this huge salad and ate almost
everything that night! After the
end of the first season, we got a letter saying how sorry they were that
it wasn't a good year but their irrigation system was almost completed
and would be operational by the following year. We were surprised
because it seemed like so much. They also have the same trouble getting
help as everyone else. This year
it was basically the same products except more. The farm decided to cut
the number of customers by 25 because they just couldn't keep up. I sent
the money in the day we got the letter. Splitting
with another family ends up costing each of us $10 a week for what
usually fills two good-sized market baskets. There are two weekdays that
they deliver to various drop sites around town. The sites are peoples
homes who become responsible for keeping everything straight. You pick a
location that's nearby and go on the day they get the delivery. Usually
there are special offers too including honey, organically raised meat
and apples from neighboring farms. The farm we use is in Osceola,
Wisconsin and they have been organic for 16 years. Twice a year they
have a pot luck that I've never had the chance to attend. We chat with
people as we get our order and you can go help harvest at the farm too. The pickup
is pretty convenient. There are waxed boxes with our name on them and
any info they need to pass along. We transfer the stuff out of the box
to our own containers and the same boxes are used until they
disintegrate. The hardest part was getting our big van into the alley
where we pick up. I usually park on the street and walk to the back of
the house. This became a bigger task in the fall when the baskets are
filled with squash and potatoes. It's sure easier than growing your own!
Although, I may put in a few tomato plants this year. Oh, almost forgot
the herbs. You get bundles thyme, basil and others. The amount
we got last year was plenty for the five of us (three neighbors). Some
weeks it was too much and we froze the extras and are still eating. At
the end of the summer you can buy bushels of tomatoes and any other
produce for canning and freezing. Usually carrots and potatoes are
available. The
experience has been wonderful I can't think of any bad part to it. I've made
some great meals and it's always a blow to go back to the supermarket
when it's over. Later, Di ----- Interested in buying direct from the growers or finding the nearest farmers market? This new and growing site provides all sorts of local growers and farms all over the United States by searching with your zip code. Because I live in a highly urban area, we also searched with several other zip codes further out but within an easy drive. www.localharvest.org
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