2008 Season
Community Supported Agriculture
426 Jerry Lane NE - Check, VA
Polly Hieser- 540-651-32

Return to HOME PAGE  /  SIGN UP
WELCOME to the 2008 season of the Seven Springs Farm CSA garden.  Seven Springs Farm has been in operation since 1991, and currently has about 4 _ acres in vegetables.  We use organic and biodynamic practices and are committed to producing high quality food for our community and preserving our rural economy.
Vegetable Shares are Sold Out, please join as a supporting member if you would like. Fruit & Egg shares are still available.
CSA SEASON SCHEDULE - The harvest begins May 13 and continues for 32 weeks.  Once a week for 29 weeks that you choose, you receive a variety of vegetables, the selection changing as the season changes.  Your 29 weeks of deliveries in a 32-week season provide you the opportunity to skip weeks due to vacations, trips out-of-town, etc.  The weekly deliveries continue until December 20th. We offer two share sizes:  a Full Share (8 to 16 lbs/week), and a Half Share (4 to 8 lbs/week). 

WORKING SHARE - Full Share members commit to 16 hours of farm work during the season while Half Share members commit to 8 hours.  The CSA work usually consists of harvesting and bagging the produce and other garden chores.  There are also jobs available that do not involve physical labor, such as working on the newsletter or organizing a field day event.  Working gives you the chance to connect with “your” farm, helps the farmers with some of the more labor-intensive chores, and helps to keep operation costs lower.

NON-WORKING SHARE – For an additional cost, Full and Half non-working shares are available.

HERB SHARE – You may purchase an herb share in conjunction with your vegetable share and receive 2 bunches of herbs each week.  We grow dill, cilantro, thyme, sage, mint, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, and others.  Parsley and basil are distributed to everyone as part of the vegetable share.

PICKING UP YOUR VEGETABLES – You may pick up your food in Riner, Radford, Roanoke, Blacksburg, Floyd, or Seven Springs Farm.  Members share the responsibility of transporting the food to each location.  This means you will be scheduled to come to the farm 2 to 4 times during the season to pick up the food for the members in your area.  This is true for both working and non-working members.  Working members often schedule their work hours on the day/s they pick up food at the farm.  (If you are unable to take part in the pick up and delivery of food for any reason, please contact us.  We can make exceptions.)

VEGETABLES GROWN ON THE FARM - Below is a list of vegetables we grow, when they are in season, and the approximate number of pounds a Half Share member receives.  Remember, that every season is different so quantities vary somewhat from year to year.

Click here for a chart of- CROPS, APPROXIMATE QUANTITIES AND HARVEST SCHEDULE

CSA bags during distribution
Click to enlarge
LOW INCOME SHARE FUND – Through the generosity of CSA members, we have established a fund that allows us to give discounts to families on limited incomes who want to participate, but cannot pay the full price.  If you are interested in making a donation to this fund, please indicate this on your sign-up form.  If you would like to apply for financial assistance, please provide the necessary information on your sign-up form in the ‘Low Income Share’ box.

SIGN UP – To become a member, fill out the enclosed sign-up form. We advise joining quickly as there is limited space available. Priority is given to returning members. We accept new members on a first come, first served basis using the date we receive the registration form and deposit.

PAYMENT INFORMATION – If you can pay the full price of your share upon sign-up, please do so.  Pre-payment is important because it provides the working capital needed to purchase seed, gardening supplies, and pay employee salaries for work that begins months in advance of the first vegetable distribution.

We offer a sliding scale of prices. You may choose what you will pay within the range of prices given. It is very difficult to make a decent salary growing vegetables, so the sliding scale allows for those with the means to help subsidize the low-income share and lift the farmer's income modestly.

If you cannot pay the entire amount at sign-up, you may use an installment plan for which there is a nominal service charge, included in the payment amount.  Questions?  Call Polly at 651-3226 or our bookkeeper Kim at 540-651-2046.

ADDITIONAL FOOD AVAILABLE FROM LOCAL FARMERS– We are part of a network of small-scale farmers that market locally, and we want to help provide opportunities for you to purchase foods from other local farms.  You will find forms enclosed for fruit shares from Good Food for Good People Fruit share info, egg shares and a chance to purchase chicken, pork, turkey, and rabbit (Polly’s favorite) directly from our neighbors, the Shannons at Weathertop Farm(www.weathertopfarm.com). What we all have in common is a great interest in creating and eating from a local food supply.  Quality, nutritious food produced by our neighbors gives us security, great taste, good health, and a real sense of community.
Our budget is the basis for the share prices, and is based on the farm’s current ability to produce the equivalent of 50 full shares (or 100 half shares).

Depending on the share option you select (full, half, working, non, etc.), your weekly cost will range from $19.31 to $48.37.

Estimated budget for 2008
Capital Expenses
Head gardener labor
Other labor
Operating Costs
Supplies

TOTAL

 $2000.00
$18.000.00
$18,000.00
$ 5145.00
$12,800.00

$ 55,945.00

Click here for a chart of- CROPS, APPROXIMATE QUANTITIES AND HARVEST SCHEDULE

We invite you to visit the farm. Directions to the farm

Questions? call Polly @ 540-651-3226
Contact Polly via E letter

Return to Top / Return to Home Page / SIGN UP

Locate a CSA farm in your state.  http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/csa/csalower.htm

© 2/17/08 Ron Juftes