USDA | Yellow Stonehouse Farm CSA

Looking out the window in the middle of March 2017 – this is what we see … a beautiful snowy day at the farm.

But it’s almost Spring, the days are lasting longer and we are dreaming of warmer days and the farm’s first early vegetables – asparagus, peas, young lettuces and tender radishes.

After the carb fest called Saint Patrick’s day (so tasty as our bodies crave carbs this time of year) we yearn for fresh vegetables and are frustrated; they aren’t especially fresh having been trucked in from Florida and Georgia and then sitting on grocery shelves a little too long. We’re hoping those of you who were members last year, managed to get a few items in your freezer to remind you of the deliciousness of farm fresh organic produce. I know when John and I open a container of my homemade garlic scape pesto or squash, pepper and tomato soup base we are transported back to the warmth & sunshine of last summer.

Healthy eating is a big benefit of CSA membership in our USDA certified organic farm and a primary reason for the creation of our CSA five years ago. We wanted to share farm fresh organic food with the local community. CSA means Community Supported Agriculture. Shareholders join before the start of the season so farmers can plan what & how much to grow – ordering seeds is a big project as there are many choices, and it helps with the cost of seeds and labor to get the season started. CSA members are later rewarded with the fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers of our labor. Our CSA is set up to run for 20 weeks beginning the week of June 7, 2017 (weather permitting) and ending in October. Two options are available – an Every Week Share for $650 and an Every Other Week Share for $450.00.

Members pick up their share at the on-farm market style distribution area, where that week’s produce, picked fresh for them at the peak of ripeness, is arrayed in bins for shareholders to select from. Each week’s produce is accompanied by recipes, nutritional information and preparation suggestions customized to that week’s unique share. An added bonus are Pick-Your-Own crops such as peas, cherry tomatoes and beans not to mention the beautiful flowers and aromatic herbs included with every CSA membership.

We carefully balance each weekly share to provide a variety of vegetables and field fruits to support a healthy diet for you and your family. You’ll receive coveted items such as asparagus, strawberries and rhubarb, corn, garlic scapes, delicate lettuces, juicy melons and a myriad of tomatoes. If you receive too much in one week, you can always freeze or can it for that distant winter day when you’re craving a summer treat.

Here are the specifics for Yellow Stonehouse Farm’s Spring/Summer CSA 2017

New shareholders are being accepted until the program is filled
Season runs from early June through October 2017
You select your preferred pick-up date: Wed., Thurs., or Friday from 3:00 pm to 6:30 pm or Saturdays from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm
You can elect to “share” a share with another family. See details on shareholder application.
If you cannot pick up your share, you can make arrangements to pick up at another time or have someone else pick up for you — if you send us an email a few days in advance.

Stay warm and Happy Spring. I know that’s a contradiction … do enjoy this picture of Spring daffodils.

Best,

Connie

In the last two columns I’ve laid out the reasons why Yellow Stonehouse Farm became a USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Certified Organic Farm and CSA. This week I’m writing about what it takes to become certified! You see, being USDA Certified Organic is a lot more than just saying your farm is organic.

To become USDA certified Organic, farms have to prove they have been following organic practices for 3 years. For that entire time, we had to maintain records on everything purchased and used at the farm as evidence it was either approved by the USDA or certified organic itself (i.e. seeds, compost, fertilizers, etc.), so that our crops in turn could become a certified organic product. In order for our vegetables to be organic, our entire supply chain has to be organic. Then – to get the certification – we have to complete a series of forms and affidavits attesting that our operation conforms to USDA organic regulations and prove everything we used was organic, and finally, submit to an examination by a “Certifier”, in our case Baystate Organic Certifiers.

If you think this sounds like a paperwork nightmare, you’re right! Becoming USDA Certified Organic is a painstaking process, requiring detailed paperwork and bookkeeping on top of working to find organic suppliers, and not using chemical short cuts to increase productivity (herbicides) and eliminate pests and disease (pesticides and fungicides).

Perhaps the most exasperating component of the process is the fee to become certified! In addition to the many hours of labor required for documentation and filing (which we figure is worth around $2000.00), we also had to pay an initial certification fee of over $1000.00 and then an annual re-certification fee every year thereafter. Isn’t it ironic that the farmers using healthy and sustainable practices have to pay a fee – while those who are using pesticides, insecticides and farm without regard for sustainability, don’t have to pay anything.

Despite the cost and time, being USDA Certified Organic is something we are proud of. Our certification provides our customers confidence that the vegetables we grow meet a set of organic criteria confirmed by an outside agency. We want a farm safe for us, our workers, members and the bees, butterflies, birds and animals we share the land with. We think the USDA Organic certification process provides the assurance that our vegetables are safe and healthy – not to mention delicious.

Yellow Stonehouse Farm CSA

Coexisting Harmoniously with the Native Wildlife

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