Welcome to the Cromwell Valley CSA! You have joined a wonderful group of farmers and member who are committed to good eating while practicing sustainable farming techniques. As a CSA member, you will learn about sustainable agriculture and participate in the running of an organic farm. You will meet lots of other interesting people in the garden and in our many get-togethers. You will also, of course, eat a lot of healthy organic vegetables! You will learn how to the cook veggies you've never seen before, with our help. Lastly, we hope that you'll come away with a deeper understanding of the mutually beneficial relationship we can have with the land, to keep the Earth and ourselves healthy.
As you may know, Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a movement that connects producers (the farmers) with consumers (you!) directly. By sharing the risks of farming with members, farmers do not need to go into debt. Consumers know that their food is healthy, fresh, organic, and local. By using sustainable practices and reducing the waste of transporting food over long distances, we make the Earth a better place for all of us.
The Cromwell Valley CSA is a unique version of this movement. We were founded by Earthome, a non-profit group concerned with sustainable agriculture and environmental issues. Our farm is located on a public park operated by Baltimore County. This arrangement makes us a public-private partnership that preserves valuable farmland while educating the public about sustainable agriculture. It's a win-win situation for everyone.
This guide was developed by CSA members to help all of us fully understand the background, philosophy, and policies of the Cromwell Valley CSA. In this guide we will tell you all the logistical information you need to know as a member of the CSA. In addition, we will give you background information on the CSA movement, Earthome, and the Cromwell Valley Park. By the end of this guide, you should understand why and how the CSA does what it does, and how you can become an active member!
The History. After the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks (DRP) acquired the three farms that became the Cromwell Valley Park, members of Earthome approached DRP and expressed interest in starting a CSA. Earthome was interested in having an opportunity to demonstrate the principles of sustainability on which it was founded. Earthome and DRP negotiated a lease, signed in early 1998, in which Earthome agreed to manage about 60 acres of the park as an educational farm in conjunction with DRP employees (such as the park naturalist and caretaker). Earthome is responsible for caring for the two draft horses, April and Lorrel; haying and mowing in some parts of the park; and other chores on the property. As part of the lease, up to 10 acres of the Cromwell Valley Park are set aside for the Cromwell Valley CSA. The lease also allowed the CSA farmers to live on-site in buildings on the property.
Once the county okayed the development of a CSA, interested members of Earthome and other volunteers went to work to make it happen. Two farmers, Brian Hughes and Jenny Siebenhaar, were recruited from another CSA in Pennsylvania, along with a member of that CSA, Dick Frost, who wanted to become involved in farming. After the first season, an intern, Matt Hicks, joined the farming team, bringing the number of regular farmers up to four. A second-year intern, Kevin McGraw, is also planning to stay on.
Once the lease was signed, the farmers and volunteers went to work building fences and greenhouses and preparing the land for planting. In our first growing season, 1998, we faced many challenges typical of a new CSA. The land needed many organic amendments to improve the soil. The entire administrative structure of the CSA - the accounting system, member databases, processes for communicating with members, etc. - had to be developed. Despite some bumps along the way, we were successful in pulling all of this together, and the CSA had a successful first two seasons. The year 2000 is our third year of operation, and we hope to extend the lease with the county and continue this CSA over the long term.
The Interns. One purpose of the CSA is to educate the public about sustainable agriculture. The CSA also focuses on educating future farmers about organic agriculture. Each season we have two interns that work with the farmers, learning about organic techniques (and providing much-needed labor on the farm!). These interns are paid small stipends which are supported by tax-deductible contributions from members and other donors. This year's interns are Kathie Leck and Jason Auer.
The Vegetables. The CSA grows a wide range of organic veggies. Most are started from seed in our on-site greenhouse; a few others are ordered as seedlings from an organic supplier. Many are "heirloom" varieties that aren't usually grown commercially, but are often better suited to organic farming. Some of these varieties look and taste different that the ones you get in the grocery store, but most members enjoy trying the different varieties.
The list of vegetables grown include: arugula, beans, beets, bok choi, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, celeriac, collards, cucumbers, eggplant, fennel, garlic, herbs (including thyme, basil, dill, parsley, savory, cilantro, sage, margoram, oregano, and others), kale, lettuce, mustard greens, onions, parsnips, peas, peppers, potatoes, radishes, rutabaga, scallions, spinach, squash (summer and winter varieties), sweet potatoes, swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips. Each year we try to add new things or modify the types and varieties of vegetables that we grow. We have not done corn in the past, in part because it requires a lot of land and is hard to grow organically. Last year we planted asparagus, which should start to yield crops in the 2001growing season.
Members often ask whether we grow fruit. In the first two years, we did not actively grow fruit. There are a number of old apple trees on the property and members are encouraged to pick as many as they'd like. We would like to add fruit to our offering and are planning to plant bramblefruit (such as raspberries) this year that would begin to produce in 2001.
Please note that all of the produce grown on the farm is distributed to CSA members only. We do not sell any of the produce! Any uncollected vegetables on harvest day are donated to soup kitchens and homeless shelters, if there is sufficient volume.
The Eggs. Starting this year, we are offering an exciting new product to CSA members: eggs! Last year we bought 40 chickens to add to our sustainable farming techniques. Chickens (in small numbers) can both fertilize the ground as well as eat bugs in the fields. You'll see our chickens around the farm in their mobile chicken coop. We have four heirloom varieties: Spitzhaubens, Dominiques, Partridge Rocks, and Silver Lace Wyandotes. These chickens are free range. For members who are interested in eggs, they will be available for sale for $2.50 a dozen. (This covers the cost of their organic feed). Since we will get around 15 dozen a week, members will probably be able to buy a dozen eggs once every two months or so. We will keep track of who has purchased eggs to make sure everyone has the opportunity to buy some. (We can always use donations of egg cartoons to help us out with our egg distribution!).
The Members. The CSA has a total of 180 memberships, 170 paid shares and 10 work exchange shares. Members pay $380 a year for a share (or $415 if they do not want to contribute 5 hours of work ) which feeds about 2-4 people (depending on how many vegetables you eat!). Many of our members split their share among friends or neighbors - for example, there are quite a few single shares split by two couples. We also sell double shares for $680. These are intended for large families and cannot be shared. A limited number of work-exchange memberships are made available each year to allow people who would rather work for their food than pay. There are 10 work exchange memberships in 2000.
The Budget. Members often ask about the share price is determined. Each year the farmers and core group members (see section on core group below) determine the budgeted cost for operation of the farm, including payment for the farmers and all other costs associated with the garden. That total budget is then split by the total number of shares to be sold to determine a share price. The price of a share has increased slightly over the three years of the CSA's existence.
We do everything we can to keep the price as low as possible. There are no paid staff at the CSA (besides the farmers, and they're not paid much - only about $8000 per farmer in total annual salary!). So all the administrative work - like mailing letters, keeping track of the members, answering the voicemail, and so on - is done by CSA members who volunteer their time. Also, some of the mailing and copying we require is donated by members.
In response to those who ask why the CSA produce may seem expensive relative to grocery store produce, we remind people that prices in the grocery store are kept artificially low by all the subsidies we provide to factory farming in this country, including direct payments to farmers as well as the subsidies for gasoline and highways that allow the produce to be shipped long distances. So you are paying more for produce from the grocery store - through your taxes! Also, most agriculture in this country is non-sustainable - it depletes the soil and poisons the environment. Our organic farm does less harm to the environment, so it's less "expensive" to the earth in the long run. We also want to emphasize that by joining the CSA, you get more than vegetables. You become part of a community of people interested in healthy eating, land preservation, organic farming, and improving the quality of life for everyone's children.
The 2000 Cromwell Valley CSA Budget
INCOME:
surplus from 1999 $2000
8 double shares x $680 $5440
146 single shares x $380 $55,480
(note: 8 three-year capital shares sold in 1998)
20 nonworking shares x $35 $700
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TOTAL INCOME $63,620
EXPENSES:
total farmers compensation $35,200
insurance $1000
seeds and plants $3025
soil and plant care $4000
noncapital growing supplies $600
repairs and maintenance $1425
fuel $550
tractor lease $250
office - mailing, postage, etc. $1000
building improvements and repair $700
irrigation $3000
tractor and farming implements $8875
hand tools and equipment $2610
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TOTAL EXPENSES $62,235
The Community. Since part of the mission of the CSA is building community, the CSA together with Earthome and the Cromwell Valley Park sponsor a number of events and gatherings during the year. The farmers host a potluck for CSA members on the first Saturday of most months at 6 p.m. at the Merrick House. There is usually an Earth Day festival and a Fall Festival at the park, and some years there is a May Day festival as well. Earthome sponsors seasonal celebrations such as winter and summer solstice celebrations. In addition, there are other occasional events - for example, in 1999 the farmers hosted a pancake breakfast for CSA members.
The first thing that most new CSA members want to know is how the vegetable pick-up works. One thing you should know is that we're serious about this idea of sharing the risk and the bounty. Every week, you will get a variety of things, but some weeks you'll get a lot of produce, and some weeks you'll get just a little. Some vegetables will do well some years and not others. As consumers, we will have to deal with whatever grew that week. That's what regional and seasonal agriculture is all about.
Before the season starts, we ask every member to decide whether they want to pick up on Tuesday or Friday throughout the growing season. Please note that once you've committed to a day, it is important that you stick with that day. Each harvest day, we carefully divide the harvest to accommodate the number of members picking up that day, and if you try to switch days, you may be taking someone else's vegetables! If you are not going to be available on your pick-up day, we encourage you to ask a friend or neighbor to pick up your share for you. For members facing exceptional circumstances, we will try to be flexible about switching days, but you must contact us ahead of time.
Once we know the date of the first pickup, we will send a letter or postcard to all members. Typically the first pickup is in late May or early June, depending on the weather. We usually can predict the first pickup by mid-May, so you should expect to be notified around then. Pickups usually go until early to mid-November.
Here's how the harvest and pickup work: each Tuesday and Friday, the farmers pick everything that is ready to harvest. They then divide the total amount of each vegetable by the number of members picking up that day to determine how much each share should get. Again, remember that everything we grow is distributed to CSA members only - we do not sell any of it to anyone else!
Here's what members need to do:
1. Make sure to bring bags. We do not provide bags to carry the veggies (although we try to keep a few extra around for folks who forget. Donations of bags are appreciated!). We suggest you bring several bags, since you may want to bag different vegetables separately.
2. Show up on your pickup day any time between 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.. The distribution area is the Apple Shed on the Sherwood property.
3. Check off your name on the check-off list when you get to the distribution shed. This way we can keep track of who's picked up. You can send a friend or neighbor to pick up for you, but make sure they check off your name (and know the rules of pickup).
4. Pick up a weekly newsletter. This one-page newsletter will have a list of the veggies you're getting that week, updates from the farmers, recipes, and a calendar of upcoming events (including work days and potlucks).
5. Look for the signs over the bins in the shed which will tell you what to take. How much you should take of each may be by weight or by quantity -- for example, one head of lettuce, two pounds of kale, or one eggplant. All amounts will be for a single share. If you have a double, double the amounts.
6.Take your veggies, use the scales to weigh out the veggies that need to be weighed. All of the bins of veggies will be labeled so you'll know what's what. There will usually be volunteers available at the shed to help you if you have questions.
7.Use the surplus table! If there is something that you don't like, there will be a table off to the side where you can put your unwanted portion. Other members who like your unwanted veggie can take it. And you can take anything that you like from the table. If you don't like something, we encourage you to weigh it out and put it on surplus table. Last year we had many people who didn't like certain veggies who simply left the unwanted veggies in the bins, and other members who might have wanted them didn't know the veggies were available. Then the farmers are left with uncollected vegetables at the end of the pickup day.
8. Go home and eat! We will try to help you cook unfamiliar veggies with recipes and cooking tips.
The CSA Movement
Imagine a means of producing food for the sustenance and well-being of a community which shares the cost and risks of food production among the members of the community. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a mutually beneficial relationship between farmers and members. The support of a community of members frees farmers to devote their energies to sustainable farming practices, which in turn provides members with safe, nutritious, fresh produce. By providing financial support before the season begins, CSA members share the risk of poor harvests and enjoy the surplus of abundant harvests. This consumer support frees farmers from the burden of debt while providing the nourishing food we all need.
Community-supported agriculture is an idea that has spread across the nation over the last decade. The idea of CSAs first arose in Japan and came to the United States in the mid-1980s. There are now an estimated 1000 CSAs across the country. CSA is an alternative to factory farming, over-reliance on chemicals and pesticides, the loss of fertile agricultural land, and the pollution and waste that come when our food is shipped thousands of miles to reach us.
Members of a CSA pay one annual fee and then pick up fresh organic vegetables every week during the growing season. The idea has several benefits. Farmers receive their capital upfront and do not need to go into debt. The risks of farming are shared with members, who get more vegetables in good years and fewer in difficult years. Members have access to lots of seasonal fresh veggies picked that day. Members know that their food is being grown organically and locally, rather than being treated with pesticides and shipped for thousands of miles.
Another part of the CSA movement is building community - the members of a CSA work together in the garden and hold regular gatherings, potluck dinners, and seasonal celebrations. Most CSAs are managed by a core group of CSA members who volunteer to do different administrative and organizing tasks. Many CSAs also require each member to do some work in the garden, since this is a valuable way to build community and educate members.
The CSA Work Commitment
What are CSA Work Hours? Most members of Cromwell Valley CSA have opted to contribute a minimum of five hours (or ten hours if you purchased a double share) over the course of the growing season. A few members have opted out of the work hours by paying an extra $35 (for a single share). These hours can be done at any time over the growing season from May to November.
The reason for the work hour commitment is to get CSA members to come to the farm and spend some time working in the garden. We want members to understand how their food is grown, meet other members and the farmers, and generally feel the greater connection to the CSA that comes from participating actively. The labor contributed by the work hours is very helpful to the farmers, but our main reason for asking for your time is to educate and engage our members. We've found that most members really enjoy their work hours and many contribute far more than the required five hours!
What kind of work can I do to fulfill the hours? The work is varied! It could include:
· All kinds of work in the garden and greenhouse, including planting and harvesting, and maintaining plants (for example, weeding, tying up tomato plants, etc.).
· CSA administrative work, such as helping with mailings, copying, or phone calling.
· Manning the distribution shed during pickup hours (Tuesdays and Fridays, 1-7).
· Other work around the farm, like maintaining farm equipment and cleaning .
We will do everything we can to find work tasks appropriate for members who have physical restrictions that make work in the garden difficult, or for parents with young children. However, we strongly encourage everyone who can to do at least some of their work hours in the garden. It's what our CSA is all about!
When can I do my hours? There are plenty of options for doing your work hour commitment. First, the farmers always need help at harvest time (Tuesdays and Fridays starting at around 6 or 7 a.m. and going until noon). Second, the farmers will set up regular workdays - typically, certain Saturdays from 9 - 1. These days will be listed in the newsletter that you will pick up at the distribution shed every week when you get your vegetables. Third, the farmers will be happy to schedule a special time for you to do your work hours. For all of these options, it is helpful to call the farmers directly at (410) 887-8303 to RSVP for a harvest or work day or to set up a special time. Please note this is a different number than the main CSA number!
How do I record my hours? It is very important that you record your work hours in the master log. The master log sheet will be in the distribution shed at all times. It will have the name of every member who is supposed to contribute hours, and will have columns for you to record the dates and number of hours when you worked. Since the work hour commitment is an honor system, we depend on you to do this.
What if I don't do my hours? Periodically throughout the season, we will check the master log to see how members are progressing on their work hours. Volunteers will call members who are not recording hours to see if we can help find opportunities for members to fulfill their hours. At the end of the season, members who have not fulfilled their hours will be asked to pay the $35 that nonworking members must contribute!
The CSA Core Group
The Core Group is a subset of CSA members who make decisions about the CSA and who take care of all the administrative functions of the CSA.
The first important thing to remember about a CSA is that it is your organization. Legally, it is a type of cooperative, meaning that it is owned by its members. And that means you. So as a shareholder, you can and should participate in all the decision-making about the farm and its operations. The vehicle for participating is the Core Group.
The second important thing to remember about the Core Group is that we have no paid staff. The farmers are paid (and not much), but only to farm. Everything else that the CSA does - maintaining membership lists, recruiting members, planning events, sending out mailings, producing a newsletter, managing the accounting and finances - is done by volunteers who are part of the Core Group. We need your help!
Absolutely anyone who is a CSA member can join the Core Group - it is completely voluntary and self-selected. There are no elections or selections of any kind. All you have to do is show up at one of the meetings. We strongly encourage all members to come to at least a few meetings just to get a sense of how things work, and to get more involved if you are so inclined. It can be as big or as small a commitment as you want. There are lots of projects that need to be done - for example, working on the newsletter, organizing member social events, doing outreach to promote the CSA and the concepts it stands for, and working with soup kitchens to distribute leftover CSA produce to homeless and low-income families.
Core Group meetings are usually on the fourth Sunday of every month at 7 p.m. at the Eck House (on the Christmas tree farm). The meetings take place year-round, since there is still a lot of work to do outside of the growing season. If you cannot make the meetings, let someone at the CSA know that you're interested - we can find ways to involve you without being at meetings!
Earthome
(adapted from the Earthome website)
Earthome is a non-profit educational organization based in Baltimore, Maryland, that is built on the premise that the most critical task of the next 50 years is to build a sustainable Earth-human relationship. Earthome members work to make this vision a reality in the Chesapeake bio-region through research and educational projects.
Earthome was founded about fifteen years ago as an informal group of people interested in environmental issues. In 1995, Earthome became a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Earthome has no paid staff and is run entirely by volunteers. Membership is open to anyone. Dues are $35 per year for individuals and $50 per year for couples (dues and other contributions are tax-deductible). Earthome's activities are primarily educational but include management of agricultural lands in the Cromwell Valley Park owned by Baltimore County.
Earthome believes that the most critical task of the next fifty years is to build a life-sustaining relationship between humans and the Earth. Earthome's mission is to discover, live, and communicate what is needed to meet this challenge. This vision presents humans with enormous challenges and opportunities in the way we work, live, feed ourselves, and educate our children. It will require the transformation of our current culture, which is based on endless "growth" and the never-ending consumption of human and natural resources. Earthome is a local response to this global challenge.
An early project of Earthome was The Earth in Every Classroom Project. The project goal was to place a framed photograph of the Earth in every classroom in the Baltimore City and Baltimore County public school systems. The photographs were accompanied by classroom materials, approved by the city and county school systems, specifically tailored to assist the teachers in using the photograph as a teaching tool. The project placed photographs of the Earth taken from space in over 7500 classrooms in the Baltimore City and Baltimore County public school systems.
Currently, a major focus of Earthome is the Earth Learning Center located at the Baltimore County Cromwell Valley Park. The purpose of the Earth Learning Center is to teach and demonstrate how people can live more sustainably in harmony with the Earth. The Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) project is an example of this. The CSA, while now legally separate from Earthome, was started by Earthome members, and the two organizations are now connected informally through members who belong to both. In conjunction with the CSA, Earthome provides educational opportunities for schools in Baltimore County by hosting class trips during which the students see how food is produced.
Earthome also offers seminars and courses on a variety of topics on reducing the demands of our culture on the resources of the planet. Earthome has sponsored seminars on Earth-friendly investment opportunities, understanding our bioregion, the environmentally sound household, vegetarian cooking, the safety of our food supply, voluntary simplicity, deep ecology, and genetically engineered food. Earthome also sponsors seasonal celebrations such as winter and summer solstice celebrations at the park.
Cromwell Valley Park
(adapted from the CVP website)
The Cromwell Valley CSA is located on a Baltimore County park, the Cromwell Valley Park. This 366-acre stream valley park is comprised of pasture, open fields, woods, hedgerows, cultivated fields, and floodplain. This diverse habitat makes the park an excellent area for many kinds of wildlife. There are many species of raptors such as the red-tailed hawk, kestrel, and great horned owl, which prey on a healthy population of small mammals such as rabbits, deer mice, and meadow voles. Deer and fox are also plentiful. Song birds which can be seen in the park include the Baltimore oriole, bobolink, meadowlark, indigo bunting, eastern bluebird, and many others. The belted kingfisher and great blue heron are often seen around the stream.
Located in the Minebank Run stream valley, the area has been settled since the early 1700s and used primarily for farming. Some iron ore mining took place in the stream valley with the largest of at least four mines located at the stream's starting point - hence the name Minebank Run. This valley became a production area for building whitewash and agricultural lime due to an easily quarried supply of Cockeysville marble, which readily turned into lime when cooked. The lime kilns in the valley operated until the 1920s and were owned by the Jenifer and Shanklin families. The remnants of several of these lime kilns are still visible today in the park.
Today's park was acquired from three property owners between March of 1993 and December of 1994, in a cooperative effort involving Baltimore County and the State of Maryland. Largely funded through the State's open space program, the purchase included land from three property owners, including prominent Baltimore banker Robert Merrick. The Merrick parcel features a house built in the mid-1800s by A.W. Shanklin, who named it the Willow Grove Farm. The Sherwood Farm, which comprises the center 102 acres of the park, was purchased from the heirs of Mrs. Frances Wellington Sherwood. On this property sits the gorgeous Sherwood House, which dates from 1935 and was designed by the Baltimore architectural firm of Palmer and Lamdin. The Sherwoods operated a gentleman's farm, raising chickens, eggs, pigs, dairy cows, apples, peaches, celery, and other produce; most of these products were available to the public for sale. The third property, the "Good Fellowship Farm," was purchased from Mr. Franklin Eck, who operated a Christmas tree farm. The tree farm is still operated within the park, with trees sold during the holiday season.
The Sherwood Farm entrance is located at 2002 Cromwell Bridge Road. The Willow Grove Farm entrance is located at 2175 Cromwell Bridge Road. The phone number at the park office (Sherwood House) is (410) 887-2503.
Directions to Cromwell Valley Park: From Interstate 695 take exit 29A. Turn left onto Cromwell Bridge Road. Go past Loch Raven High School and Recreation Center and look for signs on the left. The Sherwood Farm entrance is first (2002), and the Willow Grove Farm entrance follows at 2175.