Have you ever heard of a CSA Farm? Or CSA Shares?
It’s this super cool way of support small farmers to produce unique products and wares for local people as well as through mail order and other ways of reaching folks. Simply put, you buy a share of the product bounty at harvest time, before the harvest so that the farmers have a bit more resources to make MORE good stuff for everyone! It’s this super win win situation for small growers, farmers and crafters.
It became very apparent to me as I started once again our week long agony of mowing that we need a little help to make it through this year. Our traditional sales of rocks and homeschool products and such are usually a little low during the summer. Very low really. We make it through, and then the holiday rush helps, but we have used up all our savings in buying Windhaven in the first part and then fixing her up. We’re just strapped right now. And there is no denying that we really need to do alittle tooling up. A 3 acre mini-farm is a whole lot different than a teeny mobile home lot!
So, I got to thinking while I was mowing… we should offer CSA shares of Windhaven to help us to tool up and to allow the readers a chance to get some of the goodies that we’ll be producing!
If you’re local, you’ll receive your share in fresh produce, eggs, cheese, and baked goods as well as a cool t-shirt, maybe some home brew or home grown music, crafts, soaps and some of Maggie’s awesome primitive wood crafts! If you’re not local, you can still reap the bounty with things we can mail to you… you’ll get a wonderful mystery box of goodies, like the crafts, soaps, wood works, and some of the hardy products like jams and jellies and maybe even candies or other fun stuff! You’re sure to get some beautiful mineral specimens too…. since rocks and minerals are our favorite things!
Your share purchase will help us to tool up. We have a little list of things that we need soon… we’ve been slowly acquiring them here and there, but we do need a little help. Our wish list goes as follows…
Decent Used Riding Mower
Propane Range/Stove
Chain Saw
Table Saw
Scroll Saw
Fencing
Fence Posts
Lumber
Anything over and above raised will go towards the fall heating fund as we will have to come up with some sort of heating source since our furnance is totally caputz. And yes, we’ll be using Craig’s List to find great decent used equipment to help the CSA shares go super far!
How much? We’ll let you decide that. Whatever you’d like to help with, will be a wonderful blessing and we will make up your share of the loot based on the donation amount. We’ve set up a PayPal donation button, it’s really easy that way and you can use a credit card even if you don’t have a PayPal account. Be sure to include your t-shirt size… I’ve got a sweet logo for the farm in mind and since we print shirts as one of our businesses… everyone is getting a shirt for sure!
We hope this is something fun that folks might like to help with and I’m very certain that you will have our much heart-felt thank yous for your support in our little dream here at Windhaven Farm…
We will begin to distribute our CSA boxes the first of August… and through the month of August on a first come, first served basis.
Thanks everyone for considering this!!! We really appreciate it!
Sherri, Jessy, Maggie and the Critters!!
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That sounds like an EXCELLENT IDEA !!! I would love to receive some home made..”whatevers” from the farm in exchange for a donation. Cant contribute alot..since I’m layoff from an “automotive factory” but can do some…and when things pick up..more..also well be keeping my eye out for anything you might be interested in at a fair price..E X C E L L E N T idea!
Has to be horrible to mow that yard,,I mow my by hand every week ..and it kills me..and its very small…
Linda H.
PS..Nows the time for all the small town garage sells…not sure when Fremont had theirs..I went last year and there were some mowers..also…there are always “old men” in every area that rebuild and sell mowers…cant imagine..mowing that piece of property..I wont tho..it seems you and your girls have your hands full..wouldnt this project be a “hand full?” ..good luck…its a great idea…also note..Waterville usually has their “Roche De Buf” festival around this time of the year..and the “whole town garage sale” is usually a week before or so…Im sure its posted on the net somewhere..heck..seems like everytime I go to a garage sell there is a mower..not always a rider..but..hey..Ill keep my eyes open..
Linda
Oh yes, thank you, yeah I can’t wait for some of these sales. You are so right, there are deals galore and it’s nice to have everything sort of together, lots to pick through! My biggest issue at the moment is that we’re just running real close to the budget and there’s not a lot of room left over for extras. So I’m having to be very very careful. I think the CSA shares will really help to ease that a little bit. Thanks for considering it!!!
Sherri
What a wonderful idea. I expect a modest windfall sometime soon and would love to purchase a share.
Mmmmmm, homemade soaps, maybe some baked goods, preserves, artsy-craftsy stuff………yep. Great idea. Maybe you could grow and dry some herbs. There’s a great book on herb crafts with a ton of ideas – Herbal Treasures by Phyllis Shaudys.
Oh, well thank you in advance! And I’m quite certain it will be having all sorts of delightful goodies in it! Oh yes, I love herbs, trying to get some nice ones in the ground now so that I can dry them and use them for various products! Can’t wait to get really cracking at some of the fun stuff now that we’re getting settled in and all the hard hard work of rehab is leveling out! Thanks again!!
Is there a way to participate without Paypal?
I’ve been waiting on you to do another banjo entry so I could ask this, but I’m just going to go ahead and ask now. Hopefully that’s OK. What kind of strap do you use? Not brand name, necessarily, but attachment-wise. I see cradle straps and clip straps and tie on straps and I’m brand new to this, so I’m lost. Would really like an expert’s opinion so I don’t waste my money, so here I am bugging you.
Thanks!
Sure, if you’d like to join in the CSA, you can email me for just regular credit cards, we accept them without paypal. Or you can mail in a check, something like that. However it works for you, works for us!
Ah, banjo straps… well, I am sort of a purist. I have a Levy’s Black Ponyskin flat strap. I kind of hope it’s not REAL pony, but it’s a leather strap that is flat and about 3 inches wide. I have it clipped to a head ring just under the neck in the front and then wrapped around the bottom a bit and clipped to another head bar on the bottom, using strong split rings. I like the split rings rather than say a leather lacing because it allows the heavy banjo to move easily as I move around. If that makes sense. I’d be happy to shoot a picture or two if you’d like!
Sherri
A picture would be great, yes. Thank you! Also, could you send me your mailing address for the CSA?