Community Farming
Community-supported Farm Relationship Returns
The church has begun its second year as a drop-off site for produce shares from Philadelphia Community Farms community supported agriculture (CSA). The farm is seeking people to buy shares or half shares. This is a great way to treat yourself, your family and your friends to delicious, organic vegetables that are sustainably grown with love for the earth and for the people who will consume them. As a congregation we have made a commitment to lowering the carbon footprint of our building and of our lives. The farm warmly welcomes First Universalist congregants and their families to help with weeding and other farm chores. (Call or email the farm to let them know you are coming.)
There are beautiful trails through pristine woodland on the bluffs over the St. Croix River to hike, a spring to wade in and a secluded waterfall. They offer several share options: full, half, shared.
Use this form to sign up. Contact: Judy Goebel, jkgoebel@hotmail.com
More information is available on the Philadelphia Community Farm website.
2012 Share Options
- Spring Share (3/4 bushel box for 6 weeks), $250, starts April 26
- Summer (3/4 bushel box for 18 weeks), $575, starts June 7
- Summer Partial (1/2 bushel box for 18 weeks), $375, starts June 7
- Fall Share— 6 weeks, $250
- Full Season -- 30 weeks, $1,025
Background
According to The Daily Green newsletter, the average food item on a consumer’s table in the United States has journeyed between 1,500 to 2,000 miles to get there, losing freshness, consuming fossil fuel and contributing to global warming on the way. It doesn’t have to be that way. Your food can be grown locally by a small farmer. It can be on your table within a few hours of harvest. It can be raised sustainably, by people who care about the land. Consider joining a community supported agriculture – a new relationship between farmers and consumers based on shared risk, mutual respect and stewardship values!
In addition to growing organic produce in a sustainable way, Philadelphia Farm is a therapeutic community sharing life with adults with special needs and a healing place for families and children to strengthen their relationship with nature. The farm owns and manages over 300 acres of Nature Conservancy land along the St. Croix River with diverse habitats: prairie, forest and streams, accessible by hiking trails. There are opportunities to participate in farm work and to attend several festival events held at the farm each year.