2012-2013 WINTER SHARES ARE NOW ON SALE!
Half Share (4 bulk items) $197
Full Share (8 bulk items) $397
Monthly Pick-Up - November 2012 - May 2013
Mondays 5 - 7pm - Uptown Waterloo (TBD)
Please contact us to register.
How do I sign up for the CSA?
It is as simple as printing this form and mailing it along with your deposit to:
Transpire Organic Farm & Wellness
#4B - 4 Gordon Ave.
Kitchener, ON
N2H 1N8
What is a CSA? How does it work?
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It can be likened to a magazine subscription. You pay up front and in return you receive an agreed to number of weeks of fresh high-quality produce straight from the farm! This helps the farmer off-set the expenses at the beginning of the season (seed, advertising, soil preparation, etc.) while guaranteeing you a share in the bounty!
Vegetables are picked at their prime - full of all their nutrients and flavour!
Due to all the variabilities in farming, a CSA guarantees a farmer the necessary income to continue farming from year to year and shares the risk with the consumer. Bumper crops lead to extra veggies and a savings to you as the consumer however less prosperous years lead to less veggies in your share. Generally a shortage of veggies is not an issue but it is part of the CSA model!
With a decreasing number of Ontario farmers each year, supporting farmers helps to ensure we don’t continue to lose farmers and high-value farm land.
Why would you want to participate?
- Direct knowledge of where your food comes from
- Help to support small-scale organic farming
- Receive exceptionally fresh and tasty vegetables grown close to home
- Help to guarantee a farmer the necessary income to continue farming from year to year
- Build community around your food & meet new people
- Sample new and interesting vegetables NOT available at the grocery store
- Access to surplus veggies through U-Pick
- Savings on the cost vegetables
- Develop a relationship with your grower and be able to actively participate in the farming process in different ways
- Learn more about farming and agriculture and the work that goes into your food
- Support your local economy
- Be inspired by knowing you are taking positive social and environmental action!
CSA Details
Summer CSA
The Summer CSA will run for 20 weeks from approximately the end of June to the end of October. I offer four share sizes.
- 'I Dabble in Veggies' Share – suitable for 1 adult – $309 (~ $15/wk)
- 'I Know a Little Something About Eating Veggies' Share - suitable for 2-3 adults - $412 (~ $20/wk)
- 'I Can Hold My Veggies' Share - suitable for 4 adults - $515 (~ $25/wk)
- 'I Am Serious About My Veggies' Share - suitable for 4+ adults, veggie lovers, or those that preserve the bounty - $618 (~ $30/wk)
Pick up locations:
- Monday’s from 3-4pm New Hamburg
- Monday's from 5:30-7pm Uptown Waterloo (exact location TBA)
- Thursday afternoons at the NEW Uptown Waterloo Farmers’ Market from 3-7pm.
Winter CSA
Transpire Organic also offer a winter CSA Share. Shares are divided into monthly pick-ups starting the end of November and running till May.
Full shares are $397 and half shares are $197.
If bought in conjunction with a summer CSA share in the spring, a savings of $50 off a small share and $30 off a small is offered:)
*Note that if you are unable to pick up your share on your designated pickup day, you are welcome to arrange for someone else to pick it up or pick-up at the pick-up immediately following your designated day (i.e. the following Thursday for a Monday pick-up or the following Monday for a regular Thursday pick-up). If you cannot make arrangements for pickup, your share will be gifted to a local charity.
What's in the box?
Click here for a list of the veggies to be grown with anticipated harvest dates throughout the summer and winter season.
The following vegetables will be grown at Transpire Organic Farm:
Basil, Beans, Beets, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Broccoli Raab, Brussel Sprouts, Cabbage, Carrots, Cilantro, Cucumbers, Dill, Eggplant, Garlic, Ground Cherries, Kale, Leeks, Lettuce, Onions, Parsley, Peas, Peppers, Radishes, Scallions, Shallots, Swiss Chard, Spinach, Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Tomatillos, Turnips, Winter Squash.
How to get involved?
If you are interested in becoming a CSA member for the 2012 growing season please contact Candace to reserve your spot at info@transpireorganic.ca or by phone at 519-496-2171.
When my son told me that Candace was starting up her own organic produce business, I was interested right from the start. I had helped Candace a few times when she was running a community garden at U of W. At the time I was impressed with her knowledge and her work ethic. I decided to sign up for a share in Candace's garden, as I believe that farming without chemicals is the only way we should be growing food.
The weekly summer shares were more than adequate. Often the supply of veggies forced me to be creative and try new recipes, like Russian Beet Salad (very yummy). It also made me and my husband, who favourite foods are meat and cheese, eat more vegetables, which was a good thing. I used the easiest recipes.
I also think is is important to support local food growing initiatives. What would happen if we lost our supply of food from the US and other countries? Would we be able to feed ourselves? Thank you Candace for all your hard work this year. Not many people would be able to "walk a mile" in your farm boots! Looking forward to another great year of eating, while I am still enjoying the fruits of this past one.
Sincerely,
Roseanna Rigo