[Okc] CSA -- if you like fresh food, read on!

[Jennifer Gooden]

It looks like we have an opportunity to start a community supported
agriculture (CSA) program here in OKC, and I wanted to assess interest
on the consumer side.  With a CSA, members purchase shares in the
project up front at the beginning of the year in exchange for a weekly
supply of produce throughout the growing season.  There are several
advantages:
 
* Produce will be fresh, organic, and locally grown (not certified, but
organic principles will be used).
* Because there's no "middle man," the consumer pays less and the farmer
earns more.
* Members pay up front, which provides the farmer with money to invest
in seed and equipment.
* Members have a stronger connection with the land, knowing where their
food comes from.
* In our case, members would be supporting a nonprofit program that
provides work training and rehabilitation
  to ex-offenders who would otherwise be homeless.
 
That's business, environment, and social justice, all in one project.
Can it get more sustainable than that?
 
We're still in the early stages so I don't have many details on the
price, etc., but please do let me know if you'd be interested in
subscribing as a member.  My guess is that it will take 25 members to
make it worthwhile.
 
If you're have an interest in CSA and would like to get involved in the
planning, please drop me a line.  This is a new thing for OKC, although
it's been done in Tulsa and is very popular in some parts of the
country.  There's a lot of room for involvement at this early stage!
 
Have a nice weekend,
 
Jennifer Gooden
Program Coordinator
The Homeless Alliance
 
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