NOTE: The Veggie Coop is Full for the 2012 Season.
OVERVIEW:
Mike ordered seeds in late fall and January. Our eldest son, Louis, who has worked with us for twenty years started seeding trays in February. The transplants are ready and the weather is cooperating, unlike last year when we didn’t have four days above 20 C until mid-August. We have been setting plants outdoors for the past couple of weeks with a full crew. Last October, with no beans, fall squash or pumpkin and less than normal yields in most other things, we were ready to hang up our shovels. But here we are again, looking forward to processing applications for Veggie Coop Members for the 2012 season. We are also organizing transplants for local garden centres and back yard gardeners to help with early cash flow.
Our Gardening Centre is Open: Saturdays from 11a.m. To 5 p.m.
We invite you to bring your family or friends to the farm on Churchill Rd, Portugal Cove to see where your food is growing. If your colleagues are back yard gardeners, please let them know, they can order edible flowers, herbs, and vegetable seedlings through our web-based service. The internet address is: https://www.theorganicfarm.net
Please follow the links to the seedling order form.
You may be interested to know that the Organic Farm was featured on a recently on CBC TV’s Land and Sea. The entire episode can be viewed on line at this link:
http://www.cbc.ca/landandseanl/2012/06/rabinowitz-organic-farm.html
RETURNING MEMBERS: PLEASE RENEW BY JUNE 3!
Welcome back! We look forward to seeing you at the first pick-up Please use the membership form provided. If there are no changes, simply put your name on the form. If there are changes in bag size, phone numbers, payment schedule, who you are sharing with, address, or place for pick up, please indicate this. We look forward to connecting again – at the Science Building or the farm. Not returning? If you have not already let us know, please send a short e-mail to that effect. This will help clear the way for new members for this season.
NEW MEMBERS:
The first step is to reply to this E-mail using the membership form, even if you have written to us before. Be sure to indicate your preference for a larger or smaller bag, or if you would be satisfied with either bag size. Do this as soon as possible. This will get your name on the current waiting list for this season. Do not send money!!! until we have confirmed your membership for the 2012 Season. The priority after returning members are the people who have been on the waiting list since last season; then we will begin to process people inquiring for the 2012 Season.
WHAT ARE MY CHANCES ?
Even though we plan to reduce the number of over-all members this year, your chances are promising. Reply to this e-mail as soon as possible. The date on your reply will determine your position on the waiting list. There is usually a 25% drop out rate from season to season.
However, getting the bag size you prefer may be more challenging. In order to help us coordinate our on-farm picking and packing, we divide the over-all numbers between smaller bags and larger bags. Usually, there are more requests for smaller bags than we can accommodate.
SEASON LENGTH AND HOLIDAYS.
The 2012 Season will be 14 weeks with the option of up to 3 weeks holidays (weather permitting). Members who provide us with advanced notice for their holidays get their week(s) replaced at the end of the season. For example, members who miss one week (two or three weeks) would receive Week 15 (Weeks 15 and 16; Weeks 15, 16 and 17) as a replacement. If there is sufficient product, members who do not miss any of the regular season weeks or only missed one or two weeks, can opt to buy additional weeks at the end of the season.
COST AND BAG SIZE
As you might expect, the cost of everything we need for farming- labour, fuel, equipment purchases and repairs as well as soil building materials is increasing. We recently did a price comparison at local box stores, in prep for our price list for restaurants and were amazed at the cost of practically everything. We have a few increases in some of the individual products going into your veggie coop bag, mainly due to picking and packaging costs but there are only a few increases. Furthermore, there will be a decrease in the cost of pea sprouts. Over-all, the cost of the seasonal membership will remain the same as last season.
Small bag is $420.00 for 14 weeks, at average of 30.00 week;
Large Bag is 588.00, giving average weekly cost of 42.00.
You can arrange your payments in the form of a series of post dated checks. This is explained on the attached membership application. However, some members opt to pay the total membership fee at the beginning of the season. This helps us cover our labour costs early in the season before our crops are sufficient for group picking and distribution in the Veggie Coop.
SCHEDULE AND PLACE FOR DELIVERIES! !
Smaller bags are delivered on Mondays; the first expected date is Monday, June 25th. Larger bags are delivered on Wednesdays: First date: June 27th. On delivery days, bags can be picked up between 6 and 6:30 p.m. in the Science Building Parking Lot at MUN or anytime after 5:50 PM at the farm on Churchill Road in Portugal Cove. Arrangements around holidays, swap box, and pick-up are the same as last year and are reviewed for new members.
IF MEMBERSHIP COST IS A BARRIER!
Perhaps you are a returning member and have an income loss since last year. This has happened to other families. We have spaces for a limited number of people to help at the farm, to reduce fees or to actually barter a full fee. Whether you are a returning member or a new member and unable to afford the full fee this year, please get in touch. We may be able to partially subsidize the costs. Or if you know someone who would like to be a member but is hesitant to ask, please tell them that we feel bartering for a membership is a win-win situation. In the past, members have worked in the Farmer`s Market on Saturday, set up the website, help coordinate the veggie coop as well as volunteer on the farm on a regular basis. Or perhaps you have some special skills, such as putting data into SIMPLY accounting, or we can find a job which you can do in your home.
— WHAT NEW MEMBERS NEED TO KNOW!
What kind of produce will be in the bag?
We hope to have a good supply of most things on the price list. The Veggie Coop is one of our core markets and the one that responds best to the bio-diversity of crops which we enjoy. Some years, the most desirable crops such as green beans do well, but in other years, like 2009, the bean crop was a failure but other crops such as onions and winter squash were abundant. On the other hand, last season was so cold that only the cool weather crops were plentiful.
The Concept of a CSA.
The Veggie Coop, which is known as a CSA, Consumer Shared Agriculture, is that members trust the farmers to do the best they can. “You pay your money and take your chances.” In fact, the first CSA was a group of people, who rented a piece of land and hired a farmer to grow food for them. Sometimes member families are as disappointed as we are, if some crop do not work out, but it is important to understand that we are not a box store. We don’t simply ship in tomatoes from another supplier and pass the cost along to the members. In 2011, regardless of how much we struggled, we were not able to produce sufficient supplies of vegetables to fulfill the costs of the memberships. We were short about $10.00 for smaller bags members and more for large bag groups. To reduce the shortage, Week 15 was used for all members and there was only one holiday substitute.
What if I don’t WANT a particular vegetable or herb?
All bags have the same items. We bring a swap box to each pick-up, so members can swap the unwanted item for another item of similar value. This usually works out well since people prefer different things. For example, one member swaps their garlic for peas; meanwhile someone else is waiting to see if there is any extra garlic.
How does the pricing work?
Each item in your bag will be listed and a total provided, much like the sales receipt at the super market. Early in the year, the total for the vegetables in the bag will be less than the $30.00 or $42.00 weekly cost you have paid for. Around the first to middle of August, the total will start to increase, until it evens out. Later in the fall, the bags will be bursting with vegetables, maybe baby beets, potatoes, onions, and carrots. Hopefully, near the end of the season, there will be winter squash, pumpkin, beets, rutabaga, and parsnip.
YOUR INVESTMENT IN THE VEGGIE COOP MEMBERSHIP!
When you buy a Veggie Coop membership you are supporting a wonderful and ethical organic farm, which has provided employment for many people over the years, some of whom we have trained from scratch. One man, a father of four, had never had paid work because of a disability. This will be his sixth season. He is proud to be working and we are pleased we an provide work. We provide mentoring opportunities for people from around the world through a farm stay program. Part of our farm mission is to provide a place where old and young people can visit to see and learn about growing organically. Mike volunteers his time on Saturdays, giving free consultation to anyone who comes to learn how to use organic methods for their own gardens.
In 2008 and 2009, we hosted over 500 school children, who visited the farm to pick and taste veggies . In 2010, we helped the children at Bishop Field Elementary School make the world’s largest salad for Health week in September; along with donating salads for the Eastern Edge Art Marathon and other healthy eating campaigns.
Each year, students enrolled in the chef training course at the College of North Atlantic visit the farm with their Instructors to look and taste. People enrolled in a skills and employment program offered under the auspices of the MacMorran Community Centre, frequently visit the farm as do dozens of community garden groups. For the past four years, we have provided mentoring for high school students from St. Bon`s. The students come on Saturdays to work with Mike, then, take these skills to work in a community garden where they grow food for a local food bank.
We are active in ACORN-NL, a newly formed provincial organic network for people interested in organic farming across the province. This organization provides consultation and a way for people to get together for meetings and workshops. Presently, Mike is working with a young woman from Newfoundland, living in B.C., who volunteered on the farm last August. She is taking an on-line course in organic certification and using our farm for the land history and production set up, to learn about organic soil building and management.
The relationships we have built over the years with our many, many CSA customers is an important aspect of our history. The Veggie Coop is a large, extended family of people who have become friends of the farm. As a member of the Veggie Coop, you are helping with a collective effort that is much larger and more significant than the food we grow and the food you take home. You are part of an investment in the organic movement toward a healthier environment and a healthier life style for everyone.
Mike and Melba Rabinowitz, Co-Owners May, 2012 Phone: (709) 895-2884
Price List for Veggie Coop and private customers:
Arugula $3.00/ small bag, $6.00/ large bag
Artichokes $2.50 – 4.00, depending on size
Beans $7.00/500g
Beet greens (bunch) $5.00
Beets/ winter $2.00/500g
Beets/ novelty baby $.75 ea.(white,golden,candy strip)
Beets/ other $1.25 ea.
Black currants $6.00/cup
Broccoli $5.00/500g
Brussels Sprouts $5.00/500g or $7.50/stalk
Brussels Sprout Tops $1.75
Cabbage $1.50/500g
Carrots (baby) $2.50/bunch
Carrots (bunch) $3.50/bunch
Cauliflower $3.50/500g
Celeriac $3.50/500g
Celery $3.50/stalk
Chard $3.50/bag
Chinese Cabbage $3.00/500g
Chinese Radish $2.00/500g
Collards $4.00/500g
Corn $1.25 per ear or $6.00/ half dozen
Cucumbers (pickling) $0.60/cucumber
Cucumbers(reg.) $1.20/cucumber
Cucumbers(English) $2.00/small, 2.50/medium, 3.00/large
Elephant Garlic $13.00/500g
Fava Beans $6.00/500g
Fennel Roots $3.00 each
Garlic (regular) $1.75/bulb or $9.00/500g if plentiful
Garlic Scapes $1.25 for 3 scapes
Gooseberries $8.00/quart
Green Onions $1.80 – 2.50 bunch, depending on size
Jerusalem Artichokes $1.20/100g
Joi(Bok) Choi $2.00/500g
Kale $4.00/500g
Kohlrabi $3.00 each
Leeks $2.00 each or $5.00 for bunch of three
Lettuce $2.25 – $4.00 per head depending on size
Lettuce, washed $6.00, 250g bag
Mescalin Mix $8.00, 250g bag
Micro Greens $12.00, 100g bag
Onions/winter $1.25 – $2.00 each depending on size
Onions/winter (small) $2.00/500g
Oriental Greens $5.00, 250g bag
Parsnip $3.00/500g
Peas (edible pod) $11.00/500g
Peas (shelling) $6.00/500g
Peppers, sweet $0.50 to 2.00 each depending on size
Peppers, hot $0.33 to 1.80 each depending on size
Pak choi $2.00 – 3.00 depending on size
Potatoes-fingerling $3.50/500g if plentiful
Potatoes-regular $2.00/500g if plentiful
Pumpkin $1.50/500g
Radish (regular) $1.75/bunch
Raspberries $3.50/half pint, $6.00/pint if plentiful
Rhubarb $2.00/500g
Rutabaga $2.00/500g
Salad Mix $8.50, 250g bag
Shallots $8.00/500g
Spinach $7.00/500g
Sprouts (living) $5.00/quart
Summer Squash $2.00/500g
Tatsoi $1.75 each
Tomatoes (cherry) $5.50/pint
Tomatoes (Latah) $3.50/pint
Tomatoes(greenhouse) $4.50/500g
Tomatoes(green) $3.50/500g
Tomatillo $5.00/500g
Turnip (summer) $2.00/500g
Winter Squash $2.00/500g
Zucchini $2.00/500g
Herbs: $2.50 bunch
Herb Bouquet: $3.00
Basil $2.50/25g, $8.00/100g bag,
$18.00/250g bag, $30.00/500g
The Organic Farm grows assorted herbs, such as basil, cress, coriander, dill, curly and flat leaf parsley, several kinds of mint, oregano, rosemary, tarragon and thyme. We supply veggie co-op members with herbs as they become available including basil and herb bouquets (sample of three to five herbs). Members can order additional herbs, such as basil, by special order if we have an adequate supply. We also provide tips on drying and freezing herbs.
Specialty Items. Occasionally, other specialty items are added to the weekly collection of veggies and herbs to add interest, for example, edible flowers, recipe samples or recipes such as Tabouli with core ingredients. Members can also exchange these items for basic veggies as available if they wish.
Please download the 2012 Veggie Coop Application form here.
Summary
2012 MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS:
1. Smaller Bag at $30.00 per week for a total of $420.00 for the 14 week season.
2. Larger Bag at $42.00 per week for a total of $588.00 for the 14 week season.
PICK-UP TIMES AND PLACES:
1. Smaller Bag Pick-up: Monday, 6 PM, Science Building – Quad Parking Lot
2. Larger Bag Pick-up: Wednesday, 6 PM., Science Building – Quad Parking Lot
ALTERNATE ARRANGEMENTS.
Your Veggie Coop bag can be picked up from the farm anytime after 5:50 PM on your delivery day or held in the chill room as per your instructions. Routines will be established for dealing with various situations and contact information will be collected for each member to ensure that reminders are in place. As outlined earlier, we hope to operate for 17 weeks so that members can take up to three holidays without losing vegetables. If sufficient herbs and vegetables are available, members who don’t take holidays will be invited to purchase as many as three additional weeks at the regular weekly cost.
NEW MEMBERS.
Please fill out and return your membership application form by e-mail. Do not send any money unless you receive an e-mail confirming a place. When you get such an e-mail, then please send post-dated cheques by slow mail (Organic Farm, 42 Churchills Road, Portugal Cove-St. Phillips, NL A1M 2P6).
RETURNING MEMBERS.
You can mail your post-dated checks or bring them to the first pick up if using slow mail is not convenient. Also, please provide e-mail and phone information for all those you are sharing with to make it easier for us to find someone to pick up the veggies on nights when someone doesn’t show up. Include contact information for everyone involved in using your veggie bag. We hope to get a blog set up for the The Veggie Coop or a page on the Organic Farm Website for dialogue, recipes, farm notes and building the veggie coop extended community: www.theorganicfarm.net
