Extension of UBC Farm CSA Box application deadline

UBC Farm CSA Autumn Box

In response to a flurry of demand for beautiful, organically grown veggies, the UBC Farm has decided to extend the application deadline for its Community-Supported Agriculture Box Program to this Friday, June 1^st at 5pm!

This year, the UBC Farm is delighted to offer opportunities for urban CSA members to connect more closely with their food, the farm and each other through (optional) special hands-on CSA volunteer sessions.If you’re unfamiliar with how CSA programs work, check out this concise article from Lindsay Coulter (aka David Suzuki’s Queen of Green) on the topic.

Please click here for details on the UBC Farm’s 2012 CSA program.

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First Friday Harvest Day of 2011!

We had our first big Friday harvest today in preparation for our farm gate sale. Ever wonder what it takes to get all that farm-fresh produce ready for market? Check it out!

Pre-harvest team meeting

Inventory board awaiting the day’s numbers

Clean totes all stacked up thanks to a rack built by UBC Civil Engineering students

Harvest knives ready and waiting

The harvest plan

Boots ready for a rainy day

DeLisa, our Practicum Coordinator, works with practicum and UBC student Maritte to harvest mizuna

Scott, our Practicum Field Instructor, provides advice on salad harvesting technique

Rows of mizuna

A busy field of staff and practicum students!

Gemma, our Community Engagement Coordinator, shows practicum students Dan and Shaun how to harvest bunching greens

Scott and Jeff discuss salad green length

Just-picked radishes

Nasturtims bursting with colour

Practicum students Dan & Munisha learn how to wash salad greens

One last handful of arugula into the sheet for drying

Practicum students Heather and Angela wash and bunch radishes

Radish bunches look great!

Harvesting kale from the hoop house

Andrew, our Field Academic Coordinator, explains the growth habits of bunching onions to student interns and volunteers.

Taking a breather for our first Friday group lunch

Lots of egg labels prepared and ready for the cartons

Eggs waiting to be washed

Harvesting herbs from the organiponico beds

Student intern Connor and practicum student Munisha weigh and bunch asparagus

Asparagus!

Tote washing – a necessary job!

Practicum student Doug washes ruby streaks

Nasturtiums – ready to top a salad or dessert

Herbs just harvested for market

Totes of produce ready in the cooler

Yum!

Native honeysuckle (Lonicera ciliosa)

Gemma and volunteers pot up squash transplants to sell

Jacob, who coordinates our restaurant partnerships, weighs and packs greens destined for Vij’s

Marketing Coordinator Kayla works with Andrea, a UBC student intern, to prepare price signs

Tannis, our Marketing Assistant, packs CSA boxes

First CSA box looking tasty

Market stands ready to go

Andrea, our Perennial Crops Coordinator, and Scott answer questions about the produce

Kayla rings customers through

Busy market, and a busy day!

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UBC Farm 2011 CSA application now available online!

Summer CSA box.

Are you interested in eating the freshest and greenest the UBC Farm has to offer? Apply for a spot in the UBC Farm’s 2011 Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) box program. Members receive a box of fresh veggies every week starting in June for 20 weeks. This is a fantastic way to connect with your local food system, follow the seasonal changes from your table and support the UBC Farm. For full program details and to fill out an application please refer to the Farm website at http://www.landfood.ubc.ca/ubcfarm/csa.php

The deadline for applications is May 9th.

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Farm position open at Nathan Creek Organic Farm CSA

For anyone who is looking to get more experience at a farming operation this is a great opportunity. Nathan Creek is looking to hire a full-time worker for this season – free housing, flexible compensation and tons of experience await the successful applicant.

Please contact Stephen Gallagher, lead farmer at Nathan Creek, if you are intererested: stephen@nathancreek.ca.

Click through for details

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Local grain event, this Friday evening

Interested in heritage grains? Growing your own? Buying fresh, local wheat? Farm Folk City Folk is hosting an event on Friday focused on access to fresh, local grains. One of the presenters will be a UBC Farm employee who has started a local grain CSA with her partner (www.urbangrains.ca). The ticket price includes entrance, dinner, music and a number of presentations by local folks doing great things with grains.

Click through for more details!

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CSA applications now being accepted for 2008!

Amy, our Market Coordinator, has just sent out an announcement that applications to join our community supported agriculture (CSA) program are now available. The online form can be found on our website. Please be aware that as much as we’d like to serve you all, spaces are extremely limited. Preference is given to last year’s participants, and most of them are staying on board!

For those of you unfamiliar with the CSA concept: community supported agriculture systems are a method of farming in which customers make an up-front payment at the beginning of the growing season and are then supplied with a box of fresh, seasonal produce each week. It’s like buying a share in the farm, and is therefore an agreement to share in the Farm’s fate for the year – whether that means bumper crops of strawberries or tomato blight disasters.

The system benefits us farmers because it supplies funding early on in the year, a time when there is traditionally little to no income stream. For consumers, CSAs offer a way to more actively support local farmers, as well as a simple, delicious way to taste your way through the season.

More information:

New Farm published a great article in 2004 about the history and resurgence of CSA programs which can be found here.

Rent The Real Dirt on Farmer John for your next family movie night for a fun and inspiring look at how CSAs can help save the local farmer.

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