Fresh Food Choices Abound! - Manchester’s CSAs
Photo Courtesy of LocalHarvest
Where does your food come from? Any clue? Do you go to the large grocery store that promises fresh food or do you choose to support one of our surrounding farms and know that your food is fresh, possibly picked only hours before you shop?
In Manchester, we are blessed to be able to have so many fresh choices. This year, my family is choosing to participate in a local CSA program. Not only does this guarantee that our food is fresh, but we are also giving back to our own community and supporting our own neighbors that work so hard to feed the masses.
What is CSA?
CSA stands for community supported agriculture. CSA is a relationship of support and commitment between a farm and a community. Participants pay the farmer a membership fee at a reduced rate, which covers some production costs. In turn, members receive a weekly share of the harvest during the growing season. Both share the risks and benefits involved. By supporting your local farmer you are not only receiving healthy naturally grown food, you are helping the environment by eliminating the extra fossil fuel and packaging required to transport your store bought food over long distances.
LocalHarvest has summarized the advantages nicely:
Advantages for farmers:
- Get to spend time marketing the food early in the year, before their 16 hour days in the field begin
- Receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm's cash flow
- Have an opportunity to get to know the people who eat the food they grow
Advantages for consumers:
- Eat ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits
- Get exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking
- Get to visit the farm.
- Find that kids typically favor food from "their" farm – even veggies they've never been known to eat
- Develop a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how food is grown
The LocalHarvest website also has a very informative page on how to choose a CSA program. If you are considering a CSA for the first time, it’s a good place to start.
Below is a listing of Manchester farms that have vegetable and meat CSAs. There are other farms that serve the Manchester area or can be picked up in surrounding areas. If these do not meet your family’s needs, check out LocalHarvest or any of the other various sites. The following information was gathered from their websites and the details should be verified prior to purchase.
Two creeks organic – Mark and Amie Sanford and Martin Mongeau
http://www.twocreeksorganics.com/ 13290 Tracey Road, Manchester, MI 48158 734-678-1984Chicken CSA – http://twocreeksorganics.com/chicken_csa
Fresh whole all natural pastured chicken will be available again next season in full or half shares. Full shares will receive six chickens in May, July, and September. Half shares will receive three chickens. Giblets and necks are available on request at no extra charge.
Full Share: 325.00 Half Share: 164.00Vegetable CSA - http://twocreeksorganics.com/csa
A share is approximately a bushel and will feed two people generously or a family of four with small children. A half share is approximately a 1/2 bushel. Your share will consist of different quantities and varieties of fresh vegetables and herbs that are ripe each week of the share. We grow a large variety of crops so you may be able to try something new.
Season: 20 weeks beginning the first week in June and ending with our "gleaner's share" in mid-October. Cost: Full Share: $629.00 or Half Share: $347.00Fusilier Family Farms – Mike and Kathy Fusilier
http://fusilierfamilyfarms.com/ 16400 Herman Road Manchester, MI 48158 734-428-8982Vegetable CSA - http://www.fusilierfamilyfarms.com/content/6506
Each member will receive a basket of fresh, premium, all natural produce each week. Shares can be picked-up at some of the farmers markets we attend including Farmington, Manchester, and Livonia.
Season: The season is 22 weeks from June 1 through October. Cost: Full share: $335 due by June 1Our Family Farm – John Hochstetler
http://www.localharvest.org/our-family-farm-M15869
Contact: Farmer John
Phone: 734 428 9100
Address: 12800 Pfaus, Manchester, MI 48158
We grow over 47 different veggies, including salad mix, and herbs and a lot of family staples like potatoes, sweet corn, onions, tomatoes, carrots and beets. No GMO seeds are planted on our farm. You can rest assured that we are GMO free. Plants are really looking great this year, so don’t be left out.
Season: June through October Cost: Full Share: $525.00 or Half Share: $310.00Hand Sown Farm - Megan DeLeeuw
handsownfarm.com 18451 W. Pleasant Lake Rd, Manchester, MI 48158 Tel: 734.718.5506 Email: handsownfarm@gmail.comSummer CSA from $100 to $400
Before the beginning of the season, members invest funds into a Farm Share Account. This works much like a debit card. Visit us at any farm market we sell at during the season and purchase produce with your pre-paid account. Each purchase will deduct from your total. An additional 5% is added to your account for signing up!
Members will have access to an online market place on our website on which you may pre-order produce for your selected market that week. This allows members access to crops that are more limited or specialty.
List of crops for 2014 found here: http://www.handsownfarm.com/join-csa/
Old Pine Farm - Kris Hirth
Address: 17121 Grass Lake Road, Manchester MI 48158 http://www.oldpinefarm.com/Old Pine specializes in grass fed, organic and hormone free meat. Beef, pork, lamb, chicken and other specialty animals (such as Emu) as well as unique heritage breeds are raised at the farm.
Old Pine Farm offers grass-fed, organic, hormone-free meat in three ways:
Grass Fed, Organic Meat Bundle Program
This once- or twice-a-year program is ideal for individuals or families. You will love getting our select bundles of beef, pork, chicken and lamb (and even turkey, bison, emu, goat and duck!)
We offer one-quarter, one-half or a whole cow to stock up your freezer.
We offer half- or whole-pigs.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login