Spiritual Food CSA

              General Information                

WHY SHOULD I JOIN A CSA?

You and your family will benefit from fresh, nourishing, BioDynamic food which we call Sattwic (pure) or Spiritual food. 

You will be supporting an effort to maintain the spiritual form of agriculture, following Rudolf Steiner's agricultural course,  that not only provides the best quality of food concerning nutrient content and taste but also protects and heals the environment.

You will be contributing to build a community that actively promotes a healthy diet and a nurturing relationship between farmers and families.

With genetically manipulated food and the new watered-down organic regulations, the only sure way to insure safe food is through direct contact with a Spiritual farm.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

  • The members of the CSA provide the working capital for the farmer and share the bounty and the risk of growing food in a non-commercial way (with no synthetic chemicals: pesticides, fertilizers, etc.).
  • The total amount for the year’s harvest is given in advance to the farmer. Your CSA payment covers this and also supplements provided from other farms for your family’s needs.
  • The food is brought weekly to Bethesda and is picked up there by CSA members.  Other pick-up locations can be arranged for a group of about 30 members such as Arlington or Capitol Hill.
  • Activities to support the build up of the community such as potlucks, sharing volunteer activities, visits to the farms, etc. are part of this project.

HOW IS THE SPIRITUAL FOOD CSA DIFFERENT FROM OTHER CSA'S?

* This is a year-round CSA with 2 seasons - Summer/Fall which runs from June to November and Winter/Spring running from December through May.  Registration is for a 6 month season.

* This CSA sees small farmers as the only hope for life on the planet and BioDynamic farmers as the forefront of the effort of saving and healing the soil.  

* Food is provided from more than one farm with the vegetables coming from the main CSA farm and "supplements" such as fresh and dried fruit, grains (Bread and others), and dairy products provided from other Biodynamic sources. (If/when BioDynamic is not available, some items are provided from local organic farms)

* This CSA is rooted in a different economic paradigm that leads to elevating farmers to the important role they play for the survival of society, and establishes the foundation for different relationships amongst individuals based on principles derived from spiritual, rather than materialistic, teachings. (To learn more go to Aparigraha: A New Economic Paradigm for a Culture of Peace.

THE SEASONS AND SHARE CONTENT

The Summer/Fall season is very different from the Winter/Spring.  In Summer, a variety of fresh produce is grown and distributed throughout the 6 month season along with supplements from other farms.  For Winter, roots and other such crops are harvested in the Fall and stored for distribution throughout the Winter and Spring while a greenhouse provides fresh lettuce greens about every other week.  The supplements round out the share with items normally eaten during the off season such as more grains, dried fruit, and dairy products.  Some fresh fruit is available in winter.


The Spiritual Food CSA aims to provide a household with enough quantity and variety of food for several full meals each week plus the extra fruit, etc.  This would require a larger share and a price of about $1,000 or $38/week.  This would mean we are really satisfying our commitment to support Biodynamic farmers who care about food and the land and are providing a larger quantity of quality food for our families.  Such a change is subject to members' interest.

 

Every season is different. A CSA teaches us to eat locally and according to season, not only Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter but also year by year as food is offered by Mother Nature. Here is a sample of possibilities:

For the current season information go to the CSA website ( www.spiritualfoodcsa.org ) and click on the summer/fall or winter/spring links on the home page..

 

GETTING INVOLVED/ BUILDING COMMUNITY
A CSA is a community endeavor depending on the cooperative efforts of its members. And we do count on your support for about 4-6 hours per season. Some of the service opportunities are:

Drive the van to the farm, Set up and Clean up, Bagging supplements, Volunteer Coordinator, Recruiting new members, Newsletter, Recipes, Web site, Promotion on the Internet, Telephoning, etc.

Please inform us about your preferences on the registration form. For weekly set-up opportunities, sign up in the garage or on our Spiritual Food CSA yahoo group.
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When can we visit the farm?

Visiting the farm is an important experience for CSA members to connect with the farmer and the land that is their source of nutrition and the forces of life.

  • Driving the van – opportunities every week!
  • Farm tour will be offered – it is important to RSVP when dates are announced.
  • There are U-pick opportunities at the farm in Pennsylvania, usually in June and early July.

JOINING THE CSA
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Season:  Summer - Early June – late Nov (about 26 weeks)
Winter    - Early Dec. - late May (about 26 weeks)
Registration:
 For share price and registration, see current season information
Includes: * Vegetables from Camphill Village, Kimberton Hills, PA
* "Supplements" from other farms, e.g. fresh and dried fruit, grains, dairy products
* Transportation
Payment: * You can pay in a lump sum or installments (with post-dated checks) to be completed before the season begins.  Special arrangement can be dealt with on an individual basis.

What if I’m going out of town? 
      * Invite your friends to try spiritual food
      * We may be able to help you "sell" your share
      * A share can be prepared for you and set aside for a $2 fee.

Is home delivery possible?
        We encourage people who live in proximity to exchange this service with each other.  Weekly delivery can be arranged for neighboring states such as MD, DC, VA, DE, PA via UPS or FedEx ground shipping.

WHEN CAN WE VISIT THE FARM?
We strongly recommend all members visit the farm

  • U-pick – usually in June
  • Driving the van – opportunities every week!

  • Farm tour will be offered – it is important to RSVP when dates are announced.


  • Click Back Arrow to Return to CSA Website

Back to the Spiritual Food for the New Millennium website to learn more about what is Biodynamics and Spiritual Food and about our Mail Order Service