2010 COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE INFORMATION

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a way to directly link farms with customers. CSA “members” purchase a share of the farms harvest in advance of the growing season, when the farm incurs the bulk of its costs. In exchange for this "seed" money, members enjoy fresh packed boxes of farm produce during the growing season. CSA members enjoy a selection of what the farm has to offer (between 6 and 10 items). In exchange for member support the farmer commits to working hard, providing shares of the harvest to members, and developing connections between farm, farmer, and members. This community effort helps makes small scale agriculture viable.

We are working on putting together the sign-up information for the 2010 CSA season. Send us an e-mail now to let us know of your interest, and we will send you the information as soon as it is available (early 2010).

Basic details that are most likely going to be in place:

- 20 – 24 week long CSA season (June – October)

- Home delivery or farm pick up of share (Orting)

- Pre-pay for your share with a debit style system

o This means you can get a share every week or every other week, skip a week for vacation, and/or add extra items to your share when wanted; for each week you get a share and each item you add to your share, we will debit your account. When your account runs low, add money to it again

o Pre-payment supports the farm during its season of low – no income

o Pre-payments of a certain amount may receive a small credit for doing so

- Weekly cost of share will be approximately $25

Thank you for your interest! We are looking forward to next season, and hope that you will be a part of it!

tahomafarms@gmail.com

(253) 376-8604

Tickets Available for Harvest Celebration BBQ and Barn Dance

Get your tickets now for Tahoma Farms harvest celebration and barn dance! Saturday October 3rd after the Harvest Fest. Join us for foot stomping music and a BBQ dinner featuring grass fed beef burgers and vegetables from the farm.

Music is from 4pm - 9pm. (featuring The Siderailers, The Blackberry Bushes and more TBA, check back soon for details).

Dinner is from 5pm - 7pm.

Tickets are available here for $25. Children 5-12 are $10. Under 5 are free. Please help us plan by buying your tickets in advance! Tickets will be available the day of the event for $30.

Non-alcoholic beverages are included in the ticket price; a cash bar will also be available or you are welcome to bring your own beverages.

Join Us For Harvest Fest

It's hard to believe it is already this time of year - the greenhouses are empty, we are preparing ground to plant cover crop seed for the winter and ordering garlic seed. The summer season is over - it's time to celebrate the bounty of the year!

On Saturday, October 3rd we are hosting a harvest fest event at the farm! Come join us to take a tour of Tahoma Farms, pick your pumpkins out of the pumpkin patch, stock up on greens and fall veggies, warm up with some homemade tamales and apple cider.

We've been waiting all season long for the time of year when we would be able to step back, take a deep breath and enjoy all of the accomplishments of the last 6 months. We hope we can share it with you!

Hours:
10am-5pm

Location:
Tahoma Farms
21108 Orville Rd E
Orting, WA 98360

Contact:
tahomafarms@gmail.com
Kim (253) 376-8604
Amy (360) 829-7000

Farm Photos

The Easiest Way to Sign-up for a CSA Share

When you sign up for the Tahoma Farms CSA through our sister company, Terra Organics, we will allow you to pay week-to-week, substitute items with other vegetables grown by the Tahoma Farms crew, and put your account on hold if you go on vacation. You can choose to pick up your share on the farm in Orting or have it delivered to your home for no additional charge.

The traditional CSA model has required “members” to pay in advance for a season’s share of the harvest. Expenses are greatest in the spring for farms, and a pre-payment is the best way for the farmer to cover the costs of production until crops are ready to harvest. We still prefer pre-payment, but we understand this is an obstacle for some of those that would otherwise like to be CSA members.

So head on over to www.terra-organics.com to sign up for your share today! It's not too late to get started and each week more and more veggies are being harvested for our CSA boxes. Here's a sneak peek at this week's offerings (all of this for just $25):

1 bunch	Collards
1 bunch	Arugula
1 bunch	Spinach
2 pounds	Summer Squash
1 bunch	Basil
1 bunch	Purple Carrots
1 head	Speckled Head Lettuce
1 1/2 pounds	Broccoli
1 each	Cucumbers

Farmers Markets

(Kim at Puyallup Market on July 11th)

Come see us at the markets! We are currently attending 4 farmers markets: Tuesdays 3:30-7:30pm at 6th Ave in Tacoma, Wednesdays 3-7pm at Steilacoom, Saturdays 9-2 at Puyallup in Pioneer Park, Orting and Bellevue.


(Our stand at the Orting Market on July 11th)

Farm Babies

We have a couple of babies lurking around here at the farm. Miss Lyla and Miss Gabriela. Neither can get enough straw chewing time. Watch out girls, cause as soon as those teeth come in, its nothin but carrots and cucumbers for you!