It is time to sign up for produce* for the 8-week SPRING season of our Black Farmers to Churches CSA.
Who will be growing our produce this spring?
This spring our farmers will be Steve and Elke (and daughter Ella) McCalla of Rocky Ridge Farm while Ken Daniel continues to get back on his feet after some time off. The McCallas provided for us last fall with amazing diversity, quality and abundance. Rocky Ridge Farm produce is Certified Naturally Grown.
What does a share or half share cost?
You may order a half share at $150 or a full share at $300, the total covers 8 Saturdays of deliveries. A half share is a good amount for two people. The photos with this article show examples of half shares for one week. Some single people choose to find a partner to split a half share. If you want to split a half share, decide with your partner which of you will place the order.
How do I sign up for a share?
Sign up window: Now (March 14) until April 18.
Produce delivery: May 3 to June 21 (8 Saturdays). (We may run to June 28 if we skip Memorial Day weekend, TBD.)
How and when do I pay?
Pay CUCC as soon as you sign up. The farmers need our money to pay for seeds and planting materials.
You may pay CUCC by check or credit card.
Checks: Make them out and mail them to: Community UCC, 814 Dixie Trail, Raleigh, NC 27607. Put “CSA” in the memo line, and send it to arrive at CUCC prior to April 18.
Credit card payment: Pay through our website or use this QR code on your phone. Select “CSA” in the drop down.
May I purchase a “gift” share?
Some of you purchased “gift” shares previously for us to distribute to someone else. Thank you. Please feel free to do this again if you wish; the gifts were greatly appreciated. Follow the sign up details using your own contact information, and then tell Gary Smith (contact info in Breeze) or Pastor Lacey that you want to donate a “gift” share. (A beautiful example of this was Robert Parrish took a gift half share to his apartment building and shared it with low income people who live there!! 😊)
How do I pick up my share and do I have any other responsibilities?
Steve brings our produce to CUCC every Saturday morning where two of the shareholders are on hand to sort the produce into shares. Sorting is a great time to get to know the McCallas, chat about the weather and the crops, and learn about the varieties they have chosen to grow for us.
You will be assigned to sort one or two Saturdays a season; you may swap if the assigned Saturday doesn’t work for you. If sorting would be a physical challenge for you, tell Gary.
Sorting begins at 10:15AM and you pick up your veggies before 11:15AM each Saturday. If you will be traveling, let Gary know during the week ahead who will pick up your share for you. You may want to give your share to a friend or to ask us to divide it among the other shareholders.
*Can I still order eggs and chicken?
You may purchase a share of eggs or order chicken from Dulime & Myrlande Saint-Jean of Lakay Farm, but procedures have changed. If you wish to purchase eggs or chicken talk to Gary about the new procedure.
What is the Black Farmers to Churches CSA?
Gary writes: We started this Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in 2020 in collaboration with several local black farmers, 7 Wake churches and the guidance of RAFI-USA to help black farmers stay on their land and farm it sustainably. It has been a beautiful experience for all involved.
And we have grown so much in these last three years. More churches and farmers have joined, the produce variety has grown beautifully, and we continue to grow closer as community. For me, the greatest thing has been the cross-racial friendships and hard work together that has developed! (Read more about why we do this below.)
Being a shareholder is a way to provide the farmers with money up front to cover the cost of seed and growing materials. Then we share with them the risk – a bountiful harvest when weather is good and a smaller harvest if we run into a drought or destructive storm. The CSA’s farmers are conscientious and do their best to ensure we have a diverse bag of produce to take home each week.
Why are we part of the Black Farmers to Churches CSA?
Farmers of color in the United States endure systemic racism within the food system that causes significant and consistent social, economic, and political harm. Community UCC along with 9 other churches in Wake County has sought to help address this by developing a Black Farmer to churches “Community Supported Agriculture” (CSA) with several local farmers. This enables the farmers to create an additional source of income, access new local market(s), and create mutually-beneficial economic partnerships with faith communities. It also enables the churches to increase the food security through improved access to fresh, healthy foods and providing hunger relief for consistently vulnerable populations.
It is an honor for us to be part of this endeavor which is so much more than food, though the food part is great too!! Indeed we have become a family, sharing joys, concerns, ideas and hands. The farmers and church reps meet (virtually) the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month, and these meetings are very moving and full of laughter! (Join us Wednesdays if you like.)
For more information, contact Gary Smith (his contact info is in Breeze or via office.cucc@gmail.com). Our participation in the Black Farmers to Churches CSA is sponsored by CUCC’s Justice in a Changing Climate task force.