“The sign up for the spring 2023 season of our Black Farmers to Churches CSA started March 6. You can sign up through April 7. You can buy a full share or half share. We even have two friends who have decided to share a half share, ordering together! Produce deliveries will start April 22 and run for 8 weeks; we skip Memorial Day weekend (May 25) and run to June 17. Produce pick up at CUCC is Saturday morning, 11:00-noon. Check the calendar because we change rooms at CUCC.
A typical spring half share: two kinds of greens and a bunch of radishes.
Our produce farmer, Ken Daniel of the Singing Stream Farm, has his online store ready for the spring sign-up period. Price remains the same at $125 for a ½ share and $250 for a full share. This season’s crops include 5-8 produce items, for example collards, Brussels sprouts, kale, Swiss chard, and lettuce.
You can pay by check, credit or debit card. If paying by check, when you get to payment press the dropdown arrow and select check. Checks are mailed to: Singing Stream Farm, 2693 Horseshoe Road, Creedmoor, NC 27522 Attn: Ken Daniel
Singing Stream Farm uses traditional and sustainable farming techniques, including hydroponics and aeroponics.
Gift shares
If you want to support the CSA but travel too much to make it practical or aren’t free to pick up your food on Saturdays, consider purchasing a “gift” share. Pastor Lacey helps us identify people who might appreciate being part of the CSA for a season. Place your order, then contact Gary Smith to let him know your share or half-share is a gift.
Eggs, too!
Yes, we now have access to eggs from LaKay Farm, also purchased as shares! These are ordered separately from the produce shares; you can buy an egg share even if you don’t buy a produce share. Our egg farmers, Dulime & Myrlande Saint-Jean, are now also following the same schedules as the produce box. PIck up your eggs during the Saturday produce CSA pick up at CUCC (10:45-noon).
You can buy ¼ share (one dozen per month), ½ share (two dozen per month), or a full share (one dozen per week). The price is $6 per dozen.
As Dulime & Myrlande explain, “LaKay Farm chickens live an outdoor life style just as nature intended. They free-range throughout our property foraging for bugs, worms to supplements they diets…. We use no hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides, or de-wormers on our goats and chickens.”
Why do we do this?
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 markets, 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 – smithgk@mindspring.com