The Watershed Basket CSA - General info and share sizes
Our members enjoy a full 19 week season of fresh produce, herbs, fruit, and flowers and eggs by request starting in mid-June. You can expect to receive a weekly email newsletter loaded with information about the farm, an introduction to the vegetables you are receiving, recipes and nutritional information. We offer you two sizes of shares, large and small so that you can choose the one that best suits your needs. We deliver to various drop-off sites across the South Shore and in to Halifax every Tuesday. And we are always open to those who are interested in picking up at the farm so that you have the opportunity to visit our sheep and chickens and the hard working folks who are making this all possible. Throughout the season we host different events that welcome people to our farm. This year we are once again offering a number of free events specifically for the CSA members to introduce them to the farm and the work involved in growing and harvesting your food. We are also offering a 5% discount to CSA members who choose to attend any of the other workshops that we are hosting from basketry to season extension workshops. A brief description below outlines what to expect from your membership. Feel free to call us for more information.
Full size share: 19 weeks starting in mid-June of vegetable and herb bounty, as well as eggs and flowers upon request. When available, this basket also includes occasional fruits (i.e. peaches, blueberries, currants). This share is suitable for a couple who enjoy lots of fresh produce, cook mostly at home and occasionally entertain, or a family of three or four who enjoy healthy eating. Cost: $560.00 or the equivalent of spending $29.50 per week. Take advantage of our extra early bird discount by paying $535.00 in full by November 30th and reserve your spot now for the coming season. You can also choose to pay a deposit of $300.00 with the balance of $260.00 due by April 1st.
Small Share: 19 weeks from mid-June of a wide variety of vegetables, herbs, and flowers and eggs upon request. When available, this also includes occasional fruits (i.e. peaches, blueberries, currants). This size share is suitable for people who grow some of their own veggies but not everything; or one person cooking for themselves; or a couple who eat away from home farily often or don't consume many vegetables. Cost: $420.00 or the equivalent of spending $22.00 per week. Don’t forget the extra early bird discount if paid in full by November 30th of $395.00. Or choose to pay a $260.00 deposit and the balance of $160.00 due by April 1st.
Work Share: We want to to offer some folks the opportunity to help pay for their share of vegetables by working at the farm. Please contact us by email so we can work out the details of an arrangement that makes sense for all of us.
Student Share: Tailored to the student schedule, this share starts in early September, runs for nine consecutive weeks of harvbest bounty and then includes one hefty basket of storage vegetables. Students can always choose to follow this share with the pay-as-you-go Monthly WInter CSA. Read more about it here: http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/crops-to-campus/Content?oid=3688973
Summer Share: This is our way of accommodating all those who summer in NS but leave early in the Farll. Sign on for 6-8 weeks with flexibility to work around your holiday schedule.
Monthly WInter Share: Starting on November 2013 and running once a month through the WInter, we offer our members a share ytthat allows you to tailor your delivery to your needs and pay for your produce as you go. Bulk carrots, potatoes, leeks, onions, garlic and other staorage crops will be augmented with greens, herbs and eggs. We will list available produce each month on the registration page where you can order and pay.
Flower Share: Our beautiful exuberant bouquets are a wonderful addition that keeps you smiling all week. Purchase a share and receive five weeks of bouquets - you can always purchase a second or even third share as the season continues and the blossoms keep coming. What a wonderful present for someone you love - might even be yourself!
Egg Share: Our delicious eggs come from our free-range Happy Hens, fed only certified organic grain and always fresh. One share entitles you to five weeks of eggs and you can always sign on for more shares as the season progresses. Expect to see some interesting colours and even shapes as our mixed and heritage breed hens are very artistic.
Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) is a partnership between community members who want to eat healthy, fresh and seasonal local food and the farmers who want to get to know their community and feel supported in their work of producing food, revitalizing the soil and constantly improving the diversity and health of all living beings on their farm.
Shareholders' commitment to crops planted and tended is particularly valuable early in the season when farmers' investments are highest and income is most scarce. The CSA model also helps the farmer through the vagaries of weather and other fluctuations, while also allowing the partners to benefit from the bounty that nature (and hard work) can bestow. For instance, there may be fewer tomatoes one year because of difficult weather patterns or insects, but these same conditions produce a bumper crop of melons. The Shareholder gains from their close association with a food source they know and trust, while the farmers benefit from a more financially stable arrangement, where their environmental stewardship is rewarded and they are assured that the food that they plant, tend and harvest will feed appreciative people.
More broadly, the model nourishes community by creating healthier ecosystems, fair financial exchanges, and the critical support of a secure and local food source. Culturally, the relationships between the shareholders and farmers create an ethos of trust and knowledge exchange, fostering a more intimate relationship between people and food, as well as between people within their communities. The Watershed Basket CSA is also committed to contributions to the community that it serves through initiatives such as subsidized food shares, regular donations of food to The Ark in Bridgewater, school field trips, edible schoolyard projects and accessible on-farm workshops and events as well as apprenticeships for future farmers.
Through the weekly newsletter and farm events throughout the season, the shareholders will have the opportunity to connect to the land and the people who feed you, discover new recipes - and even new vegetables - as we stretch into diverse heirloom and heritage crop varieties. You will also have the chance to connect to the growing community who have formed around this reciprocal relationship and perhaps find new friends or meet up with old friends.
We plan to stay in touch and learn what is working well for the shareholders and what can be improved. Likewise, we will share our concerns as the season progresses, so the arrangement can best reflect the needs of all involved. This is our third year and we are grateful for the feedback and support we received last season from our wonderful shareholders.
Here's a few comments from some of our current CSA members. We compile these, prints them and tacks them up on the wall in the root cellar where we process the weekly bags. Reading all of these appreciative notes helps us feel good about what we are doing, especially on these wickedly long and hot days:
Watershed Farm Happy Wall
A huge 'thank you' for the beautiful bag filled with nature's bounty! I was delighted and used the cilantro tonight in a black bean mango salsa; recipe on my daughter's culinary blog. Everything was pristine, so fresh. With the arrival of your weekly offering I'm going to think seriously about eating well; preparing nutritious recipes. -AM
I have taken possession of my beautiful bag of greens (and reds, and…). and am so thrilled -SD
Thank you for the first wonderful basket and those wonderful eggs. I will have no problem eating the full load but will share some just to let my friends enjoy what real food tastes like. I was invited out for dinner but declined as I was so looking forward to my giant salad this evening.Delicious!Thanks everyone -JB
dear Watershed folk -- it is so wonderful to get this detailed e-mail and gorgeous photos, that is a lot of work on top of what you are already doing dawn to dusk - thank you! -JV
Thanks for all this wonderful information. The basket is lovely. My husband who is a chef was like a kid on Christmas morning as he went through the basket. He quickly whipped up a stir fry with the swiss chard and some of the stir fry veggies and herbs, which we had with fresh halibut....delish!! My son (7yrs) had radishes for his evening snack and he loved them. Wonderful experience this week and looking forward to next week. Thanks for doing what you do! -AD
We enjoyed our vegetables very much last night. I tried your recipe for Swiss Chard. Was great with olive oil and balsamic vinegar too! -AC
I am a new member this year and I just wanted to let you all know how much we enjoyed all the veggies in our first delivery. Everything was delicious and even the things we didn't get to for a few days still tasted very fresh. We are looking forward to tomorrow's bundle. -SS
Your email is rich with information and I can feel your enthusiasm. My goal is to prepare a delicious hot cup of spring tea - or a suggested conversion - and take the time to sit and read your letter each week. I appreciate knowing the vitamin/ mineral content of the food. Really really. And please keep including recipes when you are able - I love trying others' recipes and it honours the food and the efforts to bring it to our home when its prepared with a reliable recipe. The food is so BEAUTIFUL. Thank you. -JM
I dragged Lisa out into the rain Tuesday to get my bag this week from the barn. It was certainly worth the effort. The tea was especially welcome when I arrived home to dry off. You are right, the carrots did not make it to the fridge – they were gorgeous. The greens are also beautiful and I am trying them in all kinds of new ways. Today I am making garlic scape pesto.
Many thanks to the entire team for your hard work and care - SM
Again, delicious veg this week : the carrots! Oh me, oh my! -AH
I am LOVIN LOVIN LOVIN the baskets of foods .... just lovin em!!! -LN
Just wanted to let you know how much we are enjoying our weekly surprise basket. I mean really... who doesn't enjoy a surprise!
I have attached a recipe for Swiss chard below so that you may share it with your faithful following. -AC
IF I can manage not to eat them all before Saturday, I plan to take my carrots to NFLD with me, maybe the beets too. The one down side of visiting The Rock is the lack of fresh fruit and veggies so I have baggies of trail mix with loads of dried fruit, and the raw veggies will heaven to munch on during those first few days.
The Happy Hen eggs are awesome, and the Happy Shells are going into my neighbour's compost. Another omelet today with a side of chard and garlic scapes perhaps?. THOSE are such a treat. I steamed them, as I do all my stir fry veggies,
D E L I C I O U S!
I have been meaning to write these last few weeks to say how much we are enjoying your delicious vegetables and the eggs last week were SO yummy. All your hard work is very appreciated and the food is definitely filled with great love. -AM
We are really looking forward to today’s delivery. The eggs last week were just wonderful. -SD
these updates are wonderful, I love them. Thank you for the great job you're doing and yes, we can taste the love :-) -JV
I want to tell you that are enjoying the fresh produce...love the kale chips. -SL
This week’s groceries look great – looking forward to some healthy meals! -VP
I had to ask my mom to pick up my delivery in Mahone Bay yesterday because I was off to the city unexpectedly. Yikes! They say a rolling stone gathers no moss. Thank you very much for accommodating my rambling schedule!!!!
I ate the beets and beet greens this evening for supper and they were SOOOOOOO good. I made a special trip out to get butter to put on them and that was definitely a good idea.
Thanks again for the awesome food, as well as the cheerful adaptation to my nutty schedule. -AH
the eggs are sooo scrumptious -RB
Thank you so much, we are just thrilled with our CSA so far. The greens for stirfry are such a good inclusion, havn't seen that in a CSA before. And the latest flower arrangement was super lovely. -AD
I got such a charge from my last bag!! Each part was just amazing. -MH
Still thrilled to sample the farm goodies, and share them with my daughter and son-in-law. We marvelled at the peas last evening; I even saved the stems and such to show Nina how fresh they were! She and I also enjoyed the wonderful little beets, with the greens still ready to go. I sent her home with some scapes and a couple of radishes, plus some salad greens from #2. I'm having lunches based on the super head of lettuce. -MH
My 8 month old is gobbling up deliciousness. My 6 year old is still skeptic of some things but curious and loves seeing flowers in his salad. -JS
The Herb Salt is amazing! My cat seems to like the smell of it. I think he thinks it is cat nip.
You are very funny. Your emails are very entertaining. THanks. -SP
I've been enjoying my weekly bags of garden delights immensely... love having fresh greens all the time... and made some wonderful pestos with the scapes (some with sunflower seeds and some with pine nuts). -GD
I had the swiss chard with the attached recipe from the Trout Point Lodge cookbook. Instead of pasta - the new potatoes were amazing -SM
Thanks for the wonderful illustrated email as per usual. Loved the herbed salt in our bag last week.
Re the flowers: thanks so much for the note from the flower lady last week. I had missed that earlier re changing the water everyday. I did so this week and noticed the flowers stayed fresher longer. I got a full 6 days out of them (forgot to keep changing water on day 5). Then I keep the flowers and hang them to dry in my kitchen which is a lovely addition. Love the flowers! -AD
Firstly I just want to say we are really enjoying our goodie bags every Tuesday! Thanks- I have lots of gardens so I can only imagine how much work it takes to accomplish what you do. It's so much easier when you love what you do!! -AS
Thanks for the de-lishous veggies today! -AH
We are thoroughly enjoying the wonderful variety of foods. It was very thoughtful of you to include some dill so that I could make the potatoes the way that you suggested in your note. Delicious!!! -VP
We just wanted to thank you for the wonderful tour of the farm last saturday, it was very generous of all of you to give of your time that way, we now have a deeper appreciation of the human effort and gift of the land as we prepare our food each evening. Thank you so much. And it was so hot!
We also tried your recipe for the Kale salad this week and it was delicious. -RB
nothing has ever been as much fun and as good as these eggs.
I still remember the delight of your first radishes; are any more likely to come? They are stars!
Still much enjoying the salad and beet greens, the dear peas, with the carrots still to come on to my plate -MH
