Transcript Farm Stands Community Supported Agriculture

Farm to Congregation
Partnerships
How can we access
locally grown food?
• Farmers’ markets
• Grocery stores
• Restaurants
• Farm stands/U-Pick
• CSAs
• Buying clubs
Types of Partnerships
• Farm Stands
• Community Supported Agriculture
• Buying Club
Farm Stands
• Farmer sells goods in a faith community
setting.
• Generally before or after the service.
Community Supported
Agriculture (CSA)
• Participants pay an upfront cost for a weekly
delivery of produce.
• Faith Communities can serve as a weekly drop
off site for produce.
Fresh Food For All
• Raise money to purchase a CSA for a
family who can not afford one.
• Buy leftover produce from the farm stand
and donate it to a food pantry, community
meal or cooking class.
• Donate unclaimed shares to a program
serving low-income populations.
Fresh Food For All
• Use a coupon model and provide donated
coupons to low-income families.
2009 FPC Farmers’ table:
Her Family farmers
Coupons for fresh, local food
First Presbyterian Church,
Portland
Interfaith Food & Farms Partnership
Start Up
• Ensure there is
enough interest in
the congregation
• Designate a point
person and
volunteers
• Recruit farmer
• Logistics
• MOU
• Advertise
Ongoing Tasks
• Education
• Tracking
• Special Events
Challenges
• Language Barriers
and Cultural
Differences
• Sufficient Support
• Scheduling
• Being Welcoming
• Unsold Produce
What is a buying club?
How to Start a Buying Club
• Gather your group
• Decide what you want
• Find a grower
• Start deliveries
• Adjust as necessary!
La Fresa Feliz:
A Partnership between EMO, Deep Roots
Farm, and St. Mary’s Catholic Church
DEEP ROOTS FARM
Cucumbers
Onions
Basil
Tomatoes
Roma tomatoes
Zucchini (green or
yellow- specify)
Green or Red Bell
Peppers (specify)
Cantalope
Watermelon (red or
yellow, weather
dependent)
Sungold or cherry
tomatoes
Poblano Peppers
Black Kale
Chard
Butternut squash
Price per unit
.50 each
.75 each
$1.55/bunch
$1.55/lb
$1.25/lb
.50 each
Quantity
.75 each
$2.00 each
$3.50 each
$2.50/pint
$14/6 pints
$22/12 pints
.40 each
$1.50/ bunch
$1.50/bunch
$1.50 each
Total
Total
A week in the life of La Fresa Feliz
Tuesday: deposits and check requests from
previous week, order entry
Wednesday: order entry, collation, order placed
Thursday: prepare next week’s order forms,
write bulletin and pulpit announcements, get
keys and supplies, prepare orders and staff
the distribution
Friday or Saturday: email next week’s
availability
2009
12 weeks
Thursdays, 6-6:45 p.m.
15 members
Avg. 6 orders/wk
$900 total orders
13% EBT/Senior
Benefits
• Convenient Access to fresh, local food.
• Greater understanding of the challenges that
farmers face.
• Opportunity to try new foods.
• Community building.
• Opportunity to learn about another culture.
• New marketing opportunity for farmers.
• Increasing access to healthy food for all.
Comparison of Different
Models
Farm
CSAs
Stands
Convenient for farmer?
Profitable for farmer?
Customer choice?
Yes
Yes
Wholesale price?
No
Farmer interaction?
Yes
Buying Club
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Customer pays in advance? No
Yes
Yes
Easy to organize?
Yes
Customer tries new foods?
Yes
Evaluation
• Important to evaluate the success of your
program each year
• Ongoing tracking
• Surveys or interviews
Questions?
Farm to Congregation
Partnerships