Barefoot Gardens CSA

We are accepting new members at Barefoot Gardens CSA and we invite you to consider joining us this season. CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a movement that brings people, food and land together by creating a partnership between community members and local food growers. Individuals pay for a season's worth or share of produce, in advance. The grower then provides produce on a weekly basis (according to what is ready for harvest) throughout the duration of the growing season. Having given you that background on CSAs, we should point out that Barefoot Gardens is more than a weekly box of vegetables. We create a garden that is yours to share with the other members of the CSA. When you come out to Barefoot Gardens, you are invited to walk among the garden beds and harvest the available flowers, vegetables, herbs and berries that you need for the week. If harvesting brings to mind slaving under a hot sun, you should know that most people are able to harvest what they need for the week in 10 or 15 minutes and that the vast majority of our members learn to prefer harvesting for themselves. Of course, we are also on hand to help you. Another thing that sets Barefoot Gardens apart from most CSAs is the diversity of crops that we make available during the season. Each year we grow literally hundreds of different varieties of vegetables and herbs the majority of which cannot be found at the supermarket. And unlike that imported produce, our vegetables and herbs are selected for flavor and texture rather than appearance and transportability. If cooking with the many different kinds of fresh vegetables that we offer is new to you, you are not alone. Our emails include suggestions for how to harvest and preserve your produce as well as simple recipes using the vegetables that you have available throughout the growing season. You will also find that you will learn from some of the best amateur cooks in Macomb as you visit with veteran members of the CSA. Harvest times are festive at our CSA. Barefoot Gardens is a wonderful community of people that comes together to visit and share in a relaxed, beautiful environment. You should also know that we run a very child-friendly operation. Children are encouraged to explore the grounds and to be involved in the harvesting of produce or flowers. The following is some initial information for the 2011 CSA season for Barefoot Gardens. The Season: Our season is typically eight months long, with the summer season (5 months) running from the beginning of May through September and the fall season (3 months) running October through December. It will be pick-your-own for most items. Harvest times will be on Monday evenings 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Thursday mornings 8:00 to 10:30 a.m. and Saturday mornings 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. Cost: The cost structure is as follows: First, there is an annual membership fee of $100 for couples/families or $50 for individuals (this can serve as an initial deposit). Then, there is an additional fee of $80 per month for couples/families or $40 per month for individuals. So, if you are a family signing up for the 5 month summer season. The cost would be 5 x $80 = $400 plus the $100 for a total cost of $500. The cost for an individual over the same period would be $250 ($50 membership fee plus 5 x $40 = $250). Checks should be made out to: Barefoot Gardens and sent to: 3201 West Adams in Macomb. We would like to have all payments in by the end of March, but a deposit of $100 will reserve your spot. If you are interested, please do not delay. We tend to fill up before the end of March. For more information, visit our blog. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call or email. If you are not interested in joining this year, we encourage you to look for other ways to support our local food economy as you make choices about how you eat. John Curtis and Karen Mauldin-Curtis