Friday, March 30, 2012

"Community Supported Agriculture" 
      Creating a CSA for Eastern PEI
           
There are more small organic farms selling directly to customers every year.  We joined a CSA in California back in 1997 and that experience helped lead us to our own farm in Prince Edward Island! This year we're pleased and excited to launch a farm share program of our own.

What is a CSA?

CSA means Community Supported or Community Shared Agriculture.  The model generally is that local customers agree to buy an annual share of farm produce. Shares are then boxed and delivered each week. Payment is made in advance and the farmer then has money to invest in seeds, fuel, labor and production.  Our model is slightly different and follows an example set by Brian McKay and Kathy Ware at Red Isle Farm.

What Does it Cost?

Each CSA member will be asked to pay their first and last week and then week to week for the season. This year we expect our program will start June 23rd and run for 17 weeks. Weekly shares start at $25.00 and should provide enough fresh produce for a family of four. We're specifically interested in serving people on a budget, families, moms and kids and anyone who loves having locally produced fresh organic produce.  We're here to be your farmers.

What Do You Get?

Our goal is to provide things that families (including ours) like to eat in season.  So there will be fresh mixed greens, carrots, potatoes, asparagus, lettuces, chard, spinach, sweet peas, onions, broccoli, summer squash, winter squash, herbs and dried beans.  We'll also have summer favorites like juicy heirloom tomatoes, fresh yellow beans and those delicious cucumbers! We also plan to add fresh organic eggs from our pastured laying hens.

How Do You Sign Up?

A good place to begin is by joining the Dunn Creek Farm group on Facebook.  That's where I'll be updating our CSA members about the farm this year.  Just drop a note and we'll get you going. Or leave a comment on this blog.

There will be more news on this but for now, I'm encouraging you to sign up.  We have a very limited number of CSA memberships available and we'd hate to have you miss out!

Friday, March 23, 2012

A Post Card From the Farm


Welcome to Dunn Creek Farm, Murray Harbour North PEI!

I call this photo, "rooster of doom" just because of the way the light caught his eye. But really, he may be a "rooster of the future".  He's a chanticleer, the only registered Canadian breed and he was hatched last spring.  We've decided that developing our own breeding flock of chickens is the sustainable choice for our farm and our customers. We're interested in finding and breeding our own heritage birds for pasture raised meat and eggs.



Coming in June 2012:  Introducing The NEW Dunn Creek Farm CSA

A CSA is a "Community Supported Agriculture" program designed to connect consumers and farmers.
We've been selling fresh produce from our farm gate for the past few years. Now, you and your family can have a box of the best our farm has to offer each week through the Summer and into the Fall of 2012.  This offer is limited to 10 memberships this year and we're suggesting it primarily for resident of Southern Kings County. Boxes will be available for pickup here at the farm or at the Cardigan Farmers' Market this season.
More details are available, please leave a comment if you'd like more information.

Dunn Creek Farm Hosts SOIL Apprentices


We pleased to be hosts this summer for 2 young people from Charlottetown who will be living and working here on the farm.  The SOIL Apprentice program is supported by ACORN (Atlantic Canada Organic Regional Network) and PEI Adapt and connects those who are interested in living and working on small farms with local farmers.

Spring is HERE!

Please follow along with our story on the blog this year!