Bellingham Community Connects to Local Farms At Free CSA Fair
(Press Release) Whatcom County, WA, March 5, 2015 – Sustainable Connections invites the public to attend a CSA Fair on March 21st at Boundary Bay’s Beer Garden from 2-5pm.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a program where consumers buy a share of the farm with a CSA membership at the beginning of the season and then receive a weekly box of the harvest from the farmer. Shares can be delivered to a house, picked up at a centralized location or even delivered to a workplace and can include vegetables, fruit, dairy, meat, eggs, flowers, honey, or other specialty items.
Attendees can enjoy live music by The Cherry Blossom Family Delivery and savor a local beer while meeting Whatcom & Skagit Farmers who are offering CSAs in 2015. Individuals and workplaces are encouraged to attend and visit each booth, meet the farmers and ask questions. A CSA Fair passport will reward attendees with a free Boundary Bay beer for visiting every booth. Copies of the newly released directory of 2015 farms offering CSAs will be available at the fair as well.
The CSA model works best when customers sign up in advance of the season, and many farmers have already offered early bird discounts. A weekly share typically costs $20 to $25 per week and feeds two to four people. Some CSA farms accept EBT (food stamps) payments, too. Many farms also deliver to workplaces, which is easy to get started – especially when there is an employee willing to help coordinate the details with at least five coworkers. Sustainable Connections helps to connect employers with farmers through their Farm Fresh Workplace Program. Some employers even offer payroll deductions or match the cost for those who sign up. Sustainable Connections is also hosting a member luncheon on Thursday, April 2 for businesses interested in learning more, and a Farm Fresh Workplace toolkit for employers is available on Sustainable Connections website.
“Participating in a Community Supported Agriculture share is one of the best ways we as individuals and local businesses can support local farms,” says Sara Southerland, Food & Farming Manager at Sustainable Connections. “The buzz and excitement in our office after our weekly CSAs are delivered is likened to Christmas morning as a kid. It’s a fabulous way to stay connected with the seasons through what you’re eating each week, and it’s fun!”
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