FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm CSA CELEBRATES NATIONAL CSA SIGN-UP DAY FEBRUARY 28
Ottawa, Illinois (February 24, 2015): Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm is pleased to join other farms from around the country for National CSA Sign-Up Day on February 28. The day encourages food consumers to buy a share of their local farm’s harvest for the 2015 season, a buying model known as Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA.
CSA has become an important model to support local agriculture since it was introduced to the United States in the 1980s and since grown to over 6,000 farms across the country. Originally, focused on produce, CSA members would buy a share of the harvest in the winter and spring and then get a box of local produce each week throughout the growing season. In past decade, the CSA model has evolved with innovative farms adding fruits, meat and eggs, dairy, and grains/flours to their offerings – often with extended seasons with some going the year round. Cedar Valleys Sustainable Farm was the first meat and egg CSA in Illinois and offers farm shares around the calendar.
“CSAs are the most authentic connection between a farmer and eater available. CSA members get the high quality local food, but they also get a direct connection to their farmer. This model is economically important to farmers, especially small and beginning farmers, because they can grow with confidence knowing that they have a market for their produce ahead of time,” says Simon Huntley from Small Farm Central, a technology company that works with CSA farms across the country, and the creator of National CSA Sign-up Day.
February 28th was chosen as National CSA Sign-up Day because this day is the most popular day to sign up for CSA shares according to the 2014 CSA Farming Report. Buying a CSA share in late winter is important because farmers are making the capital investments for this year’s harvest now and the CSA model means they do not need to finance these costs with costly credit.
To encourage local food fans to buy in on National CSA Sign-Up Day, Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm is offering a $15 off a share at sign up on February 28 and the promotion will run through March 7th.
A long time member, Kate Stafford, says, “I have been enjoying meat and eggs from Cedar Valley for a number of years now. I found them in an effort to reduce the hormones and antibiotics in my diet of grocery store based meat items. I never anticipated it tasting so much better. I’ve been a life-long hater of pork chops and hams, until now. I love it when I get pork chops in my share – it’s my favorite offering. The chickens actually taste like chicken. The eggs always have the most beautiful colored yolks. Highly recommended!”
Sign-up is easy. To learn more and to join Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm, go to www.chicagomeatcsa.com , sign up and payment can be done online.
To learn more about National CSA Sign-Up Day and the CSA model, visit www.csasignupday.com.
On how becoming CSA farmers 12 years ago has affected them, the Osmunds say:
“We didn’t become farmers because we are Local Foods activists.
We became activists because we are farmers making our living from local foods.”
Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm CSA
Jody Osmund
Beth Osmund
1985 N. 3609th Road
Ottawa, IL 61350
815-431-9544
cdrvalleyfarm@gmail.com
For information about National CSA Sign Up day visit: http://csasignupday.com or contact the organizer:
Small Farm Central
Simon Huntley
simon@smallfarmcentral.com
http://www.smallfarmcentral.com
412-567-3864
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