2016 Summer CSA

Know where your food comes from and enjoy the benefits of eating seasonally. Together we contribute to a healthier, sustainable food system that develops connections between people and the land that grows your food.

What is CSA?

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a direct relationship between a local farm and its community, helping to provide a portion of a given farm’s operating budget by purchasing shares of the season’s harvest in advance of the growing season. CSAs are cooperative structures that have grown in popularity in recent years as a way to keep small scale farms viable. This grassroots movement back to a local food system makes a statement that people would like to eat locally produced food with health and sustainability in mind. CSA shareholders make a commitment to support the farm financially at the start of the season, thereby assuming some of the costs and risks along with the grower.  In exchange for this commitment, we are able to provide you and your family with the freshest, healthiest vegetables possible, using farming methods that are beneficial to you and the environment. 

How it Works

During the season, mid-June through mid-October, members meet at the farm to receive their weekly share of the harvest. Pick-ups are on Wednesdays from 3-6pm.  We will send weekly newsletters to provide you with recipes and cooking tips to keep you inspired in the kitchen, as well as to keep you informed of what’s happening on the farm.

How much does it cost?

Full Share CSA

18 weeks from June 15th - October12th  
$475 


Small Share CSA

18 weeks from June 15th - October12th  
$350


Add-ons 

egg share  $90

flower share $90

There is a 5% discount on full and small shares for those that sign up with full payment before April 1st.


What's in a share?

A full shares will contain 9-11 different vegetable and herbs, intended for families, vegetarians or vegetable lovers! A small share contains about 5-6 different vegetable and herbs, intended for singles, couples or families who just need a mid-week top up to their regular market purchases. Certified organic eggs or flowers can also be added to your share.

                                

What if I’m away or forget to pick-up my share?

Many people will have a friend or family member pick-up their veggies for them when they are away. If you let us know in advance we can hold your share for a few days or you can cancel and get a credit. Forgotten pick-ups can be saved but will not receive a credit.

Why CSA?

This transparent system creates a relationship between you and the food you eat, the land on which it's grown on and the farmers that grew it. You are voting with your dollars for what is beneficial to the environment, the farmers and the consumer. 

There are many ways to participate in your local food system and CSA is just one of them. Going to farmers markets, supporting restaurants or stores which buy responsibly from local farms are all important ways to support local farms.

CSA in not for everyone, it can be a difficult adjustment for those who are used to going to the grocery store each week and getting whatever they want. Members should have a deep desire to fully embrace the flavours of each season and enjoy the challenge of eating seasonally.




Space is limited so register early!  Email terrafirmafarms@gmail.com to get a registration form. Subscriptions will be confirmed by email.

Mistral Gris
by Meghan Anderson

                                                                      

Have you ever thought about what breed of chicken it is you eat, or how long it took that chicken to become broiler size? Commercial broilers are frequently a Cornish mixed with other breeds and are ready to be butchered in 7-9 weeks. What does that mean? The Cornish crosses grow so fast they can’t help themselves but sit at a feeder and do nothing but eat. Often they break their legs or wings because they become so fat so quickly these appendages can’t support them. It can be difficult to breed a Cornish cross; they grow so fast that they have too many health problems and are too fat to breed successfully. Sounds slightly Frankenstein.

So what to do? Enter the Mistral Gris, a breed of meat bird that reaches butchering weight at 9-13 weeks old. They are a hearty breed that can free range and forage and don’t require any antibiotics or special housing, unlike other commercial broilers. Cornish crosses will not forage on grass even if you try hard. The Mistral Gris is a new breed of meat bird bred from Barred Rocks (heritage breed) and three other breeds, developed in the last 80 years. No, they were not developed in a lab, they were developed on a farm using good old fashion breeding techniques, by selecting certain individuals with favorable traits for breeding. 

The Mistral Gris is a breed of meat bird that can be raised under the “Label Rouge” system. The Label Rouge system started in France as a way of raising poultry as a rebellion to commercial, industrial farm processes that fatten chickens on grains at high densities. Like, organic certifications, to be certified “Label Rouge” you must meet specific requirements. Label rouges poultry birds must be raised in a free range system, the breed must be a slower growing hardier bird, and there are strict requirements on the feed and stocking rates.

At Terra Firma the Mistral Gris will be raised similar to the “Label Rouge” free range system using “chicken tractors”. Chicken tractors are moveable chicken homes that allow the chickens to free range on vegetation outdoors. Once the chickens have eaten down the grass and weeds their tractors can be moved to a fresh pasture. The chickens can happily scratch around for insects and eat plants, a luxury conventionally raised meat birds do not have.

The benefits of “Label Rouge” meat birds are many, you can morally rest at ease knowing your meat was not raised in a crowded cage and fed solely on grains, this is much better for your health and the environment. “Label Rouge” chickens have more protein, less water, less fat, a better balance between fatty acids and polyunsaturated fat, more minerals and more vitamins than conventionally raised chickens. Furthermore, in blind taste tests “Label Rouge” chickens do better. The taste testing is part of the “Label Rouge” rigorous labelling process!

Email terrafirmafarms@gmail.com to reserve chickens for this year.
Available July 10th and Sept. 17th

We Have Bees!

Last week we acquired a bee colony.  We have been interested in getting bees for a few years now.  It was part of our long list of goals and dreams of becoming more self-sufficient.  Dreams like to have our own dairy cow, making artisan cheese, baking sourdough daily, raising lamb and chickens, tapping birch trees for syrup etc.

Some of these dreams have since faded as we realize the importance of living a balanced life.  Sometimes I would rather have the time for a bike ride or to go kayaking than say, bake a loaf of bread.  I would now rather buy a beautiful loaf of bread in town by one of our fabulous bakers than to bake it myself.  Everyone has a passion, so sometimes it's best to do what you do best and leave others to do what they do best.  I think that's what makes a community. 

But bees, that seems to perfectly compliment organic farming; a mutually beneficial relationship.  We provide them with a home and a food source by growing diversified crops, and they provide us with a sweetener and pollinate our crops. 

They spend most of their lives flying from plant to plant collecting nectar, in doing so they pollinate the flowers and distribute revitalising venom, enhancing fertility and regeneration capacity of the plant.  Quality and quantity of blossom flowers are increased when pollinated by insects, especially bees.

Bees are essential to the environment they live in.  One third of the food we eat is dependant upon pollination from honeybees.  Without bees our food supply would be at risk.

In recent years there has been a dramatic decline in the honeybee population. Researchers are finding it hard to pinpoint the exact cause but they suspect it is a combination of environmental pollution, loss of crop diversity and the heavy use of of pesticides. Methods of farming that seem to be more efficient are often a step backwards rather than a step forwards, and could have a detrimental effect on civilization.  In contrast organic farming works with nature, not against it.

At the market this week

This week on the market table we will have a good selection of potted herbs, most of them can be planted outside right now, with the exception of basil and thai basil.

Herbs this week - basil, thai basil, cilantro, dill, thyme, sage, oregano, italian parsley and curly parsley.

There will still be lots of tomato and pepper seedlings. With new varieties weekly.  These will still need to be kept indoors until we consistently have warmer nights.

New this week will be Rosa Bianca Eggplant.  Our very favourite variety!  It's an open pollinated, Italian heirloom.  They are tear dropped shaped, white with lavender streaks and creamy white flesh.  Both the plants and the fruit are beautiful.  We think they would make a lovely addition to a flowerbed.  Beautiful and edible!

All our veggie 6 packs can be planted outside now as well.

Available starter packs this week - savoy cabbage, red cabbage, green cabbage, rainbow kale, curly kale, romaine lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower.

This week we will also have our first cut of rhubarb!

See you at the market!

Farmers Market this Saturday May 5!

This Saturday, May 5, join Terra Firma Farms at the Revelstoke Farmers Market from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

We will have seedlings for sale!

Heirloom Tomatoes

Black Prince - Originally from Siberia.  Mid-sized, smooth skinned tomato with black hues.  Sweet, robust flavour.  Resists cracking and has excellent cold tolerance.  72 days

Green Zebra - Known for it outstanding flavour.  Sweet and tangy.  Yellow and green fruits with dark green stripes.  78 days

Great White - Smooth, glossy, ivory coloured beefsteak.  Sweet and Juicy. Crack resistant.  80 days

Brandywine - Probably the most well-known heirloom.  Large reddish pink beefsteak tomatoes grow on potato leafed plants.  Not a heavy yielder but still worth growing for its dynamic flavour.

Tigerella - Striking red fruits with yellow stripes.  Rich and tangy flavour and good disease resistance.  59 days

Earliana - Uniformly round, red tomatoes with sweet-tart flavour.  Excellent choice for cooler growing regions.  65 days

Valencia - Heirloom from Maine.  Brilliant orange fruits with rich tomato flavour.  Great balance of acid and sweetness.  Grows well in northern climates.  76 days

Black Krim - Dark red tomatoes with black shoulders.  Very juicy with intense, sweet, smoky flavour.  80 days

Striped German - Red and yellow bicoloured fruit with a complex fruity flavour.  One of favourites for both visual appeal and taste.  78 days

Amish Paste - Very large paste tomato that is great for fresh eating as well.  Sweeter than most paste tomatoes.  75 days

Druzba - A prolific producer of deep red tomatoes with smooth blemish free skin.  Good disease resistance.  80 days

White Cherry - Attractive, pale yellow fruits. Sweet, mellow flavour and grow in abundance.  59 days

Black Cherry - Dark red/black cherry tomato with sweet, rich flavour.  64 days

Yellow pear - Beautiful, pear shaped tomato with brilliant yellow colour.  Very prolific.  One of the oldest cultivated tomatoes.  75 days

Gardeners Delight - Bright red cherry tomato with sweet flavour and high yields. Crack resistant.  65 days

Isis Candy - Beautiful, bicoloured gold and red cherry tomato.  Sweet, fruity flavour.  67 days

Why We Love Heirlooms

Heirlooms are open pollinated plants that have a long history of being cultivated and saved within a family or group, evolving by natural or human selection over time. Many older varieties have been passed down from generation to generation simply because of their outstanding flavour. Modern seed geneticists have the burdon of developing varieties for industrial farmers that are uniform, high yielding and with a long shelf life; rarely is flavour ever part of the equation.

Most hybrid tomatoes are perfectly shaped, tough skinned (better for shipping), and can be stored off the vine for months.  These may be desirable qualities for the supermarket industry, but not the consumer, unless you value flavourless tomatoes with the texture of styrofoam.  There is very little resemblance between these and the robust flavour of heirloom tomatoes.  They may not have perfect shape, but we find their uniqueness beautiful, not a flaw.  They may be more perishable, but that's ok, they will not be travelling far.

Several older varieties of seeds are becoming extinct, and being replaced by only a handful of modern varieties.  An estimated 75% of crop diversity has been lost in the last century.  The decline of genetic diversity puts us at risk of widespread crop losses due to a single pest or disease.

Open pollinated plants are adaptive, meaning that by saving the seeds you are able to grow plants that adapt to the conditions, soil, and climate of your area.  As heirlooms pre-date the age of gene splicing we can be assured that they are GMO free.

Heirloom plants have a story to tell.  They play an important role, linking our past to our future.