In the 1930’s there were 5,000,000 more family farms in the US than today. Of the 2,000,000 remaining farms only 565,000 are family owned. According to Farm Aid 330 small family farms disappear EVERY WEEK. Today about half of American farmers are between 45 and 65. Only 6% are under 35. (Source; Sustainable Table) What does this mean to you and your family? It means that increasingly your food is coming from overseas, mainly Mexico, South America and China. Questions about dubious agricultural practices abound; even if products are labeled “organic”.

If you would like to reclaim your ability to know your food source a CSA membership is a good choice. When the modern grocery store replaced the Mom and Pop shops of the pre war era Americans were offered more products at lower costs. The result has been a knee jerk reaction by consumers to make buying decisions based only on price. Small scale, sustainably produced goods are more expensive, there is no doubt about it. What a CSA member needs to consider is the VALUE of the goods they buy; not just the price. By participating in the CSA program you receive sustainably produced products that are considerably more healthy and delicious than conventional items.

When you purchase a CSA share you essentially buy a share in the farm. All members are welcome to visit and join in the workings of the farm. With your support of the CSA program you’ll be helping in the quest to bring Americans back to knowing their food and knowing their farmer. There’s a common misconception that “America Feeds the World”; it’s simply not true anymore. If you value a healthy food system and a healthy planet get your CSA share today.

CSA Details

2010 Summer CSA Program (June 11- October 22)

Reserve your 2010 Summer CSA share by filling out the application below and sending payment for 2010 Summer CSA Program or to pay in full with credit card please visit Local Harvest.

Payment Plans Available
Send 3 checks in with your application postdated 4 weeks apart. 

Full Share- $695.00
Half Share- $450.00

Please make checks payable to Harvest Moon Farms and send Application and Payment to:

Harvest Moon Farms
3354 N. Paulina St.
Ste. 200
Chicago, Illinois 60657

2010 Summer CSA Application

2010 Summer CSA Season Drop Off Locations

Edgewater
at
Uncommon Ground
1401 West Devon Ave
Chicago, IL 60660

Roscoe Village
at
LUSH
2232 W Roscoe St
Chicago, IL 60618

Southport/Wrigleyville
at
Uncommon Ground
3800 North Clark St
Chicago, IL 60613

West Town

at
LUSH
1412 West Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60642

Wicker Park/East Village
Wolcott/Division

DuSable Harbor
Columbia Yacht Club
111 N. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60601

UIC/University Village/South Loop
1257 South Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60607

Palatine/Northwest Suburbs
Details Coming Soon..

Organic Meat Share

Organic Beef Share- $175.00

10 1lb packages ground beef      

  4 tenderloin steaks

  2 ribeye steaks

  2 strip steaks

  1 sirloin steak 

  1 flank steak

All Natural, Pasture Raised Chicken Share- $90.00

Whole Chickens (4 lbs Average)

1 3lb package of Wings

1 3lb package of Drums

Combination Package- $135.00

2 Chickens

5lbs Ground Beef

4 Steaks (Assorted Prime Steaks)

Organic Meat Share Application

FAQ

What is a CSA?
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Members essentially buy a share in the farm. By supporting a CSA program you help the farm by committing to buying your share before the growing season then enjoy the bounty of the farm as weekly produce deliveries. 

How much does it cost?

2010 Summer CSA Program
Full and Half Shares available. 20 weekly deliveries. A full share box ($695.00) will contain fresh produce to last about a week for a family of 2 adults and 2 children or 1 to 2 adults who consume a lot of vegetables and regularly cook at home. A half share box ($450.00) contains -- you guessed it -- about half the contents of a full box.

Winter CSA Program
A one size share of 12 weekly deliveries of freshly harvested winter greens, one dozen eggs, winter crops, and fresh storage crops. Items would include fresh storage crops (Onions, Carrots, Potatoes, Winter Squash, dried heirloom beans, popcorn etc.) Also freshly harvested winter greens (Spinach, Frisee, Mache, etc) and overwintered kale and chard along with fresh beets, carrots, brussels sprouts and other winter crops. 1 dozen eggs will also be part of the weekly share.

Organic Meat Share
We are offering an Organic Meat Share which can be added to winter shares. We will have 2 deliveries available through the 2009/2010 Winter. Our first one on December 1st and the second on January 26th. All share prices include packing and delivery to one of our CSA Drop locations. The Organic Meat Share can be reserved for the first delivery (Dec. 1st) or for the second delivery (January 26th) and or Both.  E-mail us for more information.

Organic Grass Fed Beef

Why is a half share not 50% the cost of a full share?
It takes as much time to package a half share as a full. It also takes the same amount of time and money to transport a half share.

How do CSA prices compare to retail prices?
A full CSA share costs $34.75 per week. A half share costs $22.50. Most consumers easily spend this amount per week on produce. Also, all of Harvest Moon Farms items are certified organic and harvested to ensure you receive exceptionally fresh food. When you compare our CSA share price to buying organic vegetables from the grocery store you’ll see it’s a great value. We strive to deliver products harvested within 48 hours; freshness that you won’t find in the store for any price.

Where do I pick up my share?
We offer many convenient locations throughout the Chicago area. We are open to servicing any area where the number of deliveries justifies the trip so let us know where you are! As of this time we cannot do individual home delivery. Usually one home, church, or school in a particular area offers the use of a shaded spot; such as patio etc. The boxes are delivered and members stop by on the delivery day and get their box.

What can I expect to get in my weekly box?
You will receive seasonal, organic, and heirloom vegetables along with available herbs and fruit. We strive to supply members with just the right amount of fresh produce so finishing your box doesn’t become a chore. You can view a likely assortment of items based on the season by looking at the Seasonable Availability Calendar.

What is an heirloom vegetable?
Heirloom vegetables are specialty varieties where the seeds have been passed down for at least 50 years. Many of the heirloom vegetables that are still available are in danger of becoming extinct. By committing to grow these varieties we hope to help preserve these rare and delicious vegetables.

What if I am out of town?
We try to make special arrangements with members for times when they will be unable to pick up their box. Due to accounting issues during the busy growing and delivery season it isn’t possible to manage crediting members for boxes they can’t receive. Many CSA members sell or give their box to a family member or friend. Also, we’re happy to donate your box to a local food pantry or charity. The more notice you give the farm the better we can make arrangements for alternate plans.

What does Certified Organic mean?
Being certified means that an independent, USDA licensed organization inspects our farm and farming practices to ensure that we are maintaining Organic Standards. Our certifying agency is MOSA (Midwest Organic Services Association), one of the oldest and most respected USDA certifying agencies. The farm is required to keep detailed records including seed sources and input (fertilizers etc) records. The farm is reviewed at least every year; more if certain crops or products are added during the growing season.

I’ve heard people say they farm organically but they aren’t certified; what’s that about?
In our opinion if you say you have organic products you should be certified. Some farmers are against certification because they resent government intervention; after all, the government has been less than supportive to sustainable farmers; organic or not. Others claim it’s too much paperwork. It is true there is a lot of record keeping but any successful business should keep detailed and accurate records. Still others don’t want to pay the certifying fees. We think it’s a pretty good deal to pay the $400 certification fee and the .75% per $1,000 in sales (that’s $7.50) to benefit from all of the great services that MOSA offers. While we respect some farmers unwillingness to certify and certainly know farmers who practice organic methods and are not certified; we think Organic Certification offers consumers the safest confirmation that the products they are buying are truly organic. If a farm is truly farming organically, trust us, certification is the EASY part.

I’m going to be getting a lot of products every week, what do I do with all of them?
You will receive a weekly newsletter with storage and handling advice along with recipes and cooking tips.  Harvest Moon Farmcasts are available on our website so members can see the growing process on the farm, the harvesting, and preparation of recipes, be sure to check back regularly throughout the season.

I’ve heard a lot lately about buying “local”. Does belonging to a CSA qualify?
Yes! The average American meal travels over 1,400 miles before it reaches your plate. By buying locally you are not only supporting local economies, you are helping the environment as well by reducing the use of fossil fuels that transport your food.

What if I really like one of your products, can I request more?
Yes! If you would like any extra items just let us know and will add them to your weekly delivery and let you know the cost. We cannot, however, customize individual weekly boxes at this time. For instance if you don’t like tomatoes we can’t substitute carrots every week. We would like to be able to do this in the future but can’t at this time. What we will do is have a share box at each location. If you don’t like something or don’t think you will use it just place it in the box. Anything in the box is up for grabs to any member.

What if I want to visit the farm?
Please do. We won’t even make you work…unless of course you WANT to. We are located a little over 3 hours from Chicago and are thrilled to have visitors. As of now we don’t have any guest accommodations on the farm but we can suggest several options in the area. The Driftless Region of western Wisconsin, eastern Minnesota, and northeast Iowa offer lots to do.

What kind of fun events are available to CSA members?
We will be offering on farm events as well as local events in the Chicago area. Every CSA member will receive invitations to our special events.

OK, I’m interested. Now what?
Below is a link to download and print our CSA Membership form. You can pay by cash, check, or credit card through Local Harvest.

Questions? Email us at info@harvestmoon-farms.com or call 773-472-7950.

2010 Summer CSA Shareholder Application

Organic Meat Share Application

Do you have a payment plan?
Yes. Please send 3 checks postdated 4 weeks apart with your 2010 Summer CSA application. We will deposit them accordingly. Make your checks payable to Harvest Moon Farms.

If I join can I tell you what I think of being a CSA member?
Yes, please. We want to take CSA membership to a new level of service and product selection. As a small start up farm our ability to hire additional help is limited but as we grow we want to offer members more customized boxes and additional non traditional CSA box offerings as well as events and classes. With your support and feedback we hope to develop a new model of Community Supported Agriculture. Based on feedback form 2009 we’re offering 2 types of boxes. A “basics” box with regularly used staple items and an “adventure” box with the basics plus lesser known varieties. More details to come.