Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

SUCCESS STORIES

Nevada Agricultural SummitFallon NevadaDecember 1 – 2, 2006

Community Supported Agriculture What are CSAs?

One of the fastest growing niche markets in agriculture

Directly serves Communities and Customers/Families

Participants purchase “shares” in weekly harvests

Arrangement beneficial to Farmers & the communities they serve

Community Supported Agriculture Benefits to Farmers

Up front operating funds Better opportunity for planning, planting &

production Develop personal relationships with

“shareholders” Direct sales to “shareholders” eliminates

distribution costs Allows farming families to continue doing

what they do best – FARM!

Community Supported Agriculture Benefits to “Shareholders”

Receives a diverse supply of fresh produce Produce supplied with a farmer’s face on it Involvement in CSA decreases the distance

between their food and the person who grows it

Encourages sustainable agriculture and environmental health

Shareholders introduced to special regional foods not available in agri-business

Smith & Smith Farms

Smith & Smith Farms is a diversified, family farm growing produce and fresh cut flowers for a 90 member CSA and local farmer's markets. Their harvest season is June through October, culminating with a Family Farm Day to pick pumpkins. They also proudly offer a Thanskgiving Box including a farm-raised turkey. Broad-breasted bronze and heritage Naragannsett turkeys are available.

“We grow many different varieties, including heirlooms that have wonderful flavor and beautiful looks. In our farming practices, we use no pesticides. We amend our soil with compost and fish based fertilizers, many of our practices are biodynamic.”

Smith & Smith Farms

Smith & Smith Farms

Brenda Smith305 ComstockDayton Nevada 89403

Phone: (775) 246-9005

Custom Gardens Custom Gardens farm uses sustainable organic

methods, believing that healthy foods begin with healthy soils, water, air and seeds! After growing for market (selling direct at the farm and at area farmer's markets for the first seven years) in 1995 they became the first Nevada farm to offer a Community Supported Agriculture program. In 1998, the farm was the first to be certified organic under the Nevada State program, and are proud to hold certificate #1001-P.

Located in the high desert near Lake Lahontan, at the crossroads of U.S. 50 and 95A in Silver Springs, our family owned farm, once covered with native plants, became Custom Gardens in 1988.

Custom Gardens

Custom Gardens

Ray and Virginia Johnson

(775) 577.2069

Great Basin Basket The Great Basin Food Basket is a

collaboration between you, your fellow citizens within the northern Nevada area and dedicated farmers from around the area that wish to support the market for healthy, fresh and wholesome food. Local farmers include Home Grown Nevada, Lattin Farms, Sierra Valley Farm, and Sodbuster Farm.

“Our mission at the Great Basin Basket is to provide northern Nevada families with the best quality of locally grown seasonal produce grown by our local organic farmers”

Great Basin Basket

Great Basin Basket Summary 2006

Beginning subscribers: 95 Ending subscribers: 115 Total Income: $39,700 Payments to Farmers: $36,411 Number of Volunteers:

too numerous to calculate due to the efforts of the Great Basin Cooperative & the Local Food System Network in Reno

Great Basin Basket Plans for 2007

Subscriber goal: 360 Income goal: $144,000 Payments to Farmers: $129,600 Addition of Basket drop off/pick up sites Home delivery service Expansion of delivery days to 2-3 days per

week Develop employee basket programs for local

businesses Find central location for basket preparation and

sales Reno Public Marketspace

Great Basin Basket Produce Arugala Baby beets Basil Beet Greens Broccoli Cabbage Carrots Cauliflower Chard Corn Cucumbers Herbs

Fava Beans Green Beans Green Onions Kale Lettuce Melons Onions Parsnips Peas Pepper Pickles

Pumpkins Radishes Rhubard Rutabaga Raspberries Tomatoes Tomatillos Spinach Strawberries Wnter Squash Zucchini

Great Basin Basket

Rick Lattin (775) 867-3750or

Tina Smith (775) 465-2549greatbasinbasket@yahoo.

com

Questions

Visit the NevadaGrown display

for more information on

Great Basin Basket Program.