Join our CSA!

Admin — Sat, 15 Jul 2006 19:41:00 +0000

MD SUNRISE FARM CSA 2008

MD SUNRISE FARM, LLC is a family owned Maryland business specializing in certified organic agriculture. We have been the only certified organic vegetable vendor at the Anne Arundel Co. Farmers Market, Riva Rd., Annapolis, since 2006. We’ve been farming in Maryland for 5 generations and have been using organic practices since 1998. MD Sunrise is an equal opportunity employer; we hope you will enjoy the diversity this brings to the farm as much as we do.
This year, we are offering a limited number of memberships in our first CSA. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) allows consumers to pre-purchase a “share” of the coming season’s harvest, while sharing the farmer’s risk during the growing season. (If weather or insects destroy a crop, your share will not contain that item & could be smaller than it would be under ordinary circumstances.) Because domestically grown food is vital to America’s well being and independence, as well as to individual health, many consumers choose to strengthen the network of local agriculture through their locally grown food purchases. CSA’s encourage small farmers by providing a ‘living wage’ for their efforts instead of relying on ‘economies of scale’ or ‘zero profit’ competitive pricing to sell a commodity. This creates a mutually beneficial relationship between local farmers and community members because farmers can rely on a pre-established income and shareholders get the freshest, tastiest vegetables available throughout the season. By participating, you keep local land in agricultural production – a basic and important component of homeland security - and your food dollars remain in the local community where they turn from 3 to 5 times in value as they pass through other local businesses. In addition to the economic & human health benefits, our organic protocols protect the watershed, the land, animals & people.

What we offer:
Delicious, delicate, beautiful varieties of produce that don’t need tough skin for long distance travel.
Freshest food available. Most things will be picked the day you receive them. We’re so fresh you may think you should smack someone!
Value: Food is the basis of good health; why shouldn’t your body be fueled with “high test”?
The opportunity to meet your neighbors and establish a sense of community in a relaxed setting.
The opportunity to demonstrate a personal commitment to maintaining local agriculture for your present and future health and well being. You can meet your farmers, learn how we grow your food, know what goes on the land and plants, and watch the seasons unfold on a farm.

Local! We lease the former Naval Academy Dairy farm at Gambrills near Annapolis—purchasing a share keeps your food dollars in our local community and helps preserve farmland. Healthy! Your share will encourage you to eat more fresh vegetables, and to eat them in season when they are most nutritious, flavorful, and environmentally friendly. Our certified organic protocols work in harmony with nature to enhance the health of all life.

You can vote your food values and priorities with your food dollars! Here’s How It Works When you purchase one “share,” you become a member of our MD Sunrise Farm CSA. We’re beginning modestly with 30 members. Each week, we will divide our harvest by 30 and you will pick up your share at the farm (100 Dairy Lane, Gambrills, MD 21054) on Wednesday. You will get 20 weeks of produce at $20/week. Our season will run May 14 to October 1. If dates change due to weather, we will contact you. Only full shares available at this time, no half share options.
If you are unable to pick up your share, you may call a friend to pick it up & delight him/her with unexpected bounty, or you may designate that you want your unclaimed share donated to a local church. The farm will rotate donations through the churches in our immediate neighborhood.

What’s In A Share?Our experience at the Anne Arundel Farmer’s Market has shown us the favorite varieties for most people. We also use heirloom varieties because of the flavor & to encourage bio-diversity of plant species. Your share will look approximately like the following:
MAY-JUNE: Salad greens, collard greens, beets, turnips, radishes, broccoli, spinach, spring onions.
JULY-SEPT: Herbs, tomatoes, hot and sweet peppers, eggplants, melons, cucumbers, potatoes, snap beans, peas, carrots, yellow squash, and zucchini
SEPT-OCT: Broccoli, kale, cabbage, butternut squash, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, salad greens, carrots, turnips, chard, collard greens, spinach, beets and radishes.

WE WILL NEVER OFFER BANANAS IN YOUR CSA SHARE! This means you should expect only those things that grow locally, but we will always strive to exceed your expectations.

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MD SUNRISE FARM, LLC 2008 CSA MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
100 Dairy Lane, Gambrills, MD 21054
www.mdsunrisefarm.com

RETURN FORM BY MARCH 15 WITH CHECK FOR $420
(CSA share $400; $20 refundable deposit for share container supplied by farm)
Make check payable to MD SUNRISE FARM, LLC

SHARES BEGIN MAY 14, END OCT. 1

Pick up at MD Sunrise Farm every Wednesday from 1- 8pm NAME________________________
ADDRESS________________________________________________________
EMAIL___________________________________________________________
TELEPHONE_________________________cell ph_______________________
If you don’t pick up your share, do you want it donated to a local church?   ______Yes   ______ No
Have you purchased vegetables from us before?             Where?

MD SUNRISE FARM USE ONLY
Check # Date:
Note:

Questions?

Oksana Bocharova: mdsunrisefarm@comcast.net 410-923-0726

We use your information ONLY for the purpose of this CSA and do not make it available to any other party.

The memories of our 2007 market garden are as tender as the vegetables! Thanks to Oksana and Vitaliy for a season of beautiful, healthful fruit and vegetables. We have put the garden to bed until next spring; sorry, no more produce available this fall. If you'd like to be on our CSA list for 2008, email us.

The pictures below from our Chestertown farm show the enchantment of organic farming! This is crimson clover, a cover crop that protects the soil from erosion in winter and adds nitrogen needed for growing corn.

Below are more pictures from our Chestertown farm where we used ladybugs to control aphids in the sweet peas. Did you know that these rascals bite?

Maryland Sunrise Farm

Join our CSA!