Root Radical Community Shared Agriculture (CSA): Fresh, local, seasonal produce from the Kingston area

Registration

We are now full for the 2010 season. If you would like to be added to our contact list for the 2011 season, please fill out this form.

How it works

We sell all of our vegetables through the CSA model and our members receive a weekly share of the produce taken from our diverse one and a half acre organic garden.

The vegetables are usually distributed once per week over a 22 week season from early to mid June until late October to early November. The exact start date and length of season depends on the spring weather.

One of our vegetable shares is sized to suit most households but households who like to eat a lot of vegetables and preserve some for winter may want to purchase two shares.

If you are concerned about one share being too much food for your household you could split your share with a friend. Some households team up and split two shares because that arrangement allows them to have more flexibility for arranging pick up and dividing up the vegetables.

The quantity of vegetables in a given week varies with what the season provides, with the largest amounts distributed in August and September. For a better idea of what is in a share, please read "Share Examples" below.

The vegetables are picked up in Kingston on either Tuesday or Friday evenings. We also have farm pick up option for Howe Island residents and we have a pick up point in East Kingston.

weighing cilantro for the shares

Share cost

The cost of a share is $400. For two shares packaged together the cost is $770.

The cost of the share represents the cost of growing the vegetables organically and includes a modest income for the farmer. As a member of the CSA, you will receive a financial report at the end of the year.

The prices are sliding scale to allow greater participation from people with lower incomes, without requiring the farmer to unfairly subsidize the cost of food. If the share price of $400 is unaffordable to your household, you can choose to reduce your share price by up to $50. Alternatively, if you would like to help make local organic food more affordable to people with lower incomes and/or contribute to a better income for your farmer, you can contribute up to $50 more for your share. When registering you will have access to our "Sliding Scale Guidelines" to help you with your decision of how much to pay for your share.

Share Examples

The following share examples from a selection of weeks from the 2009 season are provided to help give you an idea of what to expect. The 2010 season will probably provide different growing conditions and the boxes could look quite different. (Photos are by 2009 intern, Sara Emery.)

June 9, 2009

june 9 share photo

1 head of lettuce
1 head of bok choy
150 g mixed baby greens
25 g arugula
100 g spinach
3 mint stems
3 chive flowers

June 19, 2009

june 19 share photo

1 head of lettuce
1 head of bok choy
2 baby beets with greens
325 g mixed baby greens
3 stems of oregano
2 spring turnips with greens
8 white icicle radishes

July 10, 2009

july 10 share photo

1 head of lettuce
5 green onions
1 kohlrabi
4 carrots
5 dill stems
6 garlic scapes
540 g shelling peas
680 g sugar snap peas
1 small cabbage
7 Swiss chard leaves

July 21, 2009

july 21 share image

1 head of lettuce
1 small cabbage
2 baby beets with greens
6 kale leaves
160 g shelling peas
110 g sugar snap peas
4 carrots
2 small zucchini or summer squash
2 small and 2 cherry tomatoes
10 green onions
1 basil plant
3 oregano stems

August 4, 2009

aug 4 share image

1 head of lettuce
19 green onions
580 g green and yellow beans
1 kohlrabi
1 fennel
4 beets with greens
1 bunch of New Zealand spinach
4 dill stems
2 sprigs of basil
1 cucumber
1 small zucchini
4 small summer squash

August 21, 2009

(Sorry, no photo available)

1 head of lettuce
1 small cabbage
3 beets with greens
13 green onions
8 tomatoes
1 pint of cherry tomatoes
700 g green and yellow beans
1 zucchini or summer squash
1 fennel or 1 cucumber
90 g cilantro
1 sweet red pepper
1 bunch of New Zealand spinach

September 1, 2009

sept 1 share image

1 small cabbage
1 head of lettuce
9 tomatoes
590 g of cherry tomatoes
2 carrots
3 beets with tops
2 sprigs of basil
3 tomatillos
1/2 pint ground cherries
2 sweet peppers
100 g green and yellow beans
3 tomatillos
115 g Swiss chard
7 green onions
55 g cilantro
560 g mild sweet onions
3 bulbs of garlic
"free choice" hot peppers

September 22, 2009

(Sorry, no photo available)

1 head of lettuce
11 green onions
120 g cilantro
160 g Swiss chard
715 g mild sweet onions
4 carrots
265 g tomatillos
6 sweet peppers
6 tomatoes
250 g cherry tomatoes
choice of asparagus, eggplant, beans or raspberries
"free choice" dill
"free choice" hot peppers

October 6, 2009

(Sorry, no photo available)

1 head of lettuce
1 head of endive or escarole
2 small leeks
5 sweet peppers
2 sprigs of thyme
2 sprigs of basil
2 sprigs of sage
1 celeriac
225 g white sweet potatoes
4 green onions
715 g red onions
165 g mixed baby greens
4 carrots
1 small butternut squash
1 small tomato
50 g cherry tomatoes
3 tomatillos
"free choice" hot peppers

October 23, 2009

(Sorry, no photo available)

2 small heads of lettuce
2 small leeks
1 green pepper
4 sprigs of parsley
6 kale leaves
11 green onions
700 g storage onions
4 parsnips
4 carrots
1 sugar dumpling or acorn squash

November 6, 2009

(Sorry, no photo available)

180 g of mixed baby greens
2 small leeks
1 green pepper
2 sprigs of thyme
2 sprigs of winter savoury
170 g of white sweet potatoes
115 g of kale and Swiss chard
14 green onions
770 g storage onions
2 small rutabagas
5 carrots
1 delicata squash
1 small bulb of garlic

Registration Information

Once you decide you would like to become a member of Root Radical CSA you can fill out a committment form. There are three ways to register.

1) Online version. Follow the link to fill out the committment form and submit it online. Make your initial payment by cheque, cash or email money transfer.

2) PDF version. Follow the link and print out the committment form and send it along with your initial payment by cheque via post. Or contact us to make arrangements to pay by cash or email money transfer.

3) Hard copy. Contact us to have a hard copy of the commitment form sent to you. Once you receive it, please fill it out and send it along with your initial payment by cheque via post. Or make arrangements to pay by cash or email money transfer.