Welcome

We are Luc and Amy and we are happy to invite you to become a member of our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project at Moora Moora Co-operative Community near Healesville.

We are entering our fourth year of operating Moora Moora CSA. Last year we supplied 50 families with freshly harvested organic vegetables each week.

 

CSA in a nutshell

CSA consists of a direct relationship between the farmer and the consumer. The two share both the benefits and the risks of sustainable agriculture.

A CSA member supports his/her local farmer by committing to receive vegetables from the CSA for the entire growing season. The produce is shared equally between the members and distributed weekly, straight from the farm, full of freshness and vital force!

Sharing the benefits…

There are many benefits to the CSA model for both consumer and farmer. The consumer enjoys seasonal, high quality, nutritious produce grown locally and organically. The produce is super fresh since it is harvested on the same day it is distributed. CSAs also involve people in the farm through work and socialising, strengthening local community bonds.

For the farmer, the necessary funds for production are available at the beginning of the season when they are most needed. The farmer also has a guaranteed market for the produce and hence knows how much to grow. This reduces wastage of food and time.

…and the risks

Sadly, the burden of losing a crop to bad weather, natural disasters or pests is usually carried solely by the farmer. With the CSA model, all members share the risks with the farmer. If a particular crop fails for whatever reason, it simply means that members won’t receive any of that vegetable.

Not everything will be available every week and we cannot guarantee that all of the above crops will succeed. The amount and variety will start small early on, peak in late summer and stabilize over winter.

What we grow

Basil, beans, beetroot, broad beans, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, capsicum, carrots, cauliflower, celeriac, coriander, corn, cucumbers, dill, fennel, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsley, parsnips, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, salad mix, silver beet, shelling peas, snow peas, spinach, spring onions, tomatoes, turnips and zucchini.

Becoming a member

To join, fill out the form below and return it to us along with your payment. Get in early to ensure your place. Full payments are preferred, otherwise a deposit plus three installments can be made. For details please see below.

Distribution of vegetables will commence in November 2009 and end in August 2010. Each Friday we will drop off the produce at a central location in Healesville. The vegetables can be picked up from there between 3pm and 6pm. Moora Moora residents will pick up on Tuesdays at Café from 2pm. Drop offs are also made to the Little Yarra Steiner School.

Care for our earth

By joining a CSA you are making a conscious decision to care for the earth and the farmers who grow your food. By eating locally produced food, you will be greatly reducing your carbon emissions and thereby playing an important role to reduce the impact of climate change.

Commitment form 09/10

Name:..............................................................

Address:...........................................................

.......................................................................

Phone:.............................................................

Email:..............................................................

One share in the harvest is enough vegetables for at least two adults, remembering that amounts will vary across the season. A share works out to be about $27 per week.

Full payment for CSA share $1150, or

Deposit for CSA share $300.

Then $300 due 15 January.$300 due 30 March.$250 due 15 June.

Delivery fee to Healesville (for the whole season) $20

There is a limited number of shares so get in early.

How to pay

1. Electronic transfer. Acc name: Moora Moora CSA, BSB No: 633 000, Acc No: 131 934 333

2. Send a cheque or money order made out to ‘Moora Moora CSA’ to the address overleaf.

3. Pay in cash to Luc or Amy

I understand that as a shareholder my financial pledge guarantees me an equitable share in the harvest, not a specific amount or variety of produce.

Signature:........................................................

Contact details

For more information please contact Luc or Amy

Ph: 03 5962 5641

Email:

Address: Moora Moora CSA PO Box 214 Healesville Vic 3777

 

 

The Ten Reasons to Go Organic below are reprinted from Grow Organic No. 102 October-December 1997 Excerpted from an article by Sylvia Tawse in Delicious, April 1994 and CROPO Issue 23, July,1995.

1: To Protect Future Generations

"We have not inherited the earth from our fathers, we are borrowing it from our children" -Lester Brown. The average child receives four times more exposure than an adult to at least eight widely used cancer-causing pesticides in food. Food choices made now, determine your child's future health.

2. To Prevent Soil Erosion

Soil is the foundation of the food chain in organic gardening. In conventional farming, however, the soil is used more as a medium to hold plants in a vertical position, so they can be chemically fertilised. Soil structure is neglected and the top-soil is washed or blown away.

3. To Protect Water Quality

Water makes up two-thirds of our body mass and covers three quarters of the planet. Pesticides and other chemicals widely contaminate ground water and rivers and pollute our primary source of drinking water.

4. To Save Energy

Modern farming uses more petroleum than any other industry. More energy is now used to produce synthetic fertilisers than to till, cultivate and harvest crops. Organic farming is still based on labor intensive practices such as hand weeding, green manure and cover crops instead of chemicals.

5. To Keep Chemicals Off Your Plate

Many pesticides and herbicides were registered long before extensive research linking them to cancer and other diseases could be established. They are poisons designed to kill living organisms and can also harm humans. In addition to cancer, pesticides are implicated in birth defects, nerve damage and genetic manipulations.

6. To Protect Farm Workers

Farmers have a much larger risk than non-farmers of contracting cancer. Farm worker health is also a serious problem in developing nations, where pesticide use can be poorly regulated. An estimated one million people are poisoned annually by pesticides.

7. To Help Small Farmers

Most organic farms are small, independently owned family farms of less than 100 acres. Many family farms have been lost this past decade. Organic farming could be one of the few survival tactics left for family farms.

8. To Support A True Economy

Although organic foods might seem more expensive than conventional foods, conventional food prices don't reflect hidden costs such as pesticide regulation and testing, hazardous waste disposal and clean up and environmental damage. If the hidden environmental and social costs of chemically-produced conventional produce were added to that produce, it would be more than double the price of organic food.

9. To Promote Biodiversity

The conventional farmer uses monoculture, the planting of large plots of land with the same crop year after year. This approach leaves the soil lacking in natural minerals and nutrients, which have to be replaced by chemical fertilisers in increasing amounts. Single crops are also more susceptible to pests, making farmers more reliant on pesticides. Insects have become genetically resistant to certain pesticides and despite the increased uses of chemicals, crop losses are increasing. Organic farmers encourage natural predators on their farms and are content with a smaller harvest. They also practice crop rotation to add health and energy to the soil.

10. For A Better Taste

Organic farming starts with the nourishment of the soil, which leads to the nourishment of the plant and, ultimately, our palate. Ask the many chefs who prefer to use organic foods.

 

Disclaimer:

Every effort has been made to ensure that the content of this website is accurate and current. The information herein is not designed to replace the expert and individual medical advice provided by your Health Care Provider.