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V.I. Sustainable Farm Institute Announces Community Supported Agriculture

For those who like a weekly delivery of fresh, lovingly grown certified organic food from right here in the Virgin Islands, now is their chance, by becoming a member in the territory’s original Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program.
Ridge to Reef Farm at V.I. Sustainable Farm Institute is offering its third CSA season for 2012, starting Sept. 5. Buy a share in the territory’s only certified organic farm and reap the benefits of investing in local food for the family and island community.
We grow 100 percent organic, 100 percent GMO free, and free range using the three central ethics of permaculture: 1) take care of the earth 2) take care of the people 3) share resources with fairness.
Shares are limited and Ridge to Reef expects them to fill. Below are the details of what it will look like and how you can become a member.
Register here:
http://ridgetoreef.csasignup.com/members
1. Registration
You may now register, pay up front from the entire season, and secure your spot for VISFI’s next CSA season. Pick-ups start Sept. 5 and run for 12 weeks. Register here: http://ridgetoreef.csasignup.com/members, then make your payment. All you have to do after that is pick up your food every week at the location of your choosing (see site for details).
Your spot will be 100 percent secured with your payment in full.
2. Return on Your Investment ~ $324 per share
Add on an optional bi-weekly coffee share from Puerto Rico’s sustainable fair-trade coffee farm for $90. *shipping to St. Thomas is additional
New. Add a banana share to keep fresh organic bananas at your house this fall. Great for smoothies, baking and healthy snacks.
A CSA is a shared risk/benefit business model to secure local food production. There are no guarantees about what or how much you may receive each week. Farming is risky business, with storms, fires or acts of God that sometimes make farming difficult. There are always losses, but thanks to our 10 year’s experience of growing to the strict USDA organic standards here in the U.S.V.I., we know how to put fine, tasty food on the table year-round.
What’s in the bag? Each week you will see a variety of our organic produce and sometimes free range eggs. The goal is to surpass the fair market price of your share for organic food every week. Price comparisons from prior weeks have shown our food, while better in quality, sometimes has a lower price than that which is found in the conventional grocery stores. We have put together a tentative listing of some the items you may receive below. While cannot guarantee any one crop, this is our goal:
Organic Crops:
Micro Greens -Prepackaged, ready-to-go; bananas; other select fruits (mango, passion fruit, papaya, limes etc.); chaya, moringa, malabar spinach, peppers, eggs, basil, long beans, other beans, kale, sprouts, cucumbers, eggplants, coconuts, cranberry hibiscus greens, green onions and more
Note: As fall is the most difficult growing season, expect more bananas, chaya, spinach, micro-greens and sprouts than usual to compensate for less of the more risky annual veggies. For this reason Ridge to Reef Farm has lowered the weekly share value to $27 per week to ease the pressure of filling with another annual vegetable.
Where will the money go? (try asking this question at the grocery store)
-additional seed order (we have already planted during last season)
-pallet of vermiculite and perlite
-tractor maintenance, purchase of new attachment
-improving chicken tractor/movable fence system, feed
-purchase of additional chickens for winter season 2013
-staff wages, additional staff member
-delivery of your food
-new bags and t-shirts for sale
-new trellis materials for tomatoes, cukes
-increase irrigation capacity
3. How to buy a share
Final payments are due by Sunday, Sept. 2 and are first-paid, first-served until they run out. Shares not paid by deadline will be released to other registrants. Please let Ridge to Reef know if your check is in the mail.
Pay by check : Given the proximity to the start of the CSA, please hand-deliver the check to the table at Eat @ Cane Bay during Ridge to Reef’s special market stand there from 12-4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept 2.
Ridge to Reef Farm
PO Box 2903
Frederiksted USVI, 00841
Pay with Paypal: Please, if you elect to pay via paypal, it is critical to follow these steps to save the CSA money on the paypal fees -very important:) We will cancel payments that do not follow these steps:
1) Log in to your paypal account.
2) Click on "send money"
3) Enter your full balance as reported in your order confirmation e-mail and use R2Rfarm@gmail.com as the recipient address.
4) Select the tab that says "Personal"
5) Within the personal options, select "other" as your payment type.
6) Click continue, then review your order and Send Money
Shares are locked in once we receive full payment.
Register here:
http://ridgetoreef.csasignup.com/members

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