Phoenix Gardens CSA-General Information
This Phoenix Gardens CSA will provide our members with the best in locally and sustainably grown food. We believe that our CSA is the only CSA serving Gwinnett where the bulk of the food is grown within the county. We will probably limit membership to 30-40 members.
Where will the food be grown?
The food for the CSA will be grown as a joint effort between Phoenix Gardens and partner farms. The bulk of the produce will be grown at our gardens in Lawrenceville. At Phoenix Gardens, we specialize in growing heirloom varieties of vegetables which you will not find in any stores. In addition to produce, we are working with sustainable producers to provide our members with pastured poultry and pork, grass fed beef and local milk.
Are the crops certified organic?
No. While we are a member of Georgia Organics and practice sustainable agriculture, we are not certified. Members are encouraged to visit our gardens and see the methods use to grow the food.
What will be grown?
Our members will receive all of the typical crops that are grown during the CSA season. In the summer, this means tomatoes, squash, peppers, beans, melons, and other summer favorites. In the cooler weather of the fall, salad greens, spinach, cabbage, sweet potatoes, beets and Asian vegetables take center stage.
What will be included in the weekly share?
At the start of the CSA, we will distribute a list of what will be included in a “Basic” box for each weekly share. The contents will change weekly as crops become available or go away. While CSA management will determine the contents of the box, we are looking very strongly at a model that will allow our customers to make changes and substitutions if they don’t like a particular vegetable. Part of the fun of the CSA is being introduced to new foods. We do plan to include some unusual vegetables and varieties in the share boxes. But they will be a small part of the box and cooking instructions, recipes and demos will be included to help you enjoy it.
Will any other products be offered?
We are working with a number of quality vendors to offer additional products that can be purchased as add-ons to the weekly share. At present, these products include: fresh bread and grains, jams, jellies and condiments, low pasteurized, antibiotic free milk, local honey and soap. We are also working with producers to provide our members with grass fed beef, pastured poultry and pork.
How long will the CSA run?
The CSA will run from June-November for a 26 week schedule. The exact schedule will be published once it is finalized.
What is the share price and how do I get my share?
In the typical CSA model, payment for the share is typically taken upfront for the year. The 2010 share price will be $650 for the year. This works out to $25 per week over the 26 week season. We will have several payment options available. We prefer not to require full payment upfront and have a system that allows our customers to pay as they go each week. Our CSA application has more deails on our payment options.
We would like to have pickup locations in Lawrenceville and Norcross. We will post the pickup locations once they are finalized
Reservations will be taken on a first come-first served basis until the memberships are filled.
How big is the share?
The size and contents of the share will vary from week to week as crops come in and out of season. While it is difficult to provide an exact weight for the share, we will say it is sufficient for a small family. We had a couple of people drop out of the trial CSA because there was too much in the share and they couldn't eat it all.