Healthy Start the Department of Health's new scheme to help pregnant women and children under four in low-income families eat healthily provides vouchers which can be exchanged at any outlet that sells liquid cow's milk , fresh fruit, fresh vegetables. For more information see: http://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/


CSA newsletters 2008

If you'd like to subscribe to the monthly newsletter, please email Charlotte Muspratt E: cmuspratt@soilassociation.org

» read the November / December newsletter [PDF, 87KB]
» read the October newsletter [PDF, 100KB]
» read the September newsletter [PDF, 166 KB]
» read the July newsletter [PDF, 202 KB]

Press Cuttings on CSA
» We're all farmers now, by Tessa Boase The Telegraph, 22 November 2008
» Stearns community farm - Earth mother guided by the moon, The Telegraph, 22 November 2008
» All hands to the plough by Ed Hamer, The Ecologist Magazine, September 2008 [PDF, 482 KB]
» Community farming is a growing concern, Western Morning News, September 01, 2008
» Sowing the seeds of community farming, Western Morning News, August 04, 2008 [PDF, 2.3MB]
» Community -led farming project gets off the ground, Somerset Guardian, August 28, 2008
» Community action revives Welsh mountain farm, The Guardian, 13 August 2008
» The urban farmer: One man's crusade to plough up the inner city, By Kate Burt, The Independent, Sunday, 1 June 2008


Soil Association news
» Soil Association Organic Apprenticeship Scheme - encouraging young people and new entrants into organic farming
» Food Security - an issue for the UK too

Vacancy / For sale
Vacancy for full time farmer

Stroud Community Agriculture is a vibrant community supported biodynamic farm in Gloucestershire, which is also Demeter certified. The farm provides regular weekly vegetable shares for 170 families and covers 50 acres on 2 sites. We are looking for an experienced organic, preferably biodynamic, farmer to take responsibility for the farm and animals and also work in the market garden. You will be part of the team which comprises a horticulturist, a part time farmer and an apprentice. The farm is managed by a voluntary core group who are elected as representatives of the membership. If you would like to know more about us have a look at our website: www.stroudcommunityagriculture.org and if you want to know more about this exciting challenge please contact Mark (horticulturalist) on mark@plumtucker.co .uk or 01453 752484

New Sylvan Friend
I am a young man looking to widen my experience of Community Supported Agriculture. I have a good idea of how CSAs work but I have very little growing experience. I would like to help out or do an apprenticeship on a farm in the south west. If you have any information please get in contact.
E: sylvanfriend@hotmail.com
T: 07775 617563

Goats for sale
5 lovely nanny goats (BT/BS) - 3 yrs old, very friendly, SA certified, Bluetongue and Covexin-vaccinated - very good milkers. Only £150 each (some nanny kids still available, £70 each)
Contact Kirstin Glendinning at Swillington CSA, E: kglendinning@soilassociation.org, T: 07947715715


News from the regions

Leicester
The Transition Leicester Food Group meet on the first Saturday of the month in the cafe at the Bishop St. Methodist Church - join them to discuss CSA and other plans for Leicester's food future.

Permorganics at Rothersthorpe in Northamptonshire
Permorganics in Northamptonshire launched as a Community-Supported Farm in November by inviting members to a celebration harvest lunch. They have 5 acres of permaculture garden and forest garden and also run courses in permaculture, foraging, scything, and much more. They will be supplying weekly vegetable shares to their members from April 2009. In addition each member can choose to add honey, eggs, milk, bread, pork - sausages, bacon, joints or even a half pig if it is requested, lamb - quarters, halves or a whole. - go to http://www.permorganics.org.uk/ for more info

Torganics CSA, Glastonbury, Somerset
Torganics CSA is a new scheme, set up in September 2008. With access to land and polytunnels on Maidencroft Farm just outside Glastonbury, owned by Paddington Trust, Colum Pawson has begun work on the site and will be the community grower. Cultivation at the moment is limited to ½ an acre and three polytunnels, but Colum has plans to extend the area to a neighbouring field, to give 4 acres in total. We’re currently looking for more members, and will be holding a Public Meeting on 28th January in Glastonbury Town Hall http://torganics.blogspot.com/

Camel CSA, Wadebridge, Cornwall
The new Camel CSA was launched at a public meeting attracting nearly 50 people in Wadebridge on 26 November. At a follow up meeting, a core management group of 9 have now volunteered to take the project forward and a constitution was approved. Funding applications are now being made in order to help realise the vision of setting up the CSA on 12 acres of rented farmland at St Kew Highway. In the meantime Jeremy and Antonina of St Kew Harvest have offered 2 acres beside their farmshop on which they can start production immediately. The growers have all offered to work one day a week voluntarily to get this process started in the new year, other group members have also volunteered to help them prepare the land. For more information contact the group at E: camelcsa@btinternet.com
One member said: “I just wanted to say thank you for a good meeting last night. I felt there was already a feeling of a community coming together for a hopeful future. I'm sure the key to this was the offer of the 2 acres. Suddenly it all seems possible.”

Penwith CSA, Cornwall
In west Cornwall the Penwith CSA is negotiating to rent land from a local organic grower who recently stopped production. The group is very excited as the land is located just off the 'Golden Mile' near Gulval, an area of some of the most highly prized market gardening land in the country. The core group has also now been formed and a constitution signed.
For more information contact Traci Lewis at E: tlewis@soilassociation.org or T: 07870 268654

The National Trust
The National Trust (NT) recently held a meeting at their Cotehele property in Cornwall to promote CSA. The meeting was attended by 25 land and farm managers and also catering managers from the Trust with the aim of inspiring participants about the possibilities of localised food production, community supported agriculture, food hubs and co-operative allotments and exploring options for setting these up in Cornwall & Devon. The Soil Association will be working with in partnership with NT to help further develop these aims and objectives. Contact Traci Lewis on tlewis@soilassociation or 07870 268654 for more information on CSA in Cornwall and Devon

Bristol
An evening event in Bristol on 11 November brought together 5 groups all keenly interested in CSA within the city together with other key players including the Council allotment manager. Organised by the Soil Association and Bristol Food Links, a range of workshops including Cooperatives UK looking at legal structures for CSAs, Stroud Community Agriculture case study, the Local Food Fund, Land in Bristol and the Sustainable Communities Act, and How to build a community group, provided delegates with useful ideas for taking projects forward.

Bristol - Transition Long Ashton holds colourful `market place' local food evening
Transition Long Ashton organised an exciting evening in the local village hall recently to offer insights and advice on a variety of food producing skills to local people. Over 60 people crowded into the hall which resembled a market place with stalls on bee keeping, growing your own food, keeping hens, a food coop, community orchard, cider making, community supported agriculture and a local veg box scheme.
Talks were given by local organic farmer Mike Amos, and Sue Walker of Hartcliffe Environment Action Group. Sue spoke about their inspiring work involving local people running a veg box scheme, food coop and a small orchard on land they’ve created from a group of disused allotments. The market place will be repeated in the new year due to its huge success. Transition Long Ashton are exploring opportunities for setting up a local CSA. For more information contact Susan Gorwyn, E: susan.gorwyn@googlemail.com