Gloucester, MA, February 1, 2016 – Farmer Dave of Dracut, MA has announced that he is expanding his Community Supported Agriculture program in Gloucester by offering a fourteen week Spring Share in Lanesville.
Community supported agriculture is a direct-to-customer business model for farms that has strengthened the connection between farmers and eaters across the world. In the CSA model, individuals or families pledge commitment to a farm, making a deposit in the winter, and in exchange the family receives a share of the harvest throughout the season. Since 2008, Farmer Dave has offered his CSA shares at the Lanesville Community Center and at the Cape Ann Farmers Market from June through October. By expanding the program to include the Spring Share in Lanesville, Gloucester CSA members can begin receiving shares of the harvest as early as March.
There are many benefits to joining a local CSA. Because the food is grown within driving distance, less fossil fuel is used to get the food onto the plate. By committing to a local farmer, CSA members are also supporting a small business and strengthening the local economy. Perhaps the most noticeable benefit is all the fresh, delicious produce CSA members get every week. As a bonus, CSA members enjoy the satisfaction of knowing the names of the people who planted, watered and picked the food they eat all summer and into the fall. “Many of our CSA members express sadness when the harvest season ends in the fall. And as the weather warms up in the spring, the anticipation builds for the start of the season,” says farmer Dave Dumaresq. “By offering a spring share, we are not only supplying our members with locally-grown produce earlier than we have in the past, we are also making use of under-utilized greenhouse space and providing work for our employees earlier in the season than ever before. Everyone has to eat; why not eat what builds the local economy, plainly tastes better, and is better for you, too?”
The spring share is a great option for greens lovers who have trouble waiting for the farmers market to buy locally grown produce. It is also ideal for those who are new to the CSA concept and who would like to get a feel for the process before committing to an entire summer’s worth of vegetables. The Spring Share will run for 14 weeks, beginning in March and ending in early June. Members will pick up their shares on Monday afternoons at the Lanesville Community Center, 8 Vulcan Street in Gloucester. Each week’s share typically contains 2-4 varieties of greens, plus “something extra,” such as a bunch of radishes, herbs, beets, or salad turnips. For the first few weeks, the shares will also include winter storage vegetables and fruits, such as carrots, potatoes and apples. For the last few weeks, the shares often include cucumbers and tomatoes grown in Farmer Dave’s greenhouses.
Farmer Dave’s also offers vegetable shares and fruit shares (June-October), and late fall shares (November-December). Shareholders can choose from several pick-up locations in the greater Boston area, including Lanesville and the Cape Ann Farmers Market, as well as other locations throughout the North Shore, Merrimack Valley, and Boston.
For more information about Farmer Dave’s CSA, including registration, payment plans, and more, visit http://www.farmerdaves.net or https://www.facebook.com/davesyourfarmer/ or contact Bethany Bellingham at (978) 349-1952.
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