Brockville - The new Special Event Resource Centre in Eastern Ontario is now looking to the region’s local events and organizations to step forward to make use of the new center, share their inventory of materials and to take in one of the service’s upcoming event-planning workshops.

Centre manager and St. Lawrence 1812 Bicentennial Alliance Executive Director, Jan Bonhomme, says The goal is to provide event support to not only the upcoming 1812 bicentennial activities planned for 2012 but to all community events both large and small in the years to come.

StreetBank – Lending, Giving Away, Skills

…is a website that allows you to see all that your neighbours are giving away or lending. It’s a giant attic, garden shed, toolkit, fancy dress chest, library and DVD collection for you and anyone living within one mile of your home.

This great concept was featured on CBC Radio One overnight this morning.  I’m hoping we can import the idea to Ottawa / Eastern Ontario Canada.

A few days ago, Sara posted an entry about the Ottawa Food Box program.  Food box programs are a variation of the Community Shared Agriculture concept.

That post prompted this explanation of the CSA.

/e
=========

What is CSA?

Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) is an approach to growing and purchasing food products in which the farmer and consumer are working cooperatively. In a CSA, the farmer grows food for a predetermined group of consumers. The consumer enters into an agreement of purchase with the grower prior to the start of the season. The farmer gains a guaranteed market; the consumer gains high quality, fresh food, as it becomes available. CSA farms usually offer weekly delivery or pick-up of vegetables. Sometimes also flowers, fruits, herbs and meat products. The consumer-producer relationship is strengthened through the increased involvement of the consumers on the farm and with the farmer.

Food Box programs are a variation of the CSA structure. The food box differs in the consumer need not necessarily commit for an entire season, the payment is usually due on a week by week basis and the consumer often has less say as to what is grown and what goes into the box.

Each farm and farmer runs the CSA or food box a little differently.

Find out what works for your family!

For Ottawa EATERS

CSA Farms and Food Box Programs serving Ottawa
All CSA farms on this list use ecological, organic and/or biodynamic farming principles. Most of these farms sell their own vegetables.  Some supplement with food from other local farms or from elsewhere. Different programs suit different people, so give them a call to find out the specifics of how each farm runs their CSA OR foodbox program, and then sign up for great veggies all season long with the one (or two!) that work for you!

CSA Farms

BUNCHING ONIONS CSA Ecological Agriculture, Organic (not certified)
BUNCHING ONIONS ASC Agriculture écologique, produits biologiques (non certifiés)

Tucker House Renewal Centre/Maison Tucker – Centre de renouvellement
Clarence/Rockland, ON
613-446-2117 Ext/poste 8    organicgardens@tuckerhouse.ca www.tuckerhouse.ca

---

CONNAUGHT ACRES Certified Organic
CONNAUGHT ACRES Produits certifiés biologiques

Debbie DeCooman
Chesterville, ON
613-448-3540    debbie@connaughtacres.ca www.connaughtacres.ca

(drops at Bank and Heron) (dépôts coin Bank et Heron)

---

COVENANT FARM CSA Organic (not certified)
FERME DU COVENANT ASC Produits biologiques (non certifiés)

Catherine, Joël & Stephanie
Clarence Creek, ON
613.488.3589    joel@covenantfarm.ca www.covenantfarm.ca

Service en français aussi! Drop-off and delivery in the East end.
Dépôts et livraisons dans l’est d’Ottawa.

---

ELM TREE FARM Demeter Certified (Biodynamic)
FERME ELM TREE Certifiés Demeter (Biodynamie)

Tom Waller & Allaine Nordin
Arden, ON
613-335-3361    elmtree@kos.net

Pick-up locations in Centretown and Westboro. Dépôts au centre-ville et dans Westboro.

---

INTENTIONAL EATERS CSA Demeter Certified (Biodynamic)
INTENTIONAL EATERS CSA Certifiés Demeter (Biodynamie)

David Burnford
Ottawa, ON
613-720-FARM    david.burnford@gmail.com www.riverglenfarm.ca

Most of the boxes are picked up on site but delivery/car pooling is available for people living in Ottawa (Orleans, Centre, Nepean, Kanata).
La plupart des clients viennent chercher les boîtes sur place, mais un service de livraison/covoiturage est offert aux résidents d’Ottawa (Orléans, centre-ville, Nepean, Kanata).

---

LOVE THOSE WEEDS

Kathryn Jackson
17237 Rue Quail Road
Monkland ON K0C 1V0
(613) 360-6363  lovethoseweeds@sympatico.ca www.lovethoseweeds.ca

OCPP – Certified organic vegetables and herbs.  OCPP – Légumes et fines herbes certifiés organiques.

Beef, lamb, chicken & eggs available. Boeuf, agneau, dinde, poulet et porc disponibles.

Store open June to October carrying dairy, pasta, canned goods, pulses, condiments.  La boutique est ouverte de juin à octobre et offre des produits laitiers, des pâtes, des produits en conserve, des légumineuses, des condiments.

CSA, Box program starting early June-home delivery or on farm pick-up.  Le programme de paniers ASC entre en vigueur dès le début de juin – livraison à domicile ou cueillette à la ferme.

---

NATURAL FOOD Organic (not certified)
Keith & Deb Salisbury
Franktown, ON
613-257-7168   info@naturallamb.ca www.naturallamb.ca

Pick-up Lamb, Chicken, Pork and Organic Vegetables Boxes at the Carp Farmer’s Market or Ottawa Farmer’s Market for customers living in Ottawa (Orleans, Centre, Nepean, Kanata, Carp, and Carleton Place). Peuvent passer prendre des paniers d’agneau, de poulet, de porc et de légumes organiques au marché agricole de Carp ou au marché agricole d’Ottawa les clients vivant dans la région d’Ottawa (Orléans, Ottawa-Centre, Nepean, Kanata, Carp et Carleton Place).

---

ROCK N’ HORSE FARM, Holistic practices

Arlee & Diane Sheets
Almonte, ON
613-256-6117 am.sheets@hotmail.com

---

SAFFIRE FARMS Organic (not certified)
FERMES SAFFIRE Produits biologiques (non certifiés)

Gord McGregor & Janet Larabie
Almonte, ON
613-256-3383    saffirefarms@gmail.com www.saffirefarms.ca

---

TEAMWORK CSA Certified Organic
TEAMWORK ASC Produits certifiés biologiques

Hilary Chop
Almonte, ON
613-296-0599 teamworkcsa@hotmail.com

Drop off points around the city. Dépôts à différents endroits de la ville.

---

UPPER CANADA HERITAGE FARM CSA, organic (not certified)

11351 Miller Road, Rocksprings, Ontario
613-924-1234  heritagemeat@sympatico.ca www.uppercanadaheritagemeat.ca

Shares available for meat from heritage breeds – beef, pork and chicken. Delivered to your door or picked up at The Piggy Market in Westboro or The Ottawa Farmers’ Market. Meat available year round

---

VEGETABLE PATCH.CA Sustainable and Organic (not certified)
VEGETABLE PATCH.CA Durable et biologique (non certifiés)

Jesse Payne
Ottawa, ON
613-218-6543 jesse@vegetablepatch.ca www.vegetablepatch.ca

Making use of Ottawa’s urban green space, a variety of vegetables are grown in large beautiful backyard gardens. Seasonal weekly orders of vegetable baskets will be available starting at the end of June. Nous exploitons les espaces verts urbains d’Ottawa en cultivant une variété de légumes dans de grands potagers de cours arrière. Des paniers saisonniers hebdomadaires seront disponibles à partir de la fin du mois de juin.