How to join the Nathan Creek Organic Farm / KALE society CSA
Applications for the 2010 season are now available on a first come, first served basis, and is currently to limited to 100 shares, so please do not delay sending in your application.
Download the application form below and send to Stephen with your deposit.
NCOF application form (PDF file)
What a membership costs
For the 2010 season, membership in the CSA for a 20 week season will cost $660:
New members pay a one-time $25 bin fee. (New members total is $685)
No transport levy this year, but a fuel surcharge may apply during the season if necessary.
What a membership includes
20 weekly distributions of organic locally grown produce will be made to members, beginning in mid-June and extending into November.
All members are encouraged to come out to the farm during the season to visit their food and help it grow.
Payment Schedule
Initial deposit is $275 plus $10 KALE membership plus the $100 farm investment fund.
For new members a one time $25 bin fee is also due.
Final payment of $275 is due April 30th, 2010.
Distribution Sites
PLEASE NOTE that these are the sites from 2009; there may be others added and some of those listed below may no longer be available.
Proposed delivery days are Tuesdays and/or Saturdays.
- The Farm (6764 224th St., Langley)
- Vancouver Sites:
- 27 w. 14th Ave
- 2505 Grant St.
- 2590 Turner St.
- Main St. Annex (Saturday only - limited to friends and neighbours of the hosts)
- Coquitlam (1536 Sprice Ave - Tuesday only)
- SFU (School of REM - Tuesday only)
- North Shore
- 1568 Hunter St. - near 2nd Narrows Bridge
- 4413 Summerside Lane - Deep Cove
- Capilano Road - Tuesday only
- Burrardview (limited to friends and neighbors of the hosts)
- New Westminster Urban Academy (family and friends only)
New sites may be added depending on membership need.
Farm Investment Fund
In order to begin addressing the long term requirements of making this farm economically and environmentally sustainable, once again this year, all members of the CSA will be required to provide a $100 farm investment fund, IN ADDITION TO THE PRICE FOR THE SHARE, in order to have their application for a share in next season's harvest accepted. The farm investment fund is being managed by the KALE CSA Society and will be applied only to purchases or projects that are needed in order to build a sustainable future for the farm (as opposed to covering operating expenses for the current season). A full report on the way in which this money is invested in the farm's future will be made available to all members at the end of the season.
The types of projects that will be funded with these moneys are those investments needed to continue the work of restoring this old abandoned tree farm into an economically and environmentally sustainable vegetable (and fruit or other items) CSA.
These projects include things such as; additional land clearing and soil improvement, purchase of fruit trees or bushes to develop an orchard, upgrades to the infrastructure of the farm, including a well, more drainage ditches, fixed irrigation lines, improved roadways and working spaces, rebuilding of original wood seedling greenhouse, construction of additional cold storage units, farm building repairs and upgrades, repair of existing equipment storage and maintenance shed or construction of new facilities.
For many years it has been my personal opinion that for the long term sustainability of this farm, (15, 50, 100, 500 years) it is absolutely necessary that the general membership begin to take on responsibility for these types of infrastructure improvements and begin a gradual process of becoming the actual legal owners of the farm. It is my belief that the farm investment fund is the most effective way to begin to shift investments in that sustainable future off the back of the current farmer and onto the people who are seeking to protect and promote local organic food production - the members.
While some people have suggested that I merely raise the price by the same amount as the investment fund and use the money for those same purposes without explaining the rationale, I believe that the only way that the CSA membership will begin to understand how much ongoing investment will be needed to make this (or ANY other organic farm) both economically and environmentally sustainable, will be if you all participate in those investments explicitly. It also opens the door for the members to move forward towards obtaining literal ownership of the farm, rather than just purchase of a season's harvest at a time, since the annual contributions to the investment fund, which will become a permanent component of CSA membership, can easily be converted at some future time to shares in a co-op, or in a limited corporation, if the membership decides to pursue either of those routes. At that point, it would become a fact, rather than a sentiment, that this is YOUR FARM. I look forward to participating in that process with you all in the years to come.