Prairieland Community Supported Agriculture

Program makes produce buyers 'sharholders' in area farmland

Adapted from the article with same title by Christine des Garennes in the Local section of the News Gazette on March 27, 2004.

Prairieland Community Supported Agriculture is an organization in which customers buy shares in order to receive produce direct from a farm throughout the growing season.

Length of season: Mid-June through mid-November

Pick-up locations: Champaign and Urbana

Sample pick-up: A package in August may include green beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplant, green peppers, potatoes, and onions.

Cost per share: $330

For subscription information: call 239-3686 or www.prairielandcsa.org

During the growing season, customers pick up their boxes weekly at a designated pick-up spot. The cost per share is $330 of which $305 goes directly to the farmers who grow the food. By paying a farmer in advance, community-supported agriculture organizations provide farmers with a stable income. The farmers growing produce for Priaireland are Watseka farmers Jim and Diann Moore and their two teen-age sons.

You may have bought their produce at the Urbana farmers' market where the Moores have sold their fruits and vegetables for 17 years.. On their 100-acre farm, they plan to grow such things as banana peppers, brussel sprouts and pumpkins this year. The planting list includes more than 25 varieities of fruits and vegetables. Although the farm is not certified organic, the Moores, who also sell beef and pork, do not apply any chemicals or treat their animals with drugs.

Drivers for Delivery

Community UCC bought Community Supported Agriculture Shares which we pick up in Urbana between 5 and 7 pm and deliver to Women in Transition, El Centro, and A Women's Place on Wednesday evenings. Please contact the church office (344-5091) if you can help deliver.

How Community UCC became involved

From the Desk of Rev. Michael Mulberry ...
March 17, 2004 Communigram Vol. 34 No. 6

John 6:9 "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish."

It all began with a Junior High lock-in when Jeff Offenbecher asked his friend, Sam Mate, to come to the event at our church. While at the lock-in, Sam began speaking to one of the chaperones, Rev. Tracy Heilman, about the slow-food movement (as opposed to "fast food", see www.slowfood.com) of which Sam's father is a coordinator and leader. Sam taught Tracy that slow food is all about maintaining local biodiversity and balance, enjoying food and conversation, and remembering that our pleasure is not disconnected with the pleasure of others. When Sam's mom, Paige Weston, came to pick Sam up from the lock-in, Tracy spoke with Paige about what a great and intelligent young man Sam is. Sam also gave Tracy e-mail info about his dad, Laurence Mate, and an e-mail conversation began that resulted in the Heilman/Mulberry clan invited to a slow food dinner hosted by the Mate/Weston clan.

I Corinthians 12:7,14 "To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many."

While savoring a delicious stew of goat meat (the most widely consumed meat in the world and lower in cholesterol than chicken) and sweet potatoes (I don't even like sweet potatoes but this was darn tasty), Tracy and I learned that the slow food movement is also connected with organic farming. Two of the people present that night were organic fruit farmers from Congerville, Teresa Santiago and her sister. Teresa's daughter is a student at Eureka High School and has Andy Mulberry, my brother, as one of her teachers. Teresa and her sister offer Community Supported Agriculture subscription shares from their fruit farm in Congerville to be sold at market in Bloomington. They explained that Community Supported Agriculture subscribers receive a "share" of fresh, locally grown or raised fruit, vegetables, eggs, and/or meats. Community Supported Agriculture subscribers offer ways for eaters to become involved in the ecological and human community that supports the farm. Teresa shared that her dream would be to involve local churches in buying shares for local social service agencies who would never otherwise get fresh, organically grown and raised fruit, vegetables, eggs, and/or meats.

Deuteronomy 26:10 "So now--here, I have brought the premiere-part of the fruits of the soil that you have given me, O Living God."

Recognizing that we had $6,000 in a food pantry fund, I approached Program and Mission with the possibility of giving Community Supported Agriculture shares to some of the local social service agencies we support. After discussion at two meetings, Program and Mission voted to buy three shares and distribute them to local social service agencies. When I purchased the shares from the most local Community Supported Agriculture Farm, Prairieland CSA (the Moore family from Watseka), I was told that our purchase helped put them over the top to be sustainable. If they reached the level of annually selling 20 more shares, they would feel comfortable giving the farm over to their two sons.

John 6:13 "So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets."

What a great thing we are doing! How wonderful that our feeding of the poor actually involves giving them the premier-parts, stewardship of the land, and sustaining life. I think it is amazing when we not only teach but live the Biblical story. It all began with a Junior High Lock-In.

How you as an individual can participate --

Prairieland association started the 2004 season with 60 sharholders and is now up to 80 members. A maximum of 100 shares will be sold. Individuals as well as churches and other organizations may buy shares. Ideally, if you wish to participate in the program, you need to turn in your form sooner rather than later.

You can also help pickup Community UCC shares on Wednesdays between 5 and 7 pm and then deliver them to Women in Transition, El Centro, and to A Women's Place. We have written directions for each of these locations. If you are interested, contact the church office at 344-5091 or info@community-ucc.org.