A New Chapter!

Dear Friends - We're adding a new feature to the Sharing Gardens this year in order to put this project on a more financially sustainable foundation. It will be a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture - subscription farming). As many of you know, we've never sold anything so this represents a major shift for us. We're going to start small, with only 12 subscriptions, so we're sure to be successful. We intend to continue in our charitable contributions to those in our local community who need food-assistance through the South Benton Food Pantry.

Here's a description of our CSA to give you all the details:

Llyn and Chris-Your local 'farm'acists.

What is a CSA? A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a membership-relationship between you and a farm. Members receive a "share" of seasonally available produce, on a weekly basis. This gives you the benefit of knowing where your food comes from, how it is grown, and that you are giving direct support to the people who grow your food.

The Sharing Gardens CSA will provide weekly boxes of seasonal produce from early May until mid-November, by subscription, to a limited number of families. 

Your subscription will bring fresh and local food to your family while supporting us in our mission to provide healthy produce to people in our community, through local food charities, who otherwise could not afford it. We will be focusing on familiar, staple crops; the things that are most popular at grocery stores and farmer's markets.

Home-grown fresh!

What's in my box? In the beginning of the season, the produce available may not be worth what you'd pay for the same organic produce at a store but the value of the boxes from July through November will be worth more than $25 so it will more than balance in the end. The Sharing Gardens has always been known for generosity! Also, the freshness will be unlike anything you can get at a store.

May, June: Beets, cabbage, carrots, green onions, kale, lettuce and radishes
July: same as above, AND early tomatoes. summer squash and cucumbers
August, Sept.: same as above, AND celery, large tomatoes, peppers
Oct., Nov.: Most of above, AND winter squash.

Lettuce grown from seed we saved.

How do we grow your food?

No herbicides or pesticides
Soil-fertility created primarily through compost, worm castings, leaves, grass-clippings and wood-ash.
Slow-grown for maximum density of nutrition and flavor.
We encourage birds and beneficial insects for natural pest-management.
We grow all heirloom varieties (no hybrids or GMO) from 85% (or more) of seed we saved ourselves.

Healthy food for you and your family!

Cost of membership: $25/week x 28 weeks = $700 (payable either in full - when you sign-up, or in two payments of $400 - when you sign up and $300 by July 1st).

Payment methods: We can accept cash or checks made out to 'The Sharing Gardens'.

Early sign-up bonus: Some vegetables will be ready earlier than May 9th. Members will receive a share of whatever we have available on a weekly basis, once it is available.

Where do I pick up my box? Members in the Monroe area will be able to pick up their boxes on Wed. afternoons from 3:00 to 6:00 at the Sharing Gardens (map below).

664 Orchard St., Monroe 97456 

Corvallis: Boxes can be picked up on Wed. afternoons at NW 36th and Polk from 2:00 to 6:00 Eugene: We have one member already signed up who lives at 12th and Grant SW. If we get more members in Eugene we will see if all boxes can be picked up there on Sunday afternoons/early evening.

Can I share my membership? Yes, if you find someone to share it with.

Can I cancel my membership? Only if we have a waiting list. You will be refunded the balance of your fees if there is someone else who wishes to buy your "share".

To sign up for the Sharing Gardens CSA,  send an email to us at - ShareInJoy@gmail.com - We will email you an application for you to fill out and mail to us, along with your payment.

Questions? Phone: Chris and Llyn (541) 847-8797
Call: 8:00 to 12:30 or 2:00 to 6:30 (we keep 'farmer's hours' and take a nap each day :-)

Map to the Sharing Gardens: