Our Program :: The Flagstaff Garden Starts CSA

What is a CSA?

Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is a model of food production, sales, and distribution aimed at increasing the quality of food and the quality of care given the land, plants, and animals. It is also a method for small-scale commercial farmers, gardeners, and growers to have a successful, small-scale closed market, while reducing potential food losses and financial risks.

How do I sign up?

Registration is now open for the 2012 Garden Starts CSA season. The registration form also contains information on what crops we plan on growing and the tentative pick-up dates. Pick-ups are at the Native Plant & Seed Nursery - 400 E. Butler Ave.

Click here to download the registration form.

Thanks to a collaboration with the Garden Starts CSA and the Flagstaff CSA, individuals who qualify for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) will be able to pay for their share with their EBT card. All they have to do is register for the Garden Starts (above), and also fill out the SNAP/EBT member form below. It's very exciting that we are able to do this. Despite the fact that purchasing seeds and vegetable starts is a part of SNAP legislation, there are few opportunities to actually do so. So, thank you Karna at Flagstaff CSA for providing the crucial ingredients to make this happen! Under the SNAP program, member will pay $12 at each of the 8 pick-up dates. The pick-up for SNAP members will be at Flagstaff CSA - 116 W. Cottage Ave.

Click here to download the SNAP/EBT member form.

What is the Flagstaff Garden Starts CSA?

The Flagstaff Garden Starts CSA is a collaborative effort between Flagstaff Foodlink and Flagstaff Native Plant and Seed. Our CSA’s mission is to provide high-quality, responsibly grown vegetable, herb, and edible flower starts to the Flagstaff community, while educating and bringing together backyard growers. We’d like the CSA to be an opportunity for gardeners to network, share ideas, and ultimately learn from one another. Members of this CSA will be taking local food production into their own hands, while procuring part of their food security.

How does it work?

Members pick up shares from April to June at our nursery. You can arrange to have someone else pick up your share if you are out of town. Any shares left at the distribution sites will be donated to local garden projects unless prior arrangements are made before the pick-up day.

What’s in a share?

Shares include six-packs of seasonally appropriate vegetables, herbs, and edible flower starts. In the beginning of the season, participants will receive cold-tolerant plants, such as cole crops (broccoli, cabbage, kale, etc.), lettuce, and onions. As the season progresses and the weather warms, the share will shift to crops like tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, etc. Seeds for crops best sown into the ground and onion bulbs will also be provided.

Members of a CSA cover a portion of a grower’s seasonal operating budget by purchasing a share of the season’s yield in the beginning of the season. Becoming a member creates a responsible relationship between people and the food they eat, the land on which it is grown, and those who grow it.

400 E. Butler Avenue • Flagstaff, AZ, 86001 • 928.773.9406
info@nativeplantandseed.com