reetings,
The DUMBO Vinegar Hill CSA is now closed for the Summer/Fall 2011 season. Please email us at core@dumbocsa.org for more information on joining the Winter 2011 season or to be added to the Summer/Fall 2012 wait list.
We may be able to accept a few final signups on a limited basis. Please email us at core [at] dumbocsa.org to let us know if you’re interested.
Community Supported Agriculture, or CSA, is a way for people to buy vegetables directly from a local farmer. Before the harvest season, members commit and pre-pay to buy fresh, locally-grown, organic vegetables. This year’s season runs from mid June to mid November 2012. Members will pick up their share in Dumbo every Wednesday evening during the 23-week season.
Registration is now open—we hope you’ll join us! The final deadline for all registrations and payments is Wednesday, May 15.
Vegetables
We offer full or partial vegetable shares, with fresh, local vegetables provided by Sang Lee Farms on Long Island. A full share costs $620 for the 23-week season (approximately $27/week) and each week, you’ll receive 8-10 different kinds of vegetables. Partial shares cost $410 (approximately $18/week) and contain fewer items more appropriate for a single person or household that does less cooking. Please refer to our past delivery lists to see some examples of what a typical delivery looked like last year.
Fruit
Optional fruit shares are provided by Briermere Farms. Fruit shares run for 18 weeks starting in mid-July, and cost $195 ($10.83/week).
A typical share consists of two containers of berries, or one container of berries and three pounds of fruit, or six pounds of fruit. The berries begin in mid July with blueberries, raspberries, and gooseberries. Peaches—yellow, white, and doughnut—begin in August, along with some early apples. Finally, in September and October a wide variety of apples will be mixed with pears.
Cheese
Cheese shares consist of 4-6 ounces of cheese each week for 18 weeks and cost $195 ($10.83/week). The cheese is provided by four different artisan cheese providers (Catapano Dairy Farm, Mecox Bay Dairy, Harpersfield Cheese, and Goodale Farms) in rotation.
Q: What is a CSA?
A: A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is a way for the food buying public to create a relationship with a farm and to receive a weekly portion of produce. By making a financial commitment to a farm, people become members of the CSA.
Q: What is the name of the farm who works with the DUMBO/Vinegar Hill CSA?
A: Our produce comes from Sang Lee Farms of Peconic (North Fork), NY
Q: Is the produce organic?
A: Yes, Sang Lee Farms is a NOFA-NY Certified Organic Vegetable Farm.
Q: How was the farm connected with the CSA?
A: Just Food is the non-profit umbrella organization who matches qualified local farms with CSAs in NYC.
www.justfood.org
Q: Can I visit the farm?
A: Yes, we have a formal farm visit for the CSA twice a year and Sang Lee Farms runs a weekend farm stand which you can visit on your own.
Q: When is the CSA season?
A: The summer/fall season typically runs from mid June through mid November. Our winter season runs from November to March.
Q: Do you only have vegetable shares?
A: No—in the summer of 2013, we are also offering fruit and cheese.
Q: Who provides the additional shares?
A: The fruit share comes from Briermere Farms, also on Long Island.
The cheese share rotates between four artisan cheese providers: Catapano Dairy Farm, Mecox Bay Dairy, Harpersfield Cheese, and Goodale Farms.
Q: What is the time and place of distribution?
A: Our distribution is held in DUMBO in the courtyard of Phoenix House, 50 Jay Street. Use the Plymouth Street driveway entrance. Distribution runs from 5:00-8:00 PM.
In the summer, distribution is every Wednesday evening.
Q: Do you deliver shares?
A: No, we don’t have the capability to make deliveries and our members find that seeing each other at the weekly distribution builds community.
Q: Do I have to be a member to participate in the CSA?
A: Yes, only prepaid members can participate in distribution. There are no on-site sales of the produce during the season.
Q: When do I sign up?
A: 2013 summer/fall membership is now open. Visit our “Joining” page to learn more and sign up. New membership is open on a first come first serve basis.
Q: What is the cost of a share for 2013?
A: Pricing information is available on our “Joining” page.
Q: Can I become a member for part of the season?
A: No, we only take members for full seasons. However, you are welcome to find someone to split your share with you.
Q: How do I make a payment?
A: Please visit our “Joining” page for information on making a payment.
Q: Do I have to donate any time to be a member in the CSA?
A: Yes, every share needs to volunteer to help out distributions during season (2 shifts in the summer, and 1 in the winter).
Q: If I work late or have children, do I still have to work at distribution?
A: Yes, we have a late shift from 6-8:30 PM for people who can’t leave work early. If your schedule is not flexible at all, we can arrange for other volunteer opportunities. You can bring your children to distribution with you.
Q: What happens if I’m on vacation or can’t get to distribution one week?
A: You can ask a friend/neighbor to pick up your share or give it away. If no one comes to pick up your share, it is donated to Phoenix House and used in their residential cafeteria.
Q: Are there any events or activities associated with the CSA?
A: Members volunteer to plan get togethers, food demos, and farm visits. We always welcome new ideas and volunteers for other activities.
Q: What if there is a drought or flooding and the farm can’t produce the quantity or quality of vegetables it normally does?
A: By becoming a member of the CSA you assume the risk of organic farming. Our farmers are highly experienced and will do everything they can to make sure we have the best possible produce no matter the circumstances.
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We may be able to accept a few final signups on a limited basis. Please email us at core [at] dumbocsa.org to let us know if you’re interested.
Here’s what it costs for a vegetable share (which includes lots of fresh, organic veggies from Sang Lee Farms on Long Island):
We’re also offering two optional add-on shares:
For more information about what a typical share looks like, check out some our delivery lists from last season.
The deadline for all summer/fall payments is May 15, 2013.
First, calculate how much you owe based on the shares you’ve signed up for.
If you can pay for your shares in full right up front, please do—it’s a huge help to Fred, and it makes it easier for him to purchase seeds and get his equipment ready for the season.
Otherwise, please send in a 50% deposit to reserve your spot. That means…
Please add up the total amount and send us one check to cover all of your shares.
Make your check out to to DUMBO Vinegar Hill CSA and mail it to…
Frances Spangler1 Main Street, #5GBrooklyn NY 11201
If you need to discuss a different payment schedule, just let us know—we want to make the CSA accessible to everyone, and we’re happy to work with you.
Pickup is at the Phoenix House on 50 Jay Street on Wednesday evenings from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. beginning in June and ending in November. We haven’t determined the first pickup date yet, but we’ll let you know as soon as we hear.
Yes—we require every member of the CSA to contribute two volunteer shifts over the course of the season (approximately 4 hours total). We’ll connect with members in the spring with details about signing up.
Volunteering is a very important part of keeping our CSA running smoothly, and it’s a great way to get to know your neighbors and fellow veggie lovers. If you have concerns about your ability to fulfill the volunteer requirement, please get in touch with us, and we’ll see if we can work something out.
Any other questions? Check out our FAQs, or email us—we’re happy to help.
Sang Lee Farms, the DUMBO/Vinegar Hill CSA Farm is a NOFA-NY Certified Organic Vegetable Farm. Sang Lee Farms supplies over 100 different varieties of specialty vegetables, Heirloom tomatoes, Asian greens, herbs, baby greens, mesclun and Flowers to their CSA, retail Farm Stand, local Farmer’s Markets and limited wholesale markets.
Just Food initiatives link and pursue economic, environmental, and social justice through
food systems. Look at their website for information on other CSA programs in NYC.
Fruit shares this season will come from this Long Island farm.
Cheese shares will be from this local cheese maker.
Local Fork is an online community providing the tools to stimulate grassroots local food networks. Local Fork is the first website where local food consumers, buyers, and producers can fully collaborate, network, buy, sell, advertise, and find needed services.
LocalHarvest maintains a definitive and reliable “living” public nationwide directory of small farms, farmers markets, and other local food sources. Their search engine helps people find products from family farms, local sources of sustainably grown food, and encourages them to establish direct contact with small farms in their local area. Their online store helps small farms develop markets for some of their products beyond their local area.
Sustainable Table collaborates the sustainable food movement, educates consumers on food related issues and works to build community through food.
Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.
Thanks
Sang Lee Farms, Inc. was established in the mid 1940’s by Fred’s uncles, John (Kim Poy Lee), Hugh K. Lee and father, George Kim Lee. Following George’s return from his Navy tour of duty during World War II, the farm began supplying New York’s Chinatown with quality Asian produce grown in Melville, Long Island.
The farm was expanded in the late 1950’s to include year round production from Hobe Sound, Florida during the winter months. In 1964 the New York operation was moved to East Moriches, Long Island. Through the 1970’s, ’80’s, and ’90’s, production and wholesale distribution expanded to Asian markets along the eastern coast from Montreal, Canada, to Miami, Florida, with many cities in between.
As the markets changed and with the passing of some family members, Fred moved the farm operations in 1987 to Peconic, Southold, on the North Fork of Long Island. The moderate climate, offered by the location between The Long Island Sound and Peconic Bay, allows an extended growing season that capitalizes on the fertile, well drained sandy loam soils of eastern Long Island. During the early 1990’s, the product line was expanded greatly to include specialty baby greens, herbs, mesclun and flowers.
Today, Fred and his wife Karen operate the farm with their three children and staff growing more than 100 varietes of specialty vegetables, heirloom tomatoes, baby greens, mesclun, herbs, specialty Asian greens and flowers.
Their goal is to provide the highest quality vegetables for their customers by growing unique fresh vegetables that are healthy and pleasing to the palate.
Sang Lee Farms is and will continue to be environmentally responsible. They will accomplish this goal by cultivating their vegetables and herbs Organically utilizing sustainable agricultural practices and integrated pest management.
Sang Lee Farms will use only organically approved materials and production techniques to provide wholesome food for their community and customers. Sang Lee Farms is a Certified Organic Vegetable Farm by NOFA-NY Certified Organic, LLC. and will continue to cultivate their produce under the National Organic Production Standards to maintain certification with NOFA-NY.
Fruit
