the project
The Flatbush Farm Share CSA is a mixed-income Community Supported Agriculture project based in central Brooklyn. We are dedicated to expanding access to farm-fresh, sustainably-grown, local vegetables for all income levels in our neighborhoods. Partnering with a family-run farm only 130 miles away in upstate New York, since 2009 we have provided weekly vegetable shares on a sliding scale to a community of as many as186 member households. Members pay according to their income and household size and also have the option to use EBT or set up a cash payment installment plan. We keep prices down for all and community ties strong by functioning as a completely member-run organization.
Currently, we are preparing for our summer 2012 season, which runs for 22 weeks from June to October. By community networking through our own CSA member connections, we have been able to create more interest than ever in CSA membership among area low-income households. Our partnerships with Brooklyn Jubilee, the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, and the New York City Coalition Against Hunger have enabled us to offer EBT screening at various outreach events in order to help people determine if they can make use of our lowest price level, reserved especially for food stamps recipients. Each year our CSA’s low-income household membership has grown, and now we are finding an increasing demand for our discounted shares. Please help us meet that demand! Contribute to this Earth Day matching donation campaign. Every dollar you give will be matched by ioby funds up to $200.00.
the steps
From February to May, we do extensive outreach to sign people up at all levels. Once we know how much we have collected from members paying above the farmers’ price and grants, we accept as many low-income memberships as we can and confirm in the order of their sign-up date. In addition, we need to pay our farmers' in full by June at the latest, which means producing all the money for all the discounted prices before we are partially paid back by weekly payers. To pay our farmers on time and accept as many discounted memberships as possible, we need your help!
This year our lowest discounted price for a single share (enough for 1-2 people) is $91.00 for veggies and $55.00 for fruit. To pay for the rest of a single veggie and fruit share at this level we need a total of $265.00. Please help us fund the first 3 summer 2012 lowest discount shares, which will come to a total of $795.00! Every dollar you give will be matched by ioby funds up to $22.00.
why we're doing it
Our mixed-income Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project addresses the lack of access to affordable fresh, healthy produce in low-income New York City neighborhoods. Flatbush is one of the many New York City neighborhoods that suffer from diet-related poor health:
• The majority report not having eaten a fruit or vegetable in the last day.
• More than 1 in 4 is obese.
• 10% have diabetes – a disease highly associated with obesity.
• More than half report not exercising at all.
• 11% of residents, mostly children, suffer food insecurity.
This situation has multiple causes. These neighborhoods often lack sufficient grocery stores selling fresh produce. Those stores that do offer organic produce sell at prices that a majority find prohibitive. In many cases, people lack knowledge of the connection between the food they eat and their physical health and energy.
That is why the Farm Share was created: By offering affordable, healthy options, we hope to decrease the incidence of these diet-related health problems and help low income Flatbush families move beyond the food pantry and soup kitchen to healthier and more empowering food options. Just as important, by creating a learning community built around healthy and environmentally sound food choices, we seek to provide opportunities for education and community action on local health, environmental, and social justice issues.
budget
This year our lowest discounted price for a single share (enough for 1-2 people) is $91.00 for veggies and $55.00 for fruit. To pay for the rest of a single veggie and fruit share at this level we need a total of $265.00. Please help us fund the first 3 summer 2012 lowest discount shares, which will come to a total of $795.00! project total = $795 Third Part Credit Card Processing Fee 3% = $24 total to raise = $819
updates
Sorry, but this project doesn't have any updates yet.
photos
This is where photos will go once we build flickr integrationdonors
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Samuel K.
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Sandhya B.
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Jennifer S.
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Belinda L.
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Mary P.
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Guillermo S.
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Ines S.
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Natalia S.
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Carole H.
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Annika M.
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Mashuq M D.
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Danielle C.
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Kady F.
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Natalia S.
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Anonymous
