East of England
Cambridgeshire
Wimpole Community Farm
Wimpole Community Farm (WCF) is a CSA project initiated and overseen by the National Trust, located on their Wimpole Estate in Cambridgeshire. It was set up in Spring 2010 and is run by a community of members and shareholders. Future plans include keeping bees and possibly setting up a sister organisation to rear livestock. The farm is organic, growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers on a one-acre plot with the opportunity to expand within the surrounding five-acre field. The weekly produce share distributions are up and running and the group are looking for individuals to join the 30 existing members.
Benefits of joining WCF:
- Receive a weekly share of freshly picked organic fruits and vegetables.
- Connect with the land and learn more about growing crops by volunteering on the farm, without the time commitment of an allotment.
- Involve the entire family in a meaningful activity, while sparking children’s interest in healthy eating and sustainable foods.
- Meet people with shared interests while working on the farm or attending one of our many group events such as a guided walk of the Estate or an Elder flower champagne demonstration.
- Help build a community committed to increasing the local organic food supply.
- Members of the WCF also receive a 10% discount at the Wimpole Home Farm shop on the purchase of eggs and heritage-breed meats.
The ethos of Wimpole Community Farm is based on the idea of ‘sharing the risk and sharing the harvest.’ We are keen that members have the opportunity to learn more about growing crops and food production along with getting involved in various social activities we are planning to run through the year. For more information, or to join, please contact Alex Birley at membership_co-ordinator@hotmail.co.uk
Essex
Lathcoats Farm
Stephen and Philip Taylor are the third generation of the Taylor family to grow fruit at Lathcoats. A commercial fruit farm of 55ha with a large farm shop and PYO, growing 43 different varieties of apples. In 2000 they started the the Rent a Tree scheme. Members of the scheme pay approximately £20 a year and when in season are invited to come and pick all the fruit from their tree. This arrangement provides secure income for the grower and delicious fresh fruit straight from the farm for the members at a very affordable price. Scheme organiser Philip Taylor has decided to continue the scheme because, although it did not generate a great deal of direct income, it provided valuable publicity for the farm and the farm shop. However he did not expect the amount of administration involved. "Taking people's contact details and keeping them informed can be time consuming, especially as they all have very different ideas", said Philip.
Beehive Lane, Galleywood, Chelmsford Essex CM2 8LX T: 01245 353021
Hertfordshire
Berkhamsted
There are several local food enthusiasts in the Berkhamsted/Tring & Hemel Hempstead area who would like to set up and support a CSA project. We are keen to find a willing land owner or farmer to work in partnership with. If you would be interested in starting a CSA project with us please contact Marion Baker E: marionb@dsl.pipex.com
Primrose Cottage, Sawbridgeworth
Primrose Cottage is a 7.5 acres farm that is partially certified by the Soil Association as organic, promotes practise of forest, fruit and flower gardening, biodiversity protection and also has bed and breakfast facilities. We welcome school visits and other educational partnerships. The ethos behind the project is that we firmly believe in promotion and practise of organic principles while at the same time supporting the local food economy within the wider context of sustainable development. We also support and would like to develop the co-operative values that are essential for sustainable social enterprises to become and remain successful within the organic movement. We are inviting interested parties to lease 2.5 acres of land which can also be managed collectively so long as organic principles are observed. There will be no charge for the rest of the season till April next year apart from electricity and water.
Norfolk
Diss Community Farm
We started in Spring 2011, things are going really well, we're producing 43 veg shares each week at a cost of £3.50 per share (price to go up to £4 in June 2012) and we're rearing four pigs. We employ a grower one day a week who is supported by volunteers. The veg is harvested on Thursdays by volunteers and taken to a collection point in Roydon, just outside Diss. By June 2012 we're aiming to produce veg for 80 shares so we're adding names of anyone that is interested to a waiting list. We currently have the pigs on a site in Palgrave (at Kadesh Community Farm) and the vegetables are being grown in Winfarthing a village near Diss. We also have 3.6 acres of land in Roydon which we will eventually transfer both livestock and veg production to once it is ready.
www.disscommunityfarm.wordpress.com
Norwich FarmShare
Norwich FarmShare has started growing at Postwick on 5 acres of land rented from a local arable farmer and also a market garden on a high school playing fieldand . The project was started by Transition Norwich’s food group and EAFL. They have a new farm manager, Laura Creen, to lead the growing work. They secured funding from the Local Food Fund for capital costs for the CSA, a flour mill, and for brokering supplies of local beans, oats and barley. They’re constituting as an IPS cooperative and hope to have 100 members by next summer. Growing has now begun and the first produce will be available in June.
Suffolk
Bungay Community Bees
Bungay Community Bees (BCB) is a new CSA that has formed with the aim of keeping the decline of the honey bee to a minimum in our locality. Our project was launched in April and we already have 25 members with shares in a hive. Our proposal for development over the next 5 years is on our website. Benefits to members include:
- Visits to the hives with the BCB beekeepers to learn more about apiculture.
- The opportunity to have a hive in your garden (if the site is suitable; hives will only be tended by insured BCB beekeepers).
- Every year one or two members of BCB will have the chance to attend a beekeeping course paid for by BCB.
- An invitation to the honey harvest and bee party every Autumn.
- Regular updates and photos via the BCB pages on the SB website.
- A share of the wax and honey. BCB will be as much about caring for bees as about bee products.
Our project will involve a wide cross-section of the community - not just those willing and able to keep bees. This is because, in addition to directly supporting bees, there is a strong educative element. Bungay Community Bees will be talking to interest groups and displaying information in Bungay Library Courtyard regarding the importance of bees, bee-friendly gardening and ways in which people can take a positive step towards maintaining and increasing bee numbers.
Oak Tree Low Carbon Farm CSA, Suffolk
Established CSA on The Oak Tree Low Carbon Farm in Rushmere-St-Andrew, East Ipswich. CSA members help out on the farm, and receive an equal share of the vegetables grown in weekly boxes. Minimum subscription one year, weekly price £7.50. Fully subscribed at the moment, we are currently seeking 10 new members to sign up for a share of the harvest from June 2012-May 2013. Sign up now to reserve your place!
We’re a friendly crowd who enjoy regular social events, including our annual harvest celebration at the farm as well as skill share sessions such as wild food walk and lunch, and country wine making.
