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Sign-up begins for UK Ag Community Supported Agriculture project

Sign-up begins for UK Ag Community Supported Agriculture project

Sign-up begins for UK Ag Community Supported Agriculture project

Published on Mar. 3, 2010

Registration is beginning for the 2010 season of the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture's Community Supported Agriculture project.

Community Supported Agriculture, commonly known as CSA, is a system that builds relationships between farmers and their community of supporters. In exchange for a membership fee, farmers agree to provide the members with produce for the duration of the growing season. Consumers, on the other hand, agree to share in the risks of the growing season and to accept the outcome of difficult growing conditions.

The CSA project is an integral part of the experiential education component of UK's sustainable agriculture undergraduate curriculum. Student apprentices provide the majority of the skills and labor necessary to produce, harvest and deliver the shares. The farm acts as both a formal and informal classroom, affording students hands-on experience in sustainable agriculture.

Shareholders in the College of Agriculture's CSA will receive a weekly basket of fresh organic vegetables from May 20 through Nov. 4. All produce will come from the USDA-certified organic section of the UK Horticulture Research Farm. In addition, shareholders will have access to a variety of u-pick crops available on the farm.

The CSA is open to all UK students, faculty and staff, but the number of shares is limited and offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Share costs are $570 for faculty and staff and $456 for students. Payment plans are available to spread the cost out over several months. All proceeds from the sale of shares will go toward covering production costs and supporting student educational activities.

For more information or to receive an application, email Ben Abell at uk.csa@uky.edu.

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Editor: Carol Spence, 859-257-8324

UK College of Agriculture, through its land-grant mission, reaches across the commonwealth with teaching, research and extension to enhance the lives of Kentuckians.

 


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