In a previous post we told you about Puddle Duck Farm and their offerings of cut flowers, honey, maple products, organic freezer meat and free range eggs.
But they have also been growing produce, selling it from the farm and also at local markets. In 2015 they began offering CSA shares, providing their members with weekly baskets of veggies and herbs.
Basically, a CSA is a partnership between consumers wanting good quality, safe food and farmers looking for stable markets.
As the consumer you pay the farmer a one-time fee (or share) prior to the start of growing season. This fee is determined by seed cost, equipment maintenance, property fees, tools, salaries, distribution costs, etc. In return, you receive weekly food boxes.
At Puddle Duck Farms they do not use any herbicides, pesticides, fungicides or chemical fertilizers on the produce. Instead, they build up the soil with manure, cover crops and other amendments, companion planting and lots of TLC to grow healthy strong plants, which grow nutritious produce free of chemicals.
They have 2 sizes of CSA shares available:
- A full share which will feed a family of 4 or 2 veggie loving adults. The cost for a full share is $600, which works out to $30/week
- A half share which feeds a family of 2 or 1 veggie loving adult. The cost for a half share is $400, which works out to $20/week
The shares will begin mid to late June and run for 20 weeks. You pick up your produce at the farm each week.
This type of program greatly reduces the waste involved in blindly growing food for an indeterminate number of people.
You can look forward to a wide variety of vegetables, including beets, carrots, radishes, potatoes, beans, peas, onions, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet corn, peppers, kohlrabi, winter squash, zucchini, cucumber, winter radish, watermelon, lettuce, kale, Swiss chard and other greens, salad mix, plus more.
They also grow herbs; including basil, parsley dill, etc. Each week they include a newsletter, providing recipes for what is in the share that week, as well as preserving tips, nutritional information and they also highlight a veggie of the week.
If that is not enough encouragement to look into CSA shares, Puddle Duck Farm also hosts a Potluck lunch with the members who then get the chance to tour around the farm to see the gardens and meet the animals!
For more information, visit the website at http://www.puddleduckfarm.ca or call 705 931 5794.
Bethany Ontario 
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