Interesting CSA Model!

A friend of mine is moving soon and has been researching CSAs in her new location. She came across this unique CSA model. I think it's a great idea!

http://busafarm.com/BusaFarmCSA/

In a nutshell, folks buy a CSA share like usual, but instead of receiving a pre-packed preconceived box of goodies, they get "bucks" equivalent to what they paid for their share (actually they throw in a little extra) and use it like money, just picking out what they like in person at the farm. It's up to them to come by and use up their dollars. And seems like it would take some pressure off of the farmer. Seems to me like an awesome model especially for an Urban Farm where many people would live close enough to easily take advantage of it!

Has anyone else come across any other unique ideas for selling your produce?

seed swap

anyone interested in trading some seeds or seedlings? I have a lot of different stuff, especially flowers and gigantic kohlrabi, but would like some herbs + things.

just reply to this post if you're interested ~ maybe we could set something up for the next class on April 30th?

point of interest, sorrel seeds are the coolest I've seen in a while ~ little black prisms of [hopefully perennial] lettuce.

Welcome!

Welcome Urban Farmers. This blog is designed to be a social forum for everyone in the 2011 PRI Urban Farming Class.

You will be able to create posts after you sign in (at the top right). You can add pictures, links, video clips, or audio, really anything from the internet or from your personal computer.

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• To Post: Just sign in and click on "New Post". Write what you want to write, add pictures using the "add image" button (picture of a landscape), add video using the "add video" button (picture of a negative), add links using the "link" button (chain links with the earth behind it). All of these buttons are located to the right of the "font" button.
  
• When you are finished writing, Add Labels (at the bottom of your New Post section). Click on "Show All", and get a list of all the blog labels. Choose which ones fit, and label appropriately! This part is VERY important, because the buttons on the right side of the homepage (look at them, to the right) are linked to the labels that you post (so if you don't label, no one will be able to find your post).
  
• Then Publish!
• You can comment on any Post, or create your own post as a response. Let's make this forum a place where we can be students and teachers, researchers and experimenters!
  

Happy Farming!

Next Saturday

Fellow Urban Farmers,

Next Saturday after the Design Class please join Kate and me at the 6th Annual Neighborhood Sustainability Conference at Central Lutheran Church in downtown Mpls right next to the Convention Center. Here's the schedule...something for everyone...hope to see you there...stop by the Cool Planet table and say hi.

it's FREE!!!

Paul

Twin Cities Sustainable Communities Conference, April 8 & 9 2011

                   Linking Citizens and Cities for Sustainable Communities      www.afors.org

Central Lutheran Church, 333 12th Street South, Minneapolis 55404 (next to the Minneapolis Convention Center)

Local Government Workshop - Friday April 8 Noon to 5pm for 400 local government leaders,

Neighborhood Conference – Saturday April 9 8:30am to 4:30pm for 600 neighborhood volunteers

6th Annual Sustainable Communities Conference Sat. April 9, 2011 8:30am to 4:30pm, Central Lutheran Church, 333 12th St. S Mpls, 55404 (next to Mpls Convention Center) FREE event Lunch (Chow Girls) $5, Parking $9 , Kids Activities  Please pre-register. Thanks Contact: Sean Gosiewski, Program Director, Alliance for Sustainability 612-331-1099 sean@afors.org   www.afors.org
Audience	600 volunteers from neighborhoods, congregations, schools, transition towns, businesses and city environmental commissions will share practical resources for their hands-on spring and summer projects, meet with neighbors to plan next steps and give constructive feedback to staff & elected leaders on City & County policies.
8:30am	Registration and Refreshments  & Community Sing - Minnesota Community Sings -
Keynote 9am	Transition as a Pattern Language – connecting neighbors to create a resilient community. The Five steps to to create a transition initiative in your community. Using our heads, hearts and hands to create a more joyful, less energy intensive communities. – Rob Hopkins, Author of the Transition Handbook and member of Transition Totnes, U.K.  and Krista Leraas, Backyard Harvest  - Meeting our Fundamental Human Needs the work of Manfred Max Neef.
10 to 11:30 Grassroots Project Workshops	Neighborhood Outreach for Home Energy Workshops	Organizing for biking, walkng & transit in your community – Bike MN, TLC	Neighborhoods of Rain Gardens – Powderhorn & Phalen		How to have fun and effective meetings	Eco-psychology – the Inner Work of Transition Towns
	Starting a Community Garden or Local Food Hub – Gardening Matters	Transition Towns 101	Block club outreach for recycling, apts. & composting		Using song, dance, puppets & murals	Awareness Raising Tools  - Awakening the Dreamer
11:30 to 12:30	Organizing and Outreach Skill Building Sessions – learn ways to grow your green team
	o      Neighborhood Environment Committees o      Transition Towns Networking o      Congregational Green Teams – MN IPL, LRC, o      School Environmental Clubs – YEA! MN o      Back Yard Inventors and Engineers – DYI meet up			o      City Environmental Commissions/ MN Green Step Cities o      Local Food Resource Hubs  and Urban Farmers o       Advocacy for climate Justice – 1 Sky, Citizens Climate Lobby o       Greening Your Business Net Impact, Alliance for Sustainability o      Community Artists – music, dance, murals, puppetry, etc.
12:30 to 1:30 Lunch	Geographic Break Out Sessions - meet for lunch with others from your community to share your project ideas. Link the green efforts of neighborhoods, congregations and schools in your community. Plan ways to engage more people.
1:30 to 3:00 Choose 2! 1st Round 1:30 p.m. 2nd Round 2:15 p.m	1:30pm - Working together to meet OUR city/county sustainability goals Our cites and counties have ambitious goals to curb global warming pollution, increase recycling rates, end homelessness, grow local food, etc.  In each session you will learn about key sustainability goals of local government and practical ways neighbors can work together to meet these ambitious goals. City and county staff want to hear your ideas! After a brief overview, participants will meet in small groups to brainstorm solutions that city and county staff and volunteers with the Minneapolis Citizen Environmental Advisory Commission will use as they plan next steps.  Choose 2 topics to learn about. Session are repeated at 1:30 and 2:15pm
	o      Energy Conservation/ Renewable Energy/ Air Quality, C02 Reduction, Energy Resilience o      Recycling/ Organics Waste Collection/ Zero waste o      Biking and Walking/ Bike and Pedestrian Plans, Transit Access, Transit Oriented Development o      Local Food and Community Gardening Policies		o      Water Quality and Urban Forestry - Lake Quality, Tree Canopy o      Growing a Green Economy – supporting small business growth o      Housing – foreclosure prevention, home weatherization o      Educational equity and engaging youth in communities o      Public Health and Environmental Justice o      Community Building/ Block Clubs/ Neighborhoods/ Safety
3:00pm	Networking and Resource Tables
3:30pm	o      Community Sing - Minnesota Community Sings - Bret Hesla and Mary Preus – in the Fellowship Hall o      Green Career Networking – Green Career Tracks, Net Impact o      Overstuffed:  How to enjoy more, spend less, and be kinder to the planet.  – Nicole Lynsky
8:00pm CD Release	After the conference get a discount for Larry Long’s Don't Stand Still CD release concert - Saturday April 9,  8:00pm at the Loring Theater 1407 Nicollet Ave S Mpls, MN 55403 www.loringtheater.com.  www.communitycelebration.org  www.larrylong.org