Trillium Hill Farm, llc

Thanks for your interest in a CSA share. We were pleased with how things went last season, and have high expectations for the 2010 season.  The CSA will remain small, serving around 20 individuals/couples/families. We will again have two share sizes, the standard share and a family share. A standard share of vegetables for the summer is $325 and a family share is $600.

What is a CSA?
The idea of the CSA (community supported agriculture) is that the members share in the risk, and share in the bounty of the farm.  CSA members purchase a share of the harvest before the season begins, and receive vegetables each week during the season.  Each week’s offering differs in the type and quantity of vegetables.  We expect there to be a surplus of vegetables, and that members will get more than they pay for.  At the same time, the members accept the risk of a poor season.  We are committed to doing our best to provide our members with generous amounts of fresh produce each week.

Share pick-ups
Share pick ups will begin mid-May and end mid-September for a total of 20 weeks.  Pick ups will be on Mondays, at the Russell Family Farm barn on route 116 in the village of Hinesburg (just north of Lantman’s grocery store), between 4:30 and 6:30pm.   We don’t have specific start and end dates for the season so that we can begin when we are sure that the first crops are ready.

The Share
We hope to provide choices in the share each week, but members are limited to what the garden is providing.  The share may be different each week, or it may be similar for several.  In all likelihood, members will receive an abundance of some vegetables, and very little of others.  The weekly shares are smaller in May and June, and peak in abundance in late August.  Here are a couple of examples of standard shares (family shares on these days were approximately twice this amount):

1st week of June:  2 heads lettuce, 2/3 lb spinach, 1 bunch salad turnips, 1 bunch radishes, choice of a bunch of kale or a bunch of swiss chard.

1st week August: 2.5 lb tomatoes, 1.25 lb zucchini, 10 cucumbers, 1 lb green beans, 1 head of lettuce, and choose two of the following: bunch of basil, a quart of beets, 2 lb potatoes, 1 bunch of carrots, 1 head of celery, and/or one head of fennel.

We estimate that a family share will be appropriate for a family of three or more that eats lots of vegetables, and a standard share is better suited to an individual or couple who also eats a lot of veggies.   The family share is about twice as many vegetables as the standard. If you are interested in a CSA Vegetable Share for the 2010 season, please be in touch.

Other farm Products
In addition to the vegetables, we sell raw goat’s milk and eggs.  Our seven Alpine dairy goats are expected to freshen in April, at which point we will be selling milk. Goat’s milk is delicious, and if you have never tried it, we encourage you to do so. Most people who try it like it. We sell the milk unpasteurized (raw) because we believe that it is much more nutritious that way. Raw milk contains beneficial enzymes and good bacteria that are not present in pasteurized milk.  If you’re interested in getting raw goats milk when you pick up your veggies, let us know.

We will also be selling eggs as an option in this year’s share. The eggs will be from hens grazed on pasture throughout the summer and supplemented with vegetable food scraps during the winter months. We offer the eggs in dozen and 1/2 dozen quantities, as an addition to the weekly CSA share. A half-dozen share of eggs for the season is $45 and a full dozen share is $85.

Please let us know if you are interested in any of these local foods when you sign up for a share.

Member Comments

“Walking into the produce room was akin to walking into a gallery…artfully.    The love you put into the beautiful greens, the obvious care you put into bundling , boxing ( in order ),  reassured me in joining your csa. Love the goat’s milk.”

“We appreciate the great quality, cleanliness and continually varied variety. Wonderful for health and eyes.”

“We are definitely in for 2010 with the same share size.  Count as one of
your many very satisfied customers.”

“I loved not only the quality of the veggies but the fact that they were clean. Thanks.”

Farming practices
We describe our vegetables as “organic in practice.”  We are not “certified organic,” but choose not to use any herbicides, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers.  Actually, we choose not to use any pesticides at all, even those that are approved for organic use.  We manage pests with physical barriers (row covers), by hand picking insects, and by providing a fertile growing environment.  To improve the soil’s fertility, we add compost and rock powders (green sand and rock phosphate).  We protect the soil in our garden beds from erosion by using mulch, cover crops, sod pathways, and tilling only occasionally.

The goats graze on pasture and browse during the spring, summer and fall.  They are fed organic grain and the hay we feed them comes from Hinesburg but is not certified organic.  The chickens will be grazed on pasture, but the grain that they are fed will not be organic. When fed organic grain, we feel that eggs become either too expensive for customers to purchase, or we start running a non-profit farm! We also feel it’s more important that chickens are able to be outside, grubbing around for bugs and grass- getting much of their feed in that way.

Thanks again for your interest! Let us know if you have any questionsregarding our CSA systme at: trilliumhills (at) gmail (dot) com or 802-482-4139.