Grain CSA Pilot Project in the Creston Valley 2008
Grain project launched in support of a local food system.
In attempting to eat as much local produce as possible, residents noticed a lack of locally-available grains. So two Kootenay conservation organizations, the West Kootenay EcoSociety and Wildsight, Creston Valley Branch, along with the Creston Valley Food Action Coalition are teaming up with three Creston farmers to provide grains for local consumers. The project is inspired by the need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, the desire to support a local agricultural economy, and concern for local food security.
Project organizers are using the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model to reestablish support for farmers, for the critical role they play in our lives, and to reconnect people with those who put food on their tables. In a CSA, crop shares are sold to consumers at the beginning of the growing season, ensuring the farmer is guaranteed a fair income for his/her labour regardless of whether environmental factors result in a less-than-ideal crop yield. The purchasers of shares gain a more intimate relationship with their food and their community by knowing where the food is grown and by whom. CSA is a relatively new socio-economic model of food production, sales, and distribution aimed at both increasing the quality of food and the quality of care given the land, plants and animals , while substantially reducing potential food losses and financial risks for the producers.
In the Creston Grain CSA Pilot Project naturally-grown grains will include wheat, spelt, polish wheat, and oats. Organizers have engaged three farmers to grow four crops, and will pay the farmers half of their money up front, following the traditional CSA model, where the consumer bears the crop risk, shared over many people, rather than the farmer. If the crops should fail due to pests, weather, or other factors outside the control of the farmers, they should still be paid for their effort. Documentation of what works and what doesn't work is also part of the project: an added benefit. Organizers are researching what has been grown in the past, and what methods were used, but are aware that weather and climate are changing, so documentation of present experience is crucial.
The ultimate hope of the organizers is that this pilot project, along with the many other exciting local food initiatives in the region will inspire an ecologically-sound, "local food" revolution.
If everything goes well, each share purchaser will receive a bin with four 10kg (22lb bags) or more of un-milled grain product. Storefronts in Nelson and Creston can provide milling services. The cost for milling is about 24 cents per pound, and provides additional local employment. Participants will be mailed a share certificate and periodic e-mailed newsletters with photos and stories about the farmers, crops, and recipes, etc.