Iris' school is joining the Tanaka Farms CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program. Every other Friday, Tanaka Farms will deliver boxes of freshly picked, organic fruits and veggies from nearby Orange County to her school. Families subscribe for $25 per box, payable on a monthly basis. The PTA keeps $5, Tanaka Farms receives $20 and parents endure no extra hassle. This is so much better than candy sales.
The only things keeping me from shopping more frequently at farmer's markets are the logistics and extra driving. There are no farmer's markets during non-work hours that I can safely reach by bicycle or on foot. Bringing the veggies to a place that people already go to each day is brilliant. We sometimes stop by the supermarket on the way home from school anyway. Now, we can skip that step.
You need have a child in the school to participate. If you contact Tanaka Farms and tell them where you live, they can direct you to a local school (Long Beach, Palos Verdes Peninsula, Redondo Beach & others). If North Redondo Beach is on your way home, or is your home, contact me for a sign up form.
The farm delivers every other Friday. You can pick up boxes any time between 2:00 and 6:00 PM.
Asides:
Another branch of the Tanaka family runs Dick Tanaka farms of Longmont.
Iris' school also has a teaching vegetable garden.
Hi - I love your blog, but this is the first time I have commented. This is such a great idea! My son's school has an organic garden and a relationship with a local farm that has a CSA. I am going to see what I can do about coming up with something like this. If we had it go all summer, it would be a great way to get people to show up and help with the garden and socialize once a week too.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
That's a great idea, and I'm glad to see it working in your area. It can be very difficult for farmers to make good relationships with schools, at least in the short-season Northeast. Having the support of parents makes all the difference. As a fundraiser, I think it's much better than many of the other ideas out there. I'm glad to hear it's working for you!
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