Our CSA Membership for 2018 is now closed. If you are interested in Membership for 2019, please get in touch.
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Our aim on this page is to explain CSA Membership at Border Park Organics. Yes, to give you the big picture.
In order to make this page as user-friendly as possible, links will open in a new tab so that you don’t lose your place, and you can use the Quicklinks for easy navigation. For all the specifics, please see our member-related FAQs.
QUICKLINKS
What is CSA?
What is a CSA subscription or share?
What is shared risk?
How does it work?
What’s so good about being a CSA Member?
What are the other benefits of CSA involvement?
What are the commitments of being a member?
Do we offer a guarantee?
Why are we excited about a CSA membership model?
What is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)?
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a partnership model between the farmers who produce foods using organic principles and those who pledge to support this farm (the eaters).
The beauty of the CSA model is that it brings together town people and farmers to give everybody what they need and deserve.
Farmers get a fair return for their expertise and labours, and acknowledgement for a job well done, while urban dwellers get fresh, real food and a meaningful connection with the farmer who grew the food.
What is a CSA subscription or share?
A CSA subscription is like investing in a farm (and the opposite to modern industrialised agriculture).
Buying a subscription guarantees the member a share of our yearly harvest.
We allocate a fixed number of shares based on the number of livestock that can be ethically run for a given season. In good years as those stock grow bigger we all receive a bit more meat, in poorer years when the young cattle grow slower we get a little less.
We both share in the bounties and tribulations that the different seasons bring, a concept known as shared risk (see below).
What is Shared Risk?
While the structure of a CSA is simple, there is an important concept woven into the CSA model that makes it a little different from the usual commercial transaction: the notion of shared risk.
Shared risk is part of what creates a sense of community among members, and between members and the farmers. As a CSA shareholder, you have a stake in the success of the farm, so if a hailstorm devastates the crop designed for cutting for hay, everyone is disappointed together, and together we all rally for the summer grasses to grow prolifically to take some of the place of the would-be hay.
Similarly, when there are unexpected increases in weight gain or lambing rates, it is the CSA members who enjoy the benefits.
So when you buy into a CSA, you buy into the unpredictability of farming. But remember, it’s also a mutual gain relationship.
How does it work?
Our CSA program is available to residents from South Australia, Mildura and Broken Hill.
Once you’ve completed your Order Sheet and paid your Membership fee, you can sit back and relax!
Member’s orders will be home delivered (or to a central collection point) either 4 times a year, or 2 times a year.
A monthly payment plan allows you to pay for your order over 8 months, either using a manual or automatic method.
Talk about convenience . . . one easy order and your family’s organic beef and lamb are organised for the whole year.
Here is the entire CSA membership process outlined in 5 steps:
What’s so good about being a CSA Member?
We know you’ll love the convenience of being a CSA member.
No more checking emails to see if orders are open. No more missing out on your pack of choice. No more decisions about which meat pack or sausage variety to choose each month.
Simply wait for your home-grown, flavoursome meat to be delivered to you at regular intervals.
More importantly, you can relish in a new food economy that has a heart, face and soul as you directly support your farmer.
What are the other benefits of being involved in a CSA?
Now you can enjoy having the satisfaction and convenience of having our delicious, grass-fed, heart healthy beef automatically delivered to your home or collection point nearby when it suits you!
As a member, you:
• Get a bunch of FREEBIES – including a handy little grass-fed beef recipe book, our Sausage Cooking Card and a cooler bag
• Choose a membership plan that suits you
• Know exactly when your next order will arrive
• Select from different sized meat packs – suitable for individuals through to large families
• Are offered exclusive products not available to the public
• Spread your payments out using our monthly payment plan (allowing you to budget for your lamb and beef consumption)
• Access special member-only prices that are fixed for the duration of the CSA season
• Receive delicious recipe ideas for using your meat
• Are invited to our farm tour (date to be advised)
• Expand your tastes and cooking skills
• Be part of our Members-only Facebook group.
What are the commitments of being a member?
You agree to:
• Partner with us for the entire 2018 CSA season (May – November 2018). In return, you’ll receive your meat order on the schedule you’ve chosen.
• Make monthly payments (either by Paypal, secure credit card or bank transfer) for your orders
• Remain flexible regarding the exact contents and weight of your order (including cuts and category of meat – ie. lamb or hogget. Please see Our New Approach to Sheep Packs for 2018)
• Be proud of your decision to partner with an Aussie organic farming family
Do we offer a guarantee?
Farming’s a tough gig, and there’s so much uncertainty that we deal with on a weekly basis. However, we’re committed to providing what each of our CSA members have ordered, to the very best of our ability.
As farmers who are beginning a CSA program, we already feel a great sense of responsibility for all soon-to-be members. So when certain meat types or products are scarce, we will ensure our CSA members get served first.
We’ll also strive to:
• Grow and produce delicious organic red meat that has been solely pasture-fed
• Connect members with where their food comes from, including sharing the highs and lows of farm life in a transparent manner
• Continue to use regenerative farming principles that help protect our precious soil
• Manage our herd according to known demand
• Ensure member meat orders are delivered as scheduled (either 4 times a year, or 2 times a year)
• Help members discover new meat cuts, cooking methods and storage ideas through recipes and tips
Why are we excited about a CSA membership model?
Breeding, growing, marketing and selling your own produce can be exhausting. We’re ready to try something different 🙂
From what we’ve seen, CSAs can be a great model that supports everyone—the growers, the eaters, the wider community and of course the land we are fortunate enough to farm.
Our CSA Membership for 2018 is now closed. If you are interested in Membership for 2019, please get in touch.
If you’re ready to begin the journey with us, you can download our CSA Member Order Sheet on the CSA Members Product Menu.
We look forward to welcoming you aboard, where you partner with us to produce ethical, sustainable and nutrient-dense food!
For more specific information, please see our CSA member-related FAQs. Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.
Josh and Peri and family