2009 Program Description & Application

Thank you for your interest in participating in the Vermont Farm Share Program. For 15 years, the Vermont Farm Share Program has provided limited-income Vermonters with financial support to participate in local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. This financial support is made possible with collaborative fundraising by NOFA Vermont and the participating CSA farms.

Please read on for more details about the Vermont Farm Share Program:

How does the Vermont Farm Share Program Work?

The Vermont Farm Share Program is a cost-sharing program that offers financial support to limited income Vermonters for purchasing a CSA share. The program is available to Vermonters who live at or below 185% of the federal poverty income limit. Participants receive up to a 50% subsidy, or reduction in cost, of a CSA share from a local farm. In other words, the participant is expected to pay ½ the cost of the share, with the other ½ being paid by contributions from community members. Participants who do not need a full 50% reduction in the share cost are welcome to request a smaller subsidy. This sliding scale system allows the Vermont Farm Share Program to provide assistance to more families around the state. Participants of the Vermont Farm Share Program are also eligible to attend NOFA Vermont Summer Workshops free of charge.

Who pays for the subsidy?

The Vermont Farm Share Program relies on collaboration and community support to fund the share subsidies. Funds are raised through a statewide annual fundraiser called Share the Harvest, through statewide grants, and from individual donations from members of CSA programs. In the end, the program is truly a community effort with many hands supporting the cost of the subsidies. This is what the cost-sharing of the Vermont Farm Share Program looks like:

Farm Share Participant Pays: 50% of Total Share Cost *
CSA Community Members Donate: 25% of Total Share Cost
NOFA Vermont Contributes: 25% of Total Share Cost
* Participants are invited to pay more than 50% if they are able. Please indicate if you are able to pay more than 50% on your application (question 3). By requesting only the amount of assistance that you need, you are enabling the Vermont Farm Share Program to serve as many people as possible.

As a Farm Share participant, who do I pay? Do I have to pay all at once?

Once your participation in the Program is confirmed, you can make payment arrangements directly with your CSA farmer. Your payment should be sent directly to your farmer. It is possible that your farm may accept a payment plan if you are unable to pay your part of the CSA costs in one payment.

How do I find a participating farm?

You can find a listing of CSA farms in your area by visiting our website at www.nofavt.org/find-organic-food/csalisting. There are currently about 20 CSA farms that participate in the Vermont Farm Share Program. If you are interested in a particular farm but are not sure of their participation in the program, feel free to contact the farm or NOFA Vermont.

Can I choose which farm I partner with?

In question 5 on the application, you can indicate a farm that you prefer to sign up with. We will then confirm that the farm has supported shares available. If they do no have any more shares, we will look for another near-by participating farm.

What if I do not know of a particular farm?

If you do not have a preference for a specific farm, we will look for a farm that has a convenient pick-up location close to your address. You may list other towns that you frequently travel to (i.e. for work, errands, etc.) if you would like us to also look for a farm in those towns.

Is there an application deadline?

Applications are accepted in the order that they are received by our office. While there is not a fixed timeline for when we start receiving applications, the following chart provides a rough timeline to help guide you:

Season	First Applications are Accepted	Last Applications are Accepted
Summer Shares	March 1	June 1
Fall/Winter Shares	September 15	October 1
Spring Shares	January 1	February 15

What happens if my application is not accepted?

If your application is received after we have allocated all of the Farm Share funds for a given season, it will be temporarily put on a waiting list in case funds become available. It will wait for two weeks for funds to become available. If funds do not become available, you will be notified that your application cannot be funded. You are encouraged to apply again the following season.

What is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)?

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms offer prepaid subscriptions to shares of the farm's produce for a season. Most CSA's provide shareholders a basket of farm-fresh, seasonal produce every week for 2-4 months at a time. Shares vary from farm to farm, sometimes including eggs, cheeses, flowers, and meat. Some CSA's even offer shares during the fall, winter, and early spring seasons. Being a CSA member allows you to know that you are eating fresh, healthy food and that you are supporting a local farm. The prepaid CSA arrangements are a source of financial security for Vermont's farmers. With the cost of a CSA share, members help pay for seeds, fertilizer, water, equipment maintenance, and labor, and help disperse the financial risks of crop failures. CSA invites members to join a farm community to share in the experiences of growing, eating, and celebrating delicious farm-fresh food.

What is in a typical CSA share?

Most CSA shares are available during the summer months and include a variety of seasonal fruits and vegetables. However, there are increasing options to CSA programs, with variations in seasons, products, share sizes, and membership requirements. Here are the different variables you may encounter when looking for a CSA program:

Share Size: Some farms offer small, medium and large shares for different sized households.
Share Season: Most CSA shares occur in the summer; however, more ‘off-season' shares that offer farm-fresh foods throughout the fall, winter, and early spring are popping up around the state.
Share Products: Farm-fresh fruits and vegetables are the most typical products you will find in a CSA share; however, there are more and more programs offering other local foods including meat, eggs, cheese, and fresh baked and canned goods.
Pick-up vs. Delivery: Some CSA shares are delivered to pick-up sites in a number of towns, some can even deliver to your house (usually with some additional cost). Other CSA farms ask members to come to the farm to pick-up their shares, which may include some pick-your-own products like fresh herbs, flowers, berries, etc. Some programs provide CSA members with a farm debit card that can be used at the farm stand or farmers' market booth.
Share Cost: Share costs range from $100-$800 depending on the share size and product offerings.

Application

2009 Application

For more information

For more information about the Vermont Farm Share Program contact the Vermont Farm Share Program:

by email: jean@nofavt.org
by phone: 802-434-4122
by mail: PO Box 697 Richmond, VT 05477