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a community farming cooperative
Sunflower
Fields
Farm Shares
the Concept of Farm Shares
The concept of Sunflower Fields Farm Shares is based on the model of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) which sets out to close the gap between those folks who buy food and those who grow it. Through the CSA model, consumers and farmers develop a relationship which, in most cases exeeds a purely business agreement and develops into a friendship. Because of this relationship, a new way of business interaction is put into place. The farmers are "supported" by the consumers who are using their products and the consumers are "supported" as well through a constant, secure and healthy stream of foods and other products directly from the farms where they are grown, raised and produced.
What makes CSA different from other buyer/seller arrangements is the dialog between parties that is created through the intentional development of a direct relationship. Farmers and consumers are able to not only know each other, but are positioned to be able to actually talk about the issues surrounding the food being exchanged. As a result, farmers become directly aware of the needs and desires of the consumers using their products and the consumers are enlightened and sensitized to what it takes for the farmers to produce their foods.
Issues of quailty, quantity, availability, costs, delivery and many others are all addressed as a result of intentionally creating a direct connection between farmers and consumers. As this relationship grows and strengthens, solutons are found to issues which, in conventional systems are never discussed by the concerned parties. In conventional food systems, farmers are never consulted on a price for their goods and consumers have no information which gives them any insights as to where or how their food is grown, how it was handled prior to their purchase nor do they control what they pay for items.
Sunflower Fields Farm Shares is set up to create an environment which allows farmers to make a living growing good tasting, healthy, nutritious foods for people in the communities in which they live. It is also designed to allow consumers within the communities of notheast Iowa to purchase these locally grown foods at a fair price and have them delivered fresh from the fields where they were grown. Consumers - or as we call them, Shareholders - receive a box, sized appropriately for each family, each week during the growing season full of everything which is ripe and ready to eat. The boxes are delivered to Shareholders' homes - we also have on-farm pick-up options - the same day in which the produce is harvested.
Please explore the Sunflower Fields Farm Shares section of our website, find out more about this way to serve fresh, locally grown farm products to your family and consider becoming a Sunflower Fields Shareholder this season. You will find product lists, grower profiles, maps to our farms, share pricing, additional programs and much more here on the GROWN Locally site. Pease contact us at 563.864.3847 or 563.380.9848 if you have any questions, comments or ideas for us. And be sure to go to the GROWN Locally Food Basket section as well where a new and different system of purchasing our products is explained.