SANDHILLS FARM TO TABLE CO-OP NOW OPEN FOR FOURTH SEASON; NEW GENERAL MANAGER WITH LOCAL ROOTS JOINS TEAM
Had your "five-to-nine for good health" fruits and/or veggies today? Local strawberries, the freshest asparagus, kale, spring onions, lettuce, sugar snap peas and more - support local farmers and make eating well easy!
The Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative is now accepting memberships and Produce Box subscriptions for the 2013 season through its online website www.SandhillsFarm2Table.com
"Neighbors Feeding Neighbors" and "We're All in this Together" are the slogans of the SF2T Co-op, a grassroots, community-owned enterprise that distributes weekly or biweekly CSA-type Produce Boxes and value-added items from local farmers. Over 1600 households in the Moore, Lee, Richmond and Cumberland county area participate. Members also get a a weekly newsletter with recipes, and online store access to bulk produce for canning, jamming and freezing, potlucks, and more.
For $25, anyone can become a 2013 member and take advantage of offerings of local treats.
Members can choose to subscribe to the regular Produce Box, which has an alternative box choice weekly, or the Bread Box, in which a loaf of fresh-baked bread replaces part of the produce. The Spring/Summer season begins April 17/18th and runs until mid-August; in September, the Fall season begins an eight week run. Members may pick up at one of many Gathering Sites throughout the Sandhills. Options include weekly (18 weeks) or biweekly (9 weeks) deliveries, Family Boxes or a subscription for a "Bread" box. Cost ranges from the $22 per week for a Standard box to the $40 Family box.
Signup is easy and online. Just visit www.SandhillsFarm2Table.com. Questions about membership and the subscription program are answered in an extensive FAQ on the website.
The fourth season also brings two key changes to the core team. A new General Manager, Steve Peters, has taken on the role as of January 1. Steve joins the team after leaving his fifteen-year corporate career in New York City to return to Moore County with his wife, Susan, Proprietor of the Southern Whey cheese shop in historic downtown Southern Pines. Steve is a graduate of The O'Neal School and his family has claimed Moore County as their home since the early 1980s.
"Sandhills Farm to Table is a great community success story built on connecting people through locally produced food. I'm excited to become part of the team and lend some of my business experience and enthusiasm for community-based ventures to continue developing the SF2T narrative," said Peters.
With Steve joining the team, co-founder and former General Manager, Fenton Wilkinson, now will be pursuing projects both for SF2T and local economic development groups such as Moore County Partners In Progress.
"Fenton has been instrumental in the creation and growth of SF2T," said Jan Leitschuh, SF2T co-founder and Board Chairperson. "And we look forward to continuing to work with him on key initiatives that will benefit both the Co-op and the community at-large."
Anyone interested in supporting local agriculture through an inexpensive membership or local subscription is invited to sign up online at the website www.Sandhillsfarm2Table.com. For questions not answered on the website, email info@SandhillsFarm2Table.com.
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SIDEBAR/FACTS
Our motto "We're all in this together" is not just something we say but something we do. Last year, farmers were paid over $250,000, and churches, 4-H clubs and schools received over $35,000 for their missions by hosting Gathering Sites. Over three tons of produce were donated to local families in need.
Co-op members do not have to live in Moore County.
All deliveries will be made to area Gathering Sites, including locations in Rockingham, Sanford and Fayetteville; a list of sites is on the website. The produce in the box will be valued at Farmer's Market prices, and area farmers receive seventy percent of retail, versus the national average of 17 cents per consumer food dollar spent at a grocery store.
Consumer-members indicated they wanted more control over their subscriptions, and last year changes were made to provide choice over both box contents and deliveries.
Popular last season was the "Alt Box." Every weekend, subscribers can review the likely Produce Box contents for the following week. The regular Produce Box generally offers seven to nine fresh, local fruits and vegetables. Up to 200 members can select "the Alt Box" with a slightly different variety of local produce. Do nothing, and the regular Produce Box will be delivered.
The Local-Online Store will also open again, offering members a growing number of products and convenience. All members have the weekly option of ordering bulk quantities of produce for fresh eating, canning and freezing, grass-fed meats, some organic and sustainable produce, as well as many of delicious specialty and value-added items our region offers - to be picked up at area Gathering Sites along with the Produce Boxes.
Small household? No problem. Again this year, a limited number of "Bread Box" subscriptions will be offered for small households having trouble eating all their produce. The "Bread Box" subscription option offers a portion of fresh produce and a weekly loaf of home-baked whole grain bread.
Biweekly subscribers can easily keep up with their delivery schedule. Their Member Dashboard will display a calendar of their scheduled deliveries. A Recipe Bank is also online.
Spring-summer boxes contain the usual local produce, including: asparagus, strawberries, ripe tomatoes, arugula, onions, raspberries, sweet corn, carrots, bell peppers, squash, blueberries, greens, peaches, blackberries, basil, melons, plums, cucumbers, chard, garlic, green beans and more.
If you'd like more info, or to schedule an interview with a Co-op farmer or anyone else, please contact Jan Leitschuh at 910-692-8801, or email Jan@Sandhillsfarm2Table.com
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