Member Handbook of the Spiritual Food Community Supported Agriculture
Essential: Please watch the 2-minute Box Care and Handling video !
We also invite you to read the Philosophy of the CSA
COMMUNICATION
To contact the organizers: call 301-654-4899 (Landline - Do not Text here)
· Lakshmi spiritualfood@schooloflife.org
For non-timely, general questions, contact spiritualfood.sol@gmail.com
· Durga shantiyoga.sol@gmail.com
For specific details about your Pick-up site, such as:
· directions to the Pick-up site
· late pick up policy, etc.,
Please: log in to your account at www.gofarmhand.com
· click “Orders”
· then click “View details”
· There you will see “Upcoming, Date, Pickup”, which contains site specific details.
For questions about your Pick-up or anything related to the Pick-up location, please contact your site COORDINATOR:
ARLINGTON
This pick-up site rotates amongst members every 2-3 months. For up-to-date address, please contact Lorne Epstein: lorne@electriccow.com; 240-876-0276
Host for first few summer months Deborah Barber: deborah.barber@gmail.com; 571-244-8111
BETHESDA
The garage at 4209 East-West Highway, Chevy Chase MD
Between Wisconsin and Connecticut Ave near downtown Bethesda
Lakshmi: spiritualfood@schooloflife.org; 301-654-4899; 240-855-4456 c
TAKOMA PARK
Garage of Chapin White and Justine Larson
515 Philadelphia Ave
Takoma Park, MD 20912
Host: Justine Larson: jlarson72@gmail.com; 240-779-5465 c
Coordinator: Miki Hernandez: mikihernandez@gmail.com; 202-683-0056
WASHINGTON WALDORF SCHOOL
4800 Sangamore Road
Bethesda, Maryland 20816
Coordinator: Sunny Kaplan SunnyKaplan@gmail.com; 202-248-8878 h; 202-288-3831 c
Summer Season members need to select another of the locations
CABIN JOHN
Front porch of home of Sarah Cahill
8201 Caraway St,
Cabin John 20818
Sarah Cahill: sarah@serenitycircleyoga.com; sarah.cahill@xerox.com; 301-580-4088 c
CAPITOL HILL
Front porch of home Judy Kosovich
517 13th St. SE
Washington, DC
Judy Kosovich: judy.kosovich@gmail.com judy.kosovich@gmail.com; 202-257-9556 c
FARMHAND ACCOUNT INFO
For information and questions about your account subscription, payments, missing items you ordered, etc. as well, log in to your account at www.gofarmhand.com ,
· HELP takes you to a live chat
· Email to hello@gofarmhand.com
· TEXT or call: 707-595-9859
Ø They will forward any questions they cannot answer to the staff
SPIRITUAL FOOD CSA INFO
For information or general questions about the CSA or School of Life, send us an email at: spiritualfood.sol@gmail.com or call 301-654-4899 (Landline – Do not Text). To get involved, visit https://www.schooloflife.org/what-is-spiritual-food-csa and click on the ‘Volunteer’ button or simply call us. Also please check the webpages www.schooloflife.org; www.spiritualfoodcsa.org
USING THE FOOD / RECIPE SHARING
Recipes and tips for using the food will be included in the weekly newsletter along with what’s in the share. For a more interactive experience, please join our Facebook group and visit our Instagram pages:
· Facebook Group: Spiritual Food CSA
· Instagram: @spiritual_food_csa
ABOUT THE FARMS
We are now receiving vegetables from Biodynamic farmer Stewart Lundy of Perennial Roots Farm, Accomac, VA and Regenerative Organic farmer Ryan of Common Root Farm, Derwood, MD.
We also work with several other farms, biodynamic and organic, that provide the supplementary vegetables, fruits, dairy, bread, etc.
ABOUT THE CSA
This CSA is consumer-based, rather than farm-based; we organized ourselves and sought a farm to supply quality food. Since 1998, we have picked up the food in Pennsylvania on Tuesdays for distribution in the DC metro area on Wednesdays. This year the food is delivered to us, to the main site in Bethesda. From there volunteers pack and deliver it to the satellite pick-up sites.
Our philosophy is educational and service-oriented. Please read The Philosophy of Spiritual Food CSA (link above) for an important glimpse into what lies behind the scenes and behind the quest for good nourishing food and life on the planet.
LOGISTICS
PICK UP TIMES – WEDNESDAY afternoon into early evening. Please look up your site’s exact pick-up times in the Farmhand App. You will also receive a reminder email the week of your pick-up.
WHEN YOU ARRIVE
At your pick-up site, you will find the Share boxes stacked as well as a separate container / bin with your site’s Add on items, for those who ordered Add-ons. Please see the sign in sheet and check next to your name. There may also be coolers or other boxes at your pickup site for members of the Essene Church of Peace who are supplied with dairy products.
If you wish to order Add-on items, please do so on the Farmhand site .
If you wish to inquire about dairy, contact shantiyoga.sol@gmail.com.
If you are Missing an item you are expecting, please contact Farmhand right away via an email at hello@gofarmhand.com . There will be a flyer posted at each site with this information. You can also chat with them in the farmhand App through HELP. In your message include the full name on your account, your pick-up site location, the date of pick-up, and the missing item.
LATE PICK UP
Please let your host know if you will be late! Unclaimed shares may get damaged or given away. For late pickup policy at your site, please log in to your account at www.gofarmhand.com , click “Orders” on the lefthand side, then click “View details” on the right. There you will see “Upcoming, Date, Pickup” and the contact information of your host
IF YOU CANNOT PICK UP YOUR SHARE AT ALL:
· Have a friend pick it up; introduce them to the CSA and the great food!
· Login to your Farmhand account and put your share on HOLD any time, up to Thursday 12:00 noon, the week before the date you are designating for. Up to 4 pickups per season or 12 pickups in a calendar year can be put on Hold and these will be credited towards the next season or refunded.
To schedule a HOLD, go to your Farmhand Account page, click “Hold”, and enter date/s. You may also use the Farmhand Help (chat) feature to reach customer service.
If you need more time to HOLD for a special reason, please contact us.
· To donate your share to a good home, contact spiritualfood@schooloflife.org
BOX HANDLING
Your shares will be pre-packed and delivered in re-useable folding boxes. These boxes are an investment which can serve a long time with proper handling. Please leave them behind by repacking your share in your own bags or return them when you pick up your next share.
· VERY IMPORTANT to Bend the flaps on top and bottom rather than pulling open
· Make sure the Share box is clean and dry when you return them.
PLEASE watch this 2 minute Box folding video to preserve our boxes so the boxes don’t get torn. Or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O9l-vkP2P8&feature=youtu.be
REDUCE, RE-USE, RECYCLE
The CSA works hard to reduce and reuse packaging of all kinds.
Ø Bring your own bags, box or basket for taking home your share. The fewer boxes in circulation, the fewer we need to buy and manage. A “salad box” such as a shoe box size clear plastic container is very handy for taking home your vegetables as well as storing them in the fridge for easy access. This eliminates a lot of plastic bags.
Ø Cloth is great, re-using paper and plastic from grocery stores is also good. Put your name on your cloth bags in case they’re left behind one day.
Ø You may return egg cartons to the pick-up sites.
PICK UP ETIQUETTE
Ø Please keep the pick-up area clean. Flatten and leave empty boxes and anything else being returned neatly stacked.
Ø If you split the share and alternate weeks with your partner, please coordinate carefully so you are not picking up on the same week!
Ø If you ask someone to pick up your share for you, please explain to them how the CSA system works and how to pick up the food.
Ø The Exchange Box can be used to put an item into it that you cannot use and take one item from it that you can. If there’s no exchange box at your site, please create one!
Ø Site hosts /coordinators are doing a great volunteer service - a note of gratitude and offer of help can be most welcome. Members within a site may want to gather for a meal or to talk about the CSA or something else in the community.
CSA COMMUNITY
Let’s connect! We envision a vibrant, interactive CSA community with like-minded people of shared values, exchanging ideas with one another through online resources and in-person events. All new members are automatically signed up to receive the weekly newsletter with Share content, recipes ideas, food for the soul articles, and more.
Also, do join our Facebook Group: Spiritual Food CSA and visit our Instagram page: @spiritual_food_csa
VOLUNTEER / KARMA YOGA (SELFLESS SERVICE) OPPORTUNITIES
Selfless service volunteering is a very important element of the CSA model. We could not function without it. The community building and the economic impact are far reaching aspects of a new world view where love, cooperation and compassion serve as the basic framework for society. As a member said: “Service makes the experience even more nourishing”, and the comments usually tend towards – “I wish, I'd done this sooner - it was fun and satisfying.” School age children often like to help out and ask for more. Older children can enjoy it too and count it for community service hours.
Besides the weekly chores, there are many essential tasks and projects that make the CSA possible. Please inquire how to help and let us know your interests and talents.
Wednesday Morning Distribution
In the Bethesda main site, this involves packing shares and sorting items for the satellite pick-up sites. Count on starting at 8:30 am (or later) and allow 2 hours in your schedule. Staff and regular long-term volunteers will work alongside you. You don’t have to pick up in Bethesda to spend a Wednesday morning helping! This location is Metro accessible and has free parking.
For Wednesday morning set up, please sign up through Sign Up Genius. A message is sent every 6 months with the new season chart, or contact us at shantiyoga.sol@gmail.com E-mail reminders go out the week before you volunteered for. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040D4AACA72FA0FD0-56388842-spiritual
Feeding the Homeless
Our sister organization, the Essene Church of Peace, prepares a delicious home-cooked meal and serves about 75 homeless people in downtown Washington, D.C. every Sunday. You can donate produce, prepare the meal on Sunday morning, and serve the meal at lunch time in downtown Washington, D.C. All are welcome.
To join our What’s App group to receive volunteer need alerts for Feeding the Homeless, please join here: https://chat.whatsapp.com/I0coJ4a0xx21b7byNhnxLl
To sign up to volunteer please click here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094AABA82EAAF5C52-essene1#/
FARM VISITS
Once or twice a year there are organized FARM TOURS. We visit the garden, bakery and dairy in Kimberton, PA or the other farm locations. Inquire from us or look for e-mail announcements.
INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY
We have not missed a food delivery in all the years of Winter CSA in spite of some very snowy days! However, snow can cause delays, so if the roads are bad on a Wednesday (or a Tuesday which could delay food delivery to Bethesda), check your e-mail for an announcement or call 301-654-4899 (Landline).
GROWING THE CSA
The best way to encourage new people to join the CSA is via your own testimony. Please spread the word to family and friends, in your neighborhoods, in your social groups. We are looking to build groups among existing communities who are interested in what CSA offers. Please connect us to someone you know, a parent, pastor, teacher, wellness practitioner, environmental leader, or community connector who is willing to become a CSA champion, who could introduce the opportunity, share a flyer or QR code, invite friends or members to sign up, and help organize a pickup cluster if enough people join.
Announcement wording and flyers are available. Contact the Promotion Team at spiritualfood.sol@gmail.com or John@mothertrees.org
Feel free to contact us with questions or comments anytime.
Looking forward to a great season.
On behalf of the School of Life
May Peace Be With You,
Om Shanti