"The weekly box has inspired our family...and excites us about preparing and eating our food."--Jo Cox, Des Moines
Direct to Your Table: Prairie Harvest CSA
What’s a CSA?
The Prairie Harvest Community Supported Agriculture program joins subscribers in sharing the risk and bounty of the growing season by purchasing a share in The Wallace Centers of Iowa’s fruit and vegetable production. Shares are offered in the spring, summer, fall and winter.
What do I get?
• Sustainably grown fruits & vegetables (using organic practices, but not certified organic)
• At least 5 different kinds of produce each week
• Weekly newsletter with easy recipes, storage tips and event invitations
• Super-fresh produce with longer storage life, less waste, more taste
• Satisfaction of knowing where your food comes from and contributing to Iowa’s food dollars
• Opportunities to visit the garden where the produce is grown
How do I get my share?
Produce is delivered to Greenfield, Orient, Des Moines and Johnston on Tuesdays. You’ll receive an email early in the week to remind you the location and pick up time.
What if I can’t use a full share?
A typical share will feed 3 to 4 people. Find a friend, neighbor or co-worker to split your share. You can take turns picking up each week’s share or meet to divide up the produce. Weekly newsletter tips can help you preserve the garden’s goodness for later use.
Logistics
• Instead of a pre-packed box, each week you’ll fill your own reusable bag from the week’s CSA assortment. Produce such as lettuce, carrots, and radishes will be cleaned and bundled into equal amounts. You’ll choose your bundle or designated number from large bins or leave any produce that you don’t want. Any leftovers will go to other subscribers, to local food pantries or back to the farm to be used in other ways.
• Produce is distributed on Tuesdays. E-mail reminders posted on Mondays will help you remember to stop by.
• The pick up location you select at registration will remain the same each week. You can switch only from season to season.
• The start date for each seasonal share is weather-dependent and will be determined as growing conditions emerge. Once you subscribe, watch for email communications.
Pick Up Times and Locations
#1 Wallace House, 756 16th Street, Des Moines, 4 to 6 pm
#2 Weiland Home, 402 NE 2nd Street, Greenfield, 5 to 6 pm
#3 Country Life Center, 2773 290th Street, Orient, 4 to 5:30 pm
#4 Pioneer’s Carver Center, 7000 NW 62nd Street, Johnston, 4 to 4:55 pm
Find out more information by contacting the Country Life Center at 641.337.5019, the Wallace House at 515.243.7063 or Farm Programs Manager Mosa Shayan.
Subscribe
To subscribe, print the registration brochure, fill out the form, and mail with a check to WCI at 756 16th Street, Des Moines, IA 50314. Phone orders and credit/debit card payments are also accepted at 515.243.7063.
Upcoming Deliveries
Spring Share: 5 Weeks, $150
Offered at all locations. Planned produce includes arugula, spinach, carrots, kale, head lettuce, asparagus, radishes, horseradish, and green garlic. Four high tunnel hoop houses provide ideal growing conditions for early harvest.
Summer Share: 18 Weeks, $480
Offered at all locations. More than 30 different kinds of produce are grown over the summer including apples, garlic, cantaloupe, carrots, green onions, spinach, beets, cabbage, chilies, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelon, onions, peppers, summer squash, eggplant, kale, potatoes, radishes, green beans, sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes, winter squash, and broccoli.
Fall Share: 5 Weeks, $160
Offered at all locations. Root crops such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, garlic, and onions come on strong in the fall, plus the potential for cool weather crops such as red cabbage, broccoli, apples, spinach, and greens.
Winter Share: 5 Weeks, $160
Offered at all locations. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, parsnips, apples, and carrots will still be available. Another crop of fresh leafy greens such as spinach, kale, arugula and collards will be coming out of the hoop houses.
