CSA:   Bluebird Hill Farm   (May-September)

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We offer mixed shares of herbs, vegetables, fruits and flowers, or shares that have a majority of specific products. Shares can be delivered weekly for pickup in Raleigh or other convenient area depending on where members live, or can be picked up weekly at the farm.

Welcome, Everyone!

Thank you for your interest in our Bluebird Hill Farm CSA. Season\\'s Membership Extends May through September

It is our mission to bring you the best in fresh food, locally grown without pesticides or dangerous chemicals. While we are not certified as organic, we follow organic guidelines and use agricultural practices that respect the environment and the health of those who consume our produce.

We have a small CSA because we have chosen greater variety over amount of any one thing, thereby selecting quality and variety over quantity. We also hope to tailor your CSA experience to meet your personal preference as much as possible.

The following list covers our specialties and lets you know what kind of variety to expect. All produce will be available seasonally, which means at the time trees and plants naturally provide their bounty. (Recipes for using many of the herbs and produce listed below will be included as a regular part of the share basket.)

SALAD GREENS This mixture may be added to regular lettuce to make a special salad (contents vary throughout the season). It can be adjusted for a stand-alone salad (with more lettuce) if desired. The mixture may include “Freckles”; Buttercrunch or other lettuces; Arugula; Summer Spinach; Lamb\\'s Quarters; Edible Chrysanthemum Leaves (Shingiko); Endive; Japanese Basil (Red Perilla); Garden Purslane; Cumin Leaf, Green Coriander Seeds; Cilantro; Oregano and Oregano Flowers; Kentucky Colonel Spearmint; Lemon Thyme and Flowers; Tarragon; Hyssop; Green Onion; Asparagus tips and others.

VEGETABLES Asparagus; Green Onions; Lamb\\'s Quarters; Cardoon; Amish Paste Tomatoes; Bell Peppers; Sunchokes; Arugula; Summer Spinach; Shingiko; Garlic (several varieties); Endive; Lemon Cucumber--- others TBA

FRUIT Pears; Cherries and Berries (mixed); Figs; Elderberries; American Persimmons

HERBS Sweet Basil; Lemon Basil; Cinnamon Basil; Japanese Basil and Oregano Flowers; Kentucky Colonel Spearmint; Spearmint; Chocolate Mint; Lemon Thyme and Flowers; Thyme; Tarragon; Hyssop; Rosemary; Lavender; Chives; Garlic Chives.

OTHER ITEMS Flower Bouquets; Dried Flowers; Wreaths; Gourds; Garlic Powder; dried herbs in tins; Vinegar; Herbal Teas; Spice Rub, Spice Rub with Garlic, Spice Rub for Chicken & Fish; Herbal Crafts--- these items may be included in the share basket when appropriate.

OUR POLICIES Membership for the 2008 season is $350.00 per share payable by April 1, 2008. Payment of shares by credit card can be processed online by localharvest.org for Bluebird Hill Farm; payments by check can be made directly to the farm.

Each share comes packaged in a basket, to be returned the following week. If a bouquet is included in the share, a vase will be provided and must be returned with the basket.

Each member is responsible for communicating his/her preferred way of receiving the share. Members may pick up shares at the Farm on Fridays between 1 pm and 6 pm. Shares delivered to single location convenient to members will arrive on Friday afternoon by 5 pm. Any shares not claimed will be forfeited for that week. There can be no refunds for unclaimed shares.

Items of interest not included in a regular share may be purchased on-line (if available) from the Local Harvest Store. During the Lavender Harvest event, special items not found on the Local Harvest Store may be purchased on site by cash or check.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS When you join a CSA, it is important to remember that you are establishing a partnership with a farmer who agrees to provide you with the best they have to offer. While that has many benefits, there are some issues to be aware of. You are also sharing the farmers\\\\\\\' risk as they cope with insects, weather, drought, and unexpected occurrences. Last year, along with many other farmers in North Carolina, we saw our developing fruit frozen and new green growth cut to the ground by an unexpected late freeze. As a result, we had no pears, cherries, figs, kiwis, or berries in 2007. It was the first time that has happened since we began farming here in 1999.

Your paid CSA membership allows the farmer to purchase needed supplies in advance and to survive the \\"slings and arrows of outrageous fortune" by creating a small cushion in the cash flow. Most people have lost touch with what it really means to farm the land and provide food for the table: CSA members have a front row seat from which to observe that process, and to know what it feels like to participate in it.

Some items are available in the spring, others in the mid-to late summer, and a smaller number in the fall. Because of our unique approach, we will have a few things (Sunchokes, Persimmons, Gourds) that are available after the growing season is over: you may choose to include those items beyond the season membership if you let us know in advance. Toward the end of summer, when the garden begins to shut down, some of the other items listed will be available to augment the basket.

Recipes for many herbs and produce will be included as a regular part of the share basket. Membership includes entry to our Lavender Harvest event June 7 and June 14. Members are encouraged to fish for Bass, Catfish, and Blue Gill in our pond during the event.

Norma DeCamp Burns Bluebird Hill Farm 421 Clarence Phillips Road Bennett, NC 27208 (336) 581-3916 countrymouse@rtmc.net

Love only what you do, and not what you have done. Adrienne Rich

Norma Burns
336 581-3916

Our Drop Offs and Delivery Areas

Drop Off Point / Center of Delivery Area