2009/ 2010 Meat CSA Program
(none is being offered in 2011)
| Your Package | Contents | Cost ( 6 Month Share) | Cost (1 Month Trial) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mixed Box #1 | beef; chicken; pork; lamb | ($5.50 per pound) | |
| Mixed Box #2 | beef; chicken; pork | ($5.50 per pound) | |
| Mixed Box #3 | beef; chicken | ($5.50 per pound) | |
| All Beef Box | beef | ($5.50 per pound) | |
| All Pork Box | pork | ($5.50 per pound) | |
All Chicken Box | chicken | ($3.50 per pound) | |
| All Lamb Box | lamb | ($5.50 per pound) | |
All Turkey Box | turkey | ($4.00 per pound) | |
| Specialty Box | goat; rabbit; goose; duck; guinea; hen; wild turkey |
|
Introduction and Details of our past Meat CSA Program
We operate a 150-acre certified organic farm known as "Laura Leigh Organic Farms", and in 2009/ 2010 began offering a Meat CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Program. (We are not currently offering a Meat CSA; however, do get in touch with us if you have any questions or are interested in placing a meat order well in advance of when you would need the product, and we will try to accomodate you.)
The Meat CSA Program was based on our Box Plans above (no substitutions). People were then required to invest in two small coolers to keep the meat fresh/frozen. One cooler stayed with us, and was exchanged with the other one each week when the meat order was delivered.
Care of The Animals
We grow only what we have orders for on our farm. Each animal is housed, fed and raised in a specific way, in accordance with its natural design and function. Our pigs have lots of space to root and dig and sleep in the cool mud on a hot day; our chickens can scratch and find lots of bugs and other critters to eat, while keeping our farm fly population down. It is interesting to see a cow laying down chewing her cud, while a chicken is up on her back, eating the pesky flies that are bothering her! Our goats have access to trees for foraging, and our sheep love our rolling pastures with their diverse grasses and legumes.
All of the animals have a bedding pack to provide warmth and comfort during the cold winter months, and they all have acces to fresh water through frost-free bowls. We grow all our own grains, meaning that they are openly pollenated; we never use genetically modified crops. We also grow all our own forage and usually cut it later in the summer; this allows the songbirds to make their nests and raise their young before we cut and bale.
We offered two types of Share Purchases: a 1-month Trial Share, and a 6-Month Share. Weekly deliveries of fresh/frozen product were made, and we tried to include breakfast sausage, bacon, pork chops, steaks and small roasts, including a variety of other cuts of meat in each box. (We never butcher a "cull cow" and sell her tough old meat; only our young calves raised each spring on our fresh pasture make the grade.) All of our cows have access to fresh pasture all year long; you get the best of what Laura Leigh Organic Farms has to offer, your happiness and satisfaction with our product is very important to us.
Payment Plans
The cost of the 1-Month Trial Membership was payable upfront, and the cost of the 6-Month Membership was averaged out over a 10-week period for easy budgeting. This helps offset the cost of purchasing certified organic non-GMO seeds and feed, our labour costs and animal care costs.
For more information
If you would like more information on, please call us at 902-676-2473. While we are not currently offering a Meat CSA in 2011, we may look into offering it again in the future if the interest is there.
Know how you're being marketed to by large grocery chains and major suppliers; ask questions, the quality of your food depends on the quality of life the animal enjoyed.....and that has a direct and profound effect on the quality of YOUR life and health!
Terms & Definitions:
 | Chemical Pesticides Used |
| Herbicides usedin the fields |
| Fungicides used in the fields |
| ChemicalFertilizers used in the fields |
| Genetically Modified Organisms |
| Genetically Modified Feeds |
| Growth Hormones |
| Drugs (including anti-biotics) |
| Animal By-Products |
- "Certified Organic": means the farm has gone through an inspection to verify that it does meet organic industry standards, and that is has the paper trail to prove it should an audit be done.
- "Organic": means that the farmer is likely using some or even solely "organic" practices, but the operation as a whole has not been inspected/ certified. This in turn means that you have to take the farmer's word on how he/she is producing "organic" product.
- "Free Range": means the animal is not caged, but does not necessarily mean that it has access to the outside.
- "Pastured": means the animal has been outside on the pasture at some point in time, but may have finished out its days in a feed lot, being fed lots of grain to fatten it for market.
- "Grass-fed": means the animal is out on pasture and is not fed any (or minimal amounts of) grain, to sustain body score during the winter months. The bulk of its diet is understood to be grass and hay.
- "Grain-fed": all poultry is fed grain as part of their diet, but they are not vegetarians. It is important to ask what they are being fed for protein (we feed organic milk to our poultry, plus they have access to the outdoors for bugs, etc. and given "free choice"), since this affects the quality of the meat.
