Community Supported Plant Starts (CSPS) program based on the Community Supported Agriculture concept, is designed to support Seattle-area residents with with flats of regionally- and seasonally-appropriate plant starts. In addition to plants, members receive Garden Gnome News to help take the guesswork out of gardening to make your efforts easier and more successful.
Purchase a membership (and specify preferences) now and pick up 1, 1.5, or 2 flats of edible plant starts or seed packets in your own neighborhood on the distribution date. Your CSPS membership and advance order helps us with gardening education and food justice programs. Thank you for helping us help you and your neighbors. To purchase a CSPS membership and specify preferences for this session, order online or print and send a paper order form (order forms for fall 2010 and winter 2010 sessions now available). There is a $3 administrative paperwork fee for handling paper order forms, so save money by ordering online.
What do I get for my CSPS membership?
Small, medium, and large memberships are available. Everyone gets standard crops automatically just by ordering a membership. Which “you-choose” crops you get depends on your specified preferences and available yield at harvest (or in this case on the distribution date, since we’re dealing with plant starts). One seed packet is equivalent to one specimen/pack of plant starts. Target yields are:
- Small membership: 5 standard crops & 5 “you-choose” crops (1 flat)
- Medium membership: 7 standard crops & 7 “you-choose” crops (1.5 flats)
- Large membership: 10 standard crops & 10 “you-choose” crops (2 flats)
As is always the case with the community-supported agriculture paradigm, the consumer (you, the gardener, in this case) helps the farmer/provider (CEL, in this case) bear the uncertainties of weather and crop yields. This means you specify “you-choose” crop preferences, and we do our best to deliver what you prefer, although we don’t guarantee you’ll get the exact preferences you specify.
The earlier you specify your “you-choose” preferences, the higher seniority you’ll have, and the more likely you’ll get exactly what you wanted, so order your membership and specify your preferences early! Please specify more than your target yield, with most favored crops first, so that there are some back-ups in your preference list.
Upcoming Sessions
- The Fall 2010 Session distribution date is August 6
- The Winter 2010 Session distribution date is September 1
Fall 2010 Session Standard Crops
- Lettuce, Heirloom Blend
- Spinach, Ruby Orach Mountain
- Cauliflower, Gold & Purple
- Kale, Laccinato & Red Russian
- Romanesco, Veronica
Fall 2010 Session “You-Choose” Crops
- Cabbage, Copenhagen & Red Rock
- Raddichio, Early Treviso
- Brussels Sprouts, Roodnerf/Bubbles
- Collards, Champion
- Cauliflower, Snow Crown Hybrid
- Kohlrabi, Hybrid
- Broccoli, including Purple Sprout
- Tatsoi Mustard Greens, Spoon
- Snap Peas, Cascadia
- Seed: Beets
- Seed: Carrots
- Seed: Parsnips, Andover
- Seed: Spinach, Bloomsdale
- Seed: Turnip, Golden Ball
Winter 2010 Session Standard Crops
- Lettuce, Heirloom Blend
- Mache, aka Corn Salad
- Spinach, Ruby Orach Mountain
- Kale, Laccinato & Red Russian
- Broccoli, including Purple Sprout
- Garlic
- Cover Crop, Vetch/Rye/FieldPeas
Winter 2010 Session “You-Choose” Crops
- Cabbage, Copenhagen/RedRock
- Endive, Bellesque & Eros
- Sorrel, Red Vein
- Cauliflower, Early Dawn & Fremont
- Collards, Champion
- Broccoli, Romanesco
- Tatsoi Mustard Greens, Spoon
- Snap Peas, Cascadia
- Seed: Mustards
- Seed: Arugula
- Seed: Spinach, Red Orach Mountain
- Seed: Spinach, Bloomsdale