Community Supported Agricultural Farm

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there are now over 13,000 CSA farms in North America.

Producers Grant Black and Patricia Robertson of PayDirt Farm Heirloom CSA in Wakaw are impassioned CSA proponents.

“We follow the traditional CSA model, which is about supporting the vegetable grower and it creates a sustainable economic model,” says Robertson, who co-founded PayDirt Farm in 2012 when it supplied 20 Saskatoon members that season. “This approach builds a stable local vegetable source for members.” Regional demand has grown so Prince Albert was a natural choice for expansion, says Robertson.

When a member purchases an annual share, they consider it an investment in PayDirt Farm. “We pay dividends in premium heirloom organic vegetables, which are harvested the same day for our members,” says Black. “A member’s seasonal investment allows us to sustain the heirloom organic vegetable operation from year-to-year — and members get to enjoy super healthy vegetables.”

Each member (a share) in PayDirt Farm Heirloom CSA, can expect to receive six 50-litre share containers of heirloom organic vegetables plus a big bag of organic potatoes.
“Six pickups over a growing season is an average amount for a healthy family to eat from June to October and beyond with late-season vegetables,” says Black. A 2015 share is still only $600 for the season (the share price has remained the same since 2013).

A PayDirt Farm share is a 50-litre container every few weeks filled with freshly harvested vegetables. “We start harvesting early in the morning, with greens last, to make sure members receive fresh vegetables by the afternoon on the same day,” says Robertson. “Pickup days are long days,” she says with a laugh.

PayDirt Farm remains Saskatchewan’s only heirloom organic vegetable grower-CSA. The growers are committed to the progressive concept of food purity and seed diversity.

Their open-pollinated heirloom seed varieties are sourced from independent seed companies around North America and Europe and the organically grown vegetables contain nutrient-rich vitamins and minerals, which support good health.

“We have some surprises this season that aren’t on our website,” says Robertson. “We’re always innovating and sourcing and growing new and unusual varieties.”

PayDirt Farm follows the CSA field-to-fork model. Pickups will be staged every couple of weeks (six pickups per season, June to October -14-16 weeks) at a convenient location in south Prince Albert. Members can pick up their share during a two-hour window and pickups are conveniently scheduled for after 4:30 p.m. on a weekday.

Members receive updates via email on which day to expect a delivery, based on what’s ready to harvest/ready to eat. The popular CSA even makes it easy for the home cook. “A naturopathic doctor, who is also a member, supplies us with recipes from her healthy living course to coincide with what’s being harvested for the upcoming pickup,” says Black.

Shares in PayDirt Farm’s CSA are limited for the 2015 season. Visit PayDirtFarm.ca for more info on how to join. Updates on PayDirt Farm’s growing season and food/micro-agriculture stories can be found on Facebook (PayDirt Farm Heirloom CSA Saskatchewan) and you can follow their Twitter feed (@paydirtfarm)

by Guest Contributor

Community Supported Agricultural Farm

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