Community Supported DEO-Agriculture (CSA)

Avalon Organic Gardens, Farm, and Ranch

Originally started in Sedona in 1994, Avalon Organic Gardens is Arizona’s first true CSA program supporting hundreds of people with fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, meat, and dairy products for over 20 years. In 2007 we moved to a 165-acre stretch of farmland along the Santa Cruz River which was inhabited by indigenous tribes for centuries before becoming a permanent settlement, founded by Jesuit missionary, Father Kino, in the 1600’s. Avalon Gardens borders the Tumacacori Mission (now a National Historic Park), built by Father Kino in 1691 with large grazing fields and gardens to provide for its indigenous community and neighbors. Our mission is to make this land once again a sacred place by living a service-oriented life as a spiritual community.

What is Community Supported DEO-Agriculture (CSA)?

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a grassroots movement that started in the USA in the late 1980s, based on ideas from Europe and Japan. CSA is a partnership of mutual commitment between a farm and a community of supporters which provides a direct link between the production and consumption of food. Through donations (monetary or otherwise) supporters cover a farm's yearly operating budget by purchasing a share of the season's harvest. CSA members make a commitment to support the farm throughout the season, and assume the costs, risks, and bounty of growing food along with the farmer or grower. Members donations help pay for seeds, fertilizer, water, equipment maintenance, labor, etc. In return, the farm provides, to the best of its ability, a healthy supply of seasonal fresh produce throughout the growing season. The average produce travels 1,500 miles to get to your plate. Eating locally and organically is environmentally friendly and sustainable. For more info visit www.csafarms.org and www.umassvegetable.org.

Avalon Gardens established the first CSA program in Arizona in its truest form as a living agricultural/all volunteer community sharing its resources and the harvest of the land purchased and worked together, while also offering harvests to Share-Members.

What does DEO mean?

The word DEO symbolizes that we are Change Agents/Destiny Reservists called by God from all over the world striving to live wholeheartedly in divine pattern and to educate and inspire people to help change this planet for the better. We are a nonprofit organization and your donations support the agricultural training efforts of Global Community Communications Alliance Church in their Personality Integration Rehabilitation Program.

As an ecovillage we sponsor events year-round and offer workshops and internships. Click here to view a short video presentation on our ecovillage and organic gardens.

How does it work?

CSA Share-members give their donation in advance for a chosen amount of the harvest for a minimum of 6 weeks. Each week members pick up their share at a designated location. There will be a variety of 8-12 fresh, organically grown vegetables in your personalized bag every week.

Our produce is beyond organic!!

We are not “certified organic” by USDA rules and we are not planning to be. Unfortunately it requires expensive and time-consuming paperwork that is getting exploited and commercialized by large corporations who can afford it. Our gardening and farming is beyond organic in practice and all of our vegetables are grown without chemical or synthesized fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides. What we do is love the earth and grow healthy soil, using permaculture methods including biodynamics that will, in turn, grow healthy plants that are more resistant to pests and disease. We are planting a wide variety of heirloom, native, and only GMO-free seeds. Our members know us and trust our methods, and can observe our practices anytime during a visit.

What are we growing for you?

You will receive a weekly newsletter that introduces each vegetable with its history, benefits, qualities and recipes. Eating seasonally is a choice and a very healing experience. Most seasons, there are some crops that do exceptionally well and others that produce less than expected. As partners in agriculture, we share the benefits of bumper crops and the risks of a crop failure. Avalon Organic Gardens cannot guarantee the quantity or type of produce that will be available. Below is a projected harvesting list:

	May	June	July	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
arugula	med	small			small	med	large	large
asian greens	med	med	med	med	med	med	large	large
basil		med	large	large	large	large
beans, pole		small	med	med	med	med
beets	small	med	med			small	med	large
cabbage		small	large	large			med	large
carrots	small	small	small			small	small	small
cilantro	med	med	small			med	med	large
cucumbers		small	med	large	large	large
eggplant			med	large	large	large
fennel, bulb	med	med	med			med	large	large
garlic		large	large	large	large	large	large	large
jerusalem artichoke							large	large
kale & collard	large	large	med	small		small	med	large
lettuce, heads/micro	large	large	med	small	small	med	large	large
melons, variety				med	med	med
okra			med	large	large	large
onion		med	med	med	med		small	small
parsley	small	small	small	small	small	small	small	small
parsnips							med	med
peas snap	small	small					small	small
peppers, sweet			small	large	large	large
peppers, hot			small	large	large	large
radishes, variety	med	med	med			small	large	large
spinach	med	med	small				small	large
squash, summer		small	med	large	large	large
squash:winter&pumpkin						large	large	large
sweet potatoes						med	med	large
swiss chard	large	large	med	med			med	large
tomatoes			med	large	large	large

CSA-2010 Season: starts May 13 until December 23

Share Type:	Suggested min. donation
Full Share for one person per week	$20.00
2/3 Share for one person per week	$15.00
Transport costs per week:
Avalon Gardens Pickup	free
Tubac	$0.50
Green Valley	$1.50
Patagonia	$2.50
Tucson	$2.50

If you commit for 20 weeks you get one week free!

Day:	Pick-up Location	Time
Thursday:
	Avalon Organic Gardens	8am-7pm
	Green Valley Community Food Bank	(to be determined)
	Patagonia	(to be determined)
	Tucson:
	Santa Cruz River Farmer's Market	4pm-7pm May to September
	Speedway and Riverview, west of I-10	3pm-6pm October to April
Saturday:
	Tubac - at our own weekly FarmStand	11am-1pm

If there is enough interest (min. 10 shares) we can do a drop off anywhere else en route (incl. Rio Rico, Nogales, Sahuarita)

How to Sign Up?

Signing up for our CSA program is easy:

Just click here to sign up for the Avalon Organic Gardens, Farm, and Ranch CSA program on-line

but before you do, you may want to visit us first.

You may also order over the phone at (520) 603-9932. We accept all major credit cards.
You can also use a check or money order. Send to:

Global Community Communications Alliance
attn: CSA Program
P.O. Box 4910
Tubac, AZ 85646

Make checks payable to "Global Community Communications Alliance". Include full payment for your share and include the following information:

• Name
• Address
• Phone
• E-Mail (if available)
• Share Type

Conditions:

• Minimum signup is six weeks in full / no refunds.
• If you like to secure more than six weeks please do so now; we can't guarantee any continuance. Payment plans are available.
• Exception: SNAP Debit-card (New Foodstamp program) accepted on a weekly basis.
• You can postpone your weekly delivery with one week's notice.

We feel our CSA member are part of our extended family. You are welcome to visit and/or volunteer in the garden, just give us a call or send us an email.

SIGN UP ASAP—LIMITED AMOUNT OF SHARES AVAILABLE. First come, first serve. Previous members receive priority.

We are certified to accept SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; formerly known as Federal Food Stamps), WIC (Woman, Infants and Children), Senior AZFMNP (Arizona Farmer's Market Nutrition Program) vouchers and Cash Value Vouchers (CVV) for weekly purchases only.

Contact Information

Avalon Organic Gardens, Farm, and Ranch
attn: CSA Program
P.O. Box 4910
Tubac, AZ 85646
Phone: (520) 603-9932
Email:

For more informative Garden Tours (lunch or dinner optional) call Spirit Steps Tours at 520-398-2655.

Avalon Gardens hosts the annual Be Aware Festival.