LEAF Nights Are Bursting With Local Flavor
Lakewood Earth and Food Community (LEAF) will begin our 20 week celebration of local food and culture on June 9th. Every Wednesday night from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m., farmers will be driving to the front porch of the Lakewood Public Library to deliver and vend their fresh picked produce. Two Community Supported Agriculture programs, multiple additional local vendors with fresh, local, naturally grown or created goodies, and music will be included at each LEAF Night this summer. In addition to the Wednesday LEAF Nights, a third CSA program will be delivered to the Root Cafe on Thursday evenings.
2010 will be the fifth year Lakewood residents have been participating in Community Supported Agriculture. Starting back in 2006, the first 15 shareholders started the Community Supported Agriculture interest with the Covered Bridge Gardens CSA program. Last year, LEAF assisted over 400 families participate in one of three CSA programs. Community Supported Agriculture or CSA is becoming more and more popular, but many still don't really know what it means. CSA is a model of food distribution where consumers develop a direct relationship with the farmer. People become "share holders", in which they pay the farmer up front and then receive delivery of "shares" (packages of fresh picked food) throughout the season when the farmers harvest them. The CSA model has many benefits for the farmer, the consumer, the environment and the local economy.
The two traditional CSA programs that LEAF helps bring to Lakewood include Covered Bridge Gardens and Geauga Family Farms. With Covered Bridge Gardens, you get the added benefit of meeting and speaking directly with the farmers, Mick and Kay Prochko. Mick and Kay are a memorable duo, and will have you belly laughing as they share stories from their farm in Jefferson, Ohio. If you ever have a question about a vegetable, Kay Prochko can tell you what to do with it. The Geauga Family Farms program is the only program that is a certified organic program that LEAF offers. The other programs grow their products naturally (if they don't they will tell you), but Geauga Family Farms have taken the tedious steps to form an Organic Certified Cooperative of farmers out in Geauga County. A modified version of a CSA, City Fresh, also sets up shop at LEAF Nights. City Fresh is different in that it offers more flexibility than a traditional program, and shareholders are only required to pay 1 week in advance. Another difference with the City Fresh program is that it offers an income qualifying discount to make fresh local food affordable to everyone.
The LEAF Community Supported Agriculture programs are brought to Lakewood with the help of over 50 volunteers. People take turns with unloading and setting up produce, greeting guests, assisting shareholders, providing recipes and information, and cleaning up. Thanks to these dedicated and selfless individuals, over 500 families will receive fresh, locally grown food each week over the summer in Lakewood. We always welcome new volunteers. If you are interested, simply stop by at a LEAF Night and meet us.
LEAF Community is planning a wonderful array of guest vendors to accompany the CSA programs and music this summer. The freshest, local and happy poultry, beef & cheese will be available to the public. Our favorite "honey lady" from the Berry Good Farm will be joining us weekly. We will also be offering crafts and locally made and environmentally friendly products and demonstrations by local vendors. All of the guest vendors will sell to the public. Visit the LEAF Community website leafcommunity.org to view the schedule of guest vendors and join our shared google calendar and facebook page to keep informed of LEAF's scheduled vendors, Third Thursday Educational series, community gardening and bulk buying opportunities. The vendor schedule is tentative at this time and is subject to change.
If you have visited a LEAF Night in the past, you would agree that it is a very exciting event each week. People walk up and ask, "What is going on here?" "I heard the music and saw all the vegetables, and had to come up and see what was going on!" Most likely, that person will become a CSA shareholder by the next week. Smiling faces, lively discussion, recipe swapping, vegetable bartering, kids twirling to the music, and of course the lovely food draws you in. We hope to see you this summer!
June 9
Berry Good Farms
Green Pastures Poultry
Lucky Penny Creamery
Woodstock Soap
June 16
Berry Good Farms
Lake Erie Creamery
Simple Solutions
Timberlane Organic Farms (Beef)
June 23
Berry Good Farms
Jammin'
Westside Yoga Studio
June 30
Berry Good Farms
Timberlane Organic Farms (Beef)
Western Reserve Foods - Middlefield Cheese Co-Op
Woodstock Soap
July 7
Berry Good Farms
Green Pastures Poultry
Lucky Penny Creamery
July 14
Berry Good Farms
Lake Erie Creamery
Simple Solutions
July 21
Berry Good Farms
Green Pastures Poultry
Jammin'
Woodstock Soap
July 28
Berry Good Farms
Lake Erie Creamery
Timberlane Organic Farms (Beef)
Western Reserve Foods - Middlefield Cheese Co-Op
August 4
Berry Good Farms
Green Pastures Poultry
Lucky Penny Creamery
Westside Yoga Studio
August 11
Berry Good Farms
Lake Erie Creamery
Simple Solutions
Woodstock Soap
August 18
Berry Good Farms
Green Pastures Poultry
Jammin'
August 25
Berry Good Farms
Timberlane Organic Farms (Beef)
Western Reserve Foods - Middlefield Cheese Co-Op
Westside Yoga Studio
September 1
Berry Good Farms
Green Pastures Poultry
Lucky Penny Creamery
Woodstock Soap
September 8
Berry Good Farms
Lake Erie Creamery
Simple Solutions
September 15
Berry Good Farms
Green Pastures Poultry
Jammin'
Westside Yoga Studio
September 22
Berry Good Farms
Timberlane Organic Farms (Beef)
Western Reserve Foods - Middlefield Cheese Co-Op
Woodstock Soap
September 29
Berry Good Farms
Green Pastures Poultry
Lucky Penny Creamery
October 6
Berry Good Farms
Lake Erie Creamery
Simple Solutions
October 13
Berry Good Farms
Green Pastures Poultry
Jammin'
Woodstock Soap