Tuv Ha'Aretz: Hazon's Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) program brings the FRESHEST organic vegetables right to our door!.........posted Feb 1, 2008

Tuv Ha'Aretz means both "good for the land" and "the best of the land." Ultimately, it also means the best for you and your family. Tuv Ha'aretz offers the opportunity to purchase healthy, organic produce at competitive prices, while supporting local farmers, building community, and expanding our understanding of what it means for our food to be kosher: not only "fit" for us, but "fit" for the earth as well.

In the next few weeks you'll be hearing more about Tuv Ha'aretz and how you can get involved with Tikvat Israel's community supported agriculture program!

As a Tuv Ha'Aretz member at Tikvat Israel, you'll know where your food is coming from, and enjoy:

a variety of fresh, organic or IPM vegetables at competitive prices.
weekly produce delivery to Tikvat Israel!
supporting local farms, a healthy environment, and strong community
connecting in new ways to Jewish values and tradition
a weekly newsletter, Tuv Ha'Shavua with recipes from the farm, divrei Torah and more!
farm trips and inspiring education classes

We will be working with Pam Stegall of Calvert Farm, an Organic Grower in Cecil County, Maryland. We share our farmer with Sandy Springs CSA, who have generously offered to mentor us along, and will refund checks for anyone who has signed up with them so that members will be able to buy shares through Tikvat Israel.

Many of the committees/arms of the synagogue have pledged support and commitment to the program, including the Religious School, the ECC, the Environmental Committee, Social Action Committee, Adult Education Committee, and, of course, Rabbi Howard Gorin and executive director Michael Grossman.

Pickup is on Mondays from 2pm to 6pm. Pam has extended sign up time for us through March - specific deadline to be decided. Deliveries begin in mid May and run approximately from Shavuot to Sukkot. A share size is for 2-4 adults. This varies based on how much your household likes vegetables. Our farmer partners with several other farmers through a farmers' cooperative in order to offer a wide variety of fruits and vegetables to our members. She also, for a small additional cost, can provide eggs. Shares can be split between two or more house holds, with the responsibility for dividing it falling on the members. Our farmer strongly recommends that if you decide on a half-share you should partner with someone you know and like already.

Cost: The full share price for a new member is $595, which includes a one-time $50 start-up fee for this year. Payments must be made by March 28th. Next year, repeating members will pay $545 for a full share, if paid by a tbd early date. Thereafter, the price reverts $595.

How does Tuv Ha'Aretz work?

Before the growing season, Tuv Ha'Aretz members purchase an entire season of produce from an organic family farm. Each week during the growing season, usually from Shavuot (May/June) until Sukkot (October), a local farmer makes a delivery of fresh, organic vegetables (and in some cases fruits and/or herbs) to your synagogue. Tuv Ha'Aretz members come to pick up their "share" of the food. Tuv Ha'Aretz sites also typically offer at least one or two educational programs, so that members and their families come together to learn about food through the double prism of Jewish tradition and contemporary life.

Tuv Ha'Aretz:

Strengthens members' connection to the synagogue by giving them a new way to participate in community life;
Improvs the health of the community by providing fresh, organic produce;
Is a platform for innovative education programs for adults and families' from cooking classes and farm visits to text study at a "green" Shabbat oneg;
Spurs a new dialogue about what kosher, or "fit," food is, and thus renews our sense of excitement about what it means to keep kosher.

Download the registration form and drop off in the synagogue office or mail to the registration coordinator listed on the form.

Download the information flyer, and pass it around your neighborhood.

More questions about how to sign up? Contact Rabbi.Al strudel gmail.com (at symbol replaced by "strudel" to foil robotmailers).

More questions about Tuv Ha'aretz? See the Hazon website for more information.

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	Tikvat Israel Congregation 2200 Baltimore Road · Rockville, Maryland 20851 Phone: (301) 762-7338 · Fax: (301) 424-4399 · Send us an email!
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