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Community supported agriculture (csa)

Word from Easy Bean Farm is that planting has begun! Mike Jacobs, our farmer, is really liking the big rains this week. "Just the SMELL of rain brings joy to my heart" he wrote me in an email recently. Mike is very excited about the new growing season ahead. All he needs now is for us to sign up for this year's harvest!

Tuv Ha'Aretz is the first Jewish Community Supported Agricultural (CSA) project that allows its members to purchase a share of a farmer's organic produce for an entire growing season. CSA's are localized food systems that directly link farmers and consumer--a relationship which benefits everyone. Farmers share the risks of weather and "varmints" with shareholders, and the shareholders enjoy the freshest organic produce possible while eating locally. The land is carefully managed with consideration for future generations moving us all a step closer to a more sustainable form of agriculture.

Our members receive weekly shares of local, organically grown produce such as: fruits, vegetables and eggs at competitive prices throughout the June through September growing season. In addition to providing members access to large variety of local, organic produce, they are helping preserve farmland and wildlife, and build community in the process.

See the 2011 Easy Bean Farm and Tuv Ha'Aretz brochure

See the 2011 Easy Bean Farm Flyer

Our Farmer: Easy Bean Farm
Our farm is owned and managed by Minnesota's only Jewish organic farmers, Michael Jacobs, his wife Malena Handeen and their children Hazel and Arlo.  Mike beganmanaging the farm in the fall of 1996 after working as a furniture maker in St. Paul. The first two seasons he sold produce through farmer's markets and then moved on to selling produce to restaurants, food co-ops, and then finally as a community share opportunity.

The farm is locate 6 miles east of Milan, MN in the Chippewa River Watershed.  The Chippewa River, as it makes its way toward the Minnesota River, pass through 120 acres of prairie, woodland, pasture and cropland.  The farm is also a home to a myriad of 'wild' plan and animal life.  Songbirds nest in the groves, frogs assemble their choir at the edge of the pond, fish swim near the river, monarch butterflies rest on the milkweed, deer hide in the tall prairie grass and the soil is crawling with worms.

Feel free to listen to Mike Jacobs share his insights with St. Paul JCC members at his presentation in Spring 2008:

Tuv Ha'Aretz is sponsored by Hazon, a Jewish organization dedicated to create a healthier and more sustainable Jewish community. It's also a platform for innovative educational and community-building programs that explore the intersection of food and Jewish tradition. Tuv Ha'Aretz provides a tangible encounter with organic and sustainable agriculture issues and serves as a catalyst for engaging and revitalizing the Jewish community.

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For more information, contact:
Penny Schumacher, Assistant Director: 651-255-4732