Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Arnold.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started farming with my mom 10 years ago on the land I grew up on. She had been running a small CSA for 6 years, providing vegetables for local folks. We farmed together for one year, then I took it over and expanded to what it is today. We have a 70 member summer CSA, with half that membership in fall, winter, and spring members. We grow vegetables on 2 acres of land including 2 hoophouses and provide food for local community along with a hub for people to gather and connect with the land and the people their food is grown on.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Finding the customer base and trialing different markets was a struggle along the way. I am so grateful to have many dedicated members who have been around for over a decade, but CSA membership is not for a faint of heart – you have to be able and willing to cook with the veggie filled boxes you’re given every week. So we have tried a few different farmer’s markets but I found that CSA is the simplest. We work hard to recruit membership each season and have been able to swing just a single market that we’re harvesting and packing for.
As you know, we’re big fans of Shepherd Moon Farm. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Shepherd Moon Farm is a community supported agriculture (CSA) vegetable farm. The model is one where the farmer (me and others) grow food directly for members who pay upfront at the beginning of the season and get a box of freshly harvested vegetables every week. Our boxes are known for how packed full and fresh they are. If you love to cook with good fresh food and make meals with new ingredients or one’s you didn’t plan for, CSA is right for you! It benefits the farmers by cutting out the middle person and benefits the members by making the food more affordable and ensuring you get the most fresh and locally grown food possible. CSA also ensures that the food us farmers grow has a market at the beginning of the season. The CSA model is a part of building a food system that will be more resilient to climate collapse.
As members, people also get the chance to come out to connect with where their food is grown and meet the people growing it. We encourage people to work with the farm crew to make the connection that is so lacking in our disconnected society.
Pricing:
- Full summer shares – 17 weeks of organically grown produce in 1 1/9 bushel/week is $845
- Half summer shares – 17 weeks of organically grown produce 5/9 bushel box – $545
- Summer Sampler share – 5 boxes on Thursdays of your choosing June-September – $275
- We have spring, fall, and winter boxes too! Offered less frequently and in one size box
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shepherdmoonfarm.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shepherdmoonfarm/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shepherdmoonfarm/
