CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture which is a model that connects local farmers directly to consumers.
We rarely say how our vegetables are delivered from the farm to the seven pick-up points. Today, Max returned to his vegetable delivery job after a wonderful wedding vacation with his wife Jess. They look really happy and energetic.
In fact, planning the delivery route and streamlining logistics is always challenging for CSAs, taking into account energy use, traffic time, crop freshness, and labour support.
Every Thursday, a team of volunteers come to help with the harvest and bagging in the morning.
We try to keep at least seven varieties in the bag, with a balanced mix of seasonal greens, potatoes, roots, herbs and fruiting crops. As a cooperative, we distribute the harvest evenly among our members.
Our growers will also prepare a weekly note, communicate to the members about what has happened on the farm over the week, or provide recipes for unusual crops. After a hectic but cheerful morning, the fresh vegetable bags will be ready!
As a member at Sims Hill Shared Harvest, you’ll enjoy:
💋 Fresh, local, high quality and delicious produce vegetables
💋 Produce harvested and delivered directly to your pick-up point
💋 Connection with the land and people growing your food
💋 Fair pricing & low-income options
💋 Supporting land and social justice
Our CSA runs all year round. Our pick-up locations are in Easton, St George, St Werberghs, Frenchay, Bishopston, Fishponds, and Windmill Hill.
Whos that in the distance? Swipe to find out.
It's a little cherub, recovering from planting 500 aubergine plants and 55 pepper plants.
What a cutie.
Other local cuties include our chinese cabbages, which are in the veg shares. Sign up now to get the last of the crop next week.
Help us boost our membership and support local cooperatively grown veg.
We appreciate you 🪲
To work towards real food justice, everyone should be able to grow, sell, and access affordable, locally grown, culturally appropriate, and nutritious food. BPOC are widely under-represented in British agricultural sectors. By working directly with asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants, we aim to disrupt the structural inequalities and barriers to food justice BPOC face. Our priority is to build a diverse and inclusive CSA with opportunities for cross cultural exchanges.
The 2012 UK Hostile Environment Policy excludes asylum seekers from work, education, healthcare, appropriate housing, and financial support, making life challenging and isolating. The 2023 UK Illegal Immigration Act threatens to force people into detention or underground, where they are more likely to be destitute and easily exploited.
The Thursday group is an opportunity for people to connect and make links with other people in the city. It tackles isolation in an industry where the level of isolation from other BPOC or a support network is very common. It provides a space for participants to share knowledge, gain skills, and find work opportunities. Our shared weekly lunch, particularly when we have grown it together, is a powerful way of building solidarity and connection.
Come along from tomorrow onwards. Look forward to seeing you there.
@quartetcommunity@squarefoodfoundation@bristolrefugeerights@bristolrefugeefestival@borderlandsbristol@bristolcityofsanctuary@cityofsanctuaryuk@bristol.brac@rwobristol@coexistcommunitykitchen
We welcomed in the spring with odes to the pigeon, honouring them for the space they take up in all our lives, coocooing a soothing soundtrack to the beat of the m32, plodding through lush crops taking their pick of their favourite beansprouts, and providing a number of funny anecdotes which were shared aplenty on Sunday. Thanks for turning out, we hope you enjoyed yourselves. We certainly did. 🤍🪶🐦🔥
This Sunday 19 April you could be in for your chance to win:
~ A long weekend in Crantock, Cornwall, in a holiday cottage which sleeps 8 and is a 10 minute walk from the beach
~ x2 @w_shed tickets
~ @dooo.oldmarket haircut
~ £40 @rootbristol voucher
~ £20 @bookhausbristol voucher
~ x3 @bristolcommunitysauna sessions
~£10 @ebb_bristol voucher
~ x2 @ardaghcommunitysauna sessions
~ £10 @hartsbakery voucher
~ @bristolbeerfactory brewed2give case
~ @betterfoodco cafe voucher
~ @lefthandedgiantbrewing brewery tour
Come down and enjoy the BBQ, games, farm tour, music and performances, and more. Celebrate sims and all we love about our trusty friend, the pigeon.
We will also be holding a sign-up stall to our veg share, which is a great way to fill your belly and your heart with agroecological vegetables.
Thank you so much to all the local businesses who are supporting sims and community supported agriculture <3
See you there x
One of our workshares has made a short video for you to find out more about us and about Mo’s time on the farm.
Last year we were able to fund Mo’s employment as an assistant grower, giving him an opportunity to hone his food growing skills in the UK climate, a skill which he directly transfers across into his start up business @sunhingfarmuk ; a small project growing culturally appropriate foods for the Hong Kong community in Bristol. Mo was an incredibly diligent, resourceful and innovative member of the team. He spent two days a week with us and always brought insightful reflections on his learning and a dedication and commitment that was invaluable. Each week he attended grower meetings where we planned for the week ahead, and he also helped facilitate our Soil Connections drop-in sessions for asylum seekers and refugees.
Due to the huge success of his role last year, we are requesting further funding to employ him as an assistant grower again this year. Two seasons on the same farm are hugely beneficial to learning, the second year serving as an opportunity to cement learning, understand the wider system of the farm and provide opportunity for comparison and observation.
We are currently facing a funding gap this year, so we are reaching out online for financial support. We want to see Mo flourish into a valued member of the agroecological community, a community that is predominantly white and middle class.
If you know anyone who would be willing to donate 🍅 £2500 🍅 to close our funding gap for Mo's role this year, please send them our way! EMAIL: [email protected]
We are hoping to make this seasonal grower role an integral part of Sims, which means that we aim to one day soon be able to pay for this role through the CSA, rather than searching for further funding in future years. If you would like to help us on this journey, here are some ways you can do so:
🍅 Sign up as a member of the CSA
🍅 Become a supporter member
🍅 Attend our fundraiser events
Thanks so much, and enjoy watching :)
Video editor: @jaden.jonson
🎪 our first event of the year
🌱 a spring affair with a 🐦 pigeon based theme in tow
If you’re intrigued, save the date, and come on down for the best pigeon party in bristol.
Food, fun and feathers🪶🍴 🤩
1-5pm 19th April
Sims Hill Shared Harvest
