December 2009

 

To our Fairview Gardens community:

We would like to announce that we are preparing for significant changes at the Farm Stand at the end of this month. We have been grateful for our current structure that has sold fresh organic produce, bread, and groceries for many years. Our green and white striped awning has been a landmark of Goleta, an alternative to commercial grocery stores, a point of entry for visitors to the farm, and a place of work for many seeking to be connected to our local urban farm.

Rest assured that we intend to preserve this community icon and the important connections we have fostered for so many years. As we have done in the past we will close the stand temporarily during the winter. When we reopen January 18^th, the Fairview Gardens Farm Stand will be a more streamlined system that carries only Fairview produce. We will continue our CSA program and will begin fundraising to create a better farm stand for our community.

One of the many reasons for this change is that currently, the farm stand is located in the City of Goleta’s easement to the West and Southern California Edison’s easement to the North. After much discussion, considering, and consulting, we have decided that it is more efficient and cost effective to sell only Fairview grown produce, leaving a simpler set up that will allow continuation of the CSA and a place of greeting for those visiting the farm. During this transition period we will not be selling other grocery items or products from other farmers.

We see this as a positive evolution of our farm and are confident that a rebuilt stand will provide a more sustainable, efficient, and customer friendly space. Once we are able to develop a plan that complies with the rules determined by the Environmental Health Services, we plan to again sell produce grown on other farms and grocery items. Your continued support is needed more than ever during these changes and we look forward to providing you with local organic produce through a modified farm stand and our CSA as we have always done.

For more information and to follow our progress, please check our website http://www.fairviewgardens.org or email farmstand@fairviewgardens.org.

Sincerely,

The Fairview Gardens Staff and Board of Trustees