Locating locally grown foods

It’s time for our annual roundup of Community Supported Agriculture organizations.

CSAs, one of the hottest food trends going, match growers with people who want to eat local food.

Programs vary from one grower to another. Some establish a set fee when members sign up. In return, customers get a season’s worth of whatever local products farmers supply.

Others want their customers to help out on the farm. Some do farm tours and kid-friendly activities.

The payoff is that customers get to know the farmers and the farmers get a guaranteed source of income.

For more information about local CSAs, log on to the Kansas City Food Circle Web site (kcfoodcircle .org) and link to Kansas City CSA.

Or check out the 10th annual Exhibition of Farmers. The first will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 29 at the Shawnee Civic Center, 13917 Johnson Drive. The second takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. April 5 at the Roger T. Sermon Community Center, 201 N. Dodgion St., Independence.

There will be chef demos at noon, plus plants and farm-fresh products to buy, including meats, eggs, dairy and vegetables. Admission and parking are free.

How do I find a CSA?

The following Community Supported Agriculture organizations are accepting members for 2008:

HEN HOUSE MARKET GROWERS ALLIANCE CSA

All 12 Hen House locations; go to Web site, henhouse.com or goodnatured.net

Season: Sign-up begins in April; season runs May 31 to Sept. 22.

Pickup: Saturdays or Monday evenings.

Cost: $25 membership fee; $25 weekly for bag of locally grown products including meat, milk and bread.

HUNS GARDEN

5440 County Line Road, Kansas City, Kan., 913-671-7316, HunsGarden.com

Season: May 14 through October.

Pickup: 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays.

Cost: Full share, $325; half-share, $175. 70 percent deposit due by April 15. Balance due May 10.

HOMESTEAD FARMS

13130 Homestead Lane, Olathe, 913-856-7412, jaywr@planetkc.com

Season: Late June through late August.

Pickup: Saturdays at the farm.

Cost: About $15 per week, depending on what subscriber wants. CSA members can pick their own flowers at no cost.

J-14 AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRIES

4600 Sortor Drive, Kansas City, Kan., 913-287-3365

Season: April through October.

Pickup: U-pick gardening at your convenience.

Cost: $200 for 500 pounds of produce, including corn, onions, okra, broccoli, peas, kale, mustard, turnips, cabbage, pole beans, yellow squash, radishes, black-eyed peas.

JJ FARMS

8531 E. 81st Terrace, Raytown, 816-356-3938

Season: Mid-May through October.

Pickup: At the farm, in Brookside and in Prairie Village.

Cost: $300 for an individual, $375 for couples, $450 for family.

MAIER’S FARM

2365 Oregon Road, Ottawa, Kan., 785-242-5638, maierfrm@kanza.net

Season: April to November; meat offered year-round.

Pickup: Home deliveries once a month.

Cost: Varies.

MOON ON THE MEADOWS

1515 E. 11th St., Lawrence, 913-269-4672, JElmers@CFAConsulting.com

Season: May 6 through Oct. 14.

Pickup: Tuesdays: 6 to 7 p.m. at 14827 W. 95th St., Lenexa, and 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 913 N.E. Colbern Road, Lee’s Summit. Midtown delivery probable.

Cost: $14 per week; $336 per season.

THE ORGANIC WAY

Route 1, Box 104, Milo, Mo., 417-944-2818, danddmay@aicon.net; theorganicwayfarm.com

Season: Mid-May through October.

Pickup: Brookside/Waldo (TBA) and 10561 Mission Road, Leawood.

Cost: $25 per week; season is $660. An upfront deposit is $235.

PEACOCK FARMS

12589 Salem Cemetery Road, Higginsville, Mo., 660-584-2526, peacockf@ctcis.net

Season: May to September.

Pickup: 39th Street Community Market (39th and Genessee) on Wednesdays and City Market on Saturdays. Limited delivery is available for an extra charge.

Cost: $380 for 22-week season; $50 delivery fee if needed. Accepts MasterCard and Visa.

ROLLING PRAIRIE FARMERS’ ALLIANCE

785-842-5697, rlominska@aol.com, Rollingprairie.info

Pickup: Wednesdays at the Franklin Center in Kansas City, Kan., and at Johnson County Community College; Mondays at Community Mercantile and Thursdays at Local Burger in Lawrence.

Cost: $80 membership fee (new members) or $70 (returning members); plus $16 a week.

SHARE-LIFE FARMS

Route 2, Box 134, Marshall, Mo., 660-886-3936; 660-815-0729

Season: May to October.

Pickup: Delivery in Kansas City area to be arranged, and Saturdays in Columbia.

Cost: $40 deposit, plus average $15 a week.

SNOW’S HERITAGE ACRES

2993 N.W. Jewell Drive, Hamilton, Mo., 816-632-0908, SnowsHeritageAcres.com.

Season: May 10 through Oct. 18.

Pickup: Saturdays: 2 to 3 p.m. at 7824 Pleasant Valley Road, Liberty; 4 to 5 p.m. at 400 S.E. Onyx Drive, Lee’s Summit; and at the farm.

Cost: $480 for full share or $276 for half share, plus $50 annual membership fee. Ten percent discount if paid by April 1. Or installment plan of three payments of $160 each.

STRAWBERRY LANE FARM

510 N.E. Jade Lane, Trenton, Mo., 660-485-6473

Season: May through October.

Pickup: On the farm, Saturdays at City Market and Farmers. Community Market in Brookside

Cost: Full share $460; half share $230 (same as full share except given every other week).

TROOSTWOOD YOUTH CSA

5142 the Paseo, Kansas City, 816-444-5788, buckwheat 84848@hotmail.com

Season: April to early September.

Pickup: Fridays at 5142 the Paseo.

Cost: $300 for single; $375 for family of two; $450 for family of four.

URBAN SOUL AND SOIL RAINBOW GARDEN

3337 Webster, Kansas City, Kan., 913-321-9341, soulandsoilrainbowgardens@yahoo.com

Season: Late April to early November.

Pickup: Pickup at the farm or Saturdays at Merriam Farmers Market. Also will sell produce at Kansas City, Kan., Green Market on Wednesday, Fridays at North Kansas City farmers market and Saturdays at the Merriam farmers market.

Cost: $20 per week; U-pick in early season at the garden.

Reach Lauren Chapin at 816-234-4702 or lchapin@kcstar.com.