Transition Town Community Discussion Exploring ideas together. General

Transition Town Purpose To use information from micro-farm project to learn about home and community vegetable sustainability. General

Transition Town Conclusions for Family ( AS COMPARED TO CSA) AdvantagesDisadvantages Health of natural food and knowing where comes from and subbing for meats and processed foods. With less time, can buy from CSA or farmers market. Health from being outdoorsRequires physical work that some might not be physically capable of. Building community with other farmers and sharingCost-benefit of small scale is low. Lowers food costGetting good land may be difficult and not close by. Farm rows easier to maintain and can provide higher yield than garden. When things go wrong may lack experience to correct it. Incentive for learning to cook seasonally and storeFor best results, deep plowing is best, which is not available for most. Even small scale can provide outreach to communityTime commitment Provides for personal food security.Seasonality spikes harvest and requires storage and not eating fresh later. Satisfaction and pride Family Growing

Transition Town Making Micro Farms Work Through Community Community Growing Community micro farms and gardens leverage capital expenses and can save time. Benefit of CommunityExplanation Leverage costsSharing of capital equipment costs Lower Labor CostPlow all fields at same time Provide flexibility of scheduleHelp each other when neighbors are away. Take turns for activities such as weeding. Veggie TradingFarmers trade with other for what they need. Additional Community ProgramsProgram Benefit Community GreenhouseShare capital expense of growing seedlings and extending growing season. Community Root CellarEvens out harvest for later consumption Community FreezerEvens out harvest for later consumption Community KitchenEvens out harvest for later consumption