Community Supported Agriculture
FROM THE FARMER, DIRECTLY TO YOUR TABLE
We learn to value what we know. And to know your food, where it comes from, who grows it, how it is obtained, is an enormous privilege and safety in these times.
The CSA Program (Community Supported Agriculture) is a model for proximity consumption and production of organic food that promotes involvement, responsibility, and awareness. It establishes a mutual compromise between consumers and producers, bound by values of solidarity and trust, with steady prices and based on the recognition of food as a Common Good.
For you, for the farmer and most of all, for the Planet.
A COMMON PROJECT
Those joining the CSA Program are not consumers, but coproducers in building a project that mirrors the common responsibility involved in sustainably produce healthy food, reconnecting with the ecosystems and rural development.
Information about the New CSA Spring 22 Program at geral@freixoalimento.com
We have a vast selection of food quotas at your disposal, either from our production or from associated producers
Through the subscription at fixed prices at 60€ or more, monthly, for 6 months.
At chosen day and place you will comfortably receive your fresh food.
Payment at the end of each month, through bank transfer or direct debit.
Be a part of the CSA community through the online forum and the coproducers meetings.
1.
KNOWLEDGE AND IDENTIFICATION
The Sharing the Harvest CSA Program is more than a simple way of getting food. It is a community of mutual support between the farmer and the coproducer, regulated by a body of ethical principles you should identify with, and agree with completely.
2.
APPLICATIONS AND QUOTA SELECTION
You must make a formal application through a commitment of subscription of food quotas for a period of 6 months. Of all the available food quotas, you must select the one more suited to you, with a minimum value of 60€. Because natural resources have limits, the Sharing the Harvest CSA Program has a limited number of available coproducers and quotas for each agricultural season.
3.
APPLICATION ACCEPTED
You will be informed of the availability of the chosen quotas. Every time one is exhausted, an alternative will be offered.
You will receive an invitation for a Welcome to the Community of the Sharing the Harvest CSA Program meeting through a visit to Herdade do Freixo do Meio.
4.
STARTING THE PROGRAM
Your food will begin to arrive at your place and you can begin to actively participate in the community of the Sharing the Harvest CSA Program through coproducers meetings and online forum.
It is a privilege do be a Freixo do Meio coproducer, a commitment we made since January, 2016. It is very important for me and my family to eat in an ethical way and with a reduced social and ecological impact.
Being a part of the Freixo do Meio CSA Program for the last five years allowed us access to food we like, produced and transformed in a place and by people we know and respect, in a way that is in balance with nature.
I live far from Lisbon, but the trip I make every two weeks to get my quotas from the shop in Av. de Madrid is largely compensated by the quality of the products, the love and closeness of the people and the warmth that fills my heart for knowing where the food I give my family comes from.
When we decided to try the CSA Program, a few years ago, our main motivation was to have the food of the season, with good quality, produced locally in a sustainable manner. Those goals were reached. But today, to be a part of the CSA means to belong, to take care of the planet, to take care of the people.
We chose to be coproducers of Freixo do Meio so we could actively participate in a community that produces food in a way we believe is the most positive, both to the health of our planet and of the people. We are very proud to feed this project is growing and helping society to ponder, through what we eat, on the impact of mindful eating, with quality and nutritional value.
It is always a celebration when we receive the food from Freixo do Meio. Every two weeks our kitchen is filled by an incredible variety of food that make the experience of cooking that much richer. We discovered new foods and flavours you can’t find in the supermarket. On the other hand, we’re happy to help support a whole community that takes the effort to grow and produce such an excellent food.
The human food production in an integral part of a complex natural ecosystem with limited resources we should understand and respect. On this ancestral approach, which is still the foundation of the food sovereignty of many people around the world, the features, and functions of each element of biodiversity are respected in full.
These are production models inspired by, and concurrent with, the way nature works, insuring a natural year-round cycle, energy stability and self-regulation systems.
At Montado do Freixo do Meio, we produce according to the principles of agroecology, permacultures, and food sovereignty.
The modern system for distribution of food parted the consumer with the production of food, the challenges and satisfaction of having contact with the land. The CSA Program has the objective to re-establish the direct contact between the consumer and the farmer, and also the land he works on.
The consumer than has better knowledge of the reality of the farmer and the processes to obtain food. Receiving local organic seasonal food, always fresh, at a fair price that allows the farmer to keep a sustainable production. The farmer can plan, together with the coproducer, the crops and the needs for meat and other products, reducing food waste.
If food is a Common Good, we all should do our part, sharing the risks and benefits of the crops, inside a logic of common responsibility and aware of the complexities of producing food.
Through our quotas, we at Montado do Freixo do Meio, share the difficulties and successes of our production, offering the best of nature.
The most common doubts already have an answer.
The main goal of our Sharing the Harvest CSA Program is to re-establish the direct contact between the consumer and the farmer, and the land he works on. Through a willing commitment between consumers and producers, we establish a community that manages food as a Common Good, sharing the risks and benefits of production, and getting involved in decision making. Hence the name of the Program, CSA: Community Supported Agriculture. The program works through a system of quotas, corresponding to products from our Montado.
The Sharing the Harvest program provides the consumer with regular access to the freshest organic foods, produced according to the principles of Agroecology, permaculture and food sovereignty, paying a fair price. The consumer know that his food is produced in Alentejo, in a land free of chemicals for the last 25 years. By buying her food directly from the farmer, the consumer helps maintaining and creating local jobs and the rural development in general. Members of the CSA meet personally those who produce their food, and this is something that, literally, tastes good.
Subscribing a regular quota means to own a fraction of the whole production. This is the reason why we like to call coproducers to the people involved in building this project, mirroring the joint responsibility surrounding the productions of healthy and fair food. With each quota, a coproducer contributes with an assured sale for the farmer. This way the farmer can produce the right amount with less risk.
The CSA program works in 2 semesters: the Spring/Summer period (from April to September) and the Autumn/Winter period (from October to March). Within each period, the number and price of quotas remain stable. This is part of the producer commitment. You can join the CSA Program at any time, according to the rules and quotas or the current period.
To join you must fill the CSA Agreement form, indicating quotas you want to receive. Freixo do Meio will confirm your subscription by e-mail.
A coproducer is committed through the regular purchase of a product, a quota. Quotas must be pick up on the day of delivery at the chosen place. But besides a commitment at the level of the product, the CSA Program wants to encourage the coproducer to take responsibility of the food produced and the production. We want to promote the curiosity for the methods of production, the challenges of the farmer and all aspects of food distribution. The participation of the coproducers is welcomed to build the CSA Program as a community.
Coproducers have priority in the supply of food produced at Freixo do Meio. The quotas represent products with guaranteed delivery. When buying through our online store, orders by coproducers take precedence. On the various activities and lodging at Freixo do Meio, coproducers are entitled to reduced prices.
Minimum consumption means that the sum of you quotas during a month must add at least 60 €. This is a pre-requisite to join the CSA Program
Quotas can be delivered weekly or every two weeks. It’s not possible to choose more sparse deliveries (i.e. monthly deliveries). Montado do Freixo do Meio produces a large amount of different food products, fulfilling the mission to embrace the rich ecosystem of the Montado, and the abundance of products offered by it. We demand from our coproducers that they understand this mission and to value the Montado by accepting the great variety of this ecosystem regularly at their table.
Yes, you can always complement your quota with the products from the online store. If you choose the same day and point of delivery as for your quotas, you will receive those and your online order automatically together.
Every quota delivered during a month are included in one single invoice issued at the end of every month. That invoice will be paid through bank transfer or direct debit from your bank account.
Participation in the CSA Program is automatically renewed for every new period. However, at the beginning of the period you can do adjustments to your choice of quotas. In order to cancel your subscription, you must inform us by e-mail csa@herdadedofreixodomeio.pt
Our mission is to build a community around Herdade Freixo do Meio that is democratic, inclusive, transparent, autonomous, and resilient, that achieves a constantly improving relationship with natural resources, and that encourages personal development.
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contacts
Herdade do Freixo do Meio
7050-705 Foros de Vale Figueira,
Portugal
(+351) 266 877 136
Basket of approximately 5 assorted seasonal vegetables and herbs
20€
1/2 a basket of approximately 5 assorted seasonal vegetables and herbs
12€
Potato BIO • 1 Kg
2,20€
Onion BIO • 1 Kg
1,95€
Sweet Potato BIO • 1 Kg
2,90€
Carrot BIO • 1 Kg
2,45€
Beet BIO • 1 Kg
2,45€
Garlic BIO • 500 gr
9,60€
Lettuce BIO • 2 UN
2,90€
The fruit quota has a variable composition determined by Herdade do Freixo do Meio, so it is not possible to request changes to it. The composition of the quota will be from the producers José Carlos Ferreira (FRUBIO – Mafra) and Gertrudes e Francisco (BIODAMASCO – Serpa), certified in organic production mode.
Seasonal fruit BIO
6€
Eggs from laying hens raised outdoors at the Egg Temple – Herdade do Freixo do Meio. Our hens live without stress, are adapted to the place where they live and have a balanced diet, rich in nutrients and minerals. This well-being is reflected in the quantity and quality of the eggs they offer us, especially in the protein composition of the egg white.
Box of 1/2 dozen chicken eggs from Agroforest BIO
2,50€
From Quinta Anema in Lavre (municipality of Montemor-o-Novo).
Pasteurized Milk 1L BIO
3€
From Quinta Anema in Lavre (municipality of Montemor-o-Novo).
Raw Milk 1L BIO (Without any pasteurization or homogenization)
3€
From Quinta Anema in Lavre (municipality of Montemor-o-Novo).
Product produced from raw milk, organic, without any pasteurization or homogenization, through traditional methods and equipment. The process is totally legalized – it has the Organic Agriculture certification and the CSS seal.
450 grams of cow cheese (young) BIO
6€
The soup quota is determined by Herdade do Freixo do Meio, so it is not possible to request variations to it (with the exception of changes due to dietary restrictions).
Soup (Alternately: vegetable / broth / lusitanian)
3,6€
Tomato Pulp 1L BIO
4,70€
Handmade organic tomato pulp made exclusively from the best and most mature “chucha” tomatoes from the garden of the Montado do Freixo do Meio, manually selected to ensure the best quality.
Natural vegetable preserves produced by heating and grinding the tomato pulp.
No added colorants and preservatives.
Ingredients: Tomato (100%) from organic agriculture.
How to preserve: Store in a cool, dry place, away from sunlight; Once opened, store in the refrigerator and consume within 3 days.
Suggestion for use: Shake before using. Cook before using. It is ideal for preparing a homemade sauce. Just add the seasonings you prefer and leave the sauce to your liking, in simple and quick meals with pasta and vegetables.
Vegan, organic and gluten free food
Rustic Alentejo bread made with wheat flour, with natural yeast (bait) and baked in the wood oven at Herdade do Freixo do Meio.
Alentejo’s Bread 1kg BIO
3,20€
Acorn bread made with wheat flour, acorn crumbs harvested in our montado and live and natural yeast (bait or mother/leaven dough) and baked in the wood oven at Freixo do Meio.
Acorn Bread 1kg BIO
3,20€
Chicken carcass with 2,2 Kg (approximately)
26,40€
1/2 Chicken Carcass with 1,1 Kg (approximately)
13,20€
Animals raised outdoors in Herdade do Freixo do Meio, in the middle of the cork oak forest, according to the concepts of Agroecology. Fed by pasture and horticultural remains of the Herdade itself.
500 grams of BIO Veal Burgers / BIO Beef Minced Beef (sent alternatively)
7,20€
500 grams of Veal (sent alternately)
11,20€
Animals raised outdoors in Herdade do Freixo do Meio, in the middle of the cork oak forest, according to the concepts of Agroecology. Fed by pasture and horticultural remains of the Herdade itself.
500 grams of BIO Black Pork (sent alternately)
9,30€
500 gr de Bifanas de Porco BIO
10,20€
500 gr de Secretos BIO
8,30€
500 gr de Bifes do Cachaço sem Osso de Porco BIO
10,95€
500 gr de Rojões de Porco BIO
8,65€
500 gr de Entrecosto de Porco BIO
4,95€
These tender pastries are handmade in the vegetable processing unit of the traditional Montado do Freixo do Meio (one of our 7 micro-factories).
6 UN Meat Pasties (Frozen)
7,50€
6 UN Vegetarian Burgers BIO (Frozen) (Shipped alternately)
4,85€
6 ONE Organic Vegetarian Empanadas (Frozen) (Shipped alternately)
9,45€
6 UN Sausage Freixo BIO
6,85€
Delicious organic sausage made from beef with spices, following the Austrian tradition. Smoke curing treatment and subsequent cooking. Slightly spicy. Ingredients: Beef (53.65%), Water (23.02%), Black pork bacon (19.51%), Mutton casing (0.73%), Preservative – Sodium nitrite (1.25%), Spice mix (0.59%), Raphos C* (0.59%), Salt (0.66%).
6 UN Salsicha Frankfurter BIO
6,85€
The Frankfurter sausage was developed in Herdade do Freixo do Meio by Maria Fuchs respecting the ancestral Austrian tradition of sausage making. Smoked and cooked sausage, based on veal and pork, from our own organic production. Ingredients: Pork (33.63%), Beef (19.22%), Water (22.68%), Black pork bacon (17.78%), Lamb tripe (2.21%), Potato starch (1.44%), Preservative – Sodium nitrite (1.23%), Spices (0.58%), Raphos C* (0.58%), Salt (0.65%).
1 UN Acorn Vegetable Sausage BIO
3,80€
100% vegetable, organic and gluten-free sausage based on acorns harvested in the Freixo do Meio forest and a touch of spices. Aromatic and versatile in use, it can be used as an alternative to the traditional chorizo in vegetarian bean stews, stews, sautéed vegetables or mushrooms. Ingredients: Acorns (24%), Chickpeas (13%), Carrots (12%), Water, Olive Oil, Paprika, Onion, Coriander, Garlic, Salt, Cumin and White Pepper – organically produced ingredients.
250 gr Acorn Flour BIO
3,60€
Fine flour 100% acorns. Obtained from selected acorns (from holm oak and cork oak) manually harvested in Freixo do Meio forest and dried in a traditional drying reed – ancestral system used to dehydrate/dry different agricultural crops. Biological food, vegan and gluten free. Antioxidant, prebiotic and anti-inflammatory.
