Friendship Farms & Fare

Website: www.fffsite.org/

This grower has a photo album.

FRIENDSHIP FARMS & FARE: Programs, Projects, and Missions
Affirming and advancing agrarian ideals to reestablish a sustainable culture

Our story begins with organic, plastic shrink-wrapped bell peppers from California, selling for $3.49 at a local grocery store. Those peppers inspired what has become Friendship Farms & Fare, a community agriculture project predicated on agrarian ideals. Upon finding those peppers, one of our founders realized that organic bell peppers from his garden could be offered for considerably less cost, and also eliminate shrink-wrapping, bulk packing materials, shipping boxes, bar coding, and transcontinental transportation. That was back in 2010.

The bell pepper event, combined with many other inspirations, helped initiate Friendship Farms & Fare, a branch of Ecology Florida, a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to advancing the harmonious integration of healthy natural, cultural, and economic ecologies to regenerate a sustainable world.

Originally a Community Supported Agriculture project (CSA), Friendship Farms & Fare now supports a variety of programs, each dedicated to the mission of affirming and advancing agrarian ideals to reestablish a sustainable culture. Here is a brief sketch of our primary activities.

Seeds We offer heirloom organic seeds, including seeds from plants acclimated to local climate and soils. We have a good stock of several types of okra (including the much desired Red Burgundy), robust arugula, and our famous Calabrese Broccoli. Friendship Farms & Fare is a licensed seed dealer in the State of Florida, and a member of Seed Savers Exchange (with several listings in the SSE Yearbook).

Seed Kiosk Friendship Farms & Fare also sponsors a sales kiosk featuring organic seeds from Seed Savers Exchange at the Market Off Main, in New Port Richey. We never offer seeds from for-profit commercial seed sellers, and we discourage others form doing so as well. Acquiring your seeds from local seed dealers supports local ecologies and economies, and will usually result in stronger, healthier plants – and seeds for next season!

Seedlings Organic seedlings are available throughout each growing season. We use our own seeds from previous years whenever possible, and otherwise use only organic seeds and heirloom varieties when available. We never use seeds from for-profit seed sellers, and do not offer seedlings grown from such seeds. Friendship Farms & Fare is a licensed nursery in the State of Florida. Acquiring seedlings and garden starts from local nurseries supports local ecologies and economies — keeping money and consciousness in the community.

Fruit Trees A developing area of our mission, is our fruit tree project. At present, we offer only loquat and avocado trees, with a few native flowering shrubs. We are among a small number of nurseries in the region offering loquat trees. We also are pleased to host (along with Ecology Florida) the

Florida Loquat Festival Friendship Farms & Fare, together with Ecology Florida and Market Off Main host the Florida Loquat Festival, held each spring in New Port Richey.

Community Supported Agriculture Our original project, and still our central focus is a Community Supported Agriculture program. This is a small (“boutique”) CSA, featuring organic produce from our gardens and local cottage industry foods. We are 100% organic and have a no-kill policy. No animals are harmed on our farm or in our kitchen. We have a strict membership cap to insure quality and quantity for our members. Our program is recommended for single persons, couples, or (at most) three-person families.

Local Market Support When all CSA members have received their weekly share, any remaining produce is offered to the general public through local markets, such as Tasty Tuesdays and the Market Off Main in New Port Richey. Folks can also make requests through our website.

Community Garden A portion of our farm is dedicated to the community, for use by others who may not have their own space to garden. The community garden is located in New Port Richey, and operates through the City’s urban agriculture ordinance. The 3F community garden follows the standard policies of Friendship Farms & Fare. We are 100% organic, non-GMO, and have a no-kill policy. No animals are harmed on our farm. We follow permaculture principles, and grow in harmony with and within our natural systems.

Educational Center The community garden is also serves as our educational center, where folks may learn about organic growing in this part of the state. Educational tours and instruction sessions are offered for good-will voluntary contributions.

If you are interested in learning more about Friendship Farms & Fare and any of our specific projects, contact us through the 3F website. http://www.fffsite.org/ See the “Let’s Talk” section for an email connection. Volunteers are most welcome, and financial support greatly appreciated.

We believe that our work is needed and our mission is vital. As a matter of principle we do not actively solicit donations, although they are tremendously appreciated. You may share financial support through the Ecology Florida website (http://www.ecologyflorida.org/), or send to our mailing address. If you would like to volunteer contact us via the website or regular mail.

http://www.ecologyflorida.org/

PO Box 596
New Port Richey
Florida 34656-0596

Friendship Farms & Fare is a branch of Ecology Florida, a not-for-profit corporation.
Contributions to Friendship Farms & Fare and Ecology Florida are tax deductable