After 5 successful years, Congregation Shomrei Torah (Santa Rosa) has the longest running faith-based CSA (community supported agriculture) program in Sonoma County. The project began with CST’s Environmental Action Committee, whose mission is to encourage environmental stewardship and to promote awareness and sound ecological practices within the synagogue, congregation, and wider community (read Congregation Shomrei Torah’s Guide to Locally Grown and Produced Foods here). Led by Rick Reisman, the Committee came together with the idea of bringing the CSA model to the synagogue and soon released a request for proposals and arranged interviews and farm tours to determine which local farm would best fit the congregation’s needs. Because of the diverse geographic locations of congregants and over 20 families expressing interest in participating in the CSA program, the Committee initially chose not one but two local farms to serve Shomrei Torah’s interested families: Foggy River Farm (Healdsburg) and Singing Frogs Farm (Sebastopol).
Each year since then, Committee members have honed in on a program that works best for them. The group is now partnered with one farm, Singing Frogs, and focuses congregational outreach to encourage retention and more sign-ups during the month of April, now known as “CSA Month”. Reisman leads this outreach effort and helps coordinate those who “split” CSA box shares. Elizabeth and Paul Kaiser of Singing Frogs Farm also visit the synagogue to help educate congregants about sustainable agriculture as part of various religious and community events held at Shomrei Torah. Reisman looks back on the farm partnership, saying, “Those that participate, as well as children from the religious school who have visited the farm, and Shomrei Torah members who have heard Paul & Elizabeth Kaiser speak at our congregation have been enthralled that we are lucky to be produce partners with their talented team”.
On December 12th, 2015, CST hosted a roundtable that in part discussed how to expand on a successful CSA program. Rabbi George Gittleman, a CSA member and Collaborative Advisory Board member, pointed out that the congregation could do more to promote the synagogue’s relationship with Singing Frogs Farm. CST now has a beautiful, weather-proof sign honoring the Congregation Shomrei Torah’s long-standing relationship with Singing Frogs.
Entering the CSA program’s sixth year, the Committee hopes to incorporate taste tests, and connect the program with the families and children at Shomrei Torah’s religious school.