2 – Constitution
Constitution and SOPs
Rev 1 – 5 January 2008
Rev11 – 23 Jan 09 – Effective immediately
The name of this organization will be “The Sackville Community Supported Agriculture.”
Mandate
To support local farmers and work towards economically and biologically sustainable agriculture in the Tantramar region.
To develop a transparent relationship between the farmer and the consumer; reconnecting consumers to their food and where it is grown.
To encourage the production and consumption of local food and to work towards regional food self sufficiency.
Basic Operating Premise
The Sackville CSA is a not-for-profit organization.
The Sackville CSA links consumers with farmers. Farmers “affiliate” with the CSA and members access their produce through network advertising, produce packages and direct sales. Affiliated farmers are listed on the CSA website.
Membership is open to the public and costs $50 a year. Some producers have services that are only offered to members. Members support CSA initiatives and have access to produce packages, receive reminders of CSA sponsored events and food pick-up locations, CSA outings and get-togethers…
A board of directors will be assigned for each calendar year. This enables new board members to assist in the preparation for the following year. Members will include:
Director. Chairs meetings and acts in the best interest of the CSA, its members and its producers.
Administrative Assistant. Acts as the secretary and is responsible for day to day CSA activities and ensures all administration aspects are completed. These duties may include: coordinating pick-up locations and times with producers and consumers, sending periodic newsletters compiled from all farms, etc. The Administrative Assistant is compensated for their time with 35% of membership fees.
Treasurer. Responsible for all financial aspects of the Sackville CSA. The Treasurer is compensated for their time with 15% of membership fees.
Other Board Members. Responsible to attend board meetings and provide direction and input for decisions made on behalf of members. The Steering Committee is also expected to liaise with members to provide indirect member feedback to the board of directors.
Election of board members. The Director, Administrative Assistant and Treasurer are appointed by the Steering Committee. To protect the farmer’s interests, investments, and commitment the Director should normally be a primary producer or be recommended by a primary producer.
Meetings
The following meetings will be held:
a. Board Meetings. A minimum of two board meetings will be conducted annually.
b. Annual General Meeting. The Annual General Meeting will be held in February of each year. Members of the community are welcome to attend the AGM, it is not restricted to members. It will consist of:
i. Statement of Finances;
ii. Summary of current year;
iii. Explanation of up-coming year; and
iv. Signing up for the following year’s membership.
c. Periodic Parties. To promote openness between farmers and consumers while linking people to the food they eat, periodic farm get-togethers are encouraged. Suggestions include: Planting Party, Weeding Party and a Harvest Party. We strongly support farm tours and visits.
Terms Required of Producers
All affiliated producers are responsible for their own products and their own customers. The CSA is a tool that links producers with consumers (members). The CSA promotes local food and coordinates events that benefit both consumers and producers.
Quality, honesty, openness and transparency in the production of food are principles of the Sackville CSA. Cooperation between producers is also key to the CSA’s success. To protect members and the viability of existing producers the following terms must be agreed to by affiliated producers.
There is no cost to the producer for becoming affiliated with the Sackville CSA.
Registered Producer. Producers should meet the criteria of being a registered producer within the province of NB. This applies to agriculture and aquaculture producers. If no registered producer is available to meet the needs of CSA members then a non-registered producer may fulfill this gap in service.
CSA Ethos. All affiliated producers must meet the ethos of the CSA and act in its best interest. The board of directors may reject or terminate affiliation with the CSA if a producer fails to meet these requirements.
Application. Producers must complete an application, submitted to the CSA board prior to becoming affiliated. Board members may visit the producer’s business anytime. Separate from the application, the CSA board will work with affiliated producers to ensure that they are fairly represented through news emails and the website.
Other Terms of the CSA
Members are encouraged to provide feedback directly to farmers. All members of the board are expected to liaise with members and provide input to the board for concerns or suggestions.
The Administrative Assistant will maintain a list of CSA members and ensure that members are informed about who producers are and how to contact them. Producers may pass contact information of potential members to the Administrative Assistant.
