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Hazelhurst Community Supported Agriculture Co-operative

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What is Hazelhurst CSA?

Hazelhurst Community Supported Agriculture Co-operative Ltd (CSA) aims to reconnect Sheffield people with where their food comes from by growing organic fruit and vegetables with the help of the local community for the local community on a beautiful rented site of just over an acre in south Sheffield. It hopes to both run a box scheme and sell directly to local communities. Hazelhurst CSA will provide a direct link between the production and consumption of food. It aims to create a mutually supportive relationship between local growers and the diverse range of local communities. The CSA is an Industrial and Provident Society bona fide co-operative formed in July 2010.

Latest News

 

  • We are very excited to announce that the CSA now has a paid grower. Matt Holborow is curerntly working for a CSA in west Wales that is running a box sheme. He'll start with us on March 1st 2012.  
  • On February 2nd 2012 we will be launching the official share issue to fund the crucial early stages of the CSA project. A launch event will be held at the Quaker Meeting House (next to the cathedral) in central Sheffiled. Please come to find out more, to join the CSA or to buy some shares. Below is a flyer for the event.
  • Share Launch Flyer
  • LInk to Sheffield Telegraph article in Jan 2012

Newsletters

The CSA produces regular newsletters with details of the latest news and events. To join the email list enter your email address in the box on the top right of this page. Newsletters are now sent out in the body of an email, not as separate attachments. Some earlier newsletters as pdfs are provided below:

Hazelhurst Organising Committees and Groups

As of January 2012 the Management Committee consists of nine people and the Land Group seven people. To contact the Management Committee phone Joan (chair) on 0114 2498613 or email joan@hazelhurst.coop. Below are some recent minutes of Management Committee meetings:

Below are some recent minutes of Land Group meetings:

Becoming a member of the CSA

To become a member of the CSA costs just £1. In addition there is an £24 annual fee to cover running costs. As of December 2011 there are 35 paid-up members of the CSA. To find out more about becoming a member or to join email admin@hazelhurst.coop

Purchasing shares in the CSA

We will be formally launching a share offer on 2nd February 2012. See the 'Latest News' section for more information.

Getting involved

The CSA is a co-operative and its success is dependent upon its members and volunteers. There are several ways you could get involved with or support the CSA:

  • offering your office-based skills (administrative, business, legal, marketing, publicity, fundraising) on an ad hoc basis to the CSA (phone Joan on 0114 2498613 or email joan@hazelhurst.coop);
  • offering these office-based skills on a more regular basis by joining the CSA Management Commitee(phone Joan on 0114 2498613 or email joan@hazelhurst.coop);
  • joining the Land Group and using your growing skills to provide input into land and growing-based matters (phone Kevin on 0114 250 9180);
  • volunteering on the land (phone Stella on 07541 209661) - see below for more details.

Regular land-based volunteer days

Our regular volunteer days are a great chance just to come along to have a look at the beautiful site and surroundings. The work planned for each day will vary. Bring warm waterproof clothes, waterproof footwear and a fork or a spade if you have one. Please bring hot/cold drinks, and lunch. The regular work days are:

  • 3rd Sunday of every month, 10am – dusk
  • every Wednesday 10am - dusk

For directions: Please look at the Transition Sheffield wiki where there is a map and information about public transport. It is a pleasant though hilly cycle. Some cyclists prefer going via Derbyshire Lane.

If you need a lift please ring Stella on 07541 209661.

Previous News & Events

Hazelhurst CSA AGM 21st September 2011, 7-9 pm
The Heeley Institute, 147 Gleadless Road, Sheffield S2 3AA (google maps)
Two documents from the Oral History Group
You can download a report from May 2011 (doc) and an abstract for the Oral history conference (doc).
Hazelhurst CSA AGM 20th September 2010 7-9pm
The Grapevine Centre, Church of the Nazarine, Heeley Green, Sheffield. Notes and reports from the AGM.
Norton Show
At the Norton show, held on Saturday 14th August, many people from local communities of Norton, Coal Aston, Batemoor and Jordanthorpe were very interested to hear about our plans and look at the display we had on show of the work so far on the land. 150 leaflets went before 3pm and nearly 60 people filled in our survey that will help with our business plan. We started our Growing Fund with sales from Marion's honey and donations for organically grown veg we'd brought from our allotments. We are very pleased to make the link with the local communities near the site on Hazelhurst Lane. Thank you to local farmers who encouraged us to take part.
Rules and legal proposal
The Hazelhurst CSA Committee has agreed to propose that the project be legal constituted as the Hazelhurst Community Supported Agriculture Co-operative Limited an Industrial and Provident Society bona fide co-operative, using the Somerset CSA model rules.
Heeley to Hazelhurst Walk
Around 40 people had an enjoyable walk from Heeley to Hazelhurst and onto Ford and then a bus back to Heeley after a stop at the pub, some photos from the day have been added to the walk page.

 

 

 

 

 

Hazelhurst CSA: the story so far...

The idea to form a Co-operative to produce locally grown, organic food for the local community began with the Heeley-Meersbrook group within Transition Sheffield, in April 2009. The Transition Sheffield wiki meticulously documents the ideas and research that went into bringing the project to life.

Huw Evans' company purchased the 9 acre Hazelhurst site in January 2010 and and generously gave the CSA two years to raise the necessary funds to purcahse the land. The first AGM was held in September 2010 and a Management Committee was elected to formulate a business plan, source members and finance the purchase of the land. Membership and Pioneer shares were offered for sale in February 2011. It became apparent that raising the substantial funds and managing this much land was too ambitious for the resources of the people involved. Subsequently Huw's company offered to split the 9-acre field into 4 separate 5000 m2 plots and rent them out for Soil Association approved organic cultivation. 

At the September 2011 AGM the members present voted to go ahead with Huw's offer to rent 5000 m2 of land. In Dec 2011 we advertised for our first grower. We will soon be seeking share-holders to provide the necessary start-up capital for this exciting community-led project.

 

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