Getting farm-fresh produce, in season, from local fields is where we begin to make a difference.

The Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens in Goleta is now offering local residents a chance to start making a difference by signing up for membership in its Community Supported Agriculture program, which begins a new season and year in January.

Register/sign up for the program, which provides a weekly allotment of fresh produce, before Dec. 15 and save $100. Membership in CSA is an investment in the future of Fairview Gardens and supports the vision of a brighter future for everyone involving locally grown farm-fresh food.

Shares can be picked up at Fairview Gardens between 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays or Thursdays. Delivery is available from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays to the Wheelhouse Bike Shop, 528 Anacapa St. in Santa Barbara, and from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays to Kunin Wines, 28 Anacapa St. in Santa Barbara.

Registration requires a season commitment to the CSA. The standard share costs break down to $20 a week for one or two people, and the family share plan costs $36 a week for two to four people. The winter season begins Jan. 4 and runs for 10 weeks, through mid-March.

Full Year (Jan. 4-Nov. 17, 46 weeks)
» Early Bird Special, pay by Dec. 15 and save $100
» Standard share, $880
» Family share, $1,584

Winter Season (Jan. 4-March 10, 10 weeks)
» Standard share, $215
» Family share, $375

Enjoy apples, tomatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, carrots, mandarins, beans, peaches, strawberries and more. For a complete list of seasonal produce or to sign up for the 2011 season, click here or call 805.967.7369.

In addition, “Urban Homesteading,” a new series of classes scheduled to start in January at Fairview Gardens, is a wonderful way to reconnect with the Earth. The series, designed by the staff at Fairview, will run the full year and covers everything from container gardening, composting and raising chickens, to canning, preserving and more. Gift certificates are available as a holiday offering for the urban gardener in your family. You can buy one class, a set of three or four, or the whole series.

For more information, call 805.967.7369.

— Maureen McFadden is a publicist.