Why Community Supported Agriculture?

Our farm has been certified organic for a long time (since 1988) and we've produced soybeans and spelt that have been shipped to other continents. While the extra money we've been paid for those organic crops has been good and has enabled us to continue farming in a political and social climate that does not value farmland, farming or farmers, it is not satisfying on a deep level nor is it sustainable to ship food crops great distances.

We believe in local food: grow it here, eat it as near here as possible; sustain the farm and its family, nourish the families that eat from our bounty. This belief led us to Community Supported Agriculture.

Eating from the harvest of a nearby family farm was once a fact of life for those who did not grow their own vegetables and fruits. But today it is not unusual to eat the harvest of farms thousands of miles away that are neither family owned nor family managed (otherwise known as corporate farms). The international marketplace of our American supermarkets has led us to expect that any food will be available at any time of year, regardless of the season. This has taken away the joy once felt in the first fruits and the most perishable of foods.

In 2006 we had 12 shareholders making up 8 full shares. We plan for up to 20 full shares for 2007. If we can handle those, we will grow again for 2008. We have both working and non-working shares but the truth is, we depend on those working shareholders to get everything done. The planting, the weeding, the harvesting all require more hands and more hours than the 2 of us can manage. So we exchange the labor of our shareholders for a break on a share or half share price. It's a good deal. But we recognize that not everyone has a life with extra time for working on the farm, so we offer non-working shares also.

What do we grow? Many varieties of lettuce, 25+ varieties of tomatoes including several heirlooms, hybrid and heirloom summer squash, extra-sweet corn, winter squash, pumpkins, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, 5 kinds of kale, non-lettuce salad greens, braising greens, potatoes, carrots in several colors, beets, kohlrabi, onions, herbs, peas, beans, melons, cucumbers, sweet and hot peppers. Coming next year: rhubarb.

What do we not grow? Currently we do not have any fruit. The possibility exists for some berries to be planted in the next couple of years. We do not have asparagus and cannot grow spinach (for some unexplained reason).

What is Community Supported Agriculture? Otherwise known as CSA, this is a way for families looking for better foods closer to home to purchase a share of the harvest of a local family farm. (For more information on CSA or to find one near you, see the more info page)

For farmers, CSA is a way to connect with the people who eat the produce of their farm. For us, we wanted to know the families that were eating the things we grew, rather than sending our lovingly grown veggies off to markets in distant cities.

If you have more questions about whether CSA will be right for your family, consult our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Our Shareholder Agreement and CSA Survey PDF download

See a typical mid-season share. typical share page