CSA: Community supported agriculture

What is the Summer CSA? 

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Traditionally, a CSA customer purchases a “share” of a farm at the beginning of a farm season; that upfront investment allows farmers to buy seeds, supplies, and tools needed for the growing season. Then, throughout the season, CSA members pick up some of whatever vegetables are in season that week. This direct relationship between the farmer and the consumer allows both parties to share in the risk of crop failure and the reward of a bountiful harvest.

Our CSA model offers sliding-scale payment options to all, so that those who can afford to invest in our farm can do, so while those who need access to free and reduced price produce can still reserve their share at the beginning of the farm season. All our members receive the same fresh, locally-grown produce, regardless of what they pay for the share. 

When is the Summer CSA?

Our Summer CSA runs for 18 weeks from mid-June through mid-October. CSA members pick up from our distribution site at 2 Washington St. in Ipswich once a week - either Tuesday or Thursday evenings, 4pm-7pm.  We send out a weekly newsletter during the season reminding members of the pickup dates, letting them know what’s going on at the farm, as well as what produce we expect in the share that week.

What can I expect in my Summer CSA?

We offer a choice-based model, meaning that there will be more produce options available in a given week than the number of items in your share. This way, you can choose the things you like and leave the things you don’t. We offer both a small and a large size share. For example, if there are 10 produce options in a week then large share members would choose 8 of 10 items while small share members choose 6 of 10 items. 

In the beginning of the season you can expect to see lots of greens like spinach, lettuce, and arugula. Towards the end of the season you can expect to see lots of nightshades like tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers. In general, we try to offer a wide variety of crops, including but not limited to cabbage, broccolini, kale, chard, carrots, beets, radishes, turnips, green beans, garlic, onions, and more! 

Bonus items

We also offer bonus items whenever possible: crops we grow that aren’t hearty veggies, but that offer flavor and joy to our members. The most common bonus items are herbs and flowers including, but not limited to, basil, cilantro, dill, sunflowers, zinnias, and snapdragons. We also partner with other local farms to buy in fruit we don’t grow ourselves. You can expect to see fruits like strawberries, blueberries, apples, peaches, and more in about half of the weeks of the CSA!

Choose the price that’s right for you

Our CSA share prices reflect our costs: the seeds, potting soil, compost, equipment, labor, and everything else we put into growing veggies and caring for the land. That said, our mission is to grow healthy, delicious, and nutritious food for all, even those who can’t otherwise afford it. So we offer price options for everyone, from free to full price, in the signup/checkout page.

Community-Supported Agriculture is built on trust and a shared commitment between farmers and members, and our pricing works the same way - you identify your own ability to pay, recognizing that each year might be different. Choose what works best for your household!