What is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)?

CSA is a mutual relationship between a local farm and the community that consumes its produce. The members pay a fee to cover the cost of producing the food and, in turn, receive a weekly share of the harvest during the growing season.

This arrangement guarantees the farmer financial support and allows many small to medium-scale organic farms to remain in businesss. It benefits the members by giving them the knowledge that their food is being organically-produced by farmers who care.  The members can also be confident that the food they receive in their share is the freshest and most nutritious possible.  Another characteristic of CSA is the agreement to pay in advance for a predetermined amount of produce. In most cases, this commitment implies a willingness to share with the farmer both the harvest from the land and at least some of the inherent risks of production.

Participation in a CSA leads to a deeper understanding of the effort it takes to produce quality food and our dependence upon God to sustain us.

What are some of the benefits of participation in this CSA?

When does the season start? How long will it last?

The Early Start CSA is a four-week share in April for those who are eager for early spring vegetables. 

The Spring/Summer CSA brings you a wide assortment of all your favorite summer vegetables. It begins in May and continues into the beginning of September, for a total of 18 weeks. If coupled with the Early Start option, you will recieve 22 weeks of produce from April through early September.

The Fall CSA continues where the Spring/Summer ends. It starts in September and runs through December. You will still find a few of summer's treats such as the last of the tomatoes and green beans, but now comes all of autumn's bounty. Enjoy broccoli, sweet potatoes, various greens, and sweet, crunchy carrots. The Fall share last for a total of 16 weeks.

Our current calendar highlights the exact dates for each season.

What is a share and how does it work?

As a member of Crawford Organics CSA, you will receive a weekly box with an assortment of in-season fresh vegetables. We offer two box sizes:  the Standard box and the Mini box.  A Standard box will contain 7-9 items in quantities designed for 2-4 people. The Mini share box will contian 5 to 6 items per week in quantities designed for 1-2 people (depending on menu preferences).  (See Early Start, Spring/Summer, or Fall for a list of items.) The box may not supply all your vegetable needs, depending on your normal vegetable consumption.

Our egg share consists of one dozen eggs from grass-fed chickens each week.

Our fruit share contains 1-2 fresh fruits per week. In general, the items in the fruit share and the vegetable share do not overlap.

Our meat share contains a variety of different grass-fed meats--some cut and some ground. You can order a large share (4-6 items) or small share (3-4 items), depending on your preference.

Our yogurt share consists of one quart of grass-fed, organic yogurt each week.

You will pick up your items once a week (every other week for a bi-weekly share) either at the farm or at one of our dropsites.

Where do the products come from?

The vegetables we send are certified-organic. We grow many of the items we send, but we also supplement some items from other local farms. These other farms are also certified-organic and are using quality growing methods. We will inform you before we send any items that are not from our farm or our partner farm, Paradise Organics.  The fruit we occasionally send in the CSA boxes (like rhubarb, Concord grapes, and watermelon) is certified-organic.

The eggs, meat, and yogurt come from other local farms. These farmers do a good job of taking care of their animals and producing a quality product.

The Fruit Share is low-spray (IPM) from local orchards and farms.

Can I choose what goes into my box?

We do allow limited customization of the CSA boxes. Each week we choose the items based on what is in season. We try to keep a nice variety, but not send too many unusual items. If we do send something unusual, we will give recipes for it in our weekly newsletter.

If you see something listed on the newsletter that you would prefer not to receive, you may email us before Monday at 7:00 a.m., to request a removal or replacement of some item. We will usually be able to accomodate such requests but cannot guarantee it every time.

We also offer the option to order extra items through the same method. We require a deposit (any amount $25 or more) to be placed on your account for this option. Each time you chose to order something, the value of your special order will be deducted from your deposit. There is no fee for this option--the full deposit is redeemable for produce. If you have any deposit left over at the end of a season, you may order additional items to use it up.  If your deposit is not exhausted, it will be automatically applied to your next sign-up. There are no refunds for this deposit.

What is a Bi-Weekly share?

A bi-weekly share is a full box (Standard or Mini) delivered every other week. Nearly all of the produce we send will easily last for two weeks if properly stored. We try to send a wide variety of items to both our Weekly and Bi-Weekly share members. However, due to the nature of the bi-weekly share, there may be some items you won't receive. If you don't want to miss any item, we advise your finding a friend to split a Weekly share with. This will allow both of you to have access to everything we send.

What if I go on vacation?

If you plan to be away certain weeks, and you can let us know when you sign up; there will be a deduction for the time you will be gone. The deduction is based on the number of items you will miss and the season that they are in.  If, after you sign up, you realize you will be away some week, there will be no refunds.  You may either have a neighbor pick up your box for you, or you may cancel your box and receive a credit. The credit can be used for another delivery date or for extra items you may desire to order. 

To make a change to your delivery schedule, you must give us one-week advance notice by either e-mail or phone.

We harvest an exact amount of produce for each week’s boxes. Therefore, if you fail to pick your box up within the designated time, without informing us in advance, we will donate it to a worthy recipient.

Boxes:

We pack our CSA shares in reusable boxes. Please return your box to your dropsite each week so we can pick it up and reuse it. Please view this video to learn how to properly fold your box.

Prices:

Please see our Prices page for the current CSA prices.

Discounts:

For a list of all our discounts, click here.

Dropsites:

See our list of dropsites.