What is Community Supported Agriculture? Community supported agriculture (CSA) is a term used to describe a special partnership between farmers and customers.  The customers become members, or "shareholders," in the farm for the entire growing season, receiving a weekly share of fresh, seasonal, chemical-free, non-genetically-engineered vegetables, herbs, and flowers.  The farmer benefits, too, from the seasonal start-up capital and additional labor.   Shareholders and farmers together share the occasional challenges inherent in small-scale farming, such as bad weather and pests. In addition to the produce, there are also the intangible rewards of being part of a farm community, experiencing farm life, enjoying a closer relationship with the land, and knowing that you are supporting local farmers who use sustainable practices.  (At Goldfinch Farm, we grow our vegetables according to strict organic standards on farmland that will be certifiably organic within the coming year.) The growing season is about 22-23 weeks long (half a year!) beginning in late May or early June with items like lettuce, spinach and peas, and ending in early November with garlic, broccoli, potatoes and squash.   And of course, the summer brings its own abundance of tomatoes, peppers, beans, basil, etc.

Who Joins a CSA? Our CSA shares are best suited for people who enjoy cooking, who eat many of their weekly meals at home, who enjoy coming to the farm or pick-up site every week, and who understand that the selection of vegetables varies according to the season and is dependent upon weather and pest problems.