If you’re like me, I start to crave fresh vegetables this time of year. While we are still some months away from our local growing season, it’s a good time to join up with a community supported agriculture (CSA) farm. Here’s some general information and a list of CSAs that still have shares available.
What is it? CSA stands for “Community Supported Agriculture.” In short, it’s a way for consumers to buy into an agricultural enterprise, receive fresh, natural food seasonally and support our local food system.
Most CSAs are farms, and involve vegetables herbs, fruits and flowers, although other types – meat, fish – are popping up all the time, here and in other parts of the country. We are fortunate to have a healthy crop of CSAs here in Bucks County (and nearby) too. And most use organic, or nearly organic, methods of farming.
How does it work? I’ll use a CSA farm as an example, since that’s most common. You buy a “share” per season (usually beginning in late May and ending in mid-November), which entitles your household to a weekly portion of produce, grown on that farm. Many CSAs offer half-shares, too, which is what Mark and I have since we are only two adults. We pick up every other week. Some people go in with other family members or friends and buy a share together.
Most CSAs also ask that each household volunteer a certain number of hours per season but it’s quite reasonable. Our CSA, Anchor Run Farm in Wrightstown, asks full share members to put in 8 hours over the course of the season, half-share members only 4 hours. Tasks vary from helping with the garlic harvest (an” all hands on deck” type event) to weeding and other necessary farming maintenance.
Why do it? Ah. When I wrote out the check last year, I was a bit taken aback. “For vegetables?” I thought, “This better be worth it.” And it was. Everything they say about eating FRESH vegetables is true: they taste so much better, they last so much longer, and the variety is delightful. Vegetables we had given up on – like radishes – were happily welcomed back into our home. We made new friends, like garlic scapes (the top green part of growing garlic, available for a brief time in the spring). Another aspect of belonging to a CSA is that you truly cook seasonally – you have to; the refrigerator is bursting.
NOW is the time to sign up for CSAs. Here’s a list of CSAs in Bucks County. Please contact them for more details. Share prices vary, so find one that works for you and your household.
Anchor Run Farm
Vegetables, herbs, berries, flowers and other farm products
Dana Hunting and Derek McGeehan
2578 Second Street Pike
Wrightstown, PA 18940
Email: farmers@anchorrunfarm.com
Phone: 215.598.1519
WEB: www.anchorrunfarm.com
Barefoot Gardens
Vegetables, herbs, flowers and eggs
Linda Shanahan and Eric Vander Hyde
Mailing Address:
113 Decatur St.
Doylestown, PA 18901
Farm Address:
380 N. Shady Retreat Rd.
Doylestown, PA 18901
Email: ericv@barefootgardens.net
Phone: 267.629.9349
WEB: www.barefootgardens.net
Blooming Glen Farm
Vegetables, herbs, berries, flowers and other farm products
New this season- drop-off locations in Doylestown! See website for more details.
Tom Murtha and Tricia Borneman
98 Moyer Road
Perkasie, PA 18944
Phone: 215.257.2566
Email: info@bloomingglenfarm.com
WEB: www.bloomingglenfarm.com
The Guzikowski Farm (at Big Oak)
Vegetables, herbs, berries, and other farm products
Sandy Guzikowski
1205 Big Oak Rd.
Yardley, PA 19067
Phone: 215.295.0306
Email: sandygfarm@gmail.com
Myerov Family Farm
Vegetables, herbs, berries and other farm products
Neil Myerov
306 Elephant Road
Perkasie 18944
Phone: 215.421.9413
Email: myerov@verizon.net
WEB: www.myerovfarm.com
Visit the blog: http://sharecsa.blogspot.com
Open Acres CSA
Vegetables, fruits and herbs
John Crooke and Stefan Streit
1073 River Road (@ Schneiderwind Farm & Nursery)
Upper Black Eddy, PA 18972
Mailing address:
P.O. Box 222
Erwinna, PA 18920
Phone: 646.408.1844
Email: openacres.csa@gmail.com
WEB: www.openacrescsa.com
Palovchak’s Produce
Vegetables, berries, flowers and herbs
Gail Palovchak
1541 Lower State Road
Doylestown PA 18901
Phone: 215.272.2200
WEB: www.localharvest.org/csa/M28193
Pennypack Farm and Education Center
Vegetables, fruits, herbs
Andy Andrews
685 Mann Road
Horsham, PA 19044
Phone: 215.646.3943
Email: info@pennypackfarm.org
WEB: www.pennypackfarm.org
Snipes Farm and Education Center
CSA includes vegetables, fruits, herbs
Pick Your Own Apples, Blueberries and Blackberries
Farm to School programs and farm tours
Farm based Summer Day Camp
Susan Snipes-Wells
890 W. Bridge St.
Morrisville, PA 19067
Phone: 215.295.1139, ext. 103
Email: info@snipesfarm.org
WEB: www.snipesfarm.org
shares are also available from Lancaster Farm Fresh Co-op with a pick-up spot in Doylestown borough: 25 weeks of local, Certified Organic produce from our cooperative network of over 75 Lancaster County family farms. Veggie (full and half shares), fruit shares, flower shares, and herbs (medicinal). http://www.lancasterfarmfresh.com/csa/default