When we joined our first farm CSA back in April 2020, my family and I learned a lot about what it meant to support our local food system. In April 2021, I shared 3 lessons I first learned in that first year of CSA membership on the blog. Having recently moved to Napa, CA my attention has turned to finding the right farm CSA that meets our family’s present needs. Doing so helps us to keep supporting our local food system in the process.
Joining a farm CSA can feel a bit daunting if you’re new to it. In today’s post I share 3 questions I lean on when searching for a farm CSA to join. My hope is these are helpful questions to get you started in researching and joining a CSA local to you.
What is a Farm CSA?
Community Shared Agriculture, or CSA, is a farming model. In this model, a farmer or network of farmers grow a variety of crops to sell. Traditionally, the consumer will buy a share of the farmer’s harvest up front. In return, the consumer will receive a regular box of fresh fruits and vegetables. Deliveries can be scheduled on a weekly or even monthly basis.
The CSA model is built on increasing fairness and transparency for both the farmer and the consumer. The consumer purchases the “farm shares” in advance. This helps supply the farm with a level of financial security for the growing season. In return, the farmer provides the consumer with the harvested produce. It’s a beautiful reciprocal cycle of consumer supporting farmer and farmer providing food directly to consumer.
How do We Find a Farm CSA to Join?
There are a few resources I’ve tapped into when it comes to identifying and selecting a farm CSA subscription. First, shopping the local farmers market is a great way to find your next farm CSA. Farm stands may have information ready to share. You can also ask the farm vendor directly if they offer a subscription farm CSA.
Localharvest.org is a fantastic site I’ve used often to find both local farm CSAs and farms in my area. Using geolocation, Local Harvest can suggest the featured members and farmers markets in your area. I used Local Harvest to begin the search for finding our new farm CSA in Napa. If you’re starting your search, I’d recommend starting here.
In California, we also have the California Farm Directory which is California-centric but still is helpful if you’re looking for a local farm in the state.
3 Questions to Ask when Joining a Farm CSA
I am certain there are more questions that come up when searching for a farm CSA subscription. These are three key questions I immediately begin with when starting the search. I share them with you here in the hopes this gives you a starting point when considering the factors that lead to subscribing to a farm CSA. These questions will focus on the 3 P’s as I like to call them: Proximity, Produce, and Price.
Question 1: Proximity
Where will I pick up delivery? How often are farm CSA boxes delivered?
When searching for a farm CSA to join, consider delivery cadence and frequency. How often are boxes delivered? Will they be delivered directly to your home? Do you have to pick up the box at a specific location? When would I need to pick up the box? These are all important questions to support planning and coordinating the pick up of your CSA box.
In our first farm CSA subscription with Sage Mountain Farm, we had a weekly Sunday pickup at the Claremont Farmers Market. I liked the ease of picking up on a farmers market day. That meant I could take a quick peek into the box and if I wanted to supplement with additional produce items, I could shop the farm stands nearby in one-stop shop style. Now, in Napa I’m trying out three different types of CSA shares. I’ve subscribed to a flour share and two different farm veggie CSAs. I’ll share more about the farms behind the CSA subscriptions in a forthcoming post. For now, asking the question about delivery frequency was key as I plan my pick up days. Each CSA has a different pick up and since they’re not pickup days during the weekly Saturday farmers market day in Downtown Napa, I’ll need to plan accordingly.
Question 2: Produce
How much produce can I expect to receive with each delivery?
Farms that have websites or a social media page like Instagram are places to visit to get a sense of what we can expect to receive with each farm CSA delivery. A cursory scan of photos help us to see how much produce we can expect and determine if that will meet our household’s needs.
For my family of four, I aim to procure upwards of 10 pounds of freshly harvested produce each week. For fall and winter that can mean lots of potatoes, squash, and dark leafy greens. Most farms also provide an overview of the types of crops they plan to grow or what they typically grow in a given season. This helps us to plan for what we can expect and what we might want to supplement at the farm market or local grocery store.
Question 3: Price
How much and how often will I be billed for a farm CSA delivery?
I want to preface this by saying farm CSAs can be cost effective, depending on your budget. According to the US Census Bureau, the average household in California spends approximately $1,200 per month on groceries. This can break down to about $300 per week for a family of four.
Our weekly Sage Mountain Farm CSA subscription was $40 per box, billed in 4 box increments. This meant once those box delivery credits were used I was billed $160 for the next round of deliveries. This takes a little getting used to if it’s not a current budgeting practice.
Here in Napa, I have a couple different billing options for the ones I’ve joined. One farm CSA share has the option to pay weekly or monthly. It is also a year-round CSA. The second CSA I joined has a full up front cost given their season is only from October to February. The flour CSA share I joined has four monthly deliveries for it’s share. That said, once you have an idea of how much each box costs and how often you’ll be billed, you can factor and plan accordingly for your budget.
Final Thoughts and Tips for Success
Joining a farm CSA is an incredibly rewarding experience and a fantastic way to support your local food system. If you’re just beginning your CSA journey, I recommend starting with a single box to start, if the farm allows a trial or single box delivery.
Consider visiting the farm at the local farmers market if they have a standalone stand at the market. This will help you:
- What produce the farm grows in season
- Whether the farm grows produce year round or for a given season
- Begin to get to know your farmer and build a relationship that will hopefully be a great one for joining the CSA, if they offer one
And, of course, if you’re searching for meal ideas and seasonal recipes based on the produce you receive in your farm CSA box, check out my weekly Meal Plans and growing collection of recipes.
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