There’s never been a more important time to support local farmers and keep our immune systems in good condition by eating healthy, locally grown and harvested produce. A CSA, which stands for Community Supported Agriculture, is the perfect way to do this, and take some of the burden out of grocery shopping. Plus, you’ll help prevent food waste.
CSAs allow community members to buy a share of vegetables, fruit, eggs, or other fresh ingredients, and then harvest and vend product accordingly. Registering for a spring-summer CSA helps farmers have a better sense of how their crops will be distributed, and keeps your crisper fresh with seasonal greens and goodies all season long. Find which of North Brooklyn’s best CSAs is right for you:
GWCSA
The GWCSA or the Greenpoint-Williamsburg Community Supported Agriculture program is one of North Brooklyn’s longest-running CSAs. It is a volunteer-run program that partners with Garden of Eve Organic Farm in Riverhead. The season runs from June to the end of November. A wide variety of packages is offered.
The summer Vegetable Share is $705 for the weekly bundle and $385 biweekly (about $30/week). It includes 6-8 types of seasonal vegetables, enough for at least two large vegetarian meals or for sides for the week. The Vegeholic Share, or double vegetable share, is also available.
Add ons include a fruit share, egg share, and a biweekly cheese share, which includes rotating selection of seasonally available cheeses and milk products from North Fork Dairies, as well as some natural grass-fed dairies in upstate NY. Other shares include a bread share, meat share, farm-brewed beer share, and a sunflower share.
If you want it all, go for The Combo Share which includes a combination of flowers, vegetables, fruits, and eggs and costs $1245 weekly or $675 biweekly.
Shares can be picked up in Greenpoint at Duke’s Liquor Box (114 Franklin St.) on Wednesdays from 6:30pm to 8pm or in Williamsburg at McCarren Park Saturdays 9:30am to 12pm.
Lancaster Farm Fresh CSA
Lancaster Farm Fresh CSA is comprised of over 100 family farmers in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, supporting those trying to make their farms sustainable. The Summer 2021 CSA runs for 27 weeks from the week of April 26th to the week of October 25th.
Lancaster offers several different types of bundles. The Summer Produce Share includes a range of seasonal vegetables that are delivered weekly and come in 3 different sizes. The large includes 11 to 13 items and costs $899. The medium includes 7 to 8 items and costs $659. The small includes 4 items and is $459.
The Summer Fruit Share, which starts the week of June 7th, includes two fruit items each week and costs $210. Early summer shares typically feature strawberries, cherries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries. As the summer season progresses, watermelons, canary melons, cantaloupes, honeydew and other heirloom melon varieties are frequently included. In fall, the shares will include grapes, kiwi berries, pears and apples.
The Summer Meat Share includes approximately 3 pounds of 2-4 frozen items every week, and may include beef, pork, chicken, lamb, bison, or turkey. It costs $1039. The Summer Chicken Share is $569 for about 3 pounds of 1-3 frozen items delivered weekly. It includes a mix of organic and non-GMO chicken that is pasture raised and hormone-free, antibiotic-free, and non-GMO grain fed. The Summer Egg Share delivers one dozen eggs every week or one dozen eggs every other week. The Summer Biweekly Cheese Share includes 3 pieces of cheese delivered every other week.
Other shares include the Herbal Medicine Share, the Summer Biweekly Herb Share, the Summer Flower Share, the Summer Yogurt Share, the Summer Bread Share, which is one loaf a week, and the Summer Gluten-Free Bread Share.
There are two pickup locations in Greenpoint. One is District Dog (144 Driggs Avenue) which offers pickups on Mondays from 2 to 4PM. The second is Eastern District (1053 Manhattan Ave.) with pickups on Mondays from 1:30 to 8:00PM.
Local Roots
Local Roots is a minority female-owned CSA that is slightly different because you can sign up for variety of bundles at any time during the Spring season which runs February 22nd to May 14th.
The Works Bundle costs $641 for 7 weeks and includes 5 types of organic veggies, a dozen pasture-raised eggs, 2-3 pounds of fruit, 2 packs of premium meat. You have the option to get it without pork. The Veggie Bundle is $415 for 7 weeks and includes 5 types of organic veggies, 2-3 pounds of fruit, a quarter pound of all-natural salad mix, a half pound of all-natural mushrooms or a rotation of 2 pounds of dried beans or 2 packs of fresh tofu. The Basics Bundle costs $275 for 7 weeks and includes 1 dozen pasture raised eggs, a quarter pound of all-natural salad mix, a choice of a half pound of all-natural mushrooms or meat classics. These 3 bundles are good for households of 2 or more or individuals who cook more than 3 times a week.
The Essentials Bundle is $406 for 7 weeks and comes with 3 types of organic veggies, 1/2 dozen pasture-raised eggs, 2 pounds or pints of fruit, 2 packs of Meat Classics. The Fruit and Veggie Bundle costs $325 for 7 weeks and includes 5 types of organic veggies, 3 pounds or 2 pints of fruit. Both of these are good for households of 1-2 or individuals who cook 3 times a week.
Additionally, there are two meat bundles: a premium meat bundle for $331 7 weeks and a classic meat bundle for $177. Both are for 7 weeks and include meat that is pasture raised with no antibiotics or hormones. There is an egg bundle which includes a dozen eggs a week for $52 and a mushroom bundles for $88. Both are 7 weeks.
Pick up your bundle at Threes Brewing (113 Franklin St.) on Tuesdays from 5 to 7pm. Local Roots also offers home delivery for $15.
607 CSA
The 607 CSA, named for the area code in the Northern Catskill region of upstate New York, is a multi-farm, collaborative CSA based there, with four collaborating vegetable farms.
The season runs for twenty-six weeks from June 1st to November 23rd. A share typically includes a bag of seven to ten items and contains salad greens, braising greens, an herb, and a selection of whatever other vegetables are in season. Spring brings leafy greens and crops like potatoes, sunchokes, and carrots. In summer, the share will include peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash. Fall is the most abundant time with a variety in the share.
The Summer and Fall Share costs $806 for the full 26 Week Season and $435 for 13 weeks biweekly. The Summer Only Share is $476 for weekly 14 Week Season and $248 for biweekly 7 weeks. The Fall Only Share is $408 for 12 weeks and $213 for 6 weeks biweekly. You can add on a variety of products, including dairy, eggs, meat, poultry, soup, fruit, mushrooms, bread, or flowers.
Pick up shares at Dandelion Wine (153 Franklin St.), Sunview Luncheonette (221 Nassau Avenue), or Dandy Wine & Spirits (37 South 4th St.) anytime during the week after 5pm on Tuesdays. They offer delivery for $15 a week.
Southside CSA
The Southside CSA is a 100% volunteer-run CSA group that partners with four farms in the upper Hudson Valley. The summer season starts on May 3rd and runs through November.
The Vegetable Share runs for 31 weeks from May 3rd to Nov 29th and costs $753 for the full share and $377 for a half share. The Berry Share runs for 24 weeks May 3rd to Oct 11th, following the growing season at Greig Farm. A full share costs $540, and a half costs $270.
The New York Orchard Share runs for 24 weeks June 21st to Nov 29th. It is a local tree fruit share with fruits such as cherries and peaches and of course apples sourced from several local orchards & farms. Full shares cost $336 while half shares are $168.
The Yellow Bell Farm Egg Share runs for 24 weeks May 3rd to Oct 11th. Full shares are $132, half shares are $66, and monthly shares are $33. The Yellow Bell Chicken Share runs for the same 24 weeks and includes a whole chicken that is freshly slaughtered within the week and frozen. Full shares cost $480, and half shares cost $240.
The Pura Vida Fish Share runs for 24 weeks May 3rd to Oct 11th and includes mostly fresh fish and some frozen depending on the weather. The full share is $480, and the half is $240.
The Northwind Farm Meat Share also runs from May 3rd to Oct 11th and costs $1200 for the large package of 10-12 pounds of meat delivered biweekly, $1020 for the smaller package of 8-10 pounds, and $600 for six monthly deliveries.
Pick up your shares on Mondays from 6:30 to 8:30pm at the BIBA Event Hall (110 Kent Ave.). Southside also has a delivery service.
Brooklyn Grange
Brooklyn Grange is the leading rooftop farming business in the United States. They operate the world’s largest rooftop soil farms, located on three roofs in New York City, and grow over 100,000 pounds of produce per year. Brooklyn Grange offers a 22-week season, which runs May 30th to October 25th.
During spring and early summer, a share includes sweet lettuce, chives, hakurei turnips, bok choy, french breakfast radishes, mint, lacinato kale, and sunflower shoots. The mid to late summer share includes heirloom tomatoes, basil, arugula, leeks, shishito peppers, garlic, cucumbers, onions, and fairytale eggplant. The late season share comes with mustard greens mix, carrots, jalapeños, summer squash, onions, sprouting broccoli, rainbow chard, and sweet bell peppers.
This year, Brooklyn Grange has the option to add items like bread, eggs, cheese, cookie dough or an apothecary share. They offer sliding scale pricing with the lowest tier costing $330 for the season and the highest costing $862. Greenpoint residents can pick up their share at McGolrick Park Farmers Market on Sundays 10am to 3pm.