About the CSA

Picking up my vegetables

Joining the CSA

Volunteer responsibilities

Ways to get involved

Beyond vegetables

About the farm

About the CSA

• What is a CSA? CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. Members of a CSA buy produce direct from a farmer. CSAs support family farms, while providing city people, particularly those in low-income neighborhoods, with access to high quality, locally-grown, affordable produce.
• Why should I join one? Because here in Crown Heights our supermarkets don’t sell local or organic vegetables. By joining our CSA you are supporting a NY State farmer and getting access to vegetables you would never get in our neighborhood.
• Do I have to live in Crown Heights to join? No you don’t have to live in Crown Heights to join, but you have to be willing to come to Crown Heights every week to pick-up your vegetables.
• When is the CSA season? Our season runs from June through November.
• Do I have to be a member to participate in the CSA? Yes, only prepaid members can participate in distribution. There are no on-site sales of the produce during the season.

Picking up my vegetables

• When is pickup?We're in-between seasons right now. The summer season starts June 7th. In the summer, pickups are every Tuesday, 5-8pm. In the winter, pickups are every third Tuesday, 5-8pm.
• Where do I pick up my vegetables? At Georgia's Place, 691 Prospect (corner of Bedford). A few guidelines: Please go in through the gate, and don't forget to bring several bags for your veggies. Georgia's Place is a residential facility, so please be respectful. Finally, doors close at 8pm sharp, so please, be on time.
• Do you deliver shares? No, we don’t have the capability to make deliveries, plus seeing each other at the weekly distribution will build a sense of community.
• What if I can’t pick up my share one week? You can ask a friend/neighbor to pick up your share or give it away. If no one comes to pick up your share it will be donated to a local food provider.
• Which local food provider will receive leftover shares? Georgia’s Place, which provides permanent housing for mentally ill, formerly homeless adults. They also foster their tenants’ independent living, which includes developing healthy eating habits in their lives through personalized cooking classes and garden-to-table meals. Georgia's Place has an in-house kitchen and a nutritionist, who works with tenants to develop healthy eating habits in their lives. Any leftover veggies will go to supplying their tenants with extra fresh produce!

Joining the CSA

• I want to join! We're reaching out to our waiting list, so add your name to the list if you'd like to join the 2011 season.
• How much does it cost? For summer 2011, a partial share is $372 and a full share is $587 for 23 weeks of produce – that works out to $16 a week for a partial share and $25 a week for a full share.
• How does payment work? Our CSA pays the farmer at the beginning of the season and he delivers fresh organic vegetables to us on a weekly basis for the season (approximately 23 weeks).
• What’s in a full share? A partial share? We post the weekly listing of vegetables here, plus an update from our farmer. A full share provides veggies for a family of four for the week, and a partial will feed two.
• What if I can’t afford to pay that much at once? A payment plan may be possible – please talk to us about your situation.

Volunteer responsibilities

• Do I have to volunteer? Administration and operations of our CSA are conducted entirely by volunteers. Work is divided between a core team and membership - the purchase of a share requires members donate 4 hours of volunteer time each season. Learn more about volunteering.
• How can I fulfill my volunteer requirement? You have lots of options: work at the weekly pickups, work on rooftop garden at Georgia's Place, help with fundraising and more. See more information here.




Ways to get involved




• Are there any events or activities associated with the CSA?Yes -- see our events calendar. If you know of an event, email news@crownheightscsa.org with details.
• I have an amazing recipe for Kohlrabi! Add it to our list of Recipes.
• Can I contribute to the email newsletter? Yes. Email news@crownheightscsa.org for more details.






Beyond vegetables




• What about cheese? As well as the regular CSA, we offer a cheese share from Sang Lee farms. Contact us for more details.






About the farm

• Where is the farm? Sand Lee Farms is located on the North Fork of Long Island. See their website.
• Is this food really organic? Yes. Sang Lee Farms is a NOFA-NY Certified Organic Vegetable Farm.
• How was the farm connected with the CSA? Just Food is the non-profit umbrella organization who matches qualified local farms with CSAs in NYC.
• Can I visit the farm? Yes, we will be organizing a farm visit for all our members on May 21st. Contact fran@crownheightscsa.org for details. Also the folks at Sang Lee Farms have a weekend farm stand in Long Island, which you can visit on your own.
• Do you have a weekly update from the farmer? Yes! Fred emails each week, read it on the website.
• What if there is a drought or flooding and the farm can’t produce the quantity or quality of vegetables it normally does? By becoming a member of the CSA you assume the risk of organic farming. Our farmers are highly experienced and will do everything they can to make sure we have the best possible produce no matter the circumstances.
• I’ve never heard of some of these vegetables. What do I do with them?Your fellow CSA members will be passing around recipes and creative ideas for how to use some of these vegetables. Check out the Recipe page for updates and ideas.

Unanswered questions? Contact us!