Community Supported Agriculture

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.

Here in Crown Heights, our supermarkets mostly don’t sell local or organic vegetables. By joining our CSA you are supporting a NY State farmer and getting access to fresh vegetables.

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 farm share season?

The season runs from June through November, 24 weeks. Registration usually closes on May 1st.

Do I have to be a member to participate in the farm share?

Yes, only prepaid members can participate in distribution. There are no on-site sales of the produce during the season.

What does it cost?

See prices on the signup page

Our prices are based on member income levels and number of people sharing the share, and we trust our members to be truthful about their income. We understand that there are circumstances beyond income and number of people in the household, but please understand that our funding is limited and we are committed to making fresh vegetables available to the entire community

Who supports the farm share?

The goal of our farm share is to make healthy fruits and vegetables accessible to everyone in our urban environment, where fresh produce and grocery stores can be difficult to come by. Donations towards our subsidized share program are greatly appreciated, and directly support the affordable shares program. 

In previous years, additional financial support from the Citizens Committee for New York City helped us start a revolving loan fund to provide affordable shares to our community.

Picking up my vegetables

When is pickup?

Tuesday evenings, 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. Come mingle with your neighbors!

What if I can’t pick up my share one week?

You can ask a friend or neighbor to pick up your share. If no one comes to pick up your share it will be donated to Georgia’s Place, our host for the distributions.

What happens to leftovers?

Nothing is wasted. Georgia’s Place is our host for the weekly distributions, and they take the leftovers. 

Georgia’s Place 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. So those veggies are always welcome.

Joining the farm share

I want to join!

Check the front page for details of the current season and how to join. 

How does payment work?

We pay the farmer at the beginning of the season and he delivers fresh organic vegetables to us on a weekly basis for the season (approximately 24 weeks in the summer, five weeks in the winter).

What’s in a share?

Partial share (6-7 items per week)

Full share (9-10 items per week)

Please see our last years share content links above to actually see what members got last season!

Volunteer responsibilities

Do I have to volunteer?

Administration and operations of our farm share 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.

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.

What if there is a drought or flooding and the farm can’t produce the required quantity or quality of vegetables?

By becoming a member of the farm share you assume some of the risk of farming. Our farmers are experienced and will do everything they can to make sure we have the best possible produce. We hope it will be a reasonable summer, weather-wise.

I’ve never heard of some of these vegetables. What do I do with them?

Your fellow farm share members will be passing around recipes and creative ideas for how to use some of these vegetables. Keep an eye open for the weekly email which gives a full description of how to cook and store each item, with linked recipes!