What is a CSA?

NIMBY Gardens CSA is in its first year. This CSA focuses on greens, potatoes, and roots in the spring; tomatoes, squash, and fruits in the summer, and sweet potatoes, greens, and more root vegetables in the fall! It runs for 25 weeks, from May until October.  The cost is $425 for a weekly box of from five to nine items. Pickups are in downtown Greensboro every Tuesday afternoon.

Farlow Farm is in Archdale. Their CSA contains a variety of the 30 crops they grow at their farm, which is completely pesticide and chemical free. Products include collard greens, Swiss chard, strawberries, potatoes and cucumbers. Theirs is a 16-week CSA that runs from the beginning of May onward. It costs $400 for a full share and $200 for a half share. They have pickups at the farm on Tuesdays, as well as at the Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Emmaus Farm is a part of a multi-farmCSA. Through what is known as Three Farms CSA, Emmaus Farm partners with Okfuskee Farm and Wings of Dawn Farm to bring its customers a variety of wares. In addition to offering items such as kohlrabi, asparagus, fennel, cucumbers, melons, and other vegetables, the CSAoccasionally adds items like honey or Espelette pepper powder each season. The Three Farms CSA has two seasons they offer: Spring, which runs ten weeks from late April until early June, and Fall, which begins the weekend after Labor Day. Each season costs $224.40, plus a one-time charge of $12 for a reusable, insulated bag with the CSA‘s logo. In addition to the items that come in the CSA each week, a-la-carte items such as pasture raised pork and whole wheat flour that can be added to the share. The pickup in Greensboro will be at the Farmers Market on Saturday mornings at the Emmaus Farm and Liberty Stoneware tables. There are also pickups available in Liberty and Burlington on Tuesdays and Pittsboro on Saturdays.

Pine Trough Branch (PTB) Farm calls theirCSA a COOP, because it is designed to be a bit more flexible than a typical CSA. Instead of having a set list of things that are in the CSA share box each week, those who have a PTB COOP membership get to choose what they will receive, based on what the farm has that week. Products available from PTB Farm include vegetables, fruits, herbs, mushrooms, flowers, and even pasture-raised lamb and pork. When you purchase a PTB COOP membership, you are purchasing a credit balance from the farm that you have a year to use. Memberships can be renewed at any time. There are also three levels of memberships: Basic ($250), Full ($400), and Family ($600). Pickups for this CSAoption are at the farm in Reidsville (Fridays, April-October, 4-6pm), at the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market (Saturdays, February-December, 7am-12pm), and at the Old Salem Cobblestone Farmers Market (Saturdays, April-November, 9am-12pm).

Handance Farm is located in Rockingham County and is in its twentieth year of providing a CSA! This farm is dedicated to permaculture practices and maintaining organic standards and heirloom vegetables are a part of their specialty. Their bags are packed with produce that is usually harvested the day before pickup, and includes seasonal items such as greens, tomatoes, eggplant, and green beans. Bags usually include six items, recipes and cooking tips. A flower share can be purchased that adds a bouquet to your bag for an additional cost. Their CSA starts in early May and runs for 20 weeks, with an optional four bag add-on that would take you through October. Handance Farm’s CSA costs $390 for the season. Pickups are at Handance Farms in Aisles C and D of the Market.