Have you considered buying your produce from a local farm? Why not try a CSA?! This mom is never going back to grocery store produce after buying fresh farm produce — and, lucky for us, there are so many great CSAs north of Boston!
CSA stands for community supported agriculture, and when you join a CSA you are supporting your local farmers and getting the freshest fruits and vegetables around. Farm shares are often divided by season or by category, such as flower shares, egg shares, mushroom shares, fruit tree shares, year-long, or fall or spring shares. Purchasing a CSA share is a great way to show your children where their food comes from and find the healthiest ingredients!
Here are six amazing local CSAs for anyone living north of Boston!
1. Clark Farm :: Carlisle, MA
Clark Farm’s organic growers aim to support a sustainable farm ecosystem as they improve the health of their soils and select varieties for optimal flavor and nutrition. This farm offers a limited number of full-year shares in addition to spring, summer, fall, and winter shares — plus a pick-your-own share, a flower share, an egg share, a cheese share, a coffee share, and a tree fruit share! Clark Farm loves giving its members a chance to learn how their food is grown — and to know the farmers who are growing it! CSA pickups are available Tuesdays from 3-7 p.m. and Thursdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
2. Drumlin Farm :: Lincoln, MA
Drumlin Farm is committed to sustainable farming, and on their 206-acre wildlife sanctuary they raise livestock and poultry, grow crops, and produce hay for their animals. Here you have your pick of a three-season CSA or a spring, summer, or fall CSA. They also have a farm stand open Saturdays and Sundays from June through October. Drumlin Farm is part of Mass Audubon, and their farm animals are a hit with children of all ages — don’t miss the lambs in the springtime! CSA distributions take place Wednesdays from 12-6 p.m., and the farm itself is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
3. Wilson Farm :: Lexington, MA
This fifth-generation family farm is a popular grocery store and greenhouse in Lexington with fun family events year round. Wilson Farm’s CSA options include produce, fish, and flowers! Your weekly selection will change with the growing season and will include many of the 100 crops the farm grows annually — in addition to cooking tips, recipes, inside farming knowledge, and more. Pickups take place Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
4. Verrill Farm :: Concord, MA
This sustainable farm began in 1918 and is still offering the fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables they have come to be known for. Verrill Farm offers half and full shares, plus a fresh flowers share — and a “mushroom lovers” share! Pickups are on Wednesdays, and CSA members also get perks like picking their own strawberries and flower bouquets a few times each season.
5. Siena Farms :: Sudbury, MA
A CSA membership with Siena Farms means you support their 75-acre farm and reap the delicious rewards of the best vegetables their fields have to offer! Siena Farms offers a variety of options, including a one-week trial farm share, a winter veggie share, a Sofra share, a mushroom share, and a “pantry” share, including veggies from the root cellar and fresh breads and pantry items from favorite local producers. Siena Farms also offers dozens of pickup locations all over Greater Boston if you’re not local to Sudbury!
6. Lexington Community Farm :: Lexington, MA
LexFarm’s CSA program connects families with their food by planting, growing, and harvesting vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers then providing that fresh, certified-organic produce to the community. (Plus, they partner with local farms to supplement what they don’t grow, like fruit, mushrooms, and additional varieties of vegetables.) This farm also offers a few unique setups to ensure fresh, healthy food is accessible to all, like work shares (meaning you participate in the harvest or farm stand work) and subsidies for SNAP recipients.
