Ulster County

CSA Farms | Community Supported Agriculture

 All Ellenville Listings

 Ellenville CSA Farms | Community Supported Agriculture

12428, NOFA-NY Certified Organic CSA, Ellenville, NY, internships, part-time jobs, Internships & Jobs, how to grow your own food, CSA Products, Berries, Flowers, Herbs<, 
Veggies, Pastured Pork, Pastured Eggs (from pastured hens & ducks) | Ulster Rusty Plough Farm "NOFA-NY Certified Organic"

845-647-6911
  Rusty Plough Farm, a NOFA-NY Certified Organic CSA offering vegetables, flowers & berries, is located at 331 Dowe Road, Ellenville, NY 12428, Ulster County in the mid-Hudson Valley.

From Rusty Plough Farm: "Way back in days of old, little Oleh spent summers in Shokan, NY, enjoying the change from life in New York City. The girls wouldn’t allow him to hang with them, so he spent his days saving little seedlings from the mulch pile, as Babtsia Kurochka (“Grandma Hen”) tended her garden. Encouraged by his early successes with these seemingly doomed plants, he dreamed of someday tending his own little plot of land.

"The 1980s found Oleh toiling away in the computer software industry of Manhattan, getting away on the weekends to his country hideaway in Ulster Heights. There he created his own little veggie garden behind the old farmstead. What a perfect excuse to start amassing lots of machinery and 'toys' to fill up the barn. Soon the barn filled up and the garden grew to exploding.

"Fast-forward to 1988, when Oleh meets Nadia. A Jersey City girl, Nadia did know a bit about farming and country living, from spending her summers in Lexington, NY where she occasionally helped her aunt in the veggie garden. And she did help her dad around the house growing up, handing tools and such. And she could drive a manual transmission. Oh, and she was working as an archaeologist, so the digging-in-the-dirt part was familiar. This also helped her to appreciate the potential beauty hidden behind the plywood paneling of the old farmhouse. Oleh, knowing a good thing when he found her, proposed . . . In 2003, we moved to the farm, committed to growing and marketing our organic produce full-time." Rusty Plough Farm  "NOFA-NY Certified Organic" | Ulster  website and more . . .
 All Gardiner Listings

 Gardiner CSA Farms | Community Supported Agriculture

12525, organic farm located in Gardiner, heirloom, raise lamb, beef and egg laying chickens, farm-generated manure compost, Organic Farming, CSA at Four Winds, organic farming and grass-fed meats, Second Wind CSA, CSA Products, Pastured Meat | Ulster Four Winds Farm "Grass-Fed & Organic"

845-255-3088
  Four Winds Farm, a CSA farm offering organic produce and grass-fed meat, is located at 158 Marabac Road, Gardiner NY 12525, Southern Ulster County in the Hudson Valley.

From Four Winds Farm: "Four Winds Farm is a 24 acre diversified organic farm located in Gardiner, in southern Ulster County, of which 4 acres are used to grow vegetables, primarily heirloom and open pollinated varieties for better flavor and for seed saving. The remainder is used to raise lamb, beef and egg laying chickens, which supply us generously with natural fertilizer. Our farm-generated manure compost allows us to grow vegetables using a method that is very different from conventional farms. Four Winds Farm  "Grass-Fed & Organic" | Ulster  website and more . . .
 All Kingston Listings

 Kingston CSA Farms | Community Supported Agriculture

12401, Farm, Farmers Pledge farm, organically grown vegetables, Kingston, NY, CSA Vegetables, 250 varieties of vegetables, CSA Distribution, Price and Membership information, Jacob Diaz at Slow Roots Farm, Community Supported Agriculture | Ulster Slow Roots Farm "CSA Organic Farm"

845-339-2731
  Slow Roots Farm, specializing in organically grown vegetables in accord with Farmers Pledge, is located at 205 Hidden Valley Road, Kingston, NY 12401, Ulster County in the mid-Hudson Valley.

From Slow Roots Farm: "This Wednesday October 10 marks the last summer pickup at the farm but the harvest will continue for a while as the fall share begins next week. I wanted to thank all of you for participating in this summer season and for handling the assortment of produce with openness and grace. I know it takes special people to open a weird basement door and be surprised each week with what you’ll be eating. I hope you enjoyed being creative and were able to avoid some trips to the grocery store, a much weirder place, as a result. Please know that you are a huge part of how I make a living and that this relationship is so vital to the way Slow Roots Farm operates. Stay in touch, I hope to see all of you soon." Slow Roots Farm  "CSA Organic Farm" | Ulster  website and more . . .
 All New Paltz Listings

 New Paltz CSA Farms | Community Supported Agriculture

12561, Farm, CSA, Community Supported Agriculture, local farm, CSA member, U-Pick, Basil, Cherry Tomatoes, Flowers, Herb Garden, Hot peppers, Snap-peas, Beans,  New Paltz NY, Ulster County, Hudson Valley | Ulster Huguenot Street Farm "CSA Farm"

845-810-0033
  Huguenot Street Farm, offering CSA memberships, is located at 205 Huguenot Street, New Paltz NY 12561, Ulster County in the Hudson Valley.

From Huguenot Street Farm: "Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is where members of the community buy a "share" in a local farm for one season. Shares are paid for in advance and the members then get access to a portion of the farmers harvest from June into November." Huguenot Street Farm  "CSA Farm" | Ulster  website and more . . .

historic, farm, healthy food production, food, farming, Hudson Valley agriculture, fresh food, farm experience, CSA, Community Supported Agriculture, farm visit, picked vegetables, Birthday Parties | Ulster Phillies Bridge Farm Project "CSA"

845-256-9108
  The Phillies Bridge Farm Project is located at 45 Phillies Bridge Road, New Paltz, NY 12561 in Ulster County.

From Phillies Bridge: "Phillies Bridge Farm Project was founded in 1995 by a group of dedicated volunteers. We now feed hundreds of community members and engage over 2,500 people each year in the wonders of food production through our CSA, education, and community outreach programs. Our site includes about five acres of diversified vegetables, a children’s Discovery Garden, and a blazed nature trail that wanders through wetlands, woodlands, and pastures. Phillies Bridge Farm Project  "CSA" | Ulster  website and more . . .

12561, Farms, certified organic farm, Community Supported Agriculture, CSA, certified organic produce, certified organic methods, small farms, farm stand, flower cutting, certified organic farming, New Paltz, Ulster County, Hudson River Valley | Ulster Talliaferro Farms "Organic CSA Farm"

845-256-1592
  Talliaferro Farms, a CSA offering certified organic produce, is located at 187 Plains Road, New Paltz NY 12561, Ulster County in the Hudson Valley.

From Taliaferro Farms: "This is our version of what is commonly called Community Supported Agriculture, or in short, CSA. It is the bringing together of community members, farmers, and agricultural land in a relationship of mutual support based on annual commitment to one another — a commitment that ensures the survival of local agriculture today and for future generations.

How it all works
"The people agree to purchase a share of the anticipated crop. The farmer agrees to supply the people with a fresh assortment of high quality, in our case, certified organic produce. The shareholders commitment implies a willingness to share with the farmer the bounty from the land, and, some of the risks of its production. Talliaferro Farms  "Organic CSA Farm" | Ulster  website and more . . .
 All Rosendale Listings

 Rosendale CSA Farms | Community Supported Agriculture

12472, Farm, a NOFA-NY certified farm, CSA shares of fruits and vegetables, Rosendale, NY, about the Rail Trail Café, CSA at Farmers Table farm, Farm Events, Concerts and Farm Events, Rail Trail Café, CSA Products | Ulster Farmers Table "NOFA-NY Certified Organic"

845-399-4800
  Farmers Table at Stone Mountain Farm, a NOFA-NY certified farm offering CSA shares of fruits and vegetables, is located at the River Road Extension in Rosendale, NY 12472 in Ulster County.

From Farmers Table: "We are now working to create a small intensive and sustainablefarming system on a piece of land in New York's mid-Hudson Valley that has been home to numerous Small farmers over the last 200 years. We are part of the NortheastOrganic Farmers Association 'Farmer’s Pledge' Program and have a joyous commitment to the the idea that small family farms are one of the main components of a viable local economy. We are offering a variety of farm made products like our famous Apple Ginger Chutney, Pesto and other delicious offerings. Come visit us at our trailside café at the farm." Farmers Table  "NOFA-NY Certified Organic" | Ulster  website and more . . .

 More Hudson Valley  CSA Farms | Community Supported Agriculture


CSA Farms | Community Supported Agriculture | Albany Albany County
      [4 listings over 4 locations]


CSA Farms | Community Supported Agriculture | Columbia Columbia County
      [8 listings over 7 locations]


CSA Farms | Community Supported Agriculture | Dutchess Dutchess County
      [6 listings over 5 locations]


CSA Farms | Community Supported Agriculture | Greene Greene County
      [4 listings over 4 locations]


CSA Farms | Community Supported Agriculture | Orange Orange County
      [3 listings over 2 locations]


CSA Farms | Community Supported Agriculture | Putnam Putnam County
      [1 listing over 1 location]


CSA Farms | Community Supported Agriculture | Rensselaer Rensselaer County
      [3 listings over 3 locations]


CSA Farms | Community Supported Agriculture | Rockland Rockland County
      [1 listing over 1 location]


CSA Farms | Community Supported Agriculture | Westchester Westchester County
      [4 listings over 4 locations]



CSA Farms
Community Supported Agriculture
Hudson Valley

Are you looking for a farm that offers Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) membership? Find CSA farms offering fresh organic produce in your area. Have "just picked" packages of fresh vegetables delivered to your CSA pick-up location and learn how fabulous fresh vegetables can taste. Or, find a CSA farm in your town and go to the farm to pick your own vegetables. Either CSA option offers wonderfully fresh produce for you and your family

Find CSA farms offering memberships in the Hudson Valley. Find CSA farms selling fresh organic and local produce in the Hudson Valley of New York State. Visit a local CSA farm and learn about your local farming community.

Community Supported Agriculture, CSA
The CSA concept was introduced in the United States in 1985 by Robyn Van En. Since that time, the movement has spread throughout North America. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer.

What is Community Supported Agriculture?
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a direct market relationship of mutual support and commitment between a local farm and its members in the community. CSA membership is a unique partnership between the farm and CSA members, sharing both the bounty of the farms' harvest and some of the risks involved with regional agriculture.

    "CSA is a relationship of mutual support and commitment between local farmers and community members who pay the farmer an annual membership fee to cover the production costs of the farm. In turn, members receive a weekly share of the harvest during the local growing season. The arrangement guarantees the farmer financial support and enables many small to moderate scale organic and/or bio-intensive family farms to remain in business. Ultimately, CSA programs create "agriculture-supported communities" where members receive a wide variety of foods harvested at their peak of freshness, ripeness, flavor, vitamin and mineral content." 1

      Biodynamic Farming
      Essentially, biodynamic farming and gardening looks upon the soil and the farm as living organisms. It regards maintenance and furtherance of soil life as a basic necessity if the soil is to be preserved for generations, and it regards the farm as being true to its essential nature if it can be conceived of as a kind of individual entity in itself — a self-contained individuality. It begins with the ideal concept of the necessary self-containedness of the farm and works with furthering the life of the soil as a primary means by which a farm can become a kind of individuality that progresses and evolves.

      The maintenance of soil life is vital also in order to protect the soil from erosion and to create, improve, and augment the humus content. The result will be a fine, crumbly structure containing the necessary organic colloids. This leads to the production of high-quality crops, which in turn means better feed for livestock and better food for human beings.

      Source Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association.

The goals of Community Supported Agriculture encourage a sustainable agriculture system providing farmers with direct sales outlets for farm products while ensuring fair compensation.

Are all CSA farms the same?
"There are many kinds of CSA farms. All include payment in advance at an agreed upon price. In some, members of the community purchase a "share" of the anticipated harvest, while in others they sign up for a predetermined amount of produce over the course of the season. In most cases, this commitment implies a willingness to share with the farmer both the bounty from the land and at least some of the risks involved with production.

"In return for fair and guaranteed compensation, members receive a variety of freshly picked, (usually organic) vegetables grown and distributed in an economically viable and ecologically responsible manner. Some farms also offer fruit, herbs, flowers and other products, such as meats, eggs, cheese, and baked goods. Many farms offer their shareholders the opportunity to work in the fields or distribute produce in exchange for a discounted share price. Others offer sliding scales to accommodate lower income members. In this way, farmers and members become partners in the production, distribution and consumption of locally grown food." 2

A CSA farm may be a small farm of a few acres or a larger farm of several hundred acres. The farmer determines how many "shares" (also called memberships or subscriptions) are available to sell to the public. A share may be designated as a box of seasonal produce (fruits and vegetables) to be given to the CSA member, once or twice a week, or when available during the growing season. Some farms also offer the option to pick your own produce.

    About CSA at Stoneledge Farm

    CSA members purchase a share before the harvest begins. The price of the share enables the farm to cover yearly costs, many of which are incurred before the crops are ready for harvest. In return, members receive 24 weekly shares of the freshest, highest quality, organic produce from the farm, starting the second week in June and ending in November. Stoneledge Farm donates to each CSA location one free Vegetable Share for each 10 Vegetable Shares sold. The CSA locations use the donated shares in a way that best serves their local CSA community.

    CSA members pick up their weekly share at their CSA Location, organized, managed and run by the members. The CSA is a true partnership between Stoneledge Farm and the local CSA Location.

    As each CSA Location is organized and managed independently by the members of that CSA, the CSA reflects the individual character of the neighborhood and community while partnering with Stoneledge Farm to grow and deliver the freshest produce for the members. A Core Group of Volunteers coordinate, organize and manage the local CSA, volunteering many hours of their time. Most of the CSA Locations have a Member Volunteer Commitment Requirement for each member. The Member Volunteer Commitment is generally 2-3 hours during the entire season helping at the distribution site. The local CSA community grows as members volunteer at the site, organize local events, share recipe ideas and meet at the weekly CSA pickup.

    CSA members have direct contact with the farmers. Members receive a weekly e-mail newsletter and have the opportunity to visit the farm during scheduled work days and Farm Festival. CSA members are directly supporting regional small family farms and their local community while eating seasonally, locally and organically. 3

Benefits of Community Supported Agriculture
There are many benefits to both the farmer and the CSA member in Community Supported Agriculture.The educational philosophy of Community Supported Agriculture is one of shared learning. By eating seasonally and knowing their farmers, members and their families have a more direct relationship with their food and become more aware of the importance of local agriculture. Children learn about vegetables, fruit, and other produce and have an appreciation of how food grows. Farmers enjoy knowing the people that are eating their produce and are able to plan based upon member’s needs.

  • CSA encourages proper land stewardship by supporting farmers in transition toward low or no chemical inputs and utilization of energy saving technologies.


  • CSA strengthens local economies by keeping food dollars in local communities.


  • CSA directly links farmers with the community - allowing people to have a personal connection with their food and the land on which it was produced.
  • CSA makes nutritious, affordable, wholesome foods accessible and widely available to community members.


  • CSA creates an atmosphere for learning about non-conventional agricultural, animal husbandry, and alternative energy systems not only to the farmers and their apprentices, but also to members of the community, to educators from many fields of study, and to students of all ages.


  • The farmer is able to spend time marketing the food early in the year, before their 16 hour days in the field begins.


  • The farmer receives payment early in the season, which helps with the farm's cash flow.


  • The farmer has an opportunity to get to know the community and the people who eat the food they grow.

Benefits to the Consumer
Members of the CSA benefit in many ways, not the least of which is that they receive the freshest healthiest produce in the form of organic, sustainably grown vegetables and fruit.

  • The CSA member has access to ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits.


  • The CSA member is often exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking.


  • The CSA member is usually able to visit the farm at least once a season, and in some CSA programs, the member may donate time on the farm or lessen their cost by working on the farm a designated number of hours.


  • Kids typically favor food from "their" farm – even veggies they've never been known to eat before. The children may also develop a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how food is grown and harvested.


CSA are no longer confined only to produce. Some farmers include the option for shareholders to buy shares of eggs, homemade bread, meat, cheese, fruit, flowers or other farm products along with their veggies.

Sometimes several farmers will offer their products together, to offer the widest variety to their members. For example, a produce farmer might create a partnership with a neighbor to deliver chickens to the CSA drop off point, so that the CSA members can purchase farm-fresh chickens when they come to get their CSA baskets.

Other farmers are creating standalone CSAs for meat, flowers, eggs, and preserved farm products. In some parts of the country, non-farming third parties are setting up CSA-like businesses, where they act as middle men and sell boxes of local (and sometimes non-local) food for their members.

What to Expect from a CSA farm
Before joining a CSA, learn about eating seasonally. If you are not accustomed to eating seasonally. Eating seasonally means that you eat what is produced locally at your CSA farm during a particular time of year.

Although it may take a short time to get used to eating this way, you will find that the freshest and most tasty produce is produce consumed in season. For example, if you're eating strawberries in December in the Hudson River Valley, you know the strawberries traveled thousands of miles before you ate them.

Once you learn how to cook and consume foods that are grown locally and are "seasonal" you will never again go back to importing your food. Butternut squash is delicious in season, as is watermelon, raspberries, and you can't get anything tastier than an apple just picked from the tree.

Sources
1 & 2 Robyn Van En Center at Wilson College
3 Community Supported Agriculture at Stoneledge Farm




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