Local CSAs Deliver the Goods

Keep your kitchen full of fresh fruits and veggies with help from these local farms.

Photo provided by The Food Project.

Photo provided by The Food Project.

After yet another brutal winter, it’s finally summertime here in Boston, and luckily, there are numerous ways to take advantage of the season. Massachusetts has a spate of farms just minutes from the the heart of Boston. And while farmer’s markets are an ideal way to score healthy produce, if you don’t have the time to peruse a shop, joining a community supported agriculture (CSA) programs may be perfect for you.

Here, we rounded up eight farms and CSA-like programs that are still accepting new customers this summer. Try an organic-only CSA or a get outside and pick-your-own. There’s even an option to pay for your bounty by doing weekly labor on the farm. True story.

1. Stone Soup Farm, Hadley

SAMPLE BOX: Tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, corn, broccoli.
SCHEDULE: Summer CSA runs from June through October in 20 distributions. Pick-ups are Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at locations in Boston, Cambridge, Northampton, and at the Hadley Farm (including Clover Food Lab locations).
PRICE: Veggie share is $412 and feeds two to five people; fruit share is $165.
WHY:  As a worker-owned cooperative farm, this no-frills program is one of the more affordable options on the list .
SIGN ME UP: 413-687-4341, stonesoupfarmcoop.com

2. Stillman’s Farm, New Braintree

SAMPLE BOX: Six corn, a head of lettuce, assorted squash, 1 pound tomatoes, half pound peas or beans, two cucumbers.
SCHEDULE: Summer CSA runs from the third week of June through October in 16 distributions. Pick-ups are most days of the week at various locations throughout Greater Boston.
PRICE: Small share is $376; large share is $528.
WHY: You get $20 of “Stillman’s bucks” to use at any market stand or pick-up location for extra produce.
SIGN ME UP: stillmansfarm.com

 

—–RELATED: 10 Ways To Cook With Summer Produce—–

 

3. Boston Organics, Charlestown

SAMPLE BOX: Kale, pea shoots, clam shell basil, red leaf lettuce, Fuji apples.
SCHEDULE: Enter your zip code to find out which day you’ll receive a once-weekly delivery at your doorstep.
PRICE: Prices start at $24 for a small box.
WHY: Not technically a CSA, Boston Organics offers a lower-stakes program that allows you to pay by the week rather than for an entire season. Choose the “Dogma Box” for local, organic produce.
SIGN ME UP: 617-242-1700, bostonorganics.com

4. The Food Project, Farms in Beverly, Boston, Lincoln, and Lynn

SAMPLE BOX: Potatoes, squash, garlic scapes, watermelons, blackberries.
SCHEDULE: Summer season runs from June through October. Pick-ups are on Tuesdays and Thursdays at various locations around Boston, and on Saturdays at Jamaica Plain’s Egleston Market.
PRICE: A share of four to eighteen pounds weekly starts at $500.
WHY: The Food Project is a non-profit that works with young people to promote personal and social change through sustainable agriculture. Buying a share supports their work with more than 150 teenagers at farms throughout Eastern Massachusetts.
SIGN ME UP: 781-259-8621, thefoodproject.org

5. Heavens Harvest Farm, New Braintree

SAMPLE BOX: Strawberries, romaine lettuce, rainbow chard, summer squash, heirloom cabbage
SCHEDULE: Summer CSA runs from June 10 through September 18 in 15 distributions (late sign-ups are pro-rated). Pick-ups are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at various locations throughout Greater Boston.
PRICE: Large vegetable/fruit share (for four people) is $750; medium share (for two people) is $555; small share (for one person) is $390.
WHY: Heavens Harvest is certified organic.
SIGN ME UP: 508-867-9677, heavensharvestfarm.com

6. Cuisine en Locale, Cambridge

SAMPLE BOX: Eight to ten ready-to-eat dishes in omnivore, veggivore, and carnivore options.
SCHEDULE: Place your order by 5 pm every Friday for Tuesday pick-up in Somerville or Jamaica Plain, or have your meals delivered for an extra $20.
PRICE: Weekly price is $155.
WHY: A cross between a CSA and a catering company, this is a delivery program of “locavore” cooked food. The menu is created weekly by the chefs based on availability of local produce. Instead of delivering the produce to your door, the chefs prepare ready-to-heat meals.
SIGN ME UP: 617-285-0167, cuisineenlocale.com

7. Hanson’s Farm, Framingham

SAMPLE BOX: Corn, Italian eggplant, basil, summer squash, zucchini, hot peppers.
SCHEDULE: Summer season runs from mid-June to October in 20 weekly or 10 bi-weekly distributions. Pick-ups are on Tuesdays or Fridays at the farm in Framingham.
PRICE: Full weekly share (family of four), $650; alternate share (two adults), $350
WHY: Some items are “pick-your-own.” This season, these include peas, beans, cherry tomatoes, flowers, and certain herbs. These items can be picked during regular farm stand hours (Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.  to 5:30 p.m.).
SIGN ME UP508-877-3058, hansonsfarm.50webs.com

8. Drumlin Farm, Lincoln

SAMPLE BOX: Beets, eggplant, peppers, summer squash, tomatoes, onions, radishes, herbs.
SCHEDULE: Summer season runs for 20 weeks from June through October. Pick-ups are on Wednesdays from 12-6 pm at the farm in Lincoln.
PRICE: Share is $650 for a family of four, but you need to be a Mass Audubon member to join (memberships start at $65).
WHY: You can pay for 15 to 100 percent of your CSA share by working at the farm. This season, there are Pick-Your-Own Facilitator, Harvest, and Field Work shares available.
SIGN ME UP: 781-259-1259, massaudubon.org