Boston area - Local Meat and Vegetable CSAs

[fitfool]

This is a follow-up to my post exploring the options for buying humanely raised meat and then locally produced vegetables via CSAs.

CSA stands for Community-Supported Agriculture. Members pay up front to join the club for the growing season. Then from late spring through early fall, you get a box of vegetables each week in an Iron Chef challenge that often includes unfamiliar vegetables. From what I've heard, it can be hard to chow through everything each week. Typically, you get more than enough vegetables for your money. To retrieve your vegetables, you either meet up at a specified drop-off point or pick up at the farm and in one case, they even delivered right to you. For meat, it seems to come in frozen cuts once a month (also at pick-up points).

To my surprise, a lot of the popular ones are already sold out. I'm looking to feed just 2 adults but not all of the farms had a small or half-share option. For vegetables, prices ranged from $250 to $600 for the season. Meat was about $7 per pound.

I'm probably going to go with Busa Farms because they allow me more control over what I'll get and how much at a time. So I can load up on zucchini if I want or skip buying any vegetables on a week when I'll be out of town. Plus they were the cheapest option and I'm not entirely sure how this is going to work for me. They also let you go to the farm and pick your own for some crops so I'm really looking forward to picking corn again. I used to have a backyard garden and I really miss that flavor.

I've started buying meat from Whole Foods but reading Michael Pollan's book, Omnivore's Dilemma makes me unsure whether or not the animals are really truly out and about doing their animal thing. For meat, it'll likely be Chestnut Farms and that's just because they're probably going to be the first one to take me off their waitlist. (I could've bought from Pete and Jen's but I didn't get my order in fast enough.) The limiting factor for the meat farmers seems to be getting access to a slaughterhouse. A local slaughterhouses had burned to the ground and now she said she's been driving the animals out to NH and NY to have them slaughtered and processed.

I collected my notes and am posting them in case anyone else is looking for this kind of information.


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MEAT

Stillmans Farm (has Veg + Meat)
http://www.stillmansfarm.com
Half - $300 / Full - $450
No Cambridge/Somerville pickup
Pickups in Jamaica Plain, Brookline (@Clear Flour Bakery on Thorndike St)
Also pickups in Southborough, Framingham, New Braintree, Quincy
Meat CSA to JP and Brookline: 5/10/20 lbs/month = $275/450/870 for 6 months
Meat Farm in Hardwick, MA
413.477.0345
Also currently at capacity. Maybe more shares available starting in June?

Chestnut Farms - Meat CSA
http://www.chestnutfarms.org
Dropoff at Arlington - Russell Commons Parking lot
10 lbs/month = $70/month
Other sizes include:
20 lbs/month = $135/month
25 lbs/month = $162.50/month
50 lbs/month = $325/month
Sign up for 6 months at a time
No pickups at the farm (located in Hardwick, MA)
413-477-6656
Currently at capacity, accepting waitlisters.
Maybe availability in June 2008?
Their website mentioned giving their pigs toys to play with in the winter so they're not bored. How cute is that?

Pete and Jen's Backyard Birds - NOT a CSA
http://peteandjensbackyardbirds.com
whole chickens (fresh or frozen)- $5/lb
Pork Sampler Pack (~18 lbs frozen) - $125
Eggs - $4/dozen
Pickup at farm in Concord, MA
15.6 miles, 27 minutes away
Sold out of chickens for 2008.
Pastured pork still available.
Later in season, they'll have rabbits and lamb too.
They've got cool videos on their website so you can see how the pigs and chickens live. You can also buy whole hogs and half hogs but I don't have anywhere near enough freezer space. I think they said you could also buy individual cuts of pork at their farm too.

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VEGETABLES

Brookfield Farm - 5-18 lbs. (14 lbs. avg.)
http://www.brookfieldfarm.org
Has a waitlist for 2008
17 weeks: $490
175 Richdale Ave, Cambridge (Porter/Davis)
Also pickups in Arlington, Lexington, Jamaica Plain, Newton
very organized. over 20 years experience as CSA

Busa Farm
http://busafarm.com/BusaFarmCSA/
Pay $250 to receive $280 worth of Busa Bucks.
Buy from their farm stand in Lexington (just over Arlington border)
52 Lowell St, East Lexington, MA
Open 9am-6:30 pm 781-861-1107
May/June through October
Prices cheaper if you pick your own.
Pick Your Own (PYO) Corn! They'll have pumpkins too.
Since you use Busa Bucks, you have more say on which veggies you get and when.
No dropoff option available.

Drumlin Farm - "1-2 shopping bags worth" (2 adults + 2 children)
http://www.massaudubon.org/Nature_Connection/Sanctuaries/Drumlin_Farm/csa.php
20 weeks: $575 ($525 w/ 8 hours of field work)
Fruit: +$65 (9 weeks)
Lincoln, MA, 13.5 miles, 28 minutes away
Summer 2008 sold out.
Check back in Sept 2008 to sign up for 2008-2009 winter share
For winter, work 8 hours over 4 weeks in October or pay another $100.
Pickup at the farm

The Farm School - half-bushel box
20 weeks: $600
Iggy's Bread - 130 Fawcett St, Cambridge, MA
1 person didn't like the quantity of food received

Farmer Dave's - NEW!
http://www.farmerdaves.net/somerville_csa.htm
East Somerville
18 weeks from Wednesday, July 2 through Wednesday, October 29
$360 for 2-4 people (+$30 admin fee)
$540 for 4-6 people (+$30 admin fee)
Offers an installment plan (make 4 payments instead of 1 lump sum)
Sign up by May 23, 2008
Offered different kinds of shares: New England, Central American, or Brazilian

The Food Project
4-18lbs
~16 weeks $450
Arlington, Cambridge, Jamaica Plain

Parker Farm
http://web.mac.com/parkerfarm
20-21 weeks, includes some fruit
(2007 had stopped dropoffs early but could still pickup at farm)
Small: $300 / Large: $475
Dropoffs in Davis Sq, Porter Sq, Central Sq
Farm is in Lunenburg, MA (~38 miles, 55 minutes away)
They even have an LJ community! parkerfarmcsa

Red Fire Farm - 10-15lbs/week
http://www.redfirefarm.com
Full (24 weeks): $575 ($525 for low-income)
Main (20): 475 ($425 for low-income)
Fruit: +$180 (must get veg share too to order fruit add-on)
MIT, Central Sq, or Union Sq/Somerville
They only have full shares. Tough to finish everything with just 1-2 people.
They also have a home delivery service in some zip codes.
Home delivery: +$220 (20 weeks), +$260 (24 wks)

Re-Vision Urban Farm
http://www.vpi.org/Re-VisionFarm/
partners with Drumlin Farm
$530 ($190 for low income)
Pickup at Milton, Dorchester, Roxbury, JP, Porter Sq, Central Sq

Six Farms CSA at Silverbrook Farm
http://www.silverbrookdartmouth.com/csa.html
Half - $490 / Full - $715
Cambridge (Watertown & Somerville) Pickups

Stillmans Farm (has Veg + Meat)
http://www.stillmansfarm.com
Half - $300 / Full - $450
No Cambridge/Somerville pickup
Pickups in Jamaica Plain, Brookline (@Clear Flour Bakery on Thorndike St)
Also pickups in Southborough, Framingham, New Braintree, Quincy
Meat CSA to JP and Brookline: 5/10/20 lbs/month = $275/450/870 for 6 months

Stone Soup Farm (new in 2008) - 20 weeks
http://stonesoupfarm.googlepages.com/csadetails
Full (10-15lbs): $450 ($400-550, sliding-scale)
Half (5-8lbs): $250-300
Egg share too?
The Democracy Center in Harvard Square (45 Mt. Auburn Street) – Tuesdays 3 – 6:30 pm
NonProfit Center in downtown Boston (89 South Street) – Tuesdays 4-7 pm

Waltham Fields Community Farm
SOLD OUT 2008
20 weeks: $535 + $25 membership
Apple share: +$75
Davis Sq
Lets you do pick-your-own
TONS of veggies

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OTHER

Allandale Farm
http://www.allandalefarm.com
Found mention of this farm on Boston/Brookline border
but I don't think they do a CSA
has a program where kids get to farm

Three Sisters Farm
http://threesistersfarm.com/
Last year was their first year as a CSA.
Servicing the Pioneer Valley area (about 2 hours west of Boston?)

http://www.weeklydig.com/department-commerce/eats-drinks/eats/200803/buying-farm
The Dig ran an article about CSAs but didn't mention specifics

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/463824
This thread has people talking about CSA experiences in the Boston area.

Cross-posted to b0st0n

Edited To Add: New CSA starting in East Somerville: posted to b0st0n
Edited To Add: Six Farms CSA at Silverbrook Farm

List of some LJ Boston CSA threads:
http://community.livejournal.com/davis_square/1302421.html

Comments

[versimilitant.livejournal.com]

Nothing like this in Cleveland! I'm so sad. But I'm so happy that you have taken up the local/organic food commitment. You won't be disappointed.

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure it's a local/organic commitment yet for me. I'm still mostly concerned with the welfare of the animals. I just decided to try out a veggies CSA too since it seemed like it might be cost-effective given the rising cost of food lately. I would think something like that would be available around Cleveland. I'm not sure what's really close to you but here are a few links that might hunt down some local farmers:
http://blueeggfarm.com (located 25 miles from Cleveland?) pasture-fed pork, lamb, turkey, chicken
http://www.ecocitycleveland.org/ecologicaldesign/sustain/food_systems/csa_resources.html
http://www.eatwild.com/products/ohio.html

[obie119.livejournal.com]

By the way, this is a fantastic list and I'm bookmarking! Enjoy your food - you won't go back!

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping the food comes out tasting great, especially with the meat. My cheapskate instincts cringe. Adding you to my f-list.

[pam.livejournal.com]

thanks, this is a great list!

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

Thanks for commenting! I'm glad you could use the list.

[syprina.livejournal.com]

Hi, just stumbled on your list while researching local food options. Thanks so much for posting. It's a great reference.