It’s Always CSA Season at Harvest Market

Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is an alternative, locally based economic model of agriculture and food distribution. By choosing to participate in a CSA program, you make a very powerful commitment to purchase sustainable produce, cheese, eggs, meat, bread, flowers, herbal medicine, and many more items that positively impacts our local economy, personal health, and planet.

Here are some of the many reasons that it makes sense to participate in a CSA:

1. Support sustainable farming practices
2. Encourage humane animal husbandry practices
3. Carry on a tradition
4. Reduce your trips to the grocery store
5. Reduce your food miles
6. Build community
7. Eat healthy, seasonally, locally
8. Expand your taste buds

(Source: Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative).

Harvest Market serves as a pick up location for four local CSAs:

Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative – Leola, Pennsylvania

Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative (LFFC) is a non-profit organic cooperative of small-scale, Certified Organic farms in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. LFFC’s 100+ family farmers originally began as a handful of families who’d realized they were traveling to and competing in the same marketplaces. Rather than continue to compete, the farmers decided to work together as a cooperative, share their resources to better serve their goals, and sustain their livelihood.

LFFC farmers continue to focus on creating nutrient dense, hyper local, healthy, and unsurpassed quality produce from our highly maintained and enriched Lancaster County soils. Their cooperative of farmers and producers offer the following CSA share options: Organic Vegetables, Fruit, Eggs, Cheese, Bread, Chicken, Flowers, Community Supported Medicine (Herbal Medicine), Herbs and Meat.

Click HERE to learn more and register for one or more LFFC CSA Shares.

North Star Orchard – Cochranville, Pennsylvania

North Star Orchard’s Fruit Share is a very popular option for folks who are looking for more than mediocre grocery store fruit. The Fruit Share includes a variety of the finest fruit North Star has to offer, including new and heritage varieties of apples, peaches, plums, nectarines, pears, Asian pears, and seedless table grapes.

*The Fruit Share sells out early every year, so act quickly and sign up now by clicking HERE!*

Calvert Farm – Rising Sun, Maryland

Now in its 22nd growing season, Calvert Farm proudly continues the tradition of working with other small family farms to bring the best variety and freshness to your table. Like many other CSAs, these small farms grow using sustainable/natural methods, but not all are Certified Organic. A range of vegetables and fruit, in addition to eggs, are available through the Calvert Farm CSA. View a sample of their offerings by visiting one member’s Calvert Farm CSA Photo Diary, which chronicles her weekly share contents. Click HERE to learn more or to sign up.

Three Birds Bouquet – Chester County, Pennsylvania

As a Summer CSA member, you will receive an arrangement of fresh cut, chemical-free, seasonal flowers once a week for 12 weeks, from the first week of June to the last week of August. Grown with love by a collective of three local women, Three Birds Bouquet encourages you to purchase organically grown flowers as an alternative to imported ones, so you get fresher healthier blooms, a smaller carbon footprint, and the knowledge that you are supporting community-based agriculture in your own backyard.

Take a look at Three Birds’ 2015 Petal Portfolio for examples of what you can expect in your weekly bouquet. (Hint: This CSA Share serves as a wonderful Birthday or Anniversary gift, so dig in and sign up while there are still shares available!)

If you’re interested, please contact the CSA providers directly to learn more, sign up, and make your payment. Thank you for supporting local, sustainable agriculture in our region!

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