Community Supported Agriculture at Waltham Fields Community Farm

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As a means of funding an experienced farm manager Community Farms Outreach began a community supported agriculture (CSA) program at Waltham Fields Community Farm in 1997 with 59 shareholders. Our CSA is now 300 shareholders strong and the CSA is a vital part of our farm community and volunteer base.

What is Community Supported Agriculture?

CSA refers to a model of farming in which farmers sell harvest shares (vegetables, flowers, meat, etc.) directly to people in the local community. It was adopted in America from Japanese and European models, largely as a response to the disappearance of the small farm. CSA represents a shared commitment - shareholders commit to the farm for the season, providing farmers with a secure customer base, and farmers commit to doing their utmost to provide their shareholders with the best-quality, most nutritious food around. This direct connection between farmer and consumers bypasses middlemen (e.g., marketers, long distance shippers), benefits the farmer by increasing farm revenue, benefits the environment by decreasing packaging and pollution, and benefits consumers by providing fresh, high-quality produce at competitive prices.

CSA brings together community members, farmers and agricultural land in a relationship of mutual support based on an annual commitment to one another. There are many kinds of CSA's. At Waltham Fields Community Farm, members of the community purchase a "share" of the anticipated harvest, and make payment in advance at an agreed price. In exchange, the farmers plant, cultivate, harvest, wash and distribute a bountiful selection of vegetables, fruit, flowers and herbs. In short, the farmer and members become partners in the production, distribution and consumption of locally grown food. Because we believe that fresh, local food should be available to all members of our community, we also partner with several local organizations to provide our vegetables to needy families and individuals. You can support our hunger relief work by making a contribution.

How the CSA works at Waltham Fields Community Farm

When harvest begins, usually in early June, shareholders pick up their vegetables at the farm each week. See "How to Join our CSA" for more information about pickup schedules.

WFCF depends on a large volunteer labor force, and we invite all our shareholders to join us in our work!

CSA shareholders work in the fields with the farm staff, help with office work and serve on the CFO board of directors. You can also bring a group of volunteers from your workplace, school or faith community to the farm. More information on volunteering with us is available in the Get Involved section of the site.

Share the risk, share the bounty

Shareholders take on the risk of the farming season with our farmers. As a CSA shareholder, you agree to share the risks inherent in farming. We plan to provide our shareholders with their money’s worth of vegetables and herbs over the course of the season, valued at prices we think are fair and reasonable to our shareholders and our farm operation. In a good season, you will receive more produce; in a challenging year, you may receive less.

Our commitment to sustainable farming

Since 1995, we have grown our vegetable crops at Waltham Fields Community Farm using organic practices. We use only materials approved by the Organic Materials Review Institute for pest control and fertility management. We manage our soil to grow nutritious, healthy, vigorous, delicious food without the use of synthetic chemicals. While we are not certified organic, our commitment to sustainability in and out of the fields is ongoing.

We encourage CSA shareholders to ask our farm staff about our farming practices, and we make it a habit to communicate those practices through our CSA newsletter. We invite all our shareholders to join us in the fields for a firsthand taste of sustainable farming practices.