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What is a CSA?

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and refers to a model of farming where farmers sell harvest shares in the "off-season" (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 secure income when expenses are highest 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 in the early part of the season when many of our expenditures take place, benefits the environment by decreasing packaging and pollution, and benefits consumers by providing fresh, high-quality produce at competitive prices.

Share the risk, share the bounty.

What is a CSA at WFCF? 

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 CSAs that take many different forms. At Waltham Fields Community Farm, you can 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 and flowers, their peak ripeness.

We see the CSA model as building long-term relationships between households and the farm. The farmer and shareholders become partners in the production, distribution, and consumption of locally grown food. The real benefits on both sides are realized over many seasons, as shareholders engage with us and the land, increasing our community's collective understanding of sustainable agriculture, promoting public health and nutrition, sharing knowledge, and nurturing our soils for the future. A challenging season is educational for all of us, while we share the rewards of a bountiful season.

As a CSA shareholder, you are pre-paying for our best effort to provide you with a 110% return on your investment in value, but you are also making your own commitment to supporting the sustainability of local farms through assuming the risks inherent in farming. In a good season, you will receive excellent value; in a challenging year, you may receive less. That said, we have a strong track record of success, with a reputation for high quality and great value.

What types of shares are available from Waltham Fields Community Farm?

20-week Summer CSA  - Pick up seasonal veggies once a week for 20 weeks from June - October. These large shares are designed for households of vegetable lovers. This share includes pick-your-own crops that can be harvested any day of the week!

The summer share size gains momentum over the course of the season, ending with an overall average of 20 lb. per week. If you split a 20-week share with another family - all households must be dues-paying members of our organization in order to join the CSA.  This tax-deductible contribution supports our educational and food access programming.  Please add a membership to your cart for each household participating in the CSA.

10-week Summer CSA  - This share is picked up every other week. It works well for a smaller household, or for someone still learning the ropes on managing a "CSA kitchen." During your pickup week, the crop selection and quantity will be the same as our 20-Week Shareholders. Please keep in mind that certain crops may only be in the share for a week, which may not land on your pickup week.

10 & 20-week Subsidized Summer CSA - These shares include the same quantity of vegetables as our 10 & 20 week shares for half the price. They are designed for low-income families & individuals. We determine eligibility for these shares based on current USDA SNAP eligibility guidelines. Check if you qualify to receive SNAP here & reach out to ana@communityfarms if you are interested.

10 & 20-week SNAP CSA Shares - subsidized shares paid monthly using SNAP benefits 

NEW FOR 24: Lil Share  - Pick up a pre-determined items every week for 20 weeks from June - October. More details coming soon!

Fruit CSA - Eight weeks of fresh fruit from mid-August - mid October from Autumn Hills Orchard in Groton, MA. During these eight weeks, you will receive 4-5 pounds of varied fruit depending on the week, growing conditions, and fruit selection. In late August and early September you can expect peaches, nectarines, Japanese plums, and grapes. The remaining weeks will consist mostly of unique apple varieties. 

20 week Mushroom CSA - Enjoy 20 weeks of fresh mushrooms from June - October. These certified-organic mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm are grown in the Merrimack Valley.  Each week includes one pound of mushrooms; the varieties change each week based on availability. Mushrooms include Shiitake, Oyster, King Trumpet, Lion’s Mane, Chestnut, and Pioppino. 

10 week Mushroom CSA - Enjoy 10 weeks of fresh mushrooms during the "Early" or "Late" Seasons (June - August or August - October). These certified-organic mushrooms from Fat Moon Farm are grown in the Merrimack Valley.  Each week includes one pound of mushrooms; the varieties change each week based on availability. Mushrooms include Shiitake, Oyster, King Trumpet, Lion’s Mane, Chestnut, and Pioppino. 

To sign up for a share after June 1, email ana@communityfarms.org

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What is a member? What does my membership fee pay for? What is a shareholder?

Membership with Waltham Fields Community Farm supports community farming and sustainable agriculture in Massachusetts. The WFCF membership fee starts at $35 per person, or $50 per household, and is used to support the charitable programs of our non-profit organization, including our food access, education and outreach programs. Membership is valid for one year and is a tax-deductable donation in support of our non-profit mission. We have several new options for our membership, so please review this section of our website here.

CSA shareholders of Waltham Fields Community Farm are ‘investors’ in our farm, paying in advance for a portion of our harvest, sharing in both the risk and the bounty of our farming season. Shareholders participate in our CSA program. All shareholders are required to be current members of our nonprofit organization. 

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What is included in a summer share?

The farm grows more than forty different kinds of vegetables for the CSA and our food access program. At each distribution, shareholders receive a variety of freshly harvested vegetables as well as some pick-your-own produce such as peas, beans, and cherry tomatoes. Some items, such as summer squash, salad greens, and tomatoes, will be available for several weeks, while other crops, like fennel, parsnips, or rutabaga, might only be harvested for one or two weeks. Each week, shareholders also receive a newsletter, which includes farm news and food preparation tips. See our harvest schedule and produce information and recipes page for a list of produce that is grown for the Summer CSA. We also partner with a mix of other local, organic farms to receive produce such as potatoes and winter squash.

If you’d like more information about the farms we partner with, please don’t hesitate to email Ana or talk to us during CSA share distributions.

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Is WFCF’s produce organic?

Since 1995, we have grown our 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 for long-term fertility and health in order to grow nutritious, vital 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 are committed members of the Massachusetts chapter of the  Northeast Organic Farming Association and attend various yearly conferences, trainings and workshops regarding organic practices.  At Waltham Fields Community Farm, we believe that knowing your farmer and being engaged with your farm as a consumer is the best way to ensure that your food is produced responsibly. We encourage our 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 and on-farm educational events. We invite all our shareholders to join us in the fields for a firsthand taste of sustainable farming practices.

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How many people does a Summer CSA share feed?

That really depends on your eating and cooking habits. Some things to think about: How often do you cook at home? Are you really into veggies, or are you a "beginner"? Generally, a Summer 20-week share is the right amount for two vegetable loving adults that really enjoy cooking with fresh produce, or an "average" family of four. We aim to grow ample amounts of the basics along with a generous selection of more unusual crops each season. However, you should definitely plan to supplement pantry essentials item like onions and garlic with purchases from your local farmers’ markets and farm stands.

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Can I buy a half-share?

Waltham Fields Community Farm offers 20-week shares, picked up every week and a limited number of 10-week shares, picked up on an every-other-week basis. If you would like to split a 20-week share with a friend, you may arrange to do so (see below). The 10-week shares are not available to split.

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Can I split a share?

It is common for households to split a 20-week CSA share in several ways. Most commonly, households will either come together to pick up their vegetables - splitting the share down the middle in the barn. Or will swap weeks, each receiving a full share every other week. You can choose what works best for and your sharepartner. If you do split a 20-week share, we will list the share in our database & check in list under one name and address (the primary shareholder), though we are happy to email the weekly newsletter to multiple people for each share. We require that each household splitting a share be a dues-paying member of Waltham Fields Community Farm.

We do not keep a list of shareholders wanting to split a share; it is up to the primary shareholder to find a share partner.

Keep in mind that the quantities of vegetables in the shares may not always be conducive to splitting (for example, you might receive one butternut squash or one head of cabbage in a given week and have to decide with your share partner how to divvy up your veggies). Please also remember that if you are splitting a share among several adults, you will almost definitely find that you need to supplement your vegetables with trips to the farmers’ market or a local farm stand.

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Is share distribution ever canceled due to weather?

Yes, although rarely. The CSA distribution site at the farm will remain open during rain or snow but will be canceled during electrical storms or severe winter storms for reasons of safety. We will post an announcement on social media (Instagram, Facebook) if the farm is closed.

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What if I’m late to the pick-up site? What happens to my share if I forget to pick it up?

CSA shareholders are welcome to pick up on either distribution day, and you don't need to tell us which day you are coming each week. Any food that is not picked up at the end of the day on Saturday is donated to our hunger relief partners in addition to the produce we are harvesting specifically for this cause. We close our CSA promptly at the end of each distribution. 

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What happens if the pick-up is on a holiday?

Our pick-up schedule generally doesn't change (vegetables don’t take a vacation!), but on occasion, we will shift the schedule to accommodate major holidays, like July 4.  If we need to change the pick-up schedule, we will provide advance notice through our CSA newsletters, social media and signage at the distribution barn.

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What happens to my share if I go on vacation?

We encourage you to share the harvest and make arrangements with friends, colleagues, or neighbors to pick up your share while you are gone. You do not need to let the distribution coordinator or farm staff know that someone else will be picking up your share; just make sure that whoever will pick up your share checks in with the distribution coordinator under your name during your designated week. Our Barn Staff is happy to walk anyone through the pick up process when they arrive.

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Can CSA shareholders pick their own vegetables?

Most vegetables are harvested and made available to shareholders in the distribution barn. A few crops, such as peas, beans, and cherry tomatoes, must be picked by summer CSA shareholders themselves as par of our Pick-Your-Own offering. When you get to the farm, you’ll check the Pick-Your-Own sheet for a list of crops and amounts available to be harvested per share.

Pick your own crops may include cherry tomatoes, snap beans, wax beans, fava beans, plum tomatoes, hot peppers, tomatillos and fresh herbs. 

The farm is open for pick-your-own from during daylight hours. For more information about pick-your-own crops, see tips to make your farm pick-up go smoothly.

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Do I get fruit in my share?

You can expect one or two weeks of watermelons and cantaloupe in a 10 or 20-week share. We will have additional local fruit for sale at our Farm Stand. If you are looking for more fruit, we offer an 8-week Fruit CSA. 

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Can another person pick up my share?

Yes. We don’t need to know that someone else will pick up your share. Just make sure that your friend checks in with our distribution coordinator under your name. If they are not familiar with our CSA, they can talk with our Barn Staff upon arrival and they will be happy to walk them through the process or answer questions.

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Are there any other benefits to being a member of Waltham Fields Community Farm CSA?

As a CSA shareholder, you will enjoy five months of fresh, locally and sustainably grown produce. As a member of Waltham Fields Community Farm, you will also be part of a vibrant agricultural community that works to support and promote local agriculture, provide hands-on education to children and adults about how food is grown, and donate fresh vegetables to local hunger relief programs. Members receive discounts on WFCF merchandise & apparel, farm events, and more. For a full list of member benefits, please see our membership enrollment page.

We also invite all our shareholders to visit the farm during our volunteer drop-in hours to work in the fields. You may also visit at other times to stroll, picnic, or play on the grounds. Please stay out of planted fields and workspaces unless you are doing pick-your-own or volunteering with a farm staff member.

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Can I work for my vegetables?

Waltham Fields Community Farm offers a limited number of work shares each season. Visit our job opportunities page to see if any work share positions are available.