What goes in the box?

A full-season monthly share will have 2 weeks of fresh vegetables and 2 weeks of things that store well, like root vegetables and other hardier crops. This style of box will require the preservation of vegetables and herbs through dehydration, freezing, canning, and fermentation. Please keep this in mind when you sign up. A one-and-one-ninths bushel box is fairly large (one adult cat can sit in it), and we will do our best to fill it fully every week. You may benefit from having food gatherings with friends or sharing the full box with another family/friend. You may also find yourself donating some things to the food shelf if you know you won’t eat them! You can also request a replacement if you have vegetable overwhelm. We do not give refunds at any time during the season. If the box isn’t up to standard, give us respectful feedback via email or text message.

June- Head lettuce, Radishes, Herbs, Scallions, Summer Squash, Green Garlic, Kohlrabi

July- Kale, Chard, Collards, Snap Peas, Head Lettuce, Green Garlic, Cucumbers, Cabbage, Green Beans

August-Usually no head lettuce! But similar to June and July with the addition of beets, carrots, tomatoes, maybe watermelon!

September- Tomatoes, and usually everything else!

October- end of CSA season, Winter squash, Garlic, fall root crops, winter hardy greens, microgreens, pea shoots

What is CSA and where did it begin?

CSA is an acronym for Community Supported Agriculture. Our community keeps the farm running by covering our seasonal start-up costs. These costs include: seeds, potting soil, fertilizer, business insurance, and a lot more. Keeping small farms viable means keeping money in the community and keeping biodiversity thriving.

CSA began, according to most people, in the 1970’s. It’s highly possible that forms of CSA were around before then. This article from Rodale Institute does a deep dive into the history.

What do you grow?

We grow 150+ varieties of herbs and vegetables. A typical share has 6-14 vegetables in it. This seasonal chart from MDA Minnesota Grown is a good guide on what to expect when. Sweet peppers and watermelons are usually later than we would like, but that can be the nature of living “just north enough”.

What do Farmers do in the winter?

Sometimes this changes from year to year. Lately Margaret has been substitute teaching and staying involved in the local area via Chisago schools. Margaret also serves on the Neighborhood Roots (Farmers Market in Minneapolis) Board. Andrew is employed by Sunrise Flour Mill in North Branch and also drives School Bus for St.Croix Falls School District. This article from the Star Tribune highlights more information on this commonly asked question.

How do i store my fresh vegetables?

Folks often think that fresh vegetables will spoil right away. Au Contraire! That is one advantage to buying locally. When your produce doesn’t travel as far, it lasts longer! Anyways, there is a lot of great information on the internet about how to store vegetables. Once you figure out a system that works for you, stick with it! The crisper drawers in your refrigerator are generally not designed to keep vegetables crisp…at least my old fridge certainly isn’t!