Six Great CSA Food Shares For New Yorkers

CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares are a growing trend with over 13,000 in North America. This season, joining the sustainable food network—and subsequently supporting local farmers and the environment—has never been easier for New Yorkers. Small farms around the Tri-State are working with local restaurants, bakeries, and farmers markets (some CSA’s are even offering door-to-door service) to deliver their delicious produce and humanely raised, hormone-free meats straight from the source to your table each season.

Here are six great CSA shares around NYC.

1. The CSA: Local Roots NYC | localrootsnyc.org

What’s Fresh: Headed up by Wen-Jay Ying, who also initiated the Red Jacket Orchards CSA (the first fruit-only CSA in NYC), this Brooklyn-based CSA offers fruit, duck, beef, egg, grain/bean, juice and bread options. There is now also an Artisanal Share, which might include local goods from Mike’s Hot Honey, Rick’s Picks, Liddabit Sweets, Granola Lab, and beef jerky from SlantShack. Businesses can also purchase a break-room share. Other cool aspects of this CSA include educational and cooking at home tips, recipes, and a bimonthly Supper Club.

The Price: The fall season offers several types of shares from $27 for an egg share to $228 for a beef share. Check the site for dates.

The Pick-up location: Pick-up locations are currently in Cobble Hill/Boerum Hill, Carroll Gardens, Williamsburg, and Tribeca

2. The CSA: High Point Farms | highpointfarms.net

What’s Fresh: Meat Share (grass-fed beef, pasture pork and free range chicken), the Non Pork Share (grass-fed beef, free range chicken) and the Egg Share: two dozen free range eggs each distribution. Your first share might be one pound of ground beef—two NY, Delmonico, or Fillet steaks—and a pork hot Italian sausage.

The Price: Ranges from $225-$1000

The Pick-up location: Jimmy’s 43 in Manhattan and 221 North 8th Street in Williamsburg. Visit the site for more location details.

3. The CSA: My Farm Share | myfarmshare.com

What’s Fresh: Veggie, fruit, and egg shares. Veggies include tomatoes, arugula, beets, cucumbers, potatoes, onions, and garlic. Fruits include cherries, peaches, plums, grapes, and pears.

The Price: Shares range from $625-$1185

The Pick-up location: Delivered directly to your door once a week for 22 weeks

4. The CSA: Flying Pigs Farm | flyingpigsfarm.com

What’s Fresh: Between three and five frozen cuts a week. Usually something to cook as a main dish (such as pork chops, a blade roast, or rack of ribs) and something more versatile (such as sausages, bacon, or sliced ham).

The Price: $550 for 10 weeks. You can purchase an egg share for an additional $25 for a dozen eggs every other week.

The Pick-up location: Pickup at Telepan restaurant on UWS or Peter’s Back Forty in the East Village. They also sell to leading NYC restaurants such as ABC Kitchen, Blue Hill, Grammercy Tavern, and Jean-Georges.

For more information on what a CSA food share is and why it’s good for your body and the earth, visit justfood.org/csa

5. The CSA: Bronx CSA | bronxcsa.wordpress.com | @bronxcsa

What’s Fresh: The food hails from Fresh Radish Farm, a small nine-acre family farm run by Felix Gonzalez in the Black Dirt region of Goshen, NY, just north of Manhattan. Choose from watermelon, squash, tomatillos, Mexican cilantro, tomatoes, carrots, zucchini, potatoes, and much more.

The Price: This is a mixed income CSA. A half share is $240, and a full share is $485 if you’re income is above $50k. If you’re income is between $35k and $50k, a half share costs $220 and a full share costs $440. Check the site for more prices and details.

The Pick-up location: Grand Concourse Seventh Day Adventist Temple; 1275 Grand Concourse (corner of 169th)

6. The CSA: Long Island City CSA | liccsa.wordpress.com

What’s Fresh: Each week you may choose to receive a diverse mix of freshly picked vegetables or fruit. Perks of the LIC CSA include recipes, cooking tips, and potluck dinners. Email longislandcitycsa@gmail.com for more details.

The Price: This mixed income CSA is made possible by the New York City Coalition Against Hunger. For above $50k, a full veggie share is $585 and a half share is $295. For between $50k and $35k, a full share is $550 and a half share is $275. For the fruit share, if you make above $50k, the full share is $215 and the half share is $110. For between $50k and $35k a full share is $200 and a half share is $100. 

The Pick-up location: All shares are picked up every Wednesday from 5-8pm at Hour Children Food Pantry, located at 36-49 11th Street.