Shares

As CSA shareholders, we invest in the farmer who grows our food. Often, this means enjoying unexpected bounty, especially at the height of the growing season when tomatoes, corn, and summer squash are especially plentiful. But we also accept the risk of unforeseeable variations in the season, whether they result from excessive rain, drought, or heavy winds.

CSA makes for a direct relationship between producer and consumer, offering a means to bypass the distributors, buyers, and middlemen associated with conventional grocery stores. Our farmer is guaranteed a set market for his crops, and we members receive delicious, fresh organic produce (often picked the same day!) throughout the growing season, from mid-June through November.

The core of the CSA consists of the Vegetable Share. Members can choose to supplement their vegetables with optional Fruit, Flower, and Egg shares. Once a month, special orders of grass-fed meat, honey, bread, and other products can be placed through Lewis Waite Farm.

The vegetable share runs for 22 weeks, from mid-June through late November and provides enough produce to form the core of a week’s worth of meals for a typical omnivorous couple (we recommend that vegetarians and families supplement with additional vegetables). An average share consists of a couple pounds of leafy greens, a few pounds of hard veggies (like carrots, potatoes, and onions), and is often supplemented with fresh herbs and small quantities of specialty vegetables. Expect to see about six to eight different vegetable varieties each week.

Sample Midsummer Vegetable Share (August 9, 2007)

1/3 pound baby lettuce mix, 1 pound green beans, 5 ears corn, 2 beefsteak tomatoes, 7 Juliet tomatoes, 2 cucumbers, 1 bunch beets with greens attached, 3 yellow onions.

Sample Fall Vegetable Share (November 1, 2007)

1 bunch vitamin greens, 1 carnival squash, 6 pieces parsnips, 1 bunch carrots, 1 bunch red Russian kale, 2 pieces eggplant, 1 head bok choy, 2 heads garlic, 1 bunch thyme.

Fruit Share (optional)

The fruit share runs for 20 weeks, beginning with the first or second week’s distribution. A typical share might consist of a pint of berries or several pounds of apples. Though it’s not grown on Windflower Farm, Ted gathers fruit from local farmers who use integrated pest management (IPM) or low-spray agricultural practices. For the time being, not all of the fruit is grown organically.

Fruits we have received during a given season include:

apples • apricots • blueberries • blackberries • cherries • nectarines • peaches • pears • plums • raspberries • rhubarb • strawberries

Organic Flower Share (optional)
Running for ten weeks, flower shares consist of a fresh-cut bouquet of a single variety of flower or an arrangement of several blooms grown on Windflower Farm, all selected for their color, fragrance, and long-lasting qualities

Past flower shares have included:

asters • bells of Ireland • campanulas • celosia • cosmos • cockscomb • gladiolas • godetia • lavatera • larkspur • lilies • lisianthus • rudbeckia • snapdragons • sunflowers • sweet William • zinnias

Egg Share (optional)

Members can purchase free-range eggs from Elihu Farm, owned by Ted’s neighbors, Mary and Bob Pratt, who raise sheep and free-range chickens on protected lands.

Lewis Waite CSA Pastured Meat and Poultry

In addition to raising their own grass-fed and pastured animals, Alan and Nancy Brown of Lewis Waite manage a collective of regional family farms, delivering humanely raised meat, cheese, bread, honey, and more to New York City CSAs. Once a month, CSA members can place online orders for pick up at distribution.