Anyone who gardens or farms knows that the winter months are a slow time of the year. It is the time we all take to evaluate what worked and, sometimes more importantly, what didn’t work over the past few months. It is also the time for long wintery afternoons spent inside with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book or a deck of cards with the kids.
But what about those of us who count on our gardens or fields for a steady income? Most Farmers Markets around here close in mid-August. Granted, most of our sellers are farmers with large fields of corn and/or wheat to harvest. Winter can be a hard time for those of us without the rest of the farm to count on.
CSA’s are no exception. Most close up completely for the winter. Some have found ways to keep in touch with shareholders and offer a few items throughout the winter. I interviewed four CSA owners in different areas to find out what they do during these slow months and how they keep their communities involved.
Nebraska
Ruth Chantry runs the Common Good Farm in Raymond, Nebraska serving the Lincoln area for the last ten years. No stranger to community farming, they came from Wisconsin serving the St. Paul, Minnesota community prior to coming to Nebraska. Ruth sends out two newsletters over the winter, one in January and one in April. In early February they have a potluck dinner for any members from the previous year as well as any newcomers for the following year. Ruth also sells eggs during the winter. She states, “So folks sometimes come around for that and feel connected to us via the eggs even if they buy them at the food coop or another health food store in our (area).”
There are also a few CSA’s around that operate only in the wintertime, giving shareholders fresh produce in the midst of the harsh weather. One such farm is in Lodi, NY, called the Blue Heron Farm. They store and market winter produce and you can buy a winter share from them.
In general, CSA’s operate from May to October, giving shareholders anywhere from eleven to twenty four weeks of harvested crops. Shares run between $300 and $600 a year, depending on the size of the farm and the location and the number of weeks it is open.
For more information on CSA’s and to find one in your area check out Biodynamics [4] for lots of links. The USDA's Alternative Farming Systems Information Center [5] also has a list of publications at with links to other sites to locate a CSA near you.
Farm & Garden’s very own Beth Lambert Hook has an article on making the decision on when to close the CSA [6] at for a personal look into the management and decisions one must make at the end of the season.
No matter where you live, from California to Maine, there are more than 1000 CSA’s across the US. Not nearly enough, in my opinion. I live in west central Nebraska and the closest one to me is three hours away in Colorado. Food for thought – maybe I need to start my own right here!