Sign up now for the 2012 season!What's a CSA?
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, a program for purchasing fresh produce from a regional farm. With a CSA, you buy a fixed-price "share" of a farm's output at the beginning of the season, and receive a selection of their harvest once a week from the beginning of June through the beginning of November. CSAs reduce wasted food (in good years) and financial loss (in bad years), allowing smaller farms to avoid some of the great risk of their business. In return, you get fresh, organic vegetables delivered right to your neighborhood.
For more general history about CSAs, check out Wikipedia; for more information about CSAs in NYC, hop over to Just Food.
Who Are We?
Grand Street CSA is a partnership between residents of Grand Street and other neighboring blocks on Manhattan's lower east side, and Provider Farm in Salem, Connecticut. We are member-run and not-for-profit, organized in 2008 solely for the purpose of bringing fresh produce to our community.
How Does It Work?
In early spring, members commit to a full share or reduced share and pay Provider Farm through us. From the first week in June through the first week in November, farmers Max and Kerry Taylor deliver locally grown, organic produce once a week to our distribution spot, where you come to pick up that week's bounty.
Every member is also required to work at least two distribution shifts during the year, helping to set up the vegetables, sign in members, and clean up the distribution area.
A full share is generally enough for a (non-vegetarian) family of four; a reduced share is approximately 2/3 the size of a full share, and is good for a family of two. There is not a fixed quantity each week: you're getting fresh vegetables from a single farm, so the variety and amount will vary based on the farm's actual harvest.
Cost for the 2012 season is $550 for a full share and $425 for a reduced share. Additionally, each membership incurs a $10 admin fee to the CSA that supports our subsidy of a few low-income shares, as well as for the few supplies we use at distribution (scales, signs, rags). We also participate in Just Food's CSA Network, helping Just Food to expand CSAs in NYC — so an extra $5 is added to each membership to support Just Food.
CSA Extras
In addition to vegetables, we also have arrangements to provide fresh fruit, eggs, and pasta. The payment options are similar — you pre-pay for the entire season — though the share model is not exactly the same for each extra. (For example, egg shares can be bought at a fixed quantity of 12 or 6 per week — you're not actually getting a share of the hens' output.)
We also offer grass-fed beef and veal from Provider Farm, and New York State organic maple syrup.
(For details and pricing of all our shares, check the Shares page.)
Distribution
Shares are picked up every Tuesday from 5:15 pm to 8:00 pm at Abrons Art Center, 466 Grand Street, on the plaza just outside the main entrance. After signing in, you'll check the share breakdown on our white board and go from bin to bin collecting and weighing your vegetables for the week.
Distribution often has a lively, social atmosphere, where friends meet, recipes are swapped, and children are playing. On the second Tuesday of each month, the CSA tries to bring a planned event to distribution — cooking demonstrations, bake sales, and other goodies.
Each week, shares that are not picked up at distribution are donated to the food pantry run by Our Lady of Sorrows Church.
Remember to BYOB (bring your own bag) each week!
Join Us!
Registration for the 2012 season will be open on January 30.
For more information, email us or leave a voicemail at 347-673-1664.
