CSA Frequently Asked Questions

What is a CSA?

We think the model of Community Supported Agriculture is truly a beautiful thing. Here’s how it works: before the growing season begins, members purchase a share of the farm’s harvest, investing in the season before any food is grown. Once harvesting starts in May, CSA members receive a weekly box of vegetables throughout the season. This early support allows us to pay for seeds, soil amendments, supplies, and labor during the critical early months of the year. In return, members receive a steady supply of fresh, seasonal food all summer long. The CSA model is vital to the success of small farms like ours and strengthens the connection between the farmers who grow the food and the people who eat it. By joining our CSA, you learn where your food comes from, know your farmers, and become part of a community that cares deeply about the health of our land and the wellbeing of our community.

When does the CSA typically start and end?

The summer share starts the last week of May and ends the last week of September—18 weeks total. The Fall CSA share starts early October and ends late November. Fall CSA shares will go on sale late summer.

What comes in my box each week?

Each week we pack our CSA boxes with whatever is in peak season on our farm, so the content of the boxes change each and every week depending on the time of year. You can expect 5-7+ different vegetable in your box. Our share size is a suited well to 1-2 people who eat vegetables about half the week (if you eat more, we offer a free extra vegetable to add on to your share each week if you want more). We try to give you a variety of items that will cover all your vegetable bases. We grow over 70 different kinds and over 200 varieties of vegetables, so you certainly won’t get bored. See sample CSA schedule below:

-Summer Share Begins-

Week 1: Arugula, spinach, scallions, butter lettuce, baby bok choy, french breakfast radish, herbs

Week 2: Carrots, salad turnips, swiss chard, kale, baby lettuce mix, herbs, mizuna

Week 3: Strawberries, salad mix, spinach, collard greens, romaine, baby kale, carrots

Weeks 4 - 18: Cucumbers, broccoli, garlic scapes, carrots, beets, tomatoes, zucchini, snap peas, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, sauté greens, lettuce, basil, eggplants, sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, leeks, watermelon, celery, hot peppers, herbs, potatoes, salad greens & so much more

-One week break-

-Fall Share Begins (Fall share will go on sale mid-summer)

Week 1: Spinach, beets, winter radishes, bell peppers, kale, cauliflower, celery root, onions, broccoli, parsley

Week 2: Spinach, carrots, turnips, collards, cabbage, kohlrabi, leeks, arugula, potatoes, herbs

Weeks 3-7: Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, rutabaga, spinach, carrots, kale, onions, swiss chard, winter radishes, celery root, winter squash, parsley, potatoes

Will I know in advance what's in my share?

Yes, we send out a CSA newsletter to members 2-3 days before you get your box with a list and labeled photo of the vegetables included, a weekly recipe highlight that includes all of the items, our recipe index and the opportunity to add additional vegetables, herbs, flowers or other pantry items to your box.

When and where do I pick up my share?

CSA pickups are every Wednesday from 4 - 7pm or Saturday from 10am - 1pm starting in May and running to September. Pickups are located on our farm in South Troy, NY: 40 Springwood Manor, Troy, NY 12180.

Can I get my share delivered?

Yes! If you live locally within our delivery range in the city of Troy, NY, we offer home delivery on either Wednesday evenings or Saturday late morning.

What if I am on vacation?

New for 2026: if you are taking a trip or know you won’t be able to pick up your share during the timeframe of the CSA, you can pause your share and opt for a double share the following week when you return. If you want to pause your share for a week but don’t want the double share, we can donate your vegetables to a local food pantry or food fridge at your request.

What if I can’t pick up my share on time?

We strongly urge members to pick up on your assigned pick up day, but if that is simply not possible one week you may pick up the following morning as long as you contact us ahead of time. The share will be the same that was prepared for you on your pick up day due to labor and time involved in packing CSA shares. If you are unable to pickup your share at all, we will donate your share to the food pantry after one full day has passed.

What if I know that I don’t like certain vegetables or have an allergy to certain vegetables? Can I still get a share?

This is very common and why we created our Flex CSA Share. With the Flex share you get a credit for our Virtual Farmstand so you can compile your CSA share weekly with the vegetables that you want. It allows you to still participate in the CSA model, support our farm, get first pick of the best vegetables but avoid any vegetables you don’t want or can’t have.

We will also be offering a “swap box” for CSA members in 2026 who pickup their share from the farm, so if you don’t like a vegetable that came in your share, you can swap it out with something you’d rather have from the swap box.

What happens if there is a complete or partial crop failure?

In the unlikely event that all of our crops gets wiped out by disease or weather, we will source from other local farms to make sure we fill out your boxes each week, not to worry! If only one of our crops fail, we will swap out that crop for a different one of similar value in your share.

Do you offer refunds for CSA shares?

If you decide you don’t want to or can’t participate in the CSA before the start date, we will offer you a refund but we ask that you cover the expense of the 3% credit card fees so we don’t lose money on the sale. Once the CSA has begun, we do not offer refunds.

The upfront cost of the CSA is too much for me, can I still participate?

Yes!! We really want you to be able to access good food despite any limitations you may have. Please apply for our Community Funded Farm Share to get part or all of your share cost covered. We also offer installment payments for our weekly CSA share as an option to help make it affordable.

Is your farm Organic?

We use all organic growing practices on our farm! We are not currently certified because we believe organic standards have fallen short of where they should be and we instead elect to being transparent with our growing practices with our customers.

We never, ever use chemical pesticides or herbicides, fungicides, synthetic fertilizers, or non-food grade materials on our farm. We go above and beyond the standards of organic certification in all of our practices on our farm. We use crop rotation, integrative pest management, diversification, pollinator habitat, intercropping, cover cropping, compost teas, solarization, and other organic methods to avoid ever having to use pesticides or herbicides. We use a plant positive and soil positive growing approach to make sure our crops are robust to ward off pests and disease. We test our soil for contaminants, including lead, heavy metals and PFAS via the University of Vermont and York Labs (read more about why comprehensive elective soil testing is important here.) We pride ourselves in extremely minimal use of plastic on our farm and in our growing practices, and have really strict standards on the potting soil we use and the compost we produce. These are just a few examples of the extent we go to to make sure the food we produce is not only delicious but safe. Not only are we feeding this community with the food we grow, but we eat this food ourselves, and we feed it to our own child, so we feel the burden of responsibility as growers in every decision we make! Read more about our practices.