What is CSA?
Community Supported Agriculture
The majority of Glynwood’s USDA Certified Organic produce is sold through our CSA program. CSA is a model of farming and food distribution that decommodifies the way we access food, bringing you into a meaningful relationship with your farmers. By purchasing a “share” of the farm’s annual harvest upfront and committing to membership for a full season, you help the farm plan for the season and establish a solid financial foundation for the year. CSA members experience a full growing season with the farm, allowing you to get in touch with the cyclical, seasonal nature of farming and share in the farm's abundance. In addition, Vegetable CSA members at Glynwood have access to a pick-your-own vegetable field and herb garden when you come to the farm to pick up your share. We offer vegetable CSA shares year-round.
How does it work?
Summer/Fall Vegetable CSA
Glynwood's Summer/Fall Vegetable CSA runs annually from June to November. Pickups take place at Glynwood's Farm Store in Cold Spring, NY on Tuesday or Friday from 2 - 6 PM. Members of our CSA have the option to purchase a Full Share (24 weekly pickups) or a Half Share (12 biweekly pickups). All shares contain around 10 varieties of USDA Certified Organic vegetables as well as access to our ever-blooming Pick Your Own Field. Glynwood's Summer/Fall CSA is distributed "market-style", meaning you hand-select your vegetables from burlap baskets and weigh your produce yourself. Our harvest list rotates every week, ensuring that you will experience an ever-shifting, seasonal variety of vegetables.
Sample Share Contents:
JULY:
Eggplant, Red Onion, Amaranth, Sunflower Shoots, Beets, Fennel, Zucchini, Cucumber, Carrots, Lettuce.
PYO: Flowers and Herbs
SEPTEMBER:
Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, Sweet Peppers, Potatoes, Scallions, Cilantro, Mesclun Mix, Radishes, Broccoli Greens, Cabbage.
PYO: Flowers, Hot Peppers, Cherry Tomatoes
Share Options:
Beyond selecting either a Classic Full Share (24 weekly pickups) or Classic Half Share (12 biweekly pickups) you can choose to scale your payment amount with two new shares we are introducing.
Community Harvest Shares are designated solely for community members who would otherwise not be able to participate in our CSA without financial assistance. Community Harvest Shares are priced at a 33% discount. Please evaluate your decision carefully as these shares are very limited. Alternatively, if you need to pay for your share in installments, you can reach out to hear more about our options.
Classic Shares are our standard market price option. At our market rate, you still save roughly 30% off vegetables purchased at our retail Farm Store or the local farmers' market. Classic shares are best suited for the wide majority of our community members.
Supporter Shares include a $100 donation that supports our CSA program and allows us to offer more Community Harvest Shares. Donations are tax-deductible and help us live into our work to build more just and resilient food systems. If you are interested in making a gift beyond purchasing a Supporter Share, you can do so, here.
With credit and gratitude to fellow Hudson Valley farms for demonstrating how to structure a sliding scale model for CSA: Soul Fire Farm, Rocksteady Farm, Poughkeepsie Farm Project, Brooklyn Grange, The 607 CSA, and Full Plate Farm Collective.
Choosing Your Share:
Consider our Classic Share or Supporter Share if you: own your home, have investments, hold retirement accounts, have access to inherited or family money, travel recreationally, have maintained employment at a living wage through the pandemic, and have higher earning power due to your race, class, gender, or education.
Consider a Community Harvest Share if you: receive public assistance, are supporting children or dependents, have weighty debt, are experiencing a lack of employment or income, face immigration-related or medical expenses, or are a member of a historically marginalized group.
Consider CSA is a SNAP if you: utilize Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits as part of your food purchasing budget and are able to pay on a week-by-week basis.
Pricing:
Enrolling in a CSA remains the most effective way to receive an abundance of freshly harvested, USDA Organic vegetables on a regular basis. At each of our scaled payment options, you will pay a lower price than if you bought the same vegetables from our retail market or a farmers' market. We estimate that a full share at our retail price would cost $1450.
The ultimate goal of a sliding scale model is economic solidarity, in which individuals with different financial resources pay proportional amounts of their incomes for the food on their tables. We help accomplish this by inviting our CSA members to self-select one of three price levels after assessing their own financial situation, including inherited wealth, home ownership, dependents, and current earning power. When shareholders opt for the highest price point, we are able to offer more subsidized shares at the lower-priced tiers, and to expand CSA is a SNAP to increase access to the food we produce while maintaining our farm’s economic viability.
