With the holidays behind us, a new season is around the corner! CSA season!
Now what on earth is a CSA? “CSA” is an acronym for “Community Supported Agriculture”, a model where consumers purchase shares of a farm’s harvest in advance of the growing season and become members of the farm. In exchange for this pre-season purchase, community members pick up a variety of produce during the growing season.
Purchasing your share earlier in the season, supports farmers during the winter season, and some farms may choose to utilize CSA funds to purchase seeds, tools, or necessary infrastructure for the growing season.
Much like locally grown produce, CSA’s can be a diverse blend of varieties from farm to farm! Some CSA’s offer full-sized shares, others offer half-sized shares, other farms offer shares based on the weight of the produce! Different share sizes accommodate the size of your household.
Some farms pre-package their CSA’s for pick-up in boxes or bags, while other farm’s may have a list of CSA items of the week and allow their members to pick the individual produce similar to a market or grocery store setting.
Farms typically have different pick-up days and times, and some farms even offer delivery or nearby pick-up options!
The CSA model has existed for quite some time, with early roots of the model being credited to community farm initiatives in Japan, Chile, and across Europe as early as the 1970’s (Source: Rodale Institute).
In the United States one of the earliest uses of the model was by Booker T. Whately, an agriculture professor and pioneer of sustainable agriculture following World War II.
Whately outlined 10 commandments that he categorized as essential for successful and sustainable farming. Included in these commandments was a term he coined as “Clientele Membership Club”, in which members paid an upfront fee to pick their own produce all season long. The more modern CSA model that we see today was pioneered in the 1980’s by Indian Line CSA in South Egremont, MA and Temple-Wilton Community Farm in Wilton, NH (Source: Food Print).
Participating in a local CSA program is a wonderful opportunity to support local farmers, enjoy seasonal produce, try new food, inspire your cooking, all while investing in our local economy!
For seven years, the Cheshire County Conservation District (CCCD) has administered the Monadnock Farm Share Program.
The Farm Share Program provides limited-income Monadnock Region residents with the opportunity to support their local CSA farmer and receive reliable high-quality produce on a regular basis all season long. CSA Share prices are discounted through an innovative cost-share model. Through the program, participating families and individuals receive a discounted weekly vegetable share at 50% of its value!
Farmers raise funds to cover 15% of the program costs and 35% of program costs is provided by the The Center for Population Health at Cheshire Medical Center through the Healthy Monadnock Alliance. The customer is responsible to pay 50% of the total share cost.
Community members choose from a listing of participating farms throughout the region! This program was developed for limited income residents of the Monadnock Region. This program is made available for households who without the program, would be unable to participate in a local Community Supported Agriculture program.
This program is available to Monadnock Region residents who live at or below 250% of the federal poverty income limit or have other reasons for needing assistance in participating in a farm share program.
The program was initiated in 2019 when farmers noticed a need for accessibility in farm share programs in our region.
On the program’s roots, CCCD District Manager Amanda Littleton shared, “A group of CSA farmers in the Monadnock Region approached the Conservation District on finding a way to make shares more affordable for limited income households. CCCD worked hand in hand with these farms to create the program and secure funding through Cheshire Medical Center. We think this is a fantastic collaboration to expand access to locally produced fruits and vegetables while supporting our region’s farms.”
The program is in line with several outcomes that are at the heart of the CCCD’s mission of supporting local farm viability, building community, and supporting local public health.
On participation in the program, one participant shared, “Interacting with the farmers and my fellow farm share members when I go is so lively, fun and enriches my life immensely!”
Another participant shared, “The opportunity to participate in a farm share is such a great blessing. It introduces new foods to my kids that I may not have thought to purchase on my own and provides an affordable way to get fresh produce for my family”.
One participant wrote, “A subsidized CSA makes fresh, locally grown produce more accessible to individuals or families who may not otherwise afford it. It has reduced the financial barrier of receiving fresh, and nutritious vegetables, making it more feasible to include them in our diet on a regular basis. This program has also given us the opportunity to support local farms and allowed us to have a shared experience with others who value local, and fresh food”.
Another farm share participant family shared, “Access to fresh veggies that is affordable helps our children develop a taste for a variety of healthy foods while they are young, hopefully setting them up for a lifetime of diverse and healthy food habits!”
From connecting with fellow community members, to learning about new foods, to incorporating nutritious vegetables in their diet, program participants have found the Monadnock Farm Share Program an enjoyable and beneficial experience.
On what the farm share program means to them, one program participant stated, “It means so much! Being in relationship with the land through food is a blessing. Having access to local produce, seeing where it's grown, feeling the nourishment with so much more complexity than what you can get at the store has been invaluable to my family. My daughter loves fresh vegetables and looked forward to getting them every week. Being able to meet farmer Gene and thank him for all his hard work helped us to practice practical gratitude for the abundance this program allowed”.
Another program participant shared, “This program has been a lifesaver for my family. Without it we would not be able to afford local fresh vegetables. I typically grocery shop for my family once or twice a month. We have often run out of fresh produce long before I am able to go back to the store. This ensures that I know my family has healthy vegetables each week. It's one less thing I have to worry about and I'm so happy I came across this program. I've also enjoyed connecting with local farmers in my area and showing my young son where our food comes from”.
The Cheshire County Conservation District (CCCD) is excited to announce the continuation of the Monadnock Farm Share Program for 2025. Seven Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) produce farms in the Monadnock Region have come together to ensure that farm fresh CSA vegetable shares are available and affordable for all interested community members in 2025. 2025 participating farms include: Dog Days Farm in Fitzwilliam, Foggy Hill Farm in Jaffrey, Hillside Springs Farm in Westmoreland, Hungry Bear Farm in Mason, Orange Door Farm in Wilton, Steppingstone Commons in Alstead, and Sun Moon Farm in Rindge. Learn more and apply here!
Applications will be selected on a first come, first serve basis and funding is limited. The CCCD will accept applications until March 10th, or until available shares have been awarded.
Discounted farm shares are also available for SNAP/EBT users through the Granite State Market Match Program. Interested in utilizing your SNAP/EBT dollars towards a farm share or local produce? Learn more about participating locations, here!
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