The CSA

Our CSA program supports the work of our farm and provides our livelihood. By participating in our CSA program, you become a shareholder of our farm, pledging your economic support at the beginning of each season so that we may be sure that our operation costs are covered. In exchange for your economic support (the cost of your CSA share), you receive your share of our farmʼs fruit and vegetable production: either a bin every week or every other week.

The farm is always open to our CSA members.  We have an open house in the spring as well as several workdays throughout the season so that members can participate in the work of our farm, gaining an appreciation for the food in their share.  Sharing the farm’s sights, sounds, and smells with our members also enables them to appreciate more deeply their relationship with their physical place—the place that grows their food, nourishes their families, and supports the interlinked chain of people that make up their community. We believe that our knowledge of our physical place increases our knowledge of ourselves, and that we receive the gifts of the earth by cultivating it with care. For some of our members, and for ourselves, it’s a great joy to participate in this full circle of growing, harvesting, and rest.

CSA Season

Our regular season CSA is typically 33 weeks long, from the middle of April until the Saturday before Thanksgiving. We also offer a winter share that begins the week after Thanksgiving. Your share will reflect the seasonal variety of fruits and vegetables that we are currently growing. The first weeks will include: spring greens (arugula, bok choy, spinach, lettuce, and beet greens), leafy greens such as chard and kale, radishes, turnips, carrots, beets, and sugar snap peas.

In May, broccoli, cauliflower, green and red cabbage, Napa cabbage, kohlrabi, fennel, new potatoes, scallions, onions, leeks, celery, herbs, early summer squash, early green beans, and strawberries are usually ready. Summer crops include: summer squash, cucumbers, cantaloupes, watermelons, tomatoes (several types), tomatillos, eggplant, sweet and hot peppers, sweet corn, okra, potatoes, onions, green beans, lima beans, field peas, leeks, garlic, celery, herbs, carrots (early summer), beets (early summer), cabbages (early summer), lettuce (early summer), and any greens that are available. 

Fall fruits and veggies include: most of the summer veggies until early-October, winter squash and pumpkins, sweet potatoes, potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes/sunchokes, carrots, beets, spinach, collard greens, kale, chard, mustard greens, turnip greens, broccoli, green cabbage, Napa cabbage, radicchio, bok choy, arugula, lettuce, other salad greens, radishes, turnips, kohlrabi, fennel, scallions, garlic, leeks, dry beans and heirloom, stone-ground gluten-free cornmeal. Our winter share varies year to year based on weather but typically includes: lettuce, escarole, radicchio, savoy cabbage, arugula, spinach, greens (kale, collards, chard, turnips, mustards), Romanesco, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, beets, turnips, rutabaga, storage radishes, sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, dry beans, peanuts, and cornmeal.

CSA Options

We receive a lot of questions about what share size is better for oneʼs specific situation. This is always a very difficult question for me to answer. Lalo and I can eat at least a bin, sometimes 2 bins, a week, but we eat every single meal at home and eat a lot of veggies compared to most. I expect that most families who eat regularly at home would use a full share, whereas individuals or families who do not eat as often at home (or eat as many veggies) would use an every-other-week share. If you are a large family, a full share may not be enough for you. We will put you together an additional “mini” share each week with whatever we have in abundance for an additional cost, if you are interested.

Full, regular season (April-November) share: you receive a weekly box of veggies and some fruits that represents your share of the farmʼs produce that week (averages approximately 10 pounds per box, although varies by season).

Every-other-week, regular season (April-November) share: you receive a box of veggies and some fruits that represents your share of the farmʼs produce EVERY OTHER WEEK (averages approximately 10 pounds per box, although varies by season).

Winter share (approximately 8 weeks in December and January): you receive a weekly box of fresh veggies plus storage crops and value-added products from the week after Thanksgiving until the middle of January, plus access to pick-your own at the farm after we stop deliveries in January and until CSA starts back up in April at no additional charge. Veggies include: lettuce, escarole, green and savoy cabbage, arugula, spinach, greens (kale, collards, chard, turnips, mustards), sprouting broccoli, broccoli, Romanesco, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, beets, turnips, rutabaga, storage radishes, sweet potatoes, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, horseradish, dry beans, peanuts, cornmeal, and more! Really??? Yes, it is actually too hot here most of the year for many crops, and you really can only enjoy them in the middle of winter! We will do sign-ups in the fall, so that we can match share availability to vegetable availability.

Pick-Up Times and Locations

Wednesdays at Webb School of Knoxville, 3:30-4:30pm

Wednesdays in Island Home, 5:00-5:30pm

Saturdays in Fountain City, 9:00-9:30am

Saturdays at Bearden Central Storage, 10-10:30am

Saturdays in Sequoyah Hills, 10:45-11:15am

At the farm, Tuesdays 4-6pm or Wednesday during the day or Friday 4-6pm or

Saturday during the day.

Is a CSA Right for Me?

CSA shares work really well for people who eat many of their meals at home or who prepare the meals that they take to work, for people who are committed to eating seasonally and locally, for people who are willing and excited to eat new fruits and vegetables, and for people who recognize that there may be seasons that some fruits or vegetables are not available (in fact, some of the things we grow during the summer actually need very different conditions - hot and dry versus cool and wet – so that it’s practically impossible to have a season when every single crop does well).

Our CSA program typically doesnʼt work well for people who travel a lot or who are really busy, for people who eat out a lot and are not committed to making a change to eat out less, for people who only eat a few fruits and vegetables or expect large quantities of certain vegetables (broccoli seems to commonly be an issue), or for people who do not place value on local produce.

What Does a Typical Bin Have in it?

A spring bin may contain 6-8 carrots, 8 radishes, 1 bunch scallions, 1 bunch of kale, 2-3 heads of lettuce, 4 oz. baby spinach or 6 crowns of spinach, 1-2 heads broccoli, 4 beets with greens, and dill.

A summer bin might contain 6-8 carrots, 4 onions, one bulb of garlic, 8 tomatoes, 1 bell pepper, 2 red peppers, 1 hot pepper, 1 eggplant, 1 cucumber, 4 summer squash, 1 lb. of green beans, 1 melon (or 4 ears of corn), and basil.

A fall bin might contain 6-8 carrots, 1 lb. potatoes, 1 lb. sweet potatoes or 1 butternut squash, 1 bulb garlic, 1 bunch of chard, 2 heads of lettuce, 4 oz. arugula, 8 radishes, 4 turnips with greens, 1 cabbage,  2 leeks, and thyme. (The bins in these photos are fall bins.)