AGRIBERRY FARM OFFERS THE REGION’S ONLY FRUIT-SHARE CSA
Farm Founder Anne Geyer, members and others talk about the Agriberry Farm Fruit CSA.
What is a CSA Farm Share?
Sometimes called CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture), farm share programs generally include farm-direct, pre-season purchase agreements between farmers and customers. These programs enable farmers to raise vital cash during the non-harvest season, while farm members gain a deeper relationship with the farms they choose to support. Learn more about how Agriberry’s farm share program benefits members, the farm and the community-at-large.
Seasonal Eating
CSA members embrace the challenges of seasonal eating, which means experiencing scarcity and abundance. These concepts have been largely lost from modern meal planning due to global sourcing of out-of-season produce. Once the initial craving for a particular fruit has been satisfied and the novelty has worn off, receiving subsequent additional units of that fruit provides the opportunity to explore new uses and recipes and preserve some for later use.
Members Share the Risks and Rewards of Farming
The Geyers are a family of experienced, professional farmers, who know how to grow delicious, nutritious fruit. And, their Partner Farmers are equally skilled and careful. All local, field-grown produce, however, is subject to the effect of prevailing weather patterns and other localized conditions. Because our our harvest areas are localized to specific fields, the impact of weather is greatly magnified, versus large-scale (regional, national and international) production. These unpredictable elements can directly affect–both positively and negatively–the quality and quantity of the fruit available for a day, a week or for an entire season.
Bottom Line: Farm Share members are not guaranteed a specific amount of fruit. They are instead making an investment in the farm and local food system. This special relationship is enjoyed each season by hundreds of area families, many of whom renew their membership year-after-year.
What Do Members Receive?
With Agriberry Farm’s Fruit Share programs, members receive weekly pre-made boxes or “harvest shares,” of fresh, local fruit grown by Agriberry Farm and our Partner Farms.
Across the 20-week Summer Season or the Fall Season, weekly share boxes include as much diversity of flavor and texture as the mid-Atlantic region can offer. Some items with limited availability may only be included once, and some fruits–especially our berries–will be included frequently. Each week’s share box composition is determined by our harvests and that of our partner farms, and each share will feature berries grown by Agriberry Farm.
We vary the content our weekly boxes as much as possible, depending on what’s being harvested.
Here’s a link to what has been included in shares in past seasons. Here are some Frequently Asked Questions about the farm share program.
Top 5 Reasons for Reserving a Farm Share, According to our Members
- Consistency and quality of the fruit
- Variety of fruit, including hard-to-find and heirloom varieties not available elsewhere
- Belief in the value of family farming in their community
- Nutrition and health reasons
- Creating a scheduled commitment for getting local food
What’s your favorite?