If you register for Sylvester Manor’s 2022 CSA program, you’ll enjoy freshly-picked produce all summer. Sign up for the Community Supported Agriculture program is underway.
CSA members commit to supporting the farm by purchasing a share of the harvest at the beginning of the year. Then, each week from mid-June until late October, members receive a ‘share’ of what’s in season at the farm, picked within one to two days of distribution.
The base cost is $598* for 21 weeks. Components of the weekly share will vary depending on what’s available for harvest. Members can expect kale, swiss chard, cucumbers, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, cherry tomatoes, carrots, beets, lettuce, arugula, escarole, herbs, blackberries, hakurei turnips, radishes, mustards, cabbage, broccolini, fennel, eggplant, flowers, and more.
“Unlike a simple retail transaction, CSA is a community food program, a partnership that shares the bounty and the risks of farming, including weather, pests, and disease,” Sylvester Manor says on the program webpage. “CSA provides the farm with the early-season cash flow needed to purchase seeds, soil, equipment, and more.”
CSA members not only enjoy the freshest fruit and vegetables but also connect with farmers and neighbors, share recipes, try new vegetables, and genuinely eat seasonally. Members can also choose to pay at a higher rate to underwrite donated shares, further supporting the community.
Other shares: bread, eggs and pork
Sylvester Manor also offers a Bread Share as a CSA add-on or on its own. Pickups are during regular CSA hours on Saturdays from 9 AM to 4 PM, with a different loaf each week. The cost is $150 for the 21-week season.
In addition, you can sign up for an Egg Share and get one-dozen eggs laid by the Manor’s chickens. Pickups are during CSA hours; the cost is $168 for the 21-week season.
This year, Sylvester Manor is offering 12-week winter and 21-week summer Pork Shares. The winter share runs from February through April and costs $481; the summer share follows the June to October CSA schedule and costs $890.
All Pork Shares include a variety of frozen meat, with cuts such as sausage, bacon, chops, roasts, and ground pork from Sylvester Manor’s woodland-raised mixed heritage breed pigs.
If you’re not ready to commit to a CSA share, consider a Farmstand Credit. It operates similarly, providing sorely needed funds for the farmers as they plan and plant crops in late winter and early spring. A Farmstand Credit costs $500 and gives you a value of up to $550 to be used at the Farmstand throughout 2022.
Find details and register online at sylvestermanor.org/csa.
* For all online transactions, prices do not include processing fees
