It’s that time of year again! Time to sign up for your favorite CSA and reap the benefits of a working farm, in the comfort of your tiny fifth floor walk-up. For your convenience we are highlighting some of the CSAs around the city in hopes that you find your perfect match.
Name: Stoneledge Farm
Farm Base: Greene County, NY
NYC Base: UES, Chelsea, West Village
Season: Begins week of June 11th
Delivery Day: Depends on delivery site
Volunteer requirement? Yes, dependent on site, usually between 2–5 hours/season/share
Stoneledge Farm is a family owned, certified organic farm dedicated to bringing delicious, sustainable produce to New York Residents (not just here in the city!). The farm is located on a 200 acre expanse in Greene County NY, at the foothills of the Catskill Mountains. The family owned and operated enterprise was connected with the NYC community through a collaboration with Just Food in 1996, and has expanded its reach ever since. Joining the Stoneledge CSA grants members access to 24 vegetable shares a season, with an optional Fruit or Coffee share along with it. Price of each share is dependent on the site at which the member picks up their share, but usually hovers around $500 for the season (with some sites offering half shares as well.) Each vegetable share contains between 9 and 11 items, depending on availability.
This CSA does require a volunteer component for most of their pick-up sites, though it is relatively minimal. The average site requirement is about 2 or 3 hours per share (meaning this requirement can be split if the share is divided among multiple members.) The volunteers help to run the drop-off and ensure an efficient pick-up for the other members.
To learn more about the CSA, and possibly find a pick-up location near you, visit their website here.