In the last 30 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer.
Here are the basics of how a CSA works: a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.
This arrangement creates several rewards for both the farmer and the consumer.
Advantages for farmers:
- Get to spend time marketing the food early in the year, before their 16 hour days in the field begin
- Receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm's cash flow
- Have an opportunity to get to know the people who eat the food they grow
Advantages for consumers:
- Eat ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits
- Get exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking
- Usually get to visit the farm at least once a season
- Find that kids typically favor food from "their" farm – even veggies they've never been known to eat
- Develop a relationship with the farmer who grows their food and learn more about how food is grown
It's a simple idea, but its impact has been profound. Tens of thousands of families have joined CSAs, and in some areas of the country, there is more demand than there are CSA farms to fill it. There are many CSA options available for families in York County below is a list of the local CSA's you can support!
Address:482 Hollow Rd. New Park PA 17352
Phone: 717-382-1083
Our season runs for 22-25 weeks beginning in May and ending in October. Shares are packed in half-bushel boxes weekly with seasonal produce.
Address: 4945 Horn Rd. York PA 17406
Phone: 717-968-5285
The Horn Farm Center CSA share contains fresh produce grown by participants in our Farming Internship Program and Incubator Farm Project. Everything is grown in ecologically healthy ways. We never use synthetic herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers. By choosing to be a member of our CSA you are supporting aspiring farmers as they develop both horticultural and business skills. Your membership also helps to fund the Horn Farm Center as we work to connect our community to local food, to provide valuable educational classes and workshops, and to create a model of regenerative agriculture for our region.
Our CSA program provides a wonderful opportunity for participants of our Internship Program to learn about succession planting and timing, growing a wide variety of vegetables, harvesting and prepping produce, connecting directly with the consumer, and all of the other inner workings of running a farm operation. By offering a weekly share of produce that combines vegetables grown by our interns with crops grown by our Incubator Farm Project participants, we are providing farmers in our incubator with an additional market outlet.
Address: 430 Indian Rock Dam Road York PA 17403
Phone: 717-741-2631
Our CSA provides you with a means of purchasing fresh food from your friendly farm family at Miller Plant Farm. Unfortunately, the economics of today's modern food system has evolved into quality-last models involving large "factory" style farms employing many poor practices such as forced ripening and shipping produce large distances to your family's table. When purchasing produce locally, you can rest assured that your produce is being grown using acceptable techniques you are accustomed to, and is harvested at the optimum time of taste and nutritional value, by people you know and trust. By making an effort to purchase food locally, you support local agriculture which preserves open space in your community, keeps local family farms viable, and keeps spending power in our local economy.
Address:14208 Hyson School Road Stewartstown
Phone: 717- 586-2082
Miller Produce Farm is a second, third, and fourth-generation farm located in Southern York County Pennsylvania. We harvest high-quality, farm-fresh produce each week of our growing season, so stop by and see what we have, from our land to your hand! Our intention is to provide CSA participants with high-quality, farm-fresh produce each week of our growing season. The weekly contents of the share will be determined by Miller’s Produce but will be as diversified as possible within the seasonal products that we offer. With this diversification, we hope to encourage members to try products that they might not have tried on their own, while at the same time providing them with the produce that they use on a regular basis.
Address: 13638 Lebanon Church Rd Felton, PA 17322
Phone: (717) 495-4087
Siwki Produce Farm is a family-owned organic farm located in the rolling hills of Felton, PA. We are just an hour from both Harrisburg and Baltimore.Siwik Produce Farm offers a 21-week community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. Starting the last week of May, members pick up their weekly herbs and vegetables at the farm. Farm pick-ups are on Thursdays, 12-7. Members who make a deposit of $150 before February 1st get a %5 discount on their share for the year. We have added a pick-up location at John Wright Restaurant in Wrightsville as well this year. Pick-ups at John Wright will be on Wednesdays from 4pm – 7pm.
6. 4ever Moore Farm Chicken CSA
Address: 12293 Brillstrick Rd, Stewartstown, PA 17363
Phone: (717) 676-8445
4 Ever Moore Farm offers York County's Best Pasture Raised, Non-GMO, Drug and Additive Free Chicken, Turkey, and Pork!
We are a 19-acre farm in southern York County, Pennsylvania. We focus on raising high-quality pastured poultry, pastured/woodland raised Berkshire pork, and free-range eggs for our table and yours!
Are you a local SoYoCo CSA Farmer? Would you like to get the word out about your CSA to our nearly 24,000 subscribers? Please contact Sarah at sarahfrane@macaronikid.com!
