By Walter Nicholls
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
It's the dead of winter. Farm fields in the region sit fallow. But it's peak recruitment season for community-supported agriculture programs.
Under the CSA concept, patrons pay an annual membership fee in advance to cover farm production costs. The farmer provides a share of the harvest: a weekly box of seasonal produce for a set number of weeks. On most farms, a full share consists of enough vegetables to feed a family of four (two adults, two children) or two vegetarians for one week. For smaller households, half-shares are sometimes available.
There are variables. Crops and prices vary from farm to farm. Most farmers provide organic produce or use organic farming methods. Vegetables are picked up at the farm or at a delivery site. More farms this year make home deliveries. For a second year, the CSA sponsored by Mission Three will deliver fresh, local fruit to area university dormitories for student residents.
There is no time to wait. More farmers than ever are participating this year, but shares sell out fast.
At press time, these farms still had shares for sale. If not otherwise noted, the share is made up solely of seasonal vegetables and fruits. (Some may include, for example, eggs or flowers.) Note that some will deliver over a wide area beyond their home location.
For more information about CSA programs: http://www.localharvest.com.
DISTRICTMission Three
Arthur Woods, 530-260-1502
$11.99 per week. Deliveries to campus dormitories for students only. Program runs for seven weeks. (Not accepting orders until the end of February.)
MARYLANDCalvert Farm
Rising Sun
Pam Stegall Roberts and Paul Roberts, 410-658-3914
$450/full share, 20 weeks.
Pickup in Annapolis, Beltsville, Bowie or Greenbelt, or at the farm.
Clagett Farm
Upper Marlboro
Carrie Vaughn, 301-627-4662
$500/full share (Dupont Circle pickup), $460 (farm pickup); half-shares available for low-income families ($250/$230), 26 weeks.
Evensong Farm
Sharpsburg
Julie Stinar, 301-491-2224
$450-$500/full share, 20 weeks; $250-$300/half-share, 10 weeks (every other week); price depends on pickup site.
Pickup in Hagerstown, Leesburg or Silver Spring, or at the farm.
Good Fortune Farm
Brandywine
Michael Klein, 301-579-2105
$500/full share, 22 weeks. Includes eggs.
Pickup in the District (Northwest), Bethesda, Chevy Chase or University Park, or at the farm.
Homestead Farm
Millington
Alison Howard, 410-928-3805
http://www.freshorganicvegetables.com
$400/full share, 20 weeks.
Pickup in Severna Park or at the farm.
House in the Woods CSA
Adamstown
Ilene and Phil Freedman, 301-607-4048
http://www.houseinthewoods.com$485/full share, 20 weeks; $265/half-share, 10 weeks (every other week).
Pickup at the farm.
Ivy Brand
Edgewater
Sara Colhoun
http://www.ivybrand.com$450/regular share, $675/large share, 15 weeks.
Pickup in Annapolis, Edgewater, Mount Rainier or West River.
Jasmine Farm LLC
Glenwood
Ghassan Neshawatt, 410-489-2522
http://jasminefarm.tripod.com$695/full share, $495/half-share, 16 weeks.
Pickup in Bethesda or Gaithersburg, or at the farm.
Jug Bay Market Garden
Upper Marlboro
Scott Hertzberg, 301-627-6211
http://www.jugbaymarketgarden.com$700/full share, 20 weeks.
Pickup in Southeast Capitol Hill or at the farm.
Karl's Farm
Pisgah
Karl or Paula Wiegand, 301-743-7941
$550/full share, $330/half-share, 20 weeks.
Home deliveries (for an extra $100 per season) to Bethesda, Chevy Chase, College Park, Silver Spring, Takoma Park or the District; or pickup at the farm.
Pheasant Hill Farm CSA
Mount Airy
Marjorie Satterlee, 410-215-7173
$500/full share, $350/half-share, 18 weeks.
Pickup in Kentlands, Mount Airy or Wheaton, or at the farm.
Sandy Spring CSA
Sandy Spring
Vanessa Strunk, 301-424-9142
http://www.sandyspringcsa.com$595/full share, 21 weeks.
Pickup in Rockville or Sandy Spring.
Shaw Farm
Columbia
Dave Shaw, 410-531-9577.
$600/full share, 18 weeks; $480, 15 weeks.
Pickup at the farm.
Spiritual Food for the New Millennium
Chevy Chase
Lakshmi Landa, 301-654-4899
$850/full share, 26 weeks. Includes grains, bread, dried fruit, eggs, yogurt and cheese.
Pickup in Arlington, Bethesda or the District.
Summer Creek Farm
Thurmont
Rick Hood, 301-271-9399
http://www.summercreekfarm.com
$450/full share, 18 weeks. Pickup at two locations in Frederick.
PENNSYLVANIAFarm of Peace
Warfordsburg
Renata Parrino, 717-573-2956
http://www.farmofpeace.com$400/full share, $250/half-share, 16 weeks. Includes flowers.
Pickup in Frederick.
VIRGINIABlenheim Organic Gardens
Washington's Birthplace
Lawrence and Becky Latane, 804-224-7039
$570/full share (pickup at the farm), $625/full share (Falls Church pickup), 22 weeks.
Bull Run Mountain Vegetable Farm
The Plains
Leigh Hauter, 703-754-4005
$475/full share (two people), $360/half-share (1 person), 20 weeks.
Pickup in Alexandria, Arlington, Centreville, Falls Church, Manassas or Dupont Circle.
Fredericksburg Area CSA Project
Fredericksburg
Heidi Lewis, 540-373-5910
$575/full share, $320/half-share; 20 weeks.
Pickup in Fredericksburg.
Graceland Farm
Midland
John Wright, 540-439-8171
http://www.gracelandmidland.com$400/full share, 19 weeks.
Pickup in Alexandria, Dale City, Fairfax, Fairfax Station, Falls Church, Manassas or Vienna, or at the farm.
Mountain View Farm
Purcellville
Shawna Dewitt, 540-668-7640.
$420/full share, 20 weeks.
Pickup at the farm.
Olin-Fox Farms Inc.
Reedville
John Cooper or Alice Hershiser, 804-453-4125
$825-$961/full share, 33 weeks; summer $342-$396, 12 weeks. Pricing depends on pickup site.
Pickup in Alexandria, Annandale, Occoquan or Stafford.
Potomac Vegetable Farms
Vienna
Hana Newcomb and Ellen Polishuk
http://www.potomacvegetablefarms.com
$425/full share; $250/half-share, 16 weeks.
Pickup in Alexandria, Arlington, Ashburn, Fairfax, Falls Church, Herndon, Leesburg, Reston, Vienna or Bethesda, or at the farm in Purcellville.
Virginia Green Grocer and the Virginia Organic Co-operative
Warrenton
Joy Jacobs, 571-722-5086
http://www.virginiagreengrocer.com
$950/full share, 20 weeks; $600/half-share.
Home deliveries in Northern Virginia.
Tree and Leaf CSA
Waterford
Georgia O'Neal, 540-882-9656
http://www.treeandleaffarm.com$662/full share, 22 weeks.
Pickup in Mount Pleasant, Purcellville or Waterford.
WEST VIRGINIAFresh and Local CSA
Shepherdstown
Allan Balliett, 304-876-3382
http://www.freshandlocalcsa.com$500/full share, 20 weeks.
Pickup in Arlington, Bethesda, Silver Spring or the District (Northwest), or at the farm.
Food editorial assistant Leigh Lambert contributed to this report.
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