Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs create a direct link between consumers and local farmers, offering advantages to both.
Through this model, individuals build relationships with farmers, supporting their livelihoods while accessing fresh produce. This alternative to traditional grocery shopping empowers individuals to engage with their local community while enjoying the abundance of the harvest season.
When you buy a subscription and pre-pay, you’ll enjoy freshness all summer long. Here are five CSA’s you can subscribe to in Calgary and area.
Basil Ranch at Highfield Farms
Basil Ranch has been providing fresh herbs and produce to restaurants and grocers since 1996. They have a CSA priced at $480. Boxes will include 6 to 8 items weekly and can be picked up in store. Pickups will be on Friday afternoons from 3pm to 6pm.
Shirley’s Greenhouse provides 21 weeks of vegetables from May 22 to October for $630 (less if you sign up and pay early). Each week, you’ll receive 6 to 8 items of what is being picked that week. Each box will always include a cucumber, tomato, pepper and some type of greens. The rest of the box will contain a variety of other vegetables from their greenhouse or fields. A variety of pick-up locations are available, including Hillhurst, Avenida and Bearspaw.
The Apple Lady has a 15-week family fruit and vegetable share for $480. The weekly assortment incudes seasonal BC and AB fruits & vegetables like apples, pears, micro greens and mushrooms, along with apple chips and farm pressed juices. They also have a 15-week couples share for $240. Pick up is at their store front on Palliser Drive.
Fast Family Farms have both weekly and bi-weekly boxes from June to October. Both full and half baskets are available. They provide regular deliveries of fresh produce throughout the season. Prior to each delivery, they let you know what’s in your basket and you can tell them if you are happy with the selection and the quantity.
Summit Hill Farms has a couple options, along with some add-ons, for their CSA offering. Their two boxes offer 8 weeks of fresh summer vegetables. You can add an 8-week subscription of FOG Farm Mushrooms or an 8-week subscription of microgreens which adds 8oz of specialty mushrooms or a package of microgreens to each order. They harvest twice a month, and their CSA runs from July to October.
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