What’s a CSA? It’s “Community Supported Agriculture,” a program designed for farmers and consumers to collaborate. “Shares” are purchased by the consumer members at the beginning of the growing season to support the farmer in the natural risks of growing the crop and having a successful harvest. In return, the consumer receives weekly shares of the harvested bounty.
Each year, we issue CSA Cards to our members, with two options.
1. CSA Members: Our core program.
Each week, you’ll pick up your share of fresh fruit. Pick up options include:
- Meadowbrook Orchards Farmstore on Tuesdays
- The East Boston Farmers Market on Wednesdays
- The Sterling Farmers Market on Fridays
Cost: $250. This entitles you to $270 value in fruit during the season (July 5 – Oct 25).
Benefits to you:
- You’ll get a weekly supply of the freshest fruit available, direct from the farm
- You’re supporting locally grown and produced food
- You’ll receive the Farm’s e-newsletter, full of recipes, farm news, and sustainable agriculture information
2. Farmstore Members: Our choice program.
Come into the Meadowbrook Orchards farmstore or market at your convenience and purchase products of your choice.
Cost: $300. This will entitles you to $325 of products which can be purchased at the Farmstore or the Farmers Markets.
Benefits to you:
- You can use your card at the Farmstore or any of the Farmers Markets we attend.
- You can select exactly the fruit you want and need, when you need itm with access any time the farmstore is open or we’re at the markets.
- You’ll receive the Farm’s e-newsletter full of recipes, farm news, and sustainable agriculture information.
The cards will become active as soon as we have fruit, usually around July 4th (check back for the official start date) with blueberries and soon thereafter raspberries. In addition to the apples, raspberries, and blueberries we grow right here at Meadowbrook Orchards, we’ll offer plums and other fruit that is grown at Sunnycrest Farm.
- We believe that local agriculture provides the consumer more flavorful in-season fruits with better nutritional value, while eliminating the damaging effects of shipping fruits here from all over the world.
- Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is at the core of our fruit growing program. We check the orchard almost daily during the growing season, setting up insect traps, monitoring pest problems, and managing disease and pest control weekly.
- You can purchase additional credit on your CSA card at $100 increments for $110 credit.
- Remember, we’re in this together. You’re helping us by purchasing your card early and giving us some financial help when we have very little cash flow coming in.
- Contact us now at 978-365-7617 or by email at info@meadowbrookorchards.com about signing up for the 2017 season when registration begins, or check back on the website in winter, 2017.