It's important to find the right fit with the farm that you're committing to get your food from, so last year I wrote extensive guidelines for choosing a CSA farm share membership that can work for you. My advice is to consider things like: price per week (as a way to more accurately compare value), growing practices (conventional, organic practice, biodynamic, certified organic, etc.), pickup time and location, size of the share, and more.
You may not have noticed, but there are nearly a dozen new CSAs in our area now, bringing the total number I've been able to count up to nearly 3 dozen.
While there are lots of new farms, I hope to see continued support for the anchors of sustainable food and farming in our area - places like Community Farm of Ann Arbor, one of the first CSA farms in the country, and Frog Holler Organic Farm, celebrating its 40th anniversary in organic farming this year.
There are interesting new options now for things like garlic, hops, staple foods, meat, frozen fruits and vegetables, prepared meals, winter greens. And not just for the summer season any more - we've got four season farming going on now. So, for the first time, I've started to have to arrange the CSAs in different categories! Enjoy.
CSA CATEGORIES
Frozen Fruits and Vegetables
- Locavorious - locally grown, hand-processed frozen fruits and vegetables from December through March (offering a Spring share for 2012)
Garlic
- Dyer Family Farm Garlic CSA - 42 varieties of garlic, plus garlic scopes and an option for green garlic and honey
Hops
- Knox Hops - A CSA for home brewers with nine varieties of hops, plus grains and herbs
Meat
(Note: there are many other local meat options outside of the CSA model)
- Bending Sickle Community Farm - pork, goat, chicken, based at the Tilian Farm Development Center
- Old Pine Farm - humanely raised, pastured beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and sometimes buffalo and emu
- Two Creeks Organics - certified organic, offer "chicken CSA" in addition to their produce CSA
- Two Tracks Acres (pork, chicken)
Prepared Meals
Produce CSAs
- Bridgewater Barns Family Farm - Offers some meat, in addition to produce, and Ypsi Farmers' Market pickup
- Capella Farm - Spring, summer, fall and "holiday" share options
- Carpenter's Greenhouse and Organic Produce - certified organic, offer a punchcard and choose your own produce weekly
- Community Farm of Ann Arbor - One of the first CSAs in the country, one of Ann Arbor's most beloved, one of the few biodynamic
- Down on the Farm - an Amish collaborative CSA, they have options for meat and other Amish-made foods (like noodles, jam, baked goods). Phone: 517-542-2025 (Amos)
- The Family Farm - A small biodynamic farm located in Belleville
- Frog Holler Organic Farm - Starting a new "market share" option this year, also offers weekly and bi-weekly shares, as well as an option for their famous salad mix
- Green Things Farm - A year round CSA, currently located at the Tilian Farm Development Center
- Hand Sown Farm - Near Manchester, piloting their "Farm Share Card" which gives members an additional 10 percent in produce for 2012
- Honest Eats Farm - new produce CSA based at the Tilian Farm Development Center
- Living Stones Farm - offers full and partial shares, pickup in Ann Arbor and Dearborn
- Madaras Garden Studio - a neighborhood based "micro-CSA" in Scio Township
- Meristem Farm - a new produce CSA based at the Tilian Farm Development Center
- Needle-Lane Farm - several options for share size and duration, and an option for a cut flower share
- Our Family Farm - from Manchester, pickup in Ann Arbor
- Portage River Farm - year round CSA near Pinckney
- Pregitzer Farm Market - near Munith, with a pickup at the Westside Market, has offered a "working share" in the past
- Prochaska Cooperative Sharing Program - near Milan
- Sunseed Farm - one of the first year-round CSAs, offering three 16-week CSA memberships for spring, summer and fall
- Skinny Farm of Scio - NSA (Neighborhood Supported Agriculture) Farm in Scio Township, membership for those within 1.5 miles
- Tantre Farm - certified organic, from Chelsea, one of the largest and most well-known CSAs in Ann Arbor
- Tilian Farm Development Center CSA - Sliding scale to allow investment in the Tilian Farm Development Center
- Two Creeks Organics - certified organic, offer "chicken CSA" in addition to their produce CSA
- Valley Family Farm - in Milan
-Zilke Vegetable Farm - planning a year-round season, offers "drive-through" pickup at the farm in Milan, as well as options for pickup in Ann Arbor and at Original Gravity Brewing Co. in Milan
Staple Foods
- Stone Soup Staple Foods CSA - An Amish farmer collaborative growing grains (wheat, oats, rye, corn) and storage crops (potatoes, carrots, onions, popcorn). Contact Shana Milkie.
Winter Greens
- Brines Farm - year round farm, the CSA focuses on a stunning array of winter greens
Beyond Produce CSAs
Harvest Kitchen - prepared dishes made of produce and meat from local farms, vegetarian and "omnivore" options
Locavorious - locally grown, hand-processed frozen fruits and vegetables from December through March