back to top Δ

What is a CSA?

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and refers to a model of farming where farmers sell shares of the harvest in the "off-season" (vegetables, flowers, meat, etc.) directly to people in the local community. It was adopted in America from Japanese and European models, largely as a response to the disappearance of the small farm. CSA represents a shared commitment--shareholders commit to the farm for the season, providing farmers with secure income when expenses are highest and farmers commit to doing their utmost to provide their shareholders with the best-quality, most nutritious food around. This direct connection between farmer and consumers bypasses middlemen (e.g., marketers, long-distance shippers), benefits the farmer by increasing farm revenue in the early part of the season, benefits the environment by decreasing packaging and pollution, and benefits consumers by providing fresh, high-quality produce at competitive prices.

Share the risk, share the bounty.

What is a CSA at WFCF? 

CSA brings together community members, farmers and agricultural land in a relationship of mutual support based on an annual commitment to one another. There are many kinds of CSAs that take many different forms. At Waltham Fields Community Farm, you can purchase a "share" of the anticipated harvest and make payment in advance at an agreed price. In exchange, the farmers plant, cultivate, harvest, wash and distribute a bountiful selection of vegetables and flowers, during the growing season.

We see the CSA model as building long-term relationships between households and the farm. The farmer and shareholders become partners in the production, distribution, and consumption of locally grown food. The real benefits on both sides are realized over many seasons, as shareholders engage with us and the land, increasing our community's collective understanding of sustainable agriculture, promoting public health and nutrition, sharing knowledge, and nurturing our soils for the future. A challenging season is educational for all of us, while we share the rewards of a bountiful season.

As a CSA shareholder, you are pre-paying for our best effort to provide you with a 110% return on your investment in value, but you are also making your own commitment to supporting the sustainability of local farms through assuming the risks inherent in farming. In a good season, you will receive excellent value; in a challenging year, you may receive less. That said, we have a strong track record of success, with a reputation for high quality and great value.

What types of shares are available from Waltham Fields Community Farm?

20-Week Summer Share $865 - Pick up seasonal vegetables once a week for 20 weeks from June-October! These large shares are designed for households of four or households of two who eat a lot of vegetables. This share grows over the course of the season, averaging 8 items a week and reaching 10-12. Crops and quantity are determined by our farmers, but shareholders choose which items they take home each week, customizing their share to their own tastes and household needs. This share includes an array of weekly pick-your-own crops.

Subsidized 20-Week Summer Share $432.50 - As part of our Food Access mission, WFCF offers half-priced CSA shares to low income households. These shares are subsidized by our community, who donate to our “Food for All” program. We determine eligibility for these shares based on current USDA SNAP eligibility guidelines (you do not need to be currently enrolled in SNAP). Check if you qualify here. By purchasing this share, you self-identify as meeting the USDA SNAP eligibility guidelines.

SNAP 20-Week Summer Share $432.50 - Use your SNAP benefits to pay for a half-priced 20-week CSA share. Through the SNAP CSA Pilot, payments to WFCF will be withdrawn by the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) from your SNAP account automatically each month, on the day you receive your benefits. WFCF is a HIP vendor so you will also receive $20 in SNAP dollars immediately back on your card through this monthly transaction. There is no payment taken at checkout, by signing up for this share, you agree to communicate with WFCF to pay for your CSA with SNAP benefits. WFCF will reach out to you after signing up to start this process.

10-Week Summer Share $565 - Pick up seasonal vegetables every other week for 10 weeks from June-October. During pick up, the crop selection and quantity will be the same as the 20-week share, but you will have two weeks to use your bounty! This share is designed for smaller households who still consume a lot of veggies. This share grows over the course of the season, averaging 8 items a pick up, and reaching 10-12. Crops and quantity are determined by our farmers, but shareholders choose which items they take home each week, customizing their share to their own tastes and household needs. This share includes an array of pick-your-own crops.

20-week Lil Share $710 - WFCF is excited to expand the 20-week Lil Share this season. This share is smaller than both our regular 10 & 20 week shares and is designed for smaller families, couples, individuals, or first-time CSA-ers looking for a lil weekly produce. This share will grow over the course of the season, shareholders will pick up an average of 5-7 items each week from June - October (about ⅔ of our regular 20 week share). Crops and quantity are determined by our farmers, but shareholders choose which items they take home each week, customizing their share to their own tastes and household needs. This share includes the same array and quantity of pick-your-own crops as the standard 20 week share.

Mushroom Share (10-week $185 / 20-week $369) - WFCF is thrilled to continue our partnership with Fat Moon Farm to offer two seasonal Mushroom Shares for pick up at WFCF. Choose a 10 or 20 week share to enjoy mushrooms during the early, late, or full season. These certified-organic mushrooms are grown in the Merrimack Valley. Each week includes one pound of beautiful, gourmet mushrooms; the varieties change each week based on availability and can include: Shiitake, Oyster, King Trumpet, Lion’s Mane, Chestnut, and Pioppino.

The pick up weeks for each season are as follows:

10 week Early Season (June 4 - August 13th / no July 3rd pick up)

10 week Late Season (August 20th - October 22nd)

20 week Full Season (June 4th - October 22nd / no July 3rd pick up)

Fruit Share $112 - WFCF maintains a partnership with Autumn Hills Orchard to provide an 8-week Fruit Share. All fruit is grown in Groton, MA using IPM (Integrated Pest Management) growing methods. Each week you will receive 4-5 pounds of fruit depending on the week, growing conditions, and fruit availability for 8 weeks beginning at the end of August through mid October (exact dates are dependent on Autumn Hills Orchard's crop production).

In late August and early September you can expect peaches, nectarines, plums, and apples. The remaining weeks will consist mostly of pears and several unique and delicious apple varieties. **We aim to bring you a strong variety of fruit but as with all things agricultural, crop availability is highly dependent on growing conditions. In the event that Autumn Hills Orchard’s crop is unable to provide fruit for the share, you will be refunded for the full amount of the share.**

Flower Share $140 - This pick-your-own share begins in mid-July. Flower shareholders pick 30 stems a week for 10 weeks in our designated flower fields. Shareholders can expect a diverse offering of cut flower varieties, including zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers, strawflower, gomphrena, snapdragons and more! Shareholders may pick their share any time during daylight hours.

Extended Season Share $265 - Pick up a bounty of fall and winter favorites, including winter greens, cabbage, onions, leeks, carrots, turnips, sweet potatoes, and other storage crops. We think of these as “storage shares” because they are tailored to see you into the cold months of winter. These shares are a delicious way to celebrate the late season harvest and offer a bountiful Thanksgiving feast from your local farm! Each CSA pick up averages about 35 pounds of produce, it is larger than a weekly summer share.

Extended Season Dates: Saturday, Nov 8, Saturday, Nov 22, Saturday, Dec 6

Subsidized Extended Season Share $132.50 As part of our Food Access mission, WFCF offers half-priced CSA shares to low income households. These shares are subsidized by our community, who donate to our “Food for All” program. We determine eligibility for these shares based on current USDA SNAP eligibility guidelines (you do not need to be currently enrolled in SNAP). Check if you qualify here. By purchasing this share, you self-identify as meeting the USDA SNAP eligibility guidelines.

Pick up a bounty of fall and winter favorites, including winter greens, cabbage, onions, leeks, carrots, turnips, sweet potatoes, and other storage crops. We think of these as “storage shares” because they are tailored to see you into the cold months of winter. These shares are a delicious way to celebrate the late season harvest and offer a bountiful Thanksgiving feast from your local farm! Each CSA pick up averages about 35 pounds of produce, it is larger than a weekly summer share.

Extended Season Dates: Saturday, Nov 8, Saturday, Nov 22, Saturday, Dec 6

SNAP Extended Season Share $132.50 Use your SNAP benefits to pay for a half-priced Extended Season CSA share.There is no payment taken at checkout, by signing up for this share, you agree to communicate with WFCF to set up the payment schedule. WFCF is a HIP vendor, which means you will receive up to $20 back in SNAP dollars on payments for this share. WFCF will reach out to you after signing up to go over payment options.

Pick up a bounty of fall and winter favorites, including winter greens, cabbage, onions, leeks, carrots, turnips, sweet potatoes, and other storage crops. We think of these as “storage shares” because they are tailored to see you into the cold months of winter. These shares are a delicious way to celebrate the late season harvest and offer a bountiful Thanksgiving feast from your local farm! Each CSA pick up averages about 35 pounds of produce, it is larger than a weekly summer share.

Extended Season Dates: Saturday, Nov 8, Saturday, Nov 22, Saturday, Dec 6

To sign up for a share after June 1, email ana@communityfarms.org

back to top Δ

What is a member? What does my membership fee pay for? What is a shareholder?

Membership with Waltham Fields Community Farm supports community farming and sustainable agriculture in Massachusetts. The WFCF membership fee starts at $50 per person, or $85 per household, and is used to support the charitable programs of our non-profit organization, including our food access, education and outreach programs. Membership is valid for one year and is a tax-deductable donation in support of our non-profit mission. We have several new options for our membership, so please review this section of our website here.

CSA shareholders of Waltham Fields Community Farm are ‘investors’ in our farm, paying in advance for a portion of our harvest, sharing in both the risk and the bounty of our farming season. Shareholders participate in our CSA program. All shareholders are required to be current members of our nonprofit organization. 

back to top Δ

What is included in a summer share?

The farm grows more than forty different kinds of vegetables for the CSA and our food access program. At each distribution, shareholders receive a variety of freshly harvested vegetables as well as some pick-your-own produce such as peas, beans, and cherry tomatoes. Some items, such as summer squash, salad greens, and tomatoes, will be available for several weeks, while other crops, like fennel, parsnips, or rutabaga, might only be harvested for one or two weeks. Each week, shareholders also receive a newsletter, which includes farm news and food preparation tips. See our harvest schedule and produce information and recipes page for a list of produce that is grown for the Summer CSA. We also partner with a mix of other local, organic farms to receive produce such as potatoes and winter squash.

If you’d like more information about the farms we partner with, please don’t hesitate to email Ana or talk to us during CSA share distributions.

back to top Δ

Is WFCF’s produce organic?

Since 1995, we have grown our crops at Waltham Fields Community Farm using organic practices. We use only materials approved by the Organic Materials Review Institute for pest control and fertility management. We manage our soil for long-term fertility and health in order to grow nutritious, vital food without the use of synthetic chemicals. While we are not certified organic, our commitment to sustainability in and out of the fields is ongoing. We are committed members of the Massachusetts chapter of the  Northeast Organic Farming Association and attend various yearly conferences, trainings and workshops regarding organic practices.  At Waltham Fields Community Farm, we believe that knowing your farmer and being engaged with your farm as a consumer is the best way to ensure that your food is produced responsibly. We encourage our CSA shareholders to ask our farm staff about our farming practices, and we make it a habit to communicate those practices through our CSA newsletter and on-farm educational events. We invite all our shareholders to join us in the fields for a firsthand taste of sustainable farming practices.

back to top Δ

How many people does a Summer CSA share feed?

That really depends on your eating and cooking habits. Some things to think about: How often do you cook at home? Are you really into veggies, or are you a "beginner"? Generally, a Summer 20-week share is the right amount for two vegetable loving adults that really enjoy cooking with fresh produce, or an "average" family of four. We aim to grow ample amounts of the basics along with a generous selection of more unusual crops each season. However, you should definitely plan to supplement pantry essentials item like onions and garlic with purchases from your local farmers’ markets and farm stands.

back to top Δ

Can I buy a half-share?

Waltham Fields Community Farm offers 20-week shares, picked up every week and a limited number of 10-week shares, picked up on an every-other-week basis. If you would like to split a 20-week share with a friend, you may arrange to do so (see below). The 10-week shares are not available to split.

back to top Δ

Can I split a share?

It is common for households to split a 20-week CSA share in several ways. Most commonly, households will either come together to pick up their vegetables - splitting the share down the middle in the barn. Or will swap weeks, each receiving a full share every other week. You can choose what works best for and your sharepartner. If you do split a 20-week share, we will list the share in our database & check in list under one name and address (the primary shareholder), though we are happy to email the weekly newsletter to multiple people for each share. We require that each household splitting a share be a dues-paying member of Waltham Fields Community Farm.

We do not keep a list of shareholders wanting to split a share; it is up to the primary shareholder to find a share partner.

Keep in mind that the quantities of vegetables in the shares may not always be conducive to splitting (for example, you might receive one butternut squash or one head of cabbage in a given week and have to decide with your share partner how to divvy up your veggies). Please also remember that if you are splitting a share among several adults, you will almost definitely find that you need to supplement your vegetables with trips to the farmers’ market or a local farm stand.

back to top Δ

Is share distribution ever canceled due to weather?

Yes, although rarely. The CSA distribution site at the farm will remain open during rain or snow but will be canceled during electrical storms or severe winter storms for reasons of safety. We will post an announcement on social media (Instagram, Facebook) if the farm is closed.

back to top Δ

What if I’m late to the pick-up site? What happens to my share if I forget to pick it up?

CSA shareholders are welcome to pick up on either distribution day, and you don't need to tell us which day you are coming each week. Any food that is not picked up at the end of the day on Saturday is donated to our hunger relief partners in addition to the produce we are harvesting specifically for this cause. We close our CSA promptly at the end of each distribution as our team must clean and reset the farmstand, take inventory and repack produce and coolers.

back to top Δ

What happens if the pick-up is on a holiday?

Our pick-up schedule generally doesn't change (vegetables don’t take a vacation!), but on occasion, we will shift the schedule to accommodate major holidays, like July 4.  If we need to change the pick-up schedule, we will provide advance notice through our CSA newsletters, social media and signage at the distribution barn.

back to top Δ

What happens to my share if I go on vacation?

We encourage you to share the harvest and make arrangements with friends, colleagues, or neighbors to pick up your share while you are gone. You do not need to let the distribution coordinator or farm staff know that someone else will be picking up your share; just make sure that whoever will pick up your share checks in with the distribution coordinator under your name during your designated week. Our Barn Staff is happy to walk anyone through the pick up process when they arrive.

back to top Δ

Can CSA shareholders pick their own vegetables?

Most vegetables are harvested and made available to shareholders in the distribution barn. A few crops, such as peas, beans, and cherry tomatoes, must be picked by summer CSA shareholders themselves as par of our Pick-Your-Own offering. When you get to the farm, you’ll check the Pick-Your-Own sheet for a list of crops and amounts available to be harvested per share.

Pick your own crops may include cherry tomatoes, snap beans, wax beans, fava beans, plum tomatoes, hot peppers, tomatillos and fresh herbs. 

The farm is open for pick-your-own from during daylight hours. For more information about pick-your-own crops, see tips to make your farm pick-up go smoothly.

back to top Δ

Do I get fruit in my share?

You can expect one or two weeks of watermelons and cantaloupe in a 10 or 20-week share. We will have additional local fruit for sale at our Farm Stand. If you are looking for more fruit, we offer an 8-week Fruit CSA. 

back to top Δ

Can another person pick up my share?

Yes. We don’t need to know that someone else will pick up your share. Just make sure that your friend checks in with our distribution coordinator under your name. If they are not familiar with our CSA, they can talk with our Barn Staff upon arrival and they will be happy to walk them through the process or answer questions.

back to top Δ

Are there any other benefits to being a member of Waltham Fields Community Farm CSA?

As a CSA shareholder, you will enjoy five months of fresh, locally and sustainably grown produce. As a member of Waltham Fields Community Farm, you will also be part of a vibrant agricultural community that works to support and promote local agriculture, provide hands-on education to children and adults about how food is grown, and donate fresh vegetables to local hunger relief programs. Members receive discounts on WFCF merchandise & apparel, farm events, and more. For a full list of member benefits, please see our membership enrollment page.

We also invite all our shareholders to visit the farm during our volunteer drop-in hours to work in the fields. You may also visit at other times to stroll, picnic, or play on the grounds. Please stay out of planted fields and workspaces unless you are doing pick-your-own or volunteering with a farm staff member.

back to top Δ

Can I work for my vegetables?

Waltham Fields Community Farm offers a limited number of work shares each season. Visit our job opportunities page to see if any work share positions are available.