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Valley Bounty, May 25: CSAs

Many farms begin weekly distributions of summer harvest shares next week. Now is the time to sign up! Besides delicious, fresh food, CSA membership is a concrete way to support local agriculture, know the people who grow your food, and add a seasonal rhythm to your table. Valley CSAs offer choices in share size and content, pick-up location (consider home delivery!), and payment plans.

Web Extras

Find descriptions of Pioneer Valley CSAs on our list here. It’s indexed, so you easily find CSAs by location or by product, and find lists of those offering home delivery and farmstand or farmers’ market shares.

Our guide to choosing a CSA reviews the factors you might consider in choosing a CSA, including location, share sizes, payment options, ability to mix-and-match your own share, and more.

CSA History

Some of the first CSA farms in the United States are here in western Massachusetts, including Amherst’s Brookfield Farm. A history of CSAs in the United States can be found here. Pioneer Valley CSA farms continue to be innovative and community-minded, developing partnerships to distribute CSA shares in under-served communities, to ensure affordable access to land, to produce and market food all year long, and to create flexible options for participating in a CSA.