Think of it as a subscription to produce, or buying stock in a family farm: purchase a share or a half share in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) enterprise and you'll start reaping the dividends right away, in the form of a weekly box of farm-fresh goodies. We've put together a list of great CSAs with local pickup places—and though most farms don't begin the harvest until June, we recommend you sign up early to ensure you get a share.
Celestial Harvest
612.388.3255
This small family farm in Prior Lake, Minn., has been building up a reputation as a top-notch CSA on the strength of excellent word-of-mouth. With more than 40 different varieties of fruits and vegetables, there's sure to be something for everyone in your half or three-quarter bushel box.
Season: 18 weeks, starting in late June.
What's in the box: Greens in the spring (from kale and bunching unions to lettuce, broccoli and swiss chard), veggies, flowers and melons in the summer, and a huge variety of herbs and root vegetables in the fall, along with to-die-for heirloom tomatoes and sweet corn.
Pick-up site: A weekly pickup location in Edina is being decided; check website for more information as June approaches.
Loon Organics
320.587.0140
Seven years in and still going strong, Loon Organics has expanded from its original two-acre incubator at the Gardens of Eagan into a 40-acre organic farming powerhouse, supplying local retailers, restaurants and the Mill City Farmer's Market with fresh, natural produce. Their 150-member CSA program offers a huge range of produce, but is tailored to feed (and fit the produce needs of) a family of four—or two very hungry vegetarians.
Season: Early June through mid-October. Sign up early, because shares typically sell out by April.
What's in the box: A wide variety of staples and heirloom produce, from velvety butter lettuce and crisp broccoli in June to sweet corn and watermelons in August and winter squash and potatoes in the fall.
Pick-up site: Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s Apple House (located 1.5 miles west of the Arboretum entrance in Chanhassen on State Highway 5 and Rolling Acres Road).
Rock Spring Farm
563.735.5614
If you're looking for a more flexible CSA program, check out Rock Spring Farm, where the new Four Seasons Vegetable Shares allow you to pick and choose between a number of different fruit and veggie options.
Season: Rock Springs offers CSA produce year round.
What's in the box: It all depends on the box! From their Deep Winter Fruit Box to their Spring, Summer and Autumn root and vegetable shares, there's a new bounty to choose from each and every season.
Pick-up site: Cooks of Crocus Hill, 3925 W. 50th St.
Tangletown Gardens
612.822.4769
The renowned horticulture experts at Tangletown Gardens recently expanded into the world of CSA farming, offering shares of 100 percent natural, organic produce from their 40-acre farm in Plato, Minn. Not only that, but Tangletown allows you to supplement your CSA with additional fruits and veggies sold right at the garden center's farm fresh daily market. Throughout the season, shareholders are also rewarded with recipes, produce storage tips and a weekly newsletter.
Season: 18 weeks, beginning mid-June
What's in the box: Chemical-free, sustainable produce of all varieties. Greens, early vegetables and fresh strawberries in the spring, and heartier fare like tomatoes, potatoes squash, pumpkins and sweet corn as the seasons progress.
Pick-up site: Tangletown Gardens, 5353 Nicollet Ave. S., Mpls.
The Grass Fed Cattle Company
612.581.7787
Meat eaters, fear not! There's a CSA for you, too. Edina's own Grass Fed Cattle Company is a small consortium of local farmers (all located within 150 miles of the Twin Cities) committed to raising 100 percent free-range, grass-fed cows, with no added hormones or antibiotics. Buying into GFCC's Beef CSA lets you take advantage of bulk-priced beef without investing in a deep freezer. Simply order an eighth or quarter beef and pick up your meat throughout the year in smaller packages that will fit inside your refrigerator's freezer.
Season: Year-round
What's in the box: Beef! Vacuum-sealed, frozen and labeled with specific cut and weight information, as well as ground beef in one-pound packages.
Pick up site: Grass Fed Cattle Company, 3939 W. 50th St.
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For a taste of locally grown agriculture without signing up for a full share in a CSA, head to Lucia's Restaurant or Lucia's To Go, where fresh fruits and vegetables are brought in daily from Cornerstone Rooftop Farms. The Cornerstone Group of Richfield is paving the way for urban agriculture in the Twin Cities, with a series of community-run rooftop farms and gardens springing up all over the area.
Lucia's, 1432 W. 31st St., Mpls.; 612.825.1572
Cornerstone Rooftop Farms, 7610 Lyndale Ave. S. , Richfield; 612.746.0660
