Photo by Randy Fath on Unsplash
One of the best things about warmer weather is the fresh produce. There’s nothing like biting into a juicy peach or a fat, fresh tomato. Even better when your kids ask for fruits and veggies like these as their preferred snack choice.
If you don’t have a green thumb (or the time) to tend your own garden, and you never make it to the local farmers market on time, there’s another way to get produce straight from the farm to your front door: a CSA subscription.
The ins and outs
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture, which is a system that closely connects you to a farmer by allowing you to subscribe to the harvest of a certain farm or farm groups.
You usually pay up front for your subscription/membership, which gives you access to fresh, local, seasonal food directly from the farmer. You usually get a box (or basket) of produce each week. While many CSAs mainly consist of vegetables, it’s not confined to just produce. Depending on the CSA, you could also sign up for shares of eggs, meat, cheese, fruit or even flowers.
This is a great way to get fresh, healthy food, support local farmers, and try new fruits and vegetables. Even better, kids can often visit the farm where the produce comes from and it often encourages them to eat the fruits and vegetables provided.
Ready to sign up? Here’s a roundup of a variety of CSAs within the region.
- Riehm Produce Farm, LLC
7244 N. State Route 53
Tiffin, OH 44883
FunAcres.Net
A longtime family farm committed to nutrient-dense delicious food using sustainable farming practices. Riehm Produce Farm offers a 20 week Summer share as well as a Fall/Winter share twice a month from November- February. Visit the website to learn more.
- Sandy Slope Homestead
10464 Pemberville Road
Wayne, OH 43466
facebook.com/Sandy-Slope-Homestead
A local farm focused on regenerative agriculture and wetland protection, Sandy Slope Homestead offers meat and eggs for sale, and hopes to offer other items for sale in the future.
- Knueven Creamery & Market
2556 Road F
Leipsic, OH 45856
knuevencreamery.com
Knueven Creamery & Market is a fourth generation, family-owned farm and market in Putnam County. Cows graze on certified organic farmlands and provide the milk and cream for the farm to make its own ice-creams, butter, and cheese. They also offer organic, non-GMO milled flours and meals for your baking needs.
- Tillow Acres Farm
22123 County Road 230
Mount Victory, Ohio 43340
Tillowacres.com
This small market family farm in West Central Ohio provides surrounding communities with vegetables, fruits and berries, culinary herbs, artisan/GF breads and baked goods, and pasture-raised heritage eggs. Check out their website for more information on their CSA program.
- Shared Legacy Farms
3701 S. Schultz-Portage Road
Elmore, OH 43416
sharedlegacyfarms.com
Shared Legacy Farms is a 20 acre, certified organic vegetable farm that grows dozens of varieties of vegetables for its large CSA program, which runs 18 weeks from June to October. They also offer add-on products from partnering vendors, like Quarry Hill Orchard, Maddie and Bella Coffee and more. Find more details on their website.
- Rustling Oaks Farm
25378 Sandusky Road
Richwood, OH 43344
614-325-6625
This third generation family farm produces 100% grass-fed freezer beef, lamb and pork. Rustling Oaks Farm uses a sustainable environment, free of hormones and pesticides/ herbicides. They also offer cage-free brown eggs.
- Schooner Farms
14890 State Route 235
Weston, OH 43569
schoonerberries.com
Schooner Farms is a 20 acre farm that raises chemical free pick-your-own raspberries and blackberries. They offer a limited CSA memberships to allow members to know the farmers growing their food. Schooner Farms also offers a wide variety of workshops and classes on site.
