About the CSA
¡Para ver esta página en español oprima aquí!
Thank you for your interest in our CSA program! We are currently accepting applications for the 2011 season on Farmer Dave's Website. You have the option of downloading the registration form or completing it online, and you can now pay online by credit card. The Groundwork Lawrence CSA makes it easy to enjoy locally grown, farm-fresh produce every week – hand-picked, packed and delivered to a central location for your convenience. Please email Anna or call her at (978) 974-0770 with any questions. We also encourage you to donate to our Groundwork Share-a-Share™ Program to help increase the affordability and accessibility of our subsidized shares!
The CSA is brought to you by Groundwork Lawrence and Farmer Dave's. Click here to go to Farmer Dave's website for more information and to register and pay online.
Jump to...
- What is a CSA?
- Why participate in a CSA?
- What kind of food will I get?
- Are there any changes for the 2011 CSA season?
- 2011 Rates and Dates
- Groundwork Share-a-Share™ Program
- Work-Trade Opportunities
- Farmer Dave's Growing Practices
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Read 2010 CSA Newsletters
What is a CSA?
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It is a way for people to create a relationship with a farm and to receive a weekly basket of produce. Individuals or families become "members" (or "shareholders" or "subscribers") of the CSA by making a financial commitment to the farm, typically at the beginning of the season. Members invest in the farm, and in return they receive a weekly "share" of fruits and vegetables throughout the growing season, establishing a direct connection to their food and those who grow it.
Why participate in a CSA?
Some of the benefits our past CSA members have described include:
- Eating locally—creating a direct connection to the source of your food and the farmer and increasing your knowledge about what can be grown here and when
- Access to high quality, fresh, locally-grown produce that tastes better!
- Better nutrition and health
- The chance to discover new vegetables, to share recipes, and to expand your knowledge of storing and preserving produce
- Decrease environmental impacts associated with growing and shipping produce
- Getting to meet new people and visit with old friends at the pickup site
- Save money!
- "With the CSA, we eat better and healthier. Each year we end up cooking a wider variety of recipes, having more family meals, and eating more vegetables in general during the CSA season. Also, now that we have more friends in the CSA, we love comparing notes!"
What kind of food will I get?
The weekly share varies slightly depending on what produce in season. Members receive high quality, fresh, locally grown produce picked within 24 hours of pick-up. Check out our Share Sizes & Sample Shares page for more detailed information. If you have questions regarding what you will get in your share, email Anna or call her at (978) 974-0770.
- "My kids really enjoyed seeing the vegetables each week and really began to understand that food comes from the earth and not from the shelves of a supermarket."
Are there any changes for the 2011 CSA season?
Yes. This year Farmer Dave is running the registration process, with the option to download a paper registration form and mail it in, or to register completely online. There is also the option to pay with a credit card online. Please visit Farmer Dave's Website for more information on registration. Another change is that Groundwork Lawrence will be extending our Share-a-Share Program™ to all of Farmer Dave's CSA sites, offering subsidized shares to individuals and families in need of financial assistance.
Also this year, Farmer Dave is offering a Spring Greens Share that will run 12 weeks, mid-March through mid-June, for pick-up in Dracut only. We've also changed some aspects of what was formally known as the "Winter Share," and what we're now calling the "Late Fall Share." Besides the name change, we have also decided, thanks to your feedback, to run the Late Fall Share for 7 consecutive weeks of single shares, beginning in November and ending in mid-December (we eliminated the double shares). Please see our Share Sizes & Sample Shares page for more information of what's in both these shares.
- "My whole family is eating healthier and tastier food, and my 3-year-old daughter is growing up with an appreciation for how and where her food is grown. We've also enjoyed being part of a community of locavores--it's helped us connect with people in our neighborhood and in our city."
Rates & Dates
Please visit Farmer Dave's Website for registration forms and online registration, as well as more information on Rates & Dates. The Vegetable CSA will run for 20 weeks, from mid-June to late October, with pickups on Tuesdays from 3-7pm at Chester's conveniently located just 5 minutes off Rt. 495 on the first floor of 60 Island Street in Lawrence.
CSA 2011 Deadlines and Start Dates
Registration is now open! Start dates and deadlines are still TBA but we will update this page when dates are set.
This Year's CSA Prices
Farmer Dave is now accepting credit card payments as part of the online registration. Below you will find the prices for each share. There is a Regular Price and a special price for those wishing to pay with credit card with the processing fees included. Also, the delivery and admin fees have been included in the full price. For more information on changes to the pricing structure visit Farmer Dave's Questions and Answers About our 2011 Pricing Page.
Small Vegetable Share:
- Regular Price - $414.97
- Credit Card Price - $427.80
Regular Vegetable Share:
- Regular Price - $564.97
- Credit Card Price - $582.44
Super Family Vegetable Share:
- Regular Price - $964.97
- Credit Card Price- $994.81
Spring Greens Share: (Dracut Pick-up ONLY)
- Regular Price- $215.00
- Credit Card Price- $221.65
Fruit Share:
- Regular Price - $240.98
- Credit Card Price- $248.43
Late Fall Share:
- Regular Price - $240.98
- Credit Card Price- $248.43
Work-Trade Opportunities
GWL and Farmer Dave's will be looking for local residents, ideally bilingual in Spanish and English, wishing to staff the Lawrence CSA Pick-Up Site in exchange for a free Vegetable Share. Please email Anna or call her at (978) 974-0770 for more information.