5 Reasons to Join a CSA Program

This year marks five years of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) at City Green!

In a CSA program, members purchase a share of a farm's harvest in advance of the growing season. From June-November, CSA members visit the City Green Farm Eco-Center in Clifton to pick up their weekly share of delicious organic produce.

City Green's CSA program started in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to think of creative new ways to get fresh, affordable food onto peoples' tables when it was needed most.

Today, our CSA hosts 50 full-season members and 25 winter members, totaling 75 members per year! Each weekly pickup is an opportunity for neighbors to meet, share stories and recipes, and get more involved with City Green. The CSA program runs for 23 weeks from June-November, and 8 weeks from December-January, and features 130 different varieties of vegetables from the farm, allowing members to experience the joy of eating farm-fresh produce with every season! 

To kick off the fifth year of the City Green CSA, we’re sharing 5 Reasons You Should Join City Green’s CSA:

1) Connect With Your Food and Your Community

Meeting your farmers and seeing where your food is grown allows you to forge deeper, healthier connections with what you eat. Asking about growing practices, swapping recipes with a neighbor, and seeing the same friendly faces each week is a more positive and rewarding experience than trying to speed-run the crowded aisles on a Saturday at your local supermarket.

2) Support Local Agriculture

Why buy food that's been shipped from other states, or even other countries, when farmers in your own community grow such a bounty? Food and agriculture are the third-largest industry in New Jersey, bringing in billions of dollars each year for the state economy. The best way to keep our Garden State green is to buy food from NJ farmers and keep them in business.

3) Local Food Tastes Better

When food travels hundreds of miles to get to the store, it loses freshness, flavor, and nutrients. When you eat locally, you are eating food harvested at its peak quality- and trust us, you will be able to tell the difference!

4) More Value For Your Money

All of the food from your CSA will be freshly harvested, giving it a much longer shelf life than produce from the grocery store and ensuring that you are getting the most value for your dollar. As food costs continue to rise, getting your weekly vegetables from the farm will save you money by reducing food waste.

5) It's Good For the Environment

Studies show that in the United States, fresh produce travels an average of 1,500 miles from production to consumption. "Food miles" measure the sustainability and environmental impact of our food system. Eating locally reduces food miles and lowers transport-related emissions. Additionally, the sustainable and regenerative farming techniques that City Green practices support wildlife habitat and prioritize the health of the soil.

Registration for the City Green CSA opens at 10am on April 21st! Sign up for our CSA email list or head to our website on registration day to sign up and join this year’s program.

Looking for a CSA program in a different area? Check out the USDA’s Local Food Directory, where you can search for CSAs in your local community.