Eat better food that has traveled less and is always in season.
Meet Astoria neighbors and strengthen our community.
Support a Long Island family farm.
Welcome to Astoria Community Supported Agriculture!
Every Thursday afternoon beginning in May the Golden Earthworm Organic Farm of Jamesport, NY will deliver a wide variety of locally grown organic vegetables to Astoria CSA members at Cafe Bar.
Update: Membership is now closed! As of April 29, we've reached 100 members, the limit set by our farmers.
If you have questions, please write to info@astoriacsa.com.
Besides prepaying, are there any other commitments?
To make the CSA work for everyone with reasonable prices, we require four hours of volunteer time from each member. This time will usually be spent working at the distribution site (including set up and clean up). After you join, E-mail volunteer@astoriacsa.com to reserve your Thursday volunteer date.
After I join, how do I get my produce?
The farm delivers the vegetables in bulk to Cafe Bar, 32-90 36th Street, at 34th Avenue. Cafe Bar generously gives us a place to store the food and some sidewalk space for a couple of hours. Each week two volunteers unpack the boxes, create a sign showing the week's portions, and check in members. Members must arrive between 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM to pick up their vegetables.
Read the next page for more information.
What is a CSA?
Community Support Agricultiure (CSA) is a mutually beneficial partnership between a local farm and a neighborhood that desires fresher, healthier produce. Before the growing season starts, each CSA member purchases a produce share.
As a shareholder in the farm, a CSA member receives a weekly share of the harvest throughout the growing season.
Payment is required before the season begins, to provide a stable financial base for the farm. This allows the farmer to purchase seeds, hire labor, and get the season started without having to take out high-interest loans.
In order to make the CSA work, every member pitches in. We ask members to contribute at least one 4-hour session working at our distribution site. This allows you to meet our farmers, other CSA members, and helps keep the administrative fee low.
What is a share?
Share contents vary from week to week, depending on what is in season. A share includes 6-10 different types of vegetables that have been harvested less than 24 hours before they reach your table. Each share feeds 3-4 non-vegetarians.
We understand that these shares may be too large for singles or small families. We encourage you to split shares. Come to our Membership Drive, post to a special thread on astorians.com, or call us at 718-512-5401, or e-mail us to find out how to partner.
Why Organic?
Organic agriculture is an approach to farming that seeks to maintain and improve the productivity of the land by encouraging and enhancing natural biological processes. Organic farming excludes the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. As much as possible organic farmers rely on crop rotation, crop residues, animal manures and mechanical cultivation to maintain soil productivity.
"A growing body of research shows that pesticides and other contaminants are more prevalent in the foods we eat, in our bodies, and in the environment than we thought. And studies show that by eating organic foods, you can reduce your exposure to the potential health risks associated with those chemicals." Consumer Reports (Feb. 2006)
The Golden Earthworm Farm is certified by Northeast Organic Farming Association-NY.
Why Local?
Local food tastes better because it arrives to you fresher and crisper than food found in a market (which travels on average 1,500 miles and takes 2 weeks to reach you). Local food is a personal stand against Agribusiness. Local food supports local families, and the New York State economy. Also, local food reconnects you with your home and season in ways long forgotten by many city dwellers.
Astoria CSA gives back to Astoria
The Golden Earthworm Farm donates 1 free share to Astoria CSA for every 30 shares we sell. In turn, Astoria CSA donates those shares to the Steinway Food Pantry, an emergency food program located at 41-36 27th Street. Thanks to our robust membership, we are able to donate 3 shares per week to the pantry, which provides food to whomever needs it. The Steinway Food Pantry does not require formal identifiers, since many of their consumers are homeless, disabled, low-income and immigrant individuals and families.
If you don't pick up your share, the left over food will also go to the food pantry. Many CSA members may have 1 or 2 weeks that he or she can't get to the pickup, and can't arrange to have someone grab their share. If that happens, the left over food will also be given to the Steinway Food Pantry.
Find out more about volunteering and the food pantry at their web site: http://www.steinway.org/.
Outreach Materials
If you'd like to help promote Astoria CSA, you are free to use these materials. Click the images to download PDFs.
Press
We've been very lucky to have been featured in several newspapers and magazines, even before we opened! Here are a couple we found online:
Roving Gastronome 3/20/07
Queens Chonicle 3/15/07
We are featured in Time Out New York 3/22/07!