What is a CSA?
Our Farm to Table CSA or Community Supported Agriculture program is a subscription-based produce purchase plan. Your subscription payment provides the funding for the farmer(s) to grow the produce, and it then provides you, the consumer and subscriber, with a weekly bounty of fresh produce starting in June and going through October.
What’s Included in our Farm to Table CSA?
- 22 Weekly Shares
June through October (2021 Dates: 6/5 – 10/30)
Pro-rated pricing available, so you can start anytime during the season!- Must purchase by Tuesday to pick up that same week.
- Pick Up: Saturdays 10 AM – 2 PM
*There is often flexibility available here, as long as arrangements are made in advance with the CSA Coordinator.
Contact for questions about pickup day/time - HUGE Savings!
Pre-payment for the whole season’s produce = HUGE savings (We’ve calculated 20-30% on average.) - Weekly Recipes in Your CSA Email
Check our weekly email to see which produce items you'll be picking up plus recipes to help you create new dishes. Especially to help you use items that may be foreign to you. - Farm to Table Market Bag
One for a half share and two for a full share. - CSA Membership Button
For exclusive savings at Alsip Home & Nursery on pick-up days! See below for more information. - A community of like-minded people.
Get to know the friendly faces you'll see every week, trade tips and recipes!
Choose Your Share Option
Foods You May Receive
Leafy Greens
- Kale (Curly, Lacinato)
- Lettuce (Red Leaf)
- Spinach
- Swiss Chard
Herbs
- Basil
- Chives
- Green Onion
- Parsley
- Rosemary
- Savory
- Spearmint
- Tarragon
- Thyme
Vegetables
- Asparagus
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Corn (Sweet)
- Cucumbers (Regular, Pickling)
- Eggplant
- Green Beans
- Kohlrabi
- Onion (Knob)
- Peppers (Green/Red Bell, Gypsy, Hot Banana, Poblando Red Bell)
- Tomatoes (Grape, Cherry)
- Radish
- Rhubarb
- Squash (Grey, Spaghetti, Yellow)
- Zucchini
Fruits
- Apples (Fuji, Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Zestar)
- Apricots
- Blueberries
- Peaches
- Pears
- Plums
- Strawberries
- Sweet Cherries
Occasional Specialties
- Eggs
- Honey
- Pie Pumpkin
- Bread
- Sweet Baked Goods
- Popcorn
Frequently Asked Questions
A few sources: Alsip Home & Nursery and local farmers who have teamed up with our Farm to Table program.
All of the food is organically grown, but not certified organic. We are not adding any chemicals or pesticides. Organic fertilizer and pest control methods are used.
We typically try to give an even assortment of what is ready at a given time, but we will make exceptions. We’ll sometimes have an either/or selections.
Much of the produce is heirloom and/or NON-GMO. All produce that is NON-GMO will be labeled as such.
Saturdays 10 AM – 2 PM, June through October. This may be flexible if arranged with your CSA coordinator.
Pick up locations are our 2 store locations, Frankfort, IL or St. John, IN. You choose your preferred location when you sign up for your share. Your pickup location will stay the same for the entire season.
If we have excess food for a given week we will have it available for sale to people both members and non. We then try to donate as much as possible to families in need in our communities.
So glad you asked! Here’s some recipes and tips to make the most of your bounty! We also encourage you to network with other members and share ideas and recipes. Our Farm to Table Facebook page is perfect for this!
It varies by time of season and what is ready at a given time but a typical half-share has 7-8 items, such as the photo to the right: 4 ears of corn, 2 bell peppers, bag of mixed salad greens, 5 apples, 2 bunches of herbs, 4 tomatoes, 2 zucchini, and 3 banana peppers. View here what our shares consisted of through the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
Meet Our CSA Growers
Alsip Home and Nursery partners with several great, local growers and providers.
- Bothwell Farms - Manhattan, IL
- Hardin Farms - Eau Claire, MI
- Planting Possibilities - Schererville, IN
- The Pioneering Pig Homestead - North Judson, IN
- Organic Bread of Heaven - Gary, IN
More Information on CSA's
“Community-supported agriculture (CSA; sometimes known as community-shared agriculture) is an alternative, locally-based economic model of agriculture and food distribution. A CSA also refers to a particular network or association of individuals who have pledged to support one or more local farms, with growers and consumers sharing the risks and benefits of food production. CSA members or subscribers pay at the onset of the growing season for a share of the anticipated harvest; once harvesting begins, they receive weekly shares of vegetables and fruit, in a vegetable box scheme. Often, CSAs also include herbs, honey, eggs, dairy products and meat, in addition to conventional produce offerings. In theory a CSA can provide any product to its members, although the majority of CSA operations tend to provide produce, fruits, and various edibles. Some CSA programs also include cut flowers and various ornamental plants as part of their weekly pickup arrangement. Some CSAs provide for contributions of labor in lieu of a portion of subscription costs. While some CSAs include small community deliveries, other CSAs expand to large neighborhoods and beyond, centering with a farmer’s market type setup where members can pickup their shares and establish an open forum for other topics that members may be interested in discussing. The farmer’s market type CSA usually leads to a more dynamic community stemming from this pickup location.”
Also read: Biodynamics.com – Introduction to CSAs
Have More Questions?
Email Ben Tyler, CSA Coordinator or call the St. John store at (219) 365-0882 to speak to him.
What a CSA Could Mean for You
- Most of your weekly produce needs will be provided through CSA shares
- Your savings on produce will leave more room in your budget. Fuller pantry AND fuller wallet
- You won’t have to worry about whether or not your produce is coming from Mexico
- You will be supporting local farmers, non-profit organizations, and foundations who provide resources and training to our developmentally-disabled citizens.