Each spring, Riverside Park's Urban Ecology Center is THE place to be to meet local farmers who grow food sustainably and learn how to buy directly from them. The annual Local Food and Farmer Open House event has grown since we first organized it ten years ago to help our community connect with local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), farmers. Now over 1,000 people attend each year, the number of CSA farmers attending is over 20, and the Open House also includes other local farmers who produce meat, dairy, eggs, honey and more. During the rest of the year, our community can visit the UEC and our web site to learn more about CSAs and where to find local farms.
What is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)?
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is like having your own personal farmer. In a CSA, you become a member of a local farm by purchasing a “share”. In return, you receive weekly deliveries of fresh produce throughout the growing season, typically late May to November. Along with the produce, some farms also offer meat, eggs, and other extras along with weekly newsletters, recipes, U-picks and farm festivals.
Choosing a CSA is about connecting to a farm and your food. You are encouraged to contact farmers directly to determine which farm is the best fit for you. To help you do this, we have information below about each CSA farm that participated in our 2011 Open House with their contact information and a short description of their CSA. You can also download this information. Or use this chart as an overview of what each farm offers.
Choosing Other Local Food
At our Open House, you can meet other local farmers who produce sustainably and sell directly to the public. This year, the farmers who participated sell meat, dairy, honey, and mushrooms. Their farm descriptions and contact information are below and included this download.
Click here to view a complete list of CSA Farmers via our website.
