2023 Community Supported Agriculture
Overview
A Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program connects you with your food. By buying a share in the winter, you’re reserving weekly pick-ups of sustainably-grown produce right here on our farm. In the summer and fall, you visit the farm to pick them up.
We plant, grow, and harvest vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers to provide fresh, certified-organic produce to the community. And, we partner with local farms to supplement what we can’t grow. This allows us to offer fruit, mushrooms, and additional varieties of vegetables.
Offering fresh, healthy food to all, including those with less means, is important to us. We offer subsidized shares to people who are SNAP recipients. If you can, please consider making a donation to our 2023 Fund for Community-Sponsored Farm Shares. Donated funds will support subsidized shares to SNAP recipients at the same time that you purchase a share for your household.
Expanded CSA Offerings In 2023, we are continuing to offer Summer and Fall Veggie Shares and Flower Shares. We also are continuing our partnership with Fat Moon Farm and will be offering Mushroom Shares each of 3 seasons.
In addition, we are offering two new CSA types – a Fruit Share and a Preservers Share. We are partnering with Autumn Hill Orchards and Warner Farm to provide a 15-week Fruit Share to LexFarm members. Our Preservers Share is a fully Pick-Your-Own offering rooted in the goal of reducing food waste in our fields and geared towards the avid canner/preserver. You will have 6-8 opportunities to directly harvest bulk veggies from our fields.
A 2023 Household Level Membership is required for all CSA options, except for SNAP shares. You may create or renew your membership here, or you may add a membership to your basket with your CSA options.
For SNAP recipients, read the 2023 Summer Vegetable Share, Logistics and Payment Methods sections. For pricing information, go to the Sign Up section and click on Place Your 2023 CSA Order Here. Note that shares for SNAP Recipients do not require a LexFarm membership.
Options
Please note that some CSA options were sold out during early sales to 2023 LexFarm members and 2022 shareholders. You can sign up for the wait list for sold out items by going to the “Sold Out?” menu item in the CSA ordering system.
2023 Summer Vegetable Share – Sold Out – Link to Waitlist
Our Summer CSA runs for 20 weeks from June to October. Exact dates are TBD and are based on early spring conditions. We typically start the 1st or 2nd week of June. We offer two options:
- Full share: 20 weeks: Pick up your share EVERY week of the season.
- Half share: 10 weeks: Pick up your share EVERY OTHER week of the season. (You will be assigned to the ODD or EVEN week group when we announce the start date of the CSA.)
Summer Vegetable Shareholders have two options for pick up. There are a limited number of spots available for each option, so an early sign up is necessary to secure your preference.
- Option 1: Wednesday or Thursday
- Option 2: Friday or Saturday
All of the produce in the share is certified organic. The majority is grown at LexFarm and is supplemented with additional vegetables and some melon from other local farms to offer you a wide variety of produce. Working with other farms allows us to offer more shares and more variety to those shares, while also allowing us to take better care of our soils. Each week, we strive to include an allium (onion/garlic family), fresh eating greens, cooking greens, herbs and bulkier veggies to round out your meals. Our share also includes an educational and fun Pick-Your-Own experience and weekly newsletters with recipe ideas, youth education classes and events, and opportunities to get involved in the farm. The Summer Vegetable Share includes our “FarmBucks” program to provide additional variety and/or volume to weekly shares. FarmBucks can be used to purchase any seedling or produce for sale in the farm stand during the 2023 Summer CSA season.
- 20-week Summer Vegetable Share includes $70 in FarmBucks.
- 10-week Summer Vegetable Share includes $35 in FarmBucks.
FarmBucks allow you to purchase produce in the farm stand that are not included in the shares. Space constraints and disease and pest pressures are the major reasons for not growing 200+ of certain crops (like fennel)! We can offer a smaller quantity of a wider variety of produce in the farm stand, and we created Farm Bucks to give you access to that produce. FarmBucks are tracked at the farm stand (no need to remember a card) and may be used to purchase any produce or seedlings in the stand, any time we are open during the 2023 Summer CSA season. FarmBucks EXPIRE on the last pickup day of the SUMMER CSA SEASON. No exceptions.
2023 Community-Sponsored Summer Vegetable Share for SNAP Recipients
Our Summer CSA runs for 20 weeks from June to October. Exact dates are TBD and are based on early spring conditions. We typically start the 1st or 2nd week of June. We offer two options:
- Full share: 20 weeks: Pick up your share EVERY week of the season.
- Half share: 10 weeks: Pick up your share EVERY OTHER week of the season. (You will be assigned to the ODD or EVEN week group when we announce the start date of the CSA.)
Summer Vegetable Shareholders have two options for pick up. There are a limited number of spots available for each option, so an early sign up is necessary to secure your preference.
- Option 1: Wednesday or Thursday
- Option 2: Friday or Saturday
All of the produce in the share is certified organic. The majority is grown at LexFarm and is supplemented with additional vegetables and some melon from other local farms to offer you a wide variety of produce. Working with other farms allows us to offer more shares and more variety to those shares, while also allowing us to take better care of our soils. Each week, we strive to include an allium (onion/garlic family), fresh eating greens, cooking greens, herbs and bulkier veggies to round out your meals. Our share also includes an educational and fun Pick-Your-Own experience and weekly newsletters with recipe ideas, youth education classes and events, and opportunities to get involved in the farm. The Summer Vegetable Share includes our “FarmBucks” program to provide additional variety and/or volume to weekly shares. FarmBucks can be used to purchase any seedling or produce for sale in the farm stand during the 2023 Summer CSA season.
- 20-week Summer Vegetable Share includes $70 in FarmBucks.
- 10-week Summer Vegetable Share includes $35 in FarmBucks.
FarmBucks allow you to purchase produce in the farm stand that are not included in the shares. Space constraints and disease and pest pressures are the major reasons for not growing 200+ of certain crops (like fennel)! We can offer a smaller quantity of a wider variety of produce in the farm stand, and we created Farm Bucks to give you access to that produce. FarmBucks are tracked at the farm stand (no need to remember a card) and may be used to purchase any produce or seedlings in the stand, any time we are open during the 2023 Summer CSA season. FarmBucks EXPIRE on the last pickup day of the SUMMER CSA SEASON. No exceptions.
2023 Flower Share – Sold Out – Link to Waitlist
Our Flower Share consists of pick-your-own bouquets averaging 24 stems (up from 20 stems in 2022) per week for 12 consecutive weeks. We plant celosia, snapdragons, rudbeckia, sunflowers, cosmos, marigolds, zinnias, statice, ageratum, gomphrena, strawflower, and more! Historically flowers are ready to pick starting in mid-July. During the 12-week season, you will be able to pick your share anytime the farmstand is open.
2023 Fruit Share – Sold Out – Link to Waitlist
We are partnering with Autumn Hill Orchards and Warner Farm to provide a 15-week fruit CSA. All fruit is grown locally in Groton and Sunderland MA using IPM (Integrated Pest Management) growing practices. Each farm ensures the most sustainable practices are used to grow their fruit. The Fruit Share will be available starting in mid-July. You can expect the first few weeks to be blueberries, plums, and raspberries in pints or quarts, and the later weeks to be bulkier with peaches, nectarines, and lots of fun varieties of apples. As per usual with a CSA share in New England, everything is subject to change depending on how each crop does in the climate of next season. Our goal is to get you a little bit of everything! Please note that pickups of a Fruit Share are limited to Wednesdays and Thursdays to ensure the quality of produce. If you are ordering a Summer Vegetable Share, we suggest that you select Wed/Thu pickup to align your visits to the farm. Note that we cannot guarantee you a Wed/Thu pickup. Also note, that if you are ordering a 10-week Summer Vegetable Share, the Fruit Share is distributed in consecutive weeks, while the 10-week Summer Vegetable Share is distributed in alternate weeks. Keep that in mind when planning your pickup schedule.
2023 Preservers Share
We are thrilled to announce a pilot Preservers Share for the 2023 season. This offering is rooted in our desire to reduce food waste in our fields and is geared towards the avid canner/preserver. This fully Pick Your Own (PYO) Share will occur over the course of the entire growing season with 6-8 harvesting opportunities. The crops offered will depend greatly on which veggies thrive next season. The plan is to offer bulk harvests of cucumbers, hot peppers, tomatoes, greens, and herbs. The cost of this share is based on the wholesale price of each crop, so you’ll certainly get your money’s worth. This is a pilot program and unlike our other CSAs, pickups will not occur with a predictable cadence. During the designated weeks, you will be able to pick any time the farmstand is open that week. For the inaugural group of Preservers Shareholders, we ask that you be flexible while we figure out the best way to make this work. We will welcome feedback and canning tips to share with the community!
2023 Fall Vegetable Share – Sold Out – Link to Waitlist
Our Fall Share consists of four biweekly pickups in November and December. Fall pickups are larger than weekly summer shares as a majority will be storage crops, and it’s meant to last for two weeks instead of one! Pickup for the Fall Vegetable Share is on Friday or Saturday.
2023 Mushroom Shares
We are thrilled to partner with Fat Moon Farm to offer three weekly seasonal Mushroom Shares for pickup at LexFarm. There will be one 11-week share per season – Spring, Summer, and Fall. The mushrooms are grown nearby in the Merrimack Valley. These certified-organic fungi are a delicious addition to any meal. Each week consists of one pound of mushrooms; the varieties change each week based on availability. They include Shiitake, Oyster (blue, brown, black pearly, yellow), King Trumpet, Lion’s Mane, Chestnut, and Pioppino. Pickup for the Mushroom Share is on Thursday or Friday. The pickup weeks for each season is as follows:
| Season | Start | End |
| Spring | May 4-5 | July 13-14 |
| Summer | July 20-21 | September 28-29 |
| Fall | October 5-6 | December 21-22 (no pickup Thanksgiving week) |
LexFarm CSA Logistics
1. Sign up online. If you choose to pay by credit card, we ask that you consider a 3% tip to cover credit card fees. If you choose to pay by check, please mail your check to LexFarm, PO Box 554, Lexington, MA 02420. Checks must be received within one week in order to reserve your share. You are welcome to split a share with another household. However, we will not be administering split shares this year. What you choose to do on your own is your choice, but we will only record one name per share. That name will appear on the sign-in sheet at share pickup. 2. Exact season start date for each Share type is subject to the weather and field conditions. We will send you an email a week or two prior to the start of each share’s season informing you of the season start date and other relevant pickup details. For 10-week Summer Vegetable Shareholders, this email will also tell you whether you have been assigned to the odd or even week group. 3. Pick up your share on the designated days when the farmstand is open CSA Pickup schedule:
| Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | |
| Summer Share | Wed/Thu pickup | Fri/Sat pickup | ||
| Fruit Share | Fruit pickup | |||
| Flower Share | PYO when farmstand is open | |||
| Preservers Share | PYO when farmstand is open | |||
| Fall Share | Fall pickup | |||
| Mushroom Share | Mushroom pickup | |||
Farm Store Hours beginning June 7:
| Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
| 2PM – 7PM | 2PM – 7PM | 2PM – 7PM | 9AM – 2PM |
4. If you can’t make your regular pickup, you may:
- Seek a swap. We will set up a Google group to help you swap dates with someone else if needed. Finding a swapmate is not guaranteed but it has worked well in past years.
- Each of you is emailed an invitation to join the Google group at the start of the CSA season. (Email [email protected] to have your invitation resent if you find your 2023 invitation has expired.)
- Have the swapmate check in under your name. You do not need to let us know.
- Send a friend. This is a wonderful opportunity to introduce a neighbor, friend, or co-worker to the farm. As with swaps, have the friend check in under your name.
- Donate your share. If you don’t pick up your share, the food will not go to waste. We donate all extra vegetables to food rescue organizations twice every week, and we are happy to make your share available to those who will use it!!
We are not staffed to make other pickup arrangements other than the ones described above. We cannot hold shares beyond the specified pickup dates. Thank you for working with these options.
5. ALL PYO WILL be closed in the case of thunderstorms, and cherry tomato PYO will be closed in the case of rain. (Common tomato diseases are spread more easily when leaves are wet.) Please check our Facebook page for updates.
Pricing
You are making an investment in LexFarm when you pay for your share at the beginning of our growing season; that’s when we most need capital to purchase seeds and other supplies.
| Share Type | Cost |
| Summer – 20 week | $749 |
| Summer – 10 week | $399 |
| Fruit | $190 |
| Flower | $180 + 6.25% tax = $191.25 |
| Preservers | $135 |
| Fall | $200 |
| Mushroom | $195 |
Payment Methods
All CSA shares must be paid in full at signup, with two exceptions.
- If you are signing up for the Summer Vegetable Share before March 1, you may pay in two installments. Half of the payment is due when you sign up, and the balance is due by April 1. This option is only available for the Summer Vegetable Shares.
- If you are signing up for the Community-Sponsored Summer Vegetable Share for SNAP Recipients, payments will be made monthly via your SNAP benefits beginning in June and ending in October.
Payments can be made by check or credit card.
- If you choose to pay by credit card, we request you add a 3% tip to cover credit card fees.
- If you choose to pay by check, please see the instructions below. Mail all checks to: LexFarm – PO Box 554 – Lexington, MA 02420. Checks must be received within one week in order to reserve your share.
Instructions to Pay by Check or in Installments You will need to use a coupon code to pay by check or to pay for your summer share in two installments
| Payment action | Coupon Code |
| Pay by check – either in full or in installments | paywithcheck |
| Pay by credit card in installments | installment-credit |
- If you choose to pay by check, there will be instructions on what to do in your order confirmation email. Please follow those instructions.
- If you choose to pay for your summer vegetable share in two installments, we will send you an email around March 15 to request payment for the second installment.
Financial hardship We strive to make our CSA shares available to everyone in our community. In cases of financial hardship, contact [email protected] for alternate payment plan options. We also offer subsidized shares through SNAP.
QUESTIONS?
See Frequently Asked Questions for additional details on how the CSA works. Any other questions can be sent to [email protected].
Sign Up for CSA and Membership
LexFarm is a membership organization. Purchasing a CSA Share is a benefit of LexFarm membership. Membership fees support our mission around food access, education and outreach to all members of the community.
A Household membership ($45) is the minimum level required to be a CSA Shareholder and to receive discounts on youth, family, and adult education programs. The full amount of all donations, including annual membership, is tax-deductible. Memberships run from January 1 through December 31.
Subsidized CSA shares do not require a LexFarm membership. Note: If you donated during our year-end appeal (after 11/1/22) your donation also went towards membership.
You can check your membership status here: Verify Membership
If you still aren’t sure of your membership status, please email [email protected] to inquire.
Please add a membership to your order if needed before placing other CSA items in your basket.
