Community Supported Agriculture on Long Island

Photo by Ewa Rumprecht

I have learned about the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) from an excellent book by Jane Goodall "Harvest for Hope: A Guide to Mindful Eating". I have looked it up in various sources. Wikipedia Community-supported agriculture article told me about the history of the movement, US Government Community Supported Agriculture site helped me find local farms through the Local Harvest search page.

For the last couple of years I am a member of the CSA program with the Golden Earthworm Farm in Jamesport. At the beginning of a season, sometime around March-April, I pay about $600 for my share. Every Wednesday between June and Thanksgiving, I pick up a box of fresh vegetables from a designated pick up place, in my case a garage of a gorgeous Victorian house in Cold Spring Harbor.

This is a win-win arrangement. The farm gets the funds to run the operations upfront, I get the local, guaranteed organic produce as fresh and crunchy as possible. The risk of failed crop is spread between the farm and the members which ensures the farm stays in business and continues feeding the hungry Long Islanders like myself.

Golden Earthworm Farm is run by Matthew Kurek, James Russo, and Maggie Wood or, as they facetiously sign their communications, Farmer Matt, Farmer James and Maggie. Their 80 acres of land feed 1,500 member families between North Fork and Queens.

---