Edible Jersey CSA Guide
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs throughout the Garden State offer nutritious, local produce and other food items —and a way to help support New Jersey farms.
CSAs: Eating is an Agricultural Act
“I begin with the proposition that eating is an agricultural act,” wrote Wendell Berry in his 1989 essay The Pleasures of Eating. The sentence was the opening fanfare to the Kentucky farmer, writer, and poet’s ongoing call for Americans to better understand the deep connection between eating, the land, and the people who grow our food.
“Eating ends the annual drama of the food economy that begins with planting and birth,” he noted. He was troubled that eaters increasingly viewed themselves as merely “consumers” rather than as active participants in the cycle of agriculture—ever more removed from the origins and quality of their food.
Community-supported agriculture (CSA) changes that paradigm by building a direct relationship between farmers and eaters. CSAs are farm-based harvest subscription programs whereby consumers make a financial commitment to support a particular farm or coop group by providing operating funds in advance of harvest, either with a one-time upfront membership fee or weekly/bimonthly payments. CSA members then receive regular shares of fresh-from-the-field produce throughout the harvest season or year ’round, depending upon the particular program. Many CSAs also offer such add-ons as meats, milk, flowers, and eggs.
Beyond its practical services and benefits, the CSA model provides a uniquely experiential and firsthand opportunity to “know your farmer; know your food.” It forges direct partnerships between farmers and eaters.
CSAs first took hold in New Jersey in the 1980s. Today, farms across the state offer CSA programs with options customized to best meet customers’ needs. Different share sizes and various pickup and delivery alternatives are often available; invitations to on-farm events and pick-your-own days further help develop the farmer-eater connection.
CSAs throughout New Jersey are currently accepting memberships for the 2024 season, and our partner CSA farms are listed on these pages. We encourage you to visit their websites to determine which program works best for you and your family. Commit to a CSA program this year and enjoy access to the best of Jersey Fresh food while supporting New Jersey’s outstanding farms and your family’s good health. In the process, you’ll be contributing to the financial viability and sustainability of our region’s agricultural community, too.
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