Among the disadvantages to living in New York is the lack of access to fresh produce. Along my stretch of the G, I can find organic manuka honey drops, Polish pastries and artisanal baked potatoes, but I have to get on the subway for lettuce. Meanwhile, Trader Joe’s spinach somehow always goes bad between the checkout line and my front door, a pint of strawberries was priced at $9.99 on FoodKick last week and after six years in this city, I have yet to eat a peach that doesn’t have the texture and flavor of 12 grain bread.
A CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) allows city residents to invest in a local farm and share in the season’s harvest. The weekly cost usually comes out to equal or less than market price, and has come directly from a farm in the Hudson Valley or thereabouts. You can collect your weekly or biweekly harvest at a designated time from your pickup spot. Most CSAs offer supplemental shares of fruit, dairy, or eggs.
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The up-front cost of most CSAs can be prohibitive, but contact your local CSA to find out about payment plans and reduced cost plans. Another warning: what the farmer grows is what you get. So if you, like me, hate Swiss Chard, and it happens to be a great Swiss Chard season, you’d better find someone who wants to take those bitter, veiny leaves off your hands.
Here is every CSA in Brooklyn. Tough luck if you live in the southern half of the borough – there are essentially no CSAs south of Bay Ridge. But then, if you live in Brighton Beach, Sheepshead Bay, Bensonhurst, Gravesend, Coney Island or any of the other neighborhoods without organized produce pickup points, maybe, just maybe, you have enough space to grow your own harvest (but probably not).
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Bay Ridge CSA
Pickup location: 4th Ave. between 68th and Senator St., Bay Ridge
Pickup time: Saturdays, 8:30am to 10:30am
Shift work per season: 3 hours
Cost (vegetables only): Full share: $595; EOW* share: $310
Yellow Hook CSA
Pickup location: 414 80th St., Bay Ridge
Pickup time: Wednesday, 6:00pm to 8:00pm
Shift work per season: 2.5 hours
Cost (vegetables only): Full share: $700.08; EOW share: $350.04
Dirty Boots Farm – Bushwick
Pickup location: 445 Troutman St., Bushwick
Pickup time: Saturdays, 9am to 11am
Shift work per season: None
Cost (vegetables only): Full share: $530; EOW share: $275
Dirty Boots Farm – Bay Ridge
Pickup location: Bliss Terrace between 68th and Bay Ridge Ave., Bay Ridge
Pickup time: Sundays, 10am to 12:30pm
Shift work per season: None
Cost (vegetables only): Full share: $530; EOW share: $275
Garden of Eve Farm – Bed Stuy
Pickup location: 197 Patchen Ave, Bed Stuy
Pickup time: Saturdays, 9:30am to 1pm
Shift work per season: 2-4 hours
Cost (vegetables only): Full share: $655; EOW share: $345
Sweet Pea CSA
Pickup location: Corner of Monroe Place and Pierrepont St., Brooklyn Heights
Pickup time: Wednesdays, 4:30pm to 7:30pm
Shift work per season: 2-4 hours
Cost (vegetables only): Full share: $655.20; EOW share: $345
Brooklyn Bridge CSA
Pickup location: 124 Henry St., Brooklyn Heights
Pickup time: Wednesdays, 5:00pm to 8:00pm
Shift work per season: 4 hours
Cost (vegetables only): Full share: $664; EOW share: $344
Carroll Gardens CSA
Pickup location: Smith St. and 2nd Pl., Carroll Gardens
Pickup time: Saturdays, 10am to 12pm
Shift work per season: 2 hours per half share
Cost (vegetables only): Full share: $655; EOW share: $345
Clinton Hill CSA
Pickup location: 170 Gates Ave., Clinton Hill
Pickup time: Thursdays, 5pm to 7:30pm
Shift work per season: 2 hours per half share
Cost (vegetables only): Several plans. For single adults earning less than $40K – Full share: $370; half share: $185
Cobble Hill CSA
Pickup location: 326 Clinton Street, Cobble Hill
Pickup time: Tuesdays, 4pm to 8pm
Shift work per season: 5 hours
Cost (vegetables only): $532
Crown Heights Farm Share
Pickup location: 691 Prospect Place, Crown Heights
Pickup time: Tuesdays, 5pm to 8pm
Shift work per season: 4 hours
Cost (vegetables only): Several plans – tiered pricing based on household incomes start at: $433
The Youth Farm
Pickup location: 367 St Marks Ave, Prospect Heights; 600 Kingston Ave., Prospect Lefferts Gardens
Pickup time: Prospect Heights: Mondays, 5pm to 8pm; PLG: Wednesdays, 2:30pm to 6:30pm
Shift work per season: None
Cost (vegetables only): $515
Cypress Hills CSA
Pickup location: Corner of Ridgewood Ave. and Logan St., Cypress Hills
Pickup time: Thursdays, 6pm to 8pm
Shift work per season: 2-4 hours
Cost (vegetables only): Full share: $415; EOW share: $217.50
Brooklyn Beet
Pickup location: 30 3rd Ave., Downtown Brooklyn
Pickup time: Tuesdays, 6pm to 8pm
Shift work per season: 3 hours
Cost (vegetables only): Full share: $616; EOW share: $313
Dumbo CSA
Pickup location: 45 Water St., Dumbo
Pickup time: Wednesdays, 5pm to 8pm
Shift work per season: 4 hours
Cost (vegetables only): Full share: $650; EOW share: $325
East Williamsburg CSA
Pickup location: 266 Skillman Ave., East Williamsburg
Pickup time: Saturdays, 10am to 1pm
Shift work per season: 2.5 hours
Cost (vegetables only): Full share: $575; EOW share: $290
Flatbush Farm Share
Pickup location: 890 Flatbush Ave., Flatbush
Pickup time: Wednesdays, 6pm to 8pm
Shift work per season: 4 hours
Cost (vegetables only): Several plans – for a single adult making $35K-$50K: $363
Greene Harvest CSA
Pickup location: 757 Fulton Street, Fort Greene
Pickup time: Saturdays, 8:45am to 10:30am
Shift work per season: 3 hours
Cost (vegetables only): Single share: $355; family share: $710
Park Slope CSA
Pickup location: Union St. between 4th and 5th Ave., Park Slope
Pickup time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4pm to 7:30pm
Shift work per season: 2.5 hours per half share
Cost (vegetables only): Full share: $515; EOW share: $258
Greenwood Heights CSA
Pickup location: 6th Ave., between 18th and 19th St., Greenwood Heights
Pickup time: Saturdays, 9am to 11am
Shift work per season: 4 hours
Cost (vegetables only): Full share: $585; EOW share: $305
Lineage Farm CSA
Pickup location: 136 Milton St., Greenpoint
Pickup time: Saturdays, 10:30am to 12:30pm
Shift work per season: 1-2 hours
Cost (vegetables only): Full share: $530; medium share: $440; small share: $330
Prospect Lefferts Gardens CSA
Pickup location: 21 Lincoln Rd., Prospect Lefferts Gardens
Pickup time: Saturdays, 9:30am to 11am
Shift work per season: 4 hours
Cost (vegetables only): Single share: $530
Sunset Park CSA
Pickup location: 352 42nd Street, Sunset Park
Pickup time: Wednesdays, 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Shift work per season: 4 hours
Cost (vegetables only): Full share: $671; EOW share: $341
Prospect Heights CSA
Pickup location: PS 9 on St. Marks near Underhill Ave., Prospect Heights
Pickup time: Thursdays 4:30pm to 7:30pm
Shift work per season: 4.5 hours
Cost (vegetables only): Full share: $522; half share: $261
Local Roots NYC Farm Share
Pickup locations: 61 Bergen St., Boerum Hill; 899 Bergen St., Crown Heights
Pickup time: Boerum Hill: Tuesdays, 5 to 8pm; Crown Heights: Wednesdays, 6 to 8pm
Shift work per season: None
Cost (vegetables only): $264
Ditmas Park CSA
Pickup location: 424 East 19th St., Ditmas Park
Pickup time: Wednesdays 4:45 to 8pm
Shift work per season: 2.5 hours
Cost: Full share: $600; half share: $400
Southside CSA
Pickup location: 48 South 4th St, Williamsburg
Pickup time: Mondays 6:30 to 8:30pm
Shift work per season: 6 hours
Cost: Full share: $624; half share: $312
*EOW = every other week
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Next time you update this list (next year, I imagine), could you please add Southside CSA to your list. It is in South Williamsburg, right near the bridge. I have been a member there for 4 years, but they have been around longer. It is an amazing CSA with lots of wonderful choices. I have also heard there is one centered in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, although I don’t have the info for that one. https://southsidecsa.org/