Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
CSA Sign Up Breakfast
Learn about our Community Supported Agriculture program,
how it works and what it means for your community.
Sign up and pay in full for your CSA share on this day,
and you will get a free breakfast on us!
Saturday March 24th, 9am - 2pm, at the W. Rogowski Farm
We have been a CSA farm since 1999. To sign up for our CSA program visit the farm or email MyCSA@Rogowskifarm.com. We have CSA groups in Manhattan NY, Brooklyn NY, Bronx NY, Stone Ridge NY, Warwick NY, Greenwood Lake NY, Pine Island NY, Milburn NJ and Maplewood NJ.
What is CSA? CSA is a relationship of mutual support and commitment between farmers and members. In return for an annual fee, which helps cover production costs of the farm, CSA members receive a weekly share of the highest quality harvest during the growing season.
What will I get? From mid-June through mid-November you will receive a variety of our Certified Naturally Grown veggies, grown in-season without synthetic fertilizers or pesticides. We try hard to give you the right amount of vegetables, so none go to waste and you get a good value. Variety and quantity are based on actual production. We'll provide you with recipes to help you get the most from your seasonal produce.
What We Grow Here are the types of crops that we typically grow on a steady basis and are most likely to be included in a CSA Share:
Salad Greens -- various lettuces and other leafy greens suggested for eating raw
Cooking Greens -- such as kale, swiss chard, bok choi, collards and mustard greens
Root Vegetables -- such as beets, carrots, kohlrabi, turnips and potatoes
Herbs -- such as basil, thai basil, chives and cilantro
Onion crops -- such as scallions, leeks, cippolini, globe onions and limited garlic
Short-Season Crops -- such as spinach, flowers, cucumbers, sugarbaby watermelon, tomatoes and Squash
Every year we do try new crops and include them in the member shares. Last year we tried a few new items including Verdolaga (a Mexican cooking green that can be sauteed like Spinach), Asian Melons (a small melon that tastes a bit like cantaloupe and cucumber), and Sculpet (an Italian cooking herb). When we have a new type of produce to share with you we will always post a recipe or two on our Recipe Blog.
Fruit? Eggs? We don't currently include these in our CSA shares, however we usually have a selection of local offerings at our Farm Store in Pine Island NY. Visit our walk-in cooler for a selection of locally grown seasonal fruits, mushrooms, and eggs, in addition to our own produce. We also carry a wide selection of honey, jams, sauces, oils and vinegars, and additional products to stock your pantry.
Why Join? There are so many reasons ...
Buy Local -- Your support helps a local business stay afloat, helping your local economy by creating jobs in your region. You will better connect with the food you eat by meeting your farmer and visiting the farm that grows your food.
Eat Well -- You will get the freshest food for your family, often harvested the morning of delivery, which will help you get the most out of your foods nutritional value. Learn about new kinds of veggies and how to cook with them, as well as new ideas for preparing old favorites.
Be Healthy -- Eat more fresh vegetables and fruit. Share healthy eating habits with your kids, and the experience of visiting the farm where their food grows. They'll be more likely to try that new kind of veggie if they visit the fields it grew in!
Protect the Environment -- You'll be supporting a farm that cares for its land by growing food in ways that take care of the soil. Cutting down on the number of miles your food travels from the farm to your plate reduces your carbon footprint ... now that's good for the whole planet!
Shared Risk The original CSA model was when a group of people pooled their money, bought a farm, hired a farmer, and shared whatever the farm produced. If the farm had a good year or a bad one, due to weather issues or infestation, then each CSA shareholder together benefits from the bounty, or helps to carry the loss that season. The idea that “we’re in this together” is important one which connects members to each other and their farmer. The W. Rogowski Farm has been very fortunate to deliver a high rate of return to our members each season. Like most farms in the Northeast we were hit hard by Hurricane Irene in Aug 2011, but still managed to deliver a small amount of produce to our members in the remainder of the harvest season.
Volunteering We do not offer work or "barter” shares, however if you would like the experience of working alongside your farmer please email MyCSA@RogowskiFarm.com to arrange volunteer time.
I'm a Member ... now what? Produce Pick Up Day: We recommend you bring 2-3 washable grocery bags for your produce pick up. We double wash the produce before it leaves the farm. But there may still be some black dirt and/or moisture on your produce when it arrives. We don't use chemicals so you may also receive a stray ladybug or inchworm!
Handling Your Produce: Your produce will typically be harvested the morning of delivery, and you'll have the best result if you get it straight home. Leaving it in the car's trunk on a hot day while running errands is a recipe for disaster! At home take some time to unbundle your produce, wrapping delicate herbs and lettuces in damp paper towels, and then rebag the produce individually for storage in the appropriate produce drawer in your fridge.
