Milwaukee Magazine StaffBuying a share in a CSA lets you eat local while supporting small farms.
The years have been kind to community-supported agriculture, making it a lot easier nowadays for subscribers to get what they want in a quantity that works for them and with more convenient pickup spots. Here are five Wisconsin farms that get that message:
LotFotL Community Farm harvest
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This article is taken from our May 2019 cover story, How to Live Your Healthiest Life.
| Pinehold Gardens | Victory Garden Initiative | Springdale Farm | LotFotL Community Farm | Three Sisters Community Farm | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| About the Farm | 21-acre farm in Oak Creek grows some 45 kinds of produce. | Fruits, vegetables and herbs grown at VGI’s urban farm at 240 E. Concordia Ave. in Milwaukee. | 35-acre organic farm just outside Plymouth that produces fresh produce and eggs. | The name for this certified organic farm in Elkhorn is an acronym for “Living off the Fat of the Land.” | Grows over 40 varieties of vegetables on an organic farm in Campbellsport. |
| Cost | $500-$515 weekly; $300 every other week and for farm-stand share | Half-share $235 (feeds 1-2 per week), full share $460 (feeds 3-4 per week) | From $190 for a small share every other week to $750 for a large share, full-season | Customizable options, some including home delivery, range from $19 to $60 a week. | Every other week $355; weekly $639 |
| Pickup | Multiple sites target different parts of the city and suburbs. | Three options include two Outpost Natural Foods locations and the VGI Farmhouse on East Concordia. | Numerous sites in the MKE area | Various local drop sites (Bay View, Shorewood, Pewaukee, New Berlin), including the Urban Ecology Center | Deliveries to local sites (like Marquette University) and to homes |
| Membership Options | Weekly, every other week, and market share, to use at their on-farm market stand | Full and half-share. All proceeds from the CSA go to the Youth Green Jobs Initiative, which marries young adults with farming | Allows members to customize their shares (which come in three sizes), how often they get them (every week, every other week or a “skipper” option to allow for trips or breaks) | Three options: full spectrum (produce, meat, eggs, cheese, bread), just produce, or meatless (includes produce, eggs, cheese and bread). Also weekly and biweekly options | Weekly and every-other-week; members pick seven to nine items for each box (can nix veggies you don’t like) |