What is a CSA?
What food do I get?
How do I join?
WorkShare/Volunteer Opportunities
Picking up Your Share 2023
What is a CSA?
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture. It is an idea that has been in the United States since the mid-1980s. It is a covenant between the farmers and the members of the community in a relationship that benefits both sides. People purchase a share to the farm before the farm season. Then during the season, members get a weekly distribution from the farm of fresh, chemical-free produce, fruits, flowers, and herbs. This system allows the farmer to mitigate some risks by having a known number of customers and income which also helps immensely in the crop planning and marketing aspects of the farm. And the individuals and families who join get a great value for their food dollar! They receive extremely fresh, delicious produce throughout the growing season.
Our goal is to provide a selection that is diverse, high quality, and gives you a lot of value for your food dollar. Members of the CSA also get access to the farm and fields, opportunities to attend farm tours and seasonal events and maybe even do some work on the farm (this is optional but be careful… volunteering on a farm is how I got into farming!) The CSA model has grown because it works. It has allowed thousands of farms to survive financially and it has helped them put the ‘culture’ back in agriculture.
What food is in a share?
Your CSA share will vary in size and volume from week to week. The share will be lighter early in the season as we produce more lettuces, greens, and peas but will soon grow to include beets, cucumbers, squash, and cabbage! A CSA share, including u-pick crops, will average about 12-15 pounds per week with some weeks weighing in much higher (think late summer!) Our goal is to give you a wide diversity of produce mixing things you probably know and love like lettuce, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, melons, and potatoes, with foods you may not be as familiar with like okra, fennel, collard greens and ‘husk cherries’. We will also provide you with plenty of information about the produce and ways you can cook, store, and enjoy them! Much of this will come in the form of a weekly CSA email with all the news about the food and the farm for the week!
Click here for a list of foods we expect to grow for you.
The actual list will include even more crops AND there will often be many varieties within each crop i.e., cucumbers – slicing cucumbers, pickling cucumbers, white ‘kirby’ cucumbers etc.! And we value your feedback to help guide our future crop plans.
We also anticipate offering other items from our farm and other local farms such as eggs, honey, jams, tomato sauce and so on. Stay tuned for more details!
Farm Season Slideshow
Join the CSA
We have two share options for 2024: a 21-week share for $660 and a flexible 10-week share for $375 in which you come any ten weeks during the 21-week season. You pick up your food here at the farm located on the grounds of the Pinelands Preservation Alliance at 17 Pemberton Road, Southampton, NJ 08088. Pick-up hours are Tuesdays 10 am – 7 pm and Fridays 9 am – 4 pm. We open the CSA in late May or early June (we’ll send out opening day information in May).
To reserve your share you can pay in full or make a deposit now and then make a payment in February and a payment in May. Click on the button for more information and to reserve your share today! If you prefer to pay by check print out this form and mail it with your deposit to Rancocas Creek Farm, 17 Pemberton Rd, Southampton NJ 08088.
Donate to help families in need
As part of our mission, we will be donating as much produce as we can to those in need. When you purchase your share you have an option to make a tax-deductible donation to the Pinelands Preservation Alliance. For every $10 we raise we will grow an additional 15 pounds of fresh produce which will go to New Jersey Farmers Against Hunger, the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen or another meal provider.
Work or Volunteer
February 2024 Update: Due to an incredible response our workshare program is full for the 2024 Farming Season.
Growing all this food and caring for this land takes a lot of hands. If you would like information on a Farm Apprenticeship, seasonal work or volunteer opportunities at Rancocas Creek Farm please contact Jeff Tober, Farm Manager at jeff@pinelandsalliance.org
A workshare is basically a trade of your labor and enthusiasm at the farm in exchange for a share. We are looking for candidates who can dedicate a weekly day and time for farm work and can bring a spirit of hard work, energy, and a desire to work outside in all kinds of weather.
What A ’Workshare’ Gives:
- You give 104 hours of work throughout the farm season
- You commit to a scheduled 4-hour shift per week (work begins in April)
- You arrive at the farm on time ready and willing to do whatever needs doing
- You bring a spirit of energy and enthusiasm to the farm
What A ‘Workshare’ Gets:
- A 21 week Share to the Farm
- A thorough introduction to farm work and the very basics of how a farm operates throughout the farm season
- Being part of a team that is growing chemical-free food for their local community!
For more information on our work-share program please contact us at jeff@pinelandsalliance.org
A big thanks to the many, many full and part-time farmers who made the 2023 farming season a successful one! This kind of farming is very labor intensive and everyone’s contributions were greatly appreciated! So, THANK YOU: Alex, Ezra, Samantha, John, Jess, Kelvin, John (4 o’clock Johnny), Corey, Beth, Tori, Meghan, Hope, Mike, Keith, Valerie, Nicole, Karen, Rich, April, Henry, Pete and everyone else who pitched in this season!!!