Joining the farm

At a glance

Community Supported Agriculture members are much more than customers, they are shareholders of the farm. Members make an investment in the farm early in the season when expenses are high and capital is low. Member investments support the cost of seeds, tools, and infrastructure that make the season possible. In exchange, members collect their share of the harvest each week of the CSA season.

Our goal is to be a “CSA focused” farm. Meaning, the CSA is at the heart of our cropping and business plans. Our plantings are planned around a weekly harvest box, and our CSA always gets the first picks of a new crop and the best picks of the bounty.

How we grow

Our growing practices are ecologically driven. We never use synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. Instead, we are relying on the addition of organic material and soil building techniques to increase the fertility of this old meadow. We are Certified Organic by the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York in addition to Certified Real Organic.

To increase soil health and biodiversity on our farm, we practice conservation tillage and utilize compost, mulches, cover crops, and pollinator plantings.

What to expect in your share

Our CSA Model

The Meadow follows a traditional CSA model, meaning that your share of that week’s harvest will be selected by the farmers and packed up for you. The share itself is not customizable. To join a CSA is to eat like a farmer! You will learn about eating with the seasons and try new things that you wouldn’t have thought to pick, or have never even heard of. As the season progresses, additional à la carte items will be available to purchase weekly alongside your CSA share.

Our crop plan includes 75 different vegetables of over 100 different varieties. We do our best to have variety from week to week, but there is some consistency with the seasons and staples. For example, we try to include a consistent supply of greens (lettuce, kale, or arugula) and alliums (onions, garlic, or scallions) as these are considered “staples” that are consumed weekly. Early in the season when vegetables are just getting growing, your share may be lighter. That weekly value will always be made up later as more crops are harvestable. Later in the season, you can expect more storage crops as the growing season has come to an end.

What’s in season

Summer Shares run from June through August. Early on, you can expect a lot of greens, herbs, and early roots such as salad turnips, radishes, scallions, and green garlic. Shares might feel light at first but will soon catapult into an abundance of garlic, onions, carrots, and summer fruits like tomatoes, peppers, and beans. By September, you’ll get a taste of autumn with winter squashes.

Autumn Shares run from September through November. Early on, you can expect a couple of weeks of summer favorites like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants as long as the weather permits. Garlic, onions, carrots, and greens can be expected throughout. Towards the end of the share, you can expect more greens, and storage crops like winter squash, cabbage, turnips, and celery root.

Want the dirty details? Check out our 2023 CSA Value Breakdown

2024 Summer CSA Value Breakdown

2024 CSA Value Breakdown

Growing sustainably

We grow what we like to eat, but we also have to grow what is equitable for a small farm. We grow on less than an acre and focus on crops that can sustain a small business. That being said, don’t expect crops like sweet corn, cauliflower, or brussel sprouts that take up a lot of space for long periods of time for a very small harvest. However, we may bring crops such as these in from neighboring farms as a special treat!

Share the harvest, share the risk

Understanding the shared risk

Farming is inherently risky. We are ultimately at the mercy of inclement weather events, wildlife, pests, diseases, and other production incidents. Despite our best efforts to mitigate these threats, they do happen. We may lose a crop of broccoli to swede midge, lettuce to a heat wave (or incessant rain), or find out that our soil is deficient in boron, resulting in slim to zero beets (but we keep trying)!

If the crop failure is early in the season, your share might be a lower value that week. We will always make up that value throughout the course of the CSA. If the crop failure is of a specific crop, say peppers, you may not get any peppers that year and will instead be compensated with a different crop. The value of your share will not change, but the crops it contains will. At times, we may compensate by purchasing a failed crop from another farm to fill the share. We will always inform you when something was produced by someone other than us.

Sharing the risk of farming generates insurance for the members to be continually fed and the farmers continually supported.

Enjoying the shared surplus

On the flip side, our CSA members get number one access to our surplus. As we mentioned, we are a CSA focused farm. Meaning our CSA is our top priority! When we have a small amount of a special crop, CSA gets dibs. When we have a bumper of tomatoes, CSA gets dibs. At times we will have a surplus of something that we offer to our members. It will generously exceed the value of your share, and come with tips and suggestions for preserving for winter. If you don’t want extra, or have no interest in preserving, that’s ok too! You never have to take more than you want or need. We never want to overwhelm our members or have good food go to waste. You can always leave your surplus behind in the “take it or leave it” box, and we will redistribute it.

The when, where, and how (The Meadow Pick Up)

When

Our pickups are every Wednesdays between 3pm and 6pm.

Summer CSA : June 4 through August 20

Autumn CSA : September 3 through November 19

Full Season CSA : June 4 through November 19

***Note*** there is no pick up on August 27 as we transition from summer to autumn CSA***

Where

CSA pickup is right here at the farm! We are located at 1129 Stickney Bridge road, between Au Sable Forks and Jay. More pickup details will follow purchase.

How

Each CSA will be packed individually into a produce box. However, in order to reduce waste please bring your own reusable grocery bag. When you arrive, you will transfer your share contents from the reusable box, to your own bag. If you forget, no worries, you can always borrow something.

The when, where, and how (Adirondack Health Staff CSA)

We are extremely excited to be offering a limited CSA share to ADK Health employees for the 2025 season. Full season shares will be the only option for this pickup location.

When

CSA shares will be delivered to the Lake Placid Health Center on Fridays at 3pm.

Full Season CSA : June 6 through November 21

***Note*** there is no pick up on August 29 as we transition from summer to autumn CSA***

Where

203 Old Military Rd, Lake Placid. More pickup details will follow purchase.

How

Each CSA will be packed individually into a produce box. However, in order to reduce waste please bring your own reusable grocery bag. When you arrive, you will transfer your share contents from the reusable box, to your own bag. Please leave the boxes behind and they will be swapped out weekly.

Missed pickup policy

Members are responsible for picking up their CSA share each week, during the agreed upon time. This is important.

If you know you are going to miss pick up you may;

-Transfer your share - have a friend or family member pick it up for you, please inform them of the pickup procedures.
-Skip your share - please notify us 24 hours prior, we won’t pack a share for you.
-Donate your share - please notify us 24 hours prior, and we will donate your share.
-Delay your share - If you notify us at least 24 hours prior, we can pack your share away and hold it for one day. We understand that life happens, and we can do this on occasion but don’t want to make a habit of it. Please do not assume that you share has been held for you if you did not contact us and receive confirmation.
-Claim a Vacation Week (see below)

What to do if you have missed your pick up

I’ve been a CSA member. Trust me, I know that it happens. Unfortunately, we can not harvest you a new one after the fact. We will always hold up our end of the bargain and have your share picked and packed for you at the agreed upon time. In turn, we ask that you pick up your share at the agreed upon time. If you miss your pick up, we will redistribute that food - we hate to see food go to waste. We have busy schedules, and can not re-harvest any past shares.

If you know that you will be consistently unable to make the pickup time, the CSA might not be right for you. You may be better off shopping à la carte via the online store.

NEW IN 2025: Vacation Weeks

If you know ahead of time that you will miss a pickup, you can now claim a Vacation Week. This will automatically credit your account with the value of that weeks share.

-Each share has an allotted number of vacation weeks - designated in the product description
-You must claim your vacation week at least 2 days prior to the share distribution
-These funds can be used on anything in the online store, or rolled over into the price of the next season’s CSA
-Here’s some directions on how to claim your vacation…

Cost breakdown

Summer CSA

The summer CSA runs from June 4 through August 20, or 12 weeks.

The Mini - the mini share is $204, which breaks down to a weekly average value of $17 per week.

The Regular - the regular share is $300, which breaks down to a weekly average value of $25 per week.

Autumn Harvest CSA

The harvest share runs from September 4 through November 19, or 12 weeks.

The Mini - the mini share is $204, which breaks down to a weekly average value of $17 per week.

The Regular - the regular share is $300, which breaks down to a weekly average value of $25 per week.

Full Season CSA

The full season CSA is the best bang for your buck! It enrolls you in both the summer and autumn CSA (regular size) and gives you a cost break for doing so.

The cost is $576, instead of $600 if purchased separately. That’s one week’s regular share for free!

***Note*** there is no pick up on August 27th as we transition from summer to autumn CSA***

Want the dirty details? Check out our 2023 CSA Value Breakdown
2024 CSA Value Breakdown

How to join

To join our CSA, check out our online store. That’s where you will make an account purchase the share of your choice. This is also where you will see weekly add-on offerings and order.

To pay by cash or check simply opt for “offline payment” and I will invoice you directly.

Accessibility

We believe that good food should be accessible. Buying local cuts out middlewomxn distributors and grocers and makes good food more accessible to the consumer and provides better wages for the producer.

We strongly encourage you to pay in full if you have the ability to do so. We also know that providing that up front payment can be prohibitive and we’ve got some options

-Payment plans - we are happy to offer interest-free payment plans via check. Send me an email and we can set up a plan using predated checks.

-SNAP - NEW IN 2025 - We can now accept SNAP/EBT benefits for CSA shares and add-ons. Directions are started in the online store, please contact us if you need any help.

Keep in touch

Weekly Newsletters

During the CSA season, we send weekly newsletters informing you of what is going to be in your share, recipes and storage tips, and farm news and updates. Check your spam or promotions folder, it might end up there. If you add us to your contact list and mark as safe it should begin to go directly to your inbox. You can always hit “reply” on these emails to get directly in touch with me.

Reaching us

Most of your communication will be with Becca (hi there!) Email is the best way to reach me. If It is urgent give me a call or send a text. Leave a message if I miss you! Please note that during the growing season, it may take me awhile to get back to you if it isn’t urgent, as the season gets wildly busy.

Email address: becca@themeadowfarmstead.com
Quick Email

Phone number: 614-517-5551
Quick Call

The not-so-fine print

By purchasing a CSA with The Meadow, you are vouching that you have read and understand this agreement.

By purchasing a CSA with The Meadow, you are agreeing to all terms & conditions outlined in this agreement.

By purchasing a CSA with The Meadow, you are accepting the shared responsibilities and risks outline in this agreement.