Signups for the 2023 CSA farm share program have closed
Enjoy the Seasons with a Farm Share!
Delicious heirloom tomatoes, crisp salad greens, tender tasty carrots…these are just a few of the many exciting vegetables that members will find in Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm shares this season.
Each year, BU Dining works with a local farm to offer CSA shares on campus. A CSA share is a means of buying local food where you pay the cost upfront and receive local produce for 18 weeks, which can be picked up on campus at the GSU Plaza (775 Commonwealth Avenue) on Thursdays between 11am-1pm between late-June and late-October. Paying for all or some of the share up front allows the farm to purchase seeds, tools, and other equipment, as well as pay employees in the beginning of the season when expenses are high but sales are low.
We are excited to work with ReVision Urban Farm again this year, as well as their partner farm the Urban Farming Institute (UFI). Part of the Victory Programs family, ReVision Urban Farm is located right off of Blue Hill Avenue, in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. ReVision Urban Farm is an innovative urban agriculture project. The mission of which is to increase access to local, affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food for residents of the ReVision Family Home and the extended Boston community. UFI’s mission is to develop and promote urban farming to engage individuals in growing food and building a healthy community. UFI is based in Mattapan at the historic Fowler Clark Epstein Farm, and operates on four locations in Roxbury, Mattapan and Dorchester, where they train future urban farmers and grow fruits and vegetables for distribution in the neighborhood and around the City of Boston.
CSA Basics
Each week, CSA members receive one box of vegetables and herbs averaging between 5-20 pounds, beginning on June 29 and ending on October 26. We also offer a half share option with pickup every-other-week (9 weeks), beginning on June 29; this is a great option if you will be traveling over the summer
Members can expect the box to be slightly lighter with more greens at the beginning of the season, and heavier at the end of the season as the summer and fall fruiting crops arrive. Occasionally heavier items like melons and winter squash will not fit inside the box and will be included for pick-up next to the boxes. Each week’s share may contain as many as ten different vegetables and herbs.
All produce is grown using natural, sustainable practices and methods. Any produce outsourced will be brought in from small, local farms within the immediate Boston area.
Regular Share Example:
- 1lb of Greens (ex: Salad Mix, Arugula, Asian Greens, etc.)
- 1 Bunch of Beets
- 1 Bunch of Leeks
- 2 Zucchini
- 1 Bunch of Radishes
- 1 Bunch of Collard Greens
- 1 lb. of Bush Beans
- 1 lb. of Tomatoes
- 1 Bunch of Parsley
- 1 Bunch of Basil
- 2 Heads of Garlic
Other produce may include, but is not limited to: Squash, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Onions, Spinach, Melon, Callaloo, Malabar Spinach, Variety of Herbs, Celery, Kohlrabi, Sweet and Hot Peppers, Bok Choy, and many more!
CSA Cost:
$685 for a Regular Share (18 weeks) or $350 for a Half Share (9 weeks).
ReVision Urban Farm and UFI are focused on ensuring that anyone can access local, nourishing produce. If you have any questions about accessing the CSA, contact Tristram Keefe at tkeefe@urbanfarminginstitute.org
FAQs
Depending on your travel plans, the half share option might make sense for you. If you can’t make a pickup, you can have someone pick up your share in your place. If that is not an option, you can donate your share back to the Victory Programs’ shelter program. If you choose to donate your share you must let Tristram Keefe know by 5pm on Wednesday – ReVision and UFI are not able to donate shares after they have already been delivered to BU. The Boston University Farmers’ Market will be held on Thursdays in September and October! You can contact Tristram Keefe at tkeefe@urbanfarminginstitute.org.I have summer travel plans, what happens if I won’t be in town on one of the distribution days?
I’m interested in buying local produce but not sure I can commit to signing up for the whole CSA, are there any other options?
I still have questions, whom can I contact?