Vegetable CSA FAQs

How does it work?

Members will fill a reusable Barrett's Mill Farm CSA bag with the vegetables of their choice each week from the CSA distribution area. A few items will be limited each week but the other items are only limited by the amount of space in the CSA bag. In addition to the bag, members will also have the option to pick a set amount of crops in our PYO fields most weeks until the late fall. Occasionally larger items like watermelons are offered as extra outside the bag.

Do you have different sized CSA memberships?

Yes! We have a Regular size CSA as well as a Small CSA. The Small CSA uses a different bag which is about 70% of the volume of the Regular. The Small CSA has the same crops available in the CSA distribution area and the same inside-the-bag limits, but the PYO and outside-the-bag offerings (like watermelon) may sometimes differ in a given week. PYO strawberries won’t be included in the Small CSA memberships, but otherwise the available PYO crops will be similar.

How do the Extended and Flex options differ?

The Extended Season CSA allows members 24 pick-ups (once a week for 24 weeks), whereas the Flex CSA allow members 20 pick-ups over the course of 24 weeks (still a max of one pick-up per week). The Flex option works well for people who travel or who are otherwise unable to make it to the farm every week.

Can I share my CSA membership?

Our new Small CSA size is a great alternative for people who have traditionally needed to share because the regular-size CSA was too big for them. In addition, our Flex CSA (20 pick-ups over the course of 24 weeks) is a great option if you are worried about picking up vegetables every week (the Small CSA is available as a Flex membership).

If you would still prefer to share with another household, you may arrange to share your CSA membership with another person or family, but we do not coordinate that for members. We ask that if you are splitting your membership, that you either alternate pick-up weeks or have one person pick up the CSA and split up vegetables afterwards. If you are sharing a membership you must adhere to the same bag filling guidelines as all other members. Any limits in the CSA distribution and the pick-your-own fields still apply to shared memberships, so it is up to you to work out how you would like to divide up those crops. Additional quantities of vegetables are available for sale at the farm stand if you would like more than what fits inside of your CSA bag. Please communicate and coordinate directly with the person or household with whom you are sharing, as we do not to keep a separate tally of which household has picked up.

What vegetables are included in the CSA?

We grow the following vegetable, fruit and flower crops for the CSA (pick-your-own crops are highlighted in bold italics): arugula, string beans, beets, bok choy (baby and full size), broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, slicing and pickling cucumbers, thin-skinned seedless cucumbers, fennel, garlic, garlic scapes, herbs (basil, cilantro, dill, oregano, parsley, sage, thyme), husk cherries, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, head lettuce, cut lettuce mix, mustard greens, fresh onions, shell peas, sugar snap peas, hot peppers, sweet peppers, potatoes, pie pumpkins, radishes, scallions, spinach, strawberries (strawberries are not available in the Small CSA), summer squash, sunflowers, sweet potatoes, winter squash, Swiss chard, cherry tomatoes, heirloom and slicing tomatoes, salad turnips, storage turnips, watermelon and zucchini. We sometimes have poor yields for one or two crops in a season, but the vast majority of these crops will be available every season.

Please check out our blog to get an idea of the variety of crops available each week. For instance, to see what types of crops might be available in August, click here. To see what types of crops might be available in June, click here. If you are unsure what to do with some of these crops, we offer new recipes every week on our blog as well!

There are a few items that are available in the store, but not in the CSA distribution area, for example early season asparagus or items we buy in from other local producers, like sweet corn, apples or mushrooms.

What if I don't have time for pick-your-own crops or am otherwise unable to pick?

Whenever possible, we recommend filling your CSA bag and doing your PYO on the same day, but we will also have the PYO fields open Thursdays and Fridays 11am - 6pm as an alternative. If you are unable to pick at all during a particular week, pick-your-own crops are usually available for purchase in the farm store as well. You may also bring along friends or family to pick for you. We do not have the capacity to pick the PYO crops for members, so if you anticipate being unable to pick on a regular basis, we recommend making a plan with a friend or family member to do your picking for you, purchasing some Barrett’s Bucks with your CSA membership in order to get your favorite PYO crops in the store, or getting a stand-alone Barrett’s Bucks membership instead of a CSA membership.

Am I assigned a pick-up day?

You may pick up your vegetables during any of our CSA distribution hours! Pick-up days are Wednesdays 11am - 6:30pm or Saturdays 9am - 3pm. Choose whichever of those hours works best for you in a given week! You don't need to tell us in advance when you are coming.

What happens if I miss a pick-up week?

Flex members have 4 weeks of the season to skip, but if you are an Extended CSA member and can’t make a CSA pick-up during a particular week the best option is to have a friend pick up for you! Our Shopkeeper will be happy to guide them through the CSA pick-up process. We donate extra vegetables on a weekly basis to Boston Area Gleaners.

Are you organic?

Yes! We received our organic certification in April 2017. Unless otherwise labeled, everything in our store and CSA is organic and grown by ourselves. By popular demand, we do buy in a few Concord-grown items for the store (such as sweet corn) that are not certified organic because we lack the field space, time and equipment to grow them ourselves.

Do you offer financial assistance?

We have a sliding scale CSA price which includes a Reduced price option. If the Standard price of the CSA is a significant financial burden for you, please select the Reduced Price option and we will reach out to you with the application. We also offer deeply discounted memberships for SNAP households who can use their benefits to purchase. CSA. These purchases are also eligible for Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) matching funds. There is a separate sign-up process, so please email Melissa for more info.