Community Supported Agriculture (or CSA) is a special way of creating a relationship with your local community and the people who grow your food.

By signing up for our CSA in the spring, you will receive weekly (or biweekly) boxes of organic vegetables, melons, and herbs throughout the growing season (June through October). Boxes are delivered to neighborhood pick up sites on Wednesday afternoons. Each week, the CSA box will be accompanied by an e-mail newsletter packed full of stories, photos and information from the fields alongside recipes, links, storage tips, and vegetable descriptions to help you use your bounty. Members are also invited to events throughout the season and given access to a private Facebook group for sharing recipes, ideas and questions with one another. 

If you are new to CSA (or even just new to our farm), there’s a lot to learn so keep on scrolling to learn what's included in a CSA membership with Raleigh's Hillside Farm, share sizes, prices, delivery locations, payment methods and whether or not CSA is a good option for you.

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What is included in a CSA membership?

Weekly boxes of certified organic, seasonal produce delivered to neighborhood drop sites June through October

Relationship with your farmer

Weekly newsletter from the fields

Vegetable storage tips

Recipes for all skill levels

Opportunities to order extra produce

Invitations to special members' only events

Access to private Facebook group

Additional recipe archive and farm stories through Lauren's food and farming blog The Leek & The Carrot

 

CSA Share Sizes

We currently offer six different size shares. You will find descriptions and prices below followed by a list of delivery locations and payment options.

If you are interested in seeing the kinds of vegetables you receive each month, just keep on scrolling to see sample box photos.

                           Full Share from early July

                           Full Share from early July

Weekly Full Share ($625): This share is best described as a paper grocery bag full of vegetables and herbs delivered weekly for the 20 week season.  This “bag” of groceries is definitely enough for a family of four who loves to cook. Members can expect large quantities of 7-12 items in their box throughout the season.

Flex Full Share ($515): The same amount of produce as the full share listed above, but delivered just 15 times throughout the season. This share is ideal for people who love to cook but know they will be traveling for 4-5 weeks of summer. Flex Share members will be contacted in May to select their 15 delivery dates. 

Every-Other-Week Full Share ($350): The same amount of produce as the full share listed above, but delivered every other week throughout the season. Members will receive 10 total boxes of produce. This is especially great for people who deal well with bulk produce and enjoy cooking (but not consistently) as well as folks who travel a lot throughout the summer.

                         Half Share from early July

                         Half Share from early July

Weekly Half Share ($395): This share receives a little over half as much produce as the full share. In other words, a half grocery bag of vegetables and herbs delivered weekly for the 20 week season. It still includes great variety (7-10 items in the box each week) but members won't receive quite as many items as full share members. This box is designed for one or two individual-households who love to cook most nights of the week. It's also great for families who enjoy cooking but find themselves eating away from home a few nights each week.

Flex Half Share ($335): The same amount of produce as the half share listed above, but delivered just 15 times throughout the season. This share is ideal for people who enjoy cooking but know they will be traveling for 4-5 weeks of summer. Flex Share members will be contacted in May to select their 15 delivery dates. 

Every-Other-Week Half Share ($235): This is our smallest share. The box contains the same amount of produce as the half share listed above, but is delivered every other week throughout the season. Members will receive 10 total boxes of produce. This is good for people who are brand new to CSA and nervous about getting overwhelmed, or those who enjoy also visiting the farmer's market regularly.

 
 

payment options

Pay in full by credit card through our online store (3% transaction fee added to price)

Pay by check in full

Pay by check in two installments: Send two checks; one dated for deposit on January 31, 2018 and one for August 1, 2018.  Write each check for one half of the total due.  We will hold checks until their deposit date.

Pay by check in four installments: Send four checks; one dated for deposit on January 31, 2018, one for March 1, 2018, one for June 1, 2018, and one for August 1, 2018.  Write each check for one quarter of the total due.  We will hold checks until their deposit date.

Contact us for reduced cost shares subsidized by our Community Fund

Contact FairShare CSA Coalition about paying by Quest through their Partner Shares Program

delivery sites

All CSA Shares are delivered on Wednesday afternoons. Pick ups open around 4 p.m.

Downtown Madison (Proudfit St)

Eastside Madison (Orton Ct)

Middleton (Windfield Way)

Fitchburg (Woods Edge Court)

Verona (Sabertooth Trail)

Stoughton (Patterson St)

Evansville (Second St)

New Glarus (First St)

Janesville (Stafford St)

June full share // 6-10 items // Sample box includes: Broccoli, escarole, rainbow chard, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, radishes, strawberries, green garlic, scallions and garlic scapes

June full share // 6-10 items // Sample box includes: Broccoli, escarole, rainbow chard, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, radishes, strawberries, green garlic, scallions and garlic scapes

July full share // 8-12 items // Sample box includes: Broccoli, bell peppers, shishito peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, summer squash, beets, eggplant, rainbow chard, bok choy and onion.

July full share // 8-12 items // Sample box includes: Broccoli, bell peppers, shishito peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, summer squash, beets, eggplant, rainbow chard, bok choy and onion.

August full share // 8-12 items // Sample box includes: Sweet corn, watermelon, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, Italian red frying pepper, poblano peppers, eggplant, white potatoes, mixed beans, kohlrabi, and onion.

August full share // 8-12 items // Sample box includes: Sweet corn, watermelon, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, Italian red frying pepper, poblano peppers, eggplant, white potatoes, mixed beans, kohlrabi, and onion.

 
September full share // 10-14 items // Sample box includes: Watermelon, butternut squash, purple potatoes, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, Italian frying peppers, eggplant, leeks, radishes, onion and sage.

September full share // 10-14 items // Sample box includes: Watermelon, butternut squash, purple potatoes, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, Italian frying peppers, eggplant, leeks, radishes, onion and sage.

October full share // 8-12 items // Sample box includes: Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, Italian frying peppers, fennel, shallots and onion.

October full share // 8-12 items // Sample box includes: Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, Italian frying peppers, fennel, shallots and onion.

 

Is CSA Right For Me?

At Raleigh's Hillside Farm, we believe in the power of the CSA model to improve local communities and build better relationships between growers and eaters. But that does not mean it is the only thing enhancing our local food system, and that does not mean it works for everyone's lifestyle.

Before you sign up for a CSA share, it's good to think about your answer to the following questions:

  • Do you like vegetables?

  • Do you enjoy cooking 3-5 meals per week?

  • Do you enjoy the mystery and excitement that comes with CSA (a.k.a. a lack of control over what and how much of a certain product you will receive)?

  • Do you like to learn about and try new vegetables and (sometimes strange) new varieties?

  • Do you travel modestly throughout the summer?

  • Do you value the opportunity to have a real, lasting relationship with the farmer that produces your food?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, then CSA is definitely a good option for you! 

If you answered no to most of these questions, do not despair.  You can still enjoy fresh, locally produced vegetables, fruits, and herbs.  Farmer’s markets and food cooperatives exist all over the state!  These markets may better fit your needs and desires.

 
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CSA Updates

Members can find our most recent farm newsletters below or visit the newsletter page to see the full archive.

Featured
CSA Newsletter: Week 11
CSA Newsletter: Week 10
CSA Newsletter: Week 9
CSA Newsletter: Week 8
CSA Newsletter: Week 7
CSA Newsletter: Week 5
CSA Newsletter: Week 6
CSA Newsletter: Week 4
CSA Newsletter: Week 3
CSA Newsletter: Week 2

Farm Events Calendar

Membership Handbook

CSA members, you can find our most recent membership handbook here. It is packed full of information on our CSA and ways to make the most of our season together!