Writer: Micaela Cashman
Community supported agriculture (CSA) offers a unique way to connect with your food and the people who grow it. To join a CSA, you typically purchase a share in the spring and receive a weekly or biweekly supply of locally grown produce in return. Farmers use those upfront membership fees to cover the cost of seeds, supplies and other expenses throughout the growing season.
By joining a CSA, you get to enjoy high-quality, locally grown food that often exceeds grocery-store freshness. But the true beauty of CSAs isn’t just the healthy diet they provide — it’s the chance to invest in local growers and understand exactly where your food comes from.
“CSAs play an important part in a healthy future,” said Mallory Hohmann of Sunlit Fields in Madison County. “Knowing where and how your food is grown has become more important due to health issues, environmental concerns or just noticing locally grown food tastes better.”
The environmental and economic benefits of the CSA model also contribute to its popularity. Getting your food from your local food system reduces “food miles,” or the distance your food travels to your table. Plus, investing in a CSA keeps dollars circulating close to home, which supports a more resilient, decentralized food system.
“Farming definitely has its challenges, and it means everything to have a community behind it,” Hohmann said.
A variety of CSAs operate around the metro area. From global produce samplers to food-as-medicine boxes, each one offers fresh inspiration for your tastebuds.
Cedar Shake Farm
Winterset
Kelli and Clinton Eshelman have grown flowers and produce on their farm since 2017. Their produce boxes often feature additional items sourced from local farmers and businesses. Full and half shares are available, as well as gift cards.
The goods: Weekly or biweekly hand-selected flower bouquet, plus a vegetable box with enough produce for two or three people.
The details: Two pickup sites available. cedarshakefarm.com
Grade A Gardens
Earlham
Grade A Gardens is a sustainable and regenerative farm that provides fresh produce to restaurants and specialty grocers. Owner-operators Jordan and Whitney Clasen sell all of their produce within a 60-mile radius.
The goods: A 10- or 20-week subscription of locally grown produce, weekly newsletters with recipes and farm updates, weekly access to eggs from pasture-raised hens and early access to Grade A events and dinners.
The details: Pick up weekly at The Cheese Shop in Des Moines. gradeagardens.com
LSI Global Greens
Des Moines
LSI Global Greens helps refugees who may have cultivated gardens or farms in their home countries learn how to farm Iowa land and start their own farm businesses. Each CSA box contains a variety of common vegetables grown in Iowa, along with a few veggies from the farmers’ native countries. Participants can pay using EBT/SNAP benefits or donate a share to a family in need.
The goods: Weekly, biweekly or seasonal shares of certified naturally grown vegetables, plus a weekly newsletter with recipes and storage tips.
The details: Six pick-up sites available; delivery for an additional fee. lsiowa.org/ircs/csa
LT Organic Farm
Waukee
LT Organic Farm was established in 1996 when Dr. Lalbhowandat Tiwari, a cardio-pulmonary specialist, and his wife, Ahilia, a registered nurse, retired from clinical medicine to pursue preventive medicine through organic farming. Visit the farm weekly to watch your produce being harvested — or pitch in to help — and learn how each vegetable can nourish your body. It’s a great educational opportunity for people of all ages.
The goods: Weekly basket of seasonally grown, freshly harvested organic vegetables grown on the farm.
The details: Pick up at the farm. ltorganicfarm.org
Sunlit Fields
Peru
Farmer Mallory Hohmann is passionate about growing certified organic vegetables and places emphasis not just on how her crops are grown but how she handles them afterward. Sunlit Fields offers full- and half-share CSAs with a delivery season running 21 weeks from mid-May to mid-October.
The goods: A seasonal variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs.
The details: Delivery to metro area available. sunlitfields.com
Contributor Micaela Cashman lives in Des Moines and works as a freelance video producer and writer.
