Friendly Aquaponics Farm-to-Fork CSA!
CSA means “Community Supported Agriculture”, and is a partnership between the farmer and consumer – from our farm to your fork. CSA members pay in advance for a share of the upcoming harvest and are first in line for high-quality, organic, local produce. We (the farmer) are ensured dependable purchase of what we grow, which helps us in near-term planning and continued business success. Produce is harvested from our Aquaponics farm and picked up by our members all on the same day!
Our CSA Membership includes a weekly or bi-weekly share of organic vegetables, fruits, and herbs, in a box that is sized for your needs (Small, Medium, or Large). There will also be occasional options to receive free-range organic eggs and local, organic coffee and honey with your CSA share, which we will tell you about in advance, via email.
Membership also includes an informative weekly newsletter that includes recipes and details about how to store and handle your produce as well as news from our farm. Convenient online payment and management of your CSA subscription will become available in a few weeks. We are already hosting a monthly open-house for members at our farm so you can see where your food is grown and meet the people who produce it.
What’s in a Farm-to-Fork CSA Box?
We grow dozens of different types of vegetables and herbs, and each week, members receive a large box with a variety of eight to twelve organically grown vegetables, fruits and herbs. Initially, all of the vegetables in our CSA shares will be grown on our Friendly Aquaponics farm; over time we will partner with other trusted local farms to provide specialty items such as organic citrus (oranges, lemons, grapefruits, etc.), and tropical fruit (such as longon, rambutan, lychee, etc.), as well as coffee, eggs, and honey.
Some of the crops we grow are unusual and cannot be found in most stores; we make an effort to balance these unusual crops with produce that is more familiar to you. The contents of each week’s box can be found on our CSA page, and recipes using those items are included in our weekly blog posts.
Cost to become a member
The share cost is $49 for a Large Box, $39 for a Medium Box, and $29 for a Small Box. Pickup is at our farm (click here for directions) on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 4-6pm, and on Saturdays from 8am-11am. Delivery options will be added as our CSA grows, with deliveries possible to a home or office for an added fee. There is a $25 fee to join, and purchases are a four-box minimum. If you need to skip a week, no worries; just make sure you email us seven days in advance if you DO NOT want your box for the following week and we won’t charge you for it. Substantial discounts are available if you are willing and able to pay in three-month, six-month, or annual increments, please inquire if interested. Payment is by cash, check, or through PayPal, whatever is easiest and most convenient for you.
How long is your season?
We grow vegetables year-round and deliver CSA shares every week of the year.
Is a CSA right for me?
Joining a CSA may not be for everyone. If you truly do not like vegetables, signing up to receive a large box or even a small box of them per week is probably not a good idea for you. Before joining, you should ask yourself these questions. Be sure to check in with your family, since expecting other people to change their eating habits is no small thing!
Do I like to cook and does my schedule allow me to make home-cooked meals most of the time?</li>
Will it be fun to try vegetables that are new to me?</li>
How will I handle produce if it’s more than I need? Am I willing to share with my friends and neighbors?
Feeling bad about wasting food is one of the top reasons former CSA members site for not renewing. Remember, please communicate with us – what is working for you and what is not working for you, as it is our goal to become the best CSA with the best produce on our Island!
What size box should I order?
A large box will provide about 70 servings of fresh, organic vegetables. It’s easy to eat right, starting with the very basic stir-fry, soup, and salad organic ingredients! If you are a family of two, and want to eat the way the American Cancer Society recommends, the large box is the right size to choose. If you have fewer than two people in your home or want to eat fewer vegetables, a smaller box might be better. You can always order a bigger box if you used it all, or a smaller box next cycle if you didn’t and don’t have enough friends to give it away to.
The kinds of vegetables you will receive from us:
Everything from our farm is 100% certified organically grown. You will receive the brightly colored vegetables, as well as dark green vegetables. Dark greens include leafy greens, bok choi, tat soi, green peppers, leeks, lettuce, and arugula. You will also sometimes receive lighter green vegetables such as peas, celery, beans. We will include a few servings of yellow, orange, red, pink, and even purple vegetables, such as corn, squash, kolrabi, turnips, beets, purple sweet potatoes, pumpkin, onions, and carrots, tomatoes, and red peppers. You will receive herbs such as basil, oregano, cilantro, and tarragon.
We are committed to…
LOCAL
Connecting with Big Island farmers to bring you the absolute best quality, freshest, and most nutritious local foods. Supporting the community and neighborhoods where our farms are located.
ORGANIC
Making sure all produce is always organically and sustainably grown! We also insist upon the standards of no pesticides or hormones, non-genetically modified produce from the farms with which we partner. That means the best-tasting food without all the junk. REAL food!
SMALL
Keeping our CSA small so we can keep the personal connection with our customers. We want to know your name!
GREEN AND SUSTAINABLE
Using the most sustainable and prolific food production methods available anywhere: Aquaponics. Sharing this food production method in an “open source” manner. Caring about the Earth with which we’ve been entrusted: this means recycling, reclaiming, reusing, composting, encouraging sustainable practices in every manner practically possible. And of course, using only local, Big Island farms so your food doesn’t have to travel more than you do!