2025 SUMMER U-Pick CSA

LAST DAY TO SIGN UP IS TUESDAY JUNE 10th, 2025!

EXPERIENCE THE BEAUTY OF THE FARM AND HARVEST THE FRESHEST POSSIBLE VEGGIES, ALL SUMMER LONG!

WHAT IS A CSA?

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and describes a model of food distribution between farmers and consumers. Some would describe it as a subscription for farm-grown produce, where you pay upfront for a season’s worth of produce, and thereafter regularly receive ‘shares’ of produce throughout the growing season. CSA memberships serve as a way for community members to financially support farmers over the winter as they purchase necessary seed and equipment at the beginning of the season. It’s also a great way to deepen your connections- with your food, with the land that nourishes you, with your farmers, and with your neighbors! Check out the untold history of CSAs here.

HOW DOES IT WORk?

As a U-Pick CSA member, you will pick your own fresh veggies, flowers, and herbs every week during one of our harvest windows. We ask our members to bring their own bags, harvesting tools (such as a pair of scissors or a kitchen knife), and quart/pint containers when necessary. But don’t worry, if you forget we keep a few extras on hand!

You’ll receive a newsletter every week with the available produce to harvest, how to harvest them, as well as recipes, farm updates, and farm events.

A farmer will greet you when you arrive, check you in, show you around, and be available to answer any questions during your visit! We encourage CSA members to bring their families and friends to enjoy the farm as well, although pets are not allowed.

U-Pick CSA & Fall CSA- WHAT’s THE DIFFERENCE?

Our U-Pick CSA takes place over 12 weeks in the summer, and you will come to the farm to harvest your own veggies, herbs and flowers. Our Fall CSA starts the week after U-Pick ends and runs for 6 weeks- however, the farmers will harvest all of the veggies, herbs, and flowers for you. Fall CSA pick-up is run market style, where we display our produce and you pick which items you want out of our offerings.

Purchasing both a U-Pick CSA share and a Fall CSA share gives you a full 18 weeks of access to our Common Ground Farm grown produce!

For more information about the Fall CSA and how it differs from the U-Pick CSA, please visit our Fall CSA webpage.

Dates:

• U-Pick CSA: June 11 - Aug 30, 2025 (12 weeks)

• Fall CSA: Sept 3 - Oct 11 (6 weeks)

Harvest times each week:

• Wednesdays 3:00pm - 7:00pm OR

• Saturdays 8:00am - 1:00pm

• Please note that it takes roughly 1hr to harvest your share.

Cost:

• U-Pick only: $324 ($27/week for 12 weeks)

• U-Pick & Fall CSA: $486 ($27/week for 18 weeks)

• Fall CSA only: $162 ($27/week for 6 weeks)

WHAT TO EXPECT IN YOUR WEEKLY SHARES:

Every week, you’ll take home 6-8 different farm-fresh veggies. On top of that (and subject to availability), members can take home 1 bouquet of field flowers (8 stems) and 1 bundle of fresh herbs. Below is a list of crops we are planning to grow this year, and the expected harvest month.

ADD-ONS: EGGS, FRUITS, MUSHROOMS

This year, we are expanding our offerings and piloting a CSA add-on program!

Fruit from Nightingale Farm in Marlboro, NY

• For an average of $11.50/week, each fruit add-on gets you a variety of local fresh fruit every week. The fruit add-on is available for both our U-Pick CSA and our Fall CSA. You are welcome to purchase fruit for 12 weeks in the summer, 6 weeks in the fall, or 18 weeks altogether!

• During the U-Pick CSA season, you can expect a rotation of the following, based on seasonal availability (varieties and volume listed in parentheses):

  • Strawberries (1 quart)

  • Cherries (Dark Sweet and White Sweet; 1 quart)

  • Blueberries (1 pint)

  • Raspberries (1 pint)

  • Gooseberries (half pint)

  • Blackberries (half pint)

  • Peaches (Yellow and White; 2 pounds)

  • Plums (Shiro, Bubble Gum, Vampire, and Italian; 2 pounds)

  • Apricots (2 pounds)

  • Nectarines (White; 2 pounds)

• During the Fall CSA season, you can expect a rotation of the following, based on seasonal availability (varieties and volume listed in parentheses):

  • Pears (Bartlett, Seckel, Clapp, and Asian; 2 pounds)

  • Apples (Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious, Ginger Gold, and Granny Smith; 2 pounds)

  • Grapes (Concord, Niagara, and Sheridan; 1 quart)

• This is an estimate of what the shares will look like, week-by-week, to give you an idea:

  • Week 1: 2 quarts of berries

  • Week 2: 2 quarts of berries

  • Week 3: 1 quart of sweet cherries, 1 pint of berries

  • Week 4: 2 pints of berries

  • Week 5: 1 quart of sweet cherries, 2 pounds of stone fruit

  • Week 6: Half-pint of berries, 2 pounds of stone fruit

  • Week 7: Half-pint of berries, 2 pounds of stone fruit

  • Week 8: 4 pounds of stone fruit

  • Week 9: Half-pint of berries, 2 pounds of stone fruit

  • Week 10: Half-pint of berries, 2 pounds of stone fruit

  • Week 11: 4 pounds of stone fruit

  • Week 12: Half-pint of berries, 2 pounds of stone fruit

  • Week 13: 2 pounds of pears, 2 pounds of apples

  • Week 14: 1 quart of grapes, 2 pounds of pears

  • Week 15: 1 quart of grapes, 2 pounds of pears

  • Week 16: 2 pounds of apples, 2 pounds of pears

  • Week 17: 1 quart of grapes, 2 pounds of apples

  • Week 18: 1 quart of grapes, 2 pounds of pears

• Please note that these lists are an estimate of what you can expect to receive in your fruit share! Due to the nature of farming (uncertain weather conditions and varying pest pressure), the available fruit may change from what we planned to offer.

• Pricing (up-front):

  • 18 weeks during both U-Pick AND Fall CSA: $207

  • 12 weeks during U-Pick CSA: $150

  • 6 weeks during Fall CSA: $57

• Payment Plans (charged once a month for four months starting in June):

  • 4 payments of $51.75 for the 18 week share

  • 4 payments of $37.50 for the 12 week share

  • No payment plan available for the 6 week share

Eggs from Titusville Farm in Poughkeepsie, NY

• For $8/week, each egg add-on gets you 1 dozen fresh eggs every week. The egg add-on is available for both our U-Pick CSA and our Fall CSA. You are welcome to purchase eggs for 12 weeks in the summer, 6 weeks in the fall, or all 18 weeks of the CSA season!

• Pricing (up-front):

  • 18 weeks during both U-Pick AND Fall CSA: $128

  • 12 weeks during U-Pick CSA: $80

  • 6 weeks during Fall CSA: $48

• Payment Plans (charged once a month for four months starting in June):

  • 4 payments of $32.00 for the 16 week share

  • 4 payments of $20.00 for the 10 week share

  • No payment plan available for the 6 week share

Mushrooms from Sugarshack Mushrooms in New Paltz, NY

• For $11/week, each mushroom add-on gets you 1 pound of fresh mushrooms every week! You can expect a regular rotation of high quality shiitake mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and lion’s mane mushrooms.

• The mushroom CSA add-on is available for 10 weeks during the U-Pick CSA, 6 weeks during the Fall CSA, or 16 weeks altogether!

• Please note: The mushroom farmers take a break for the last two weeks of July, so there will be no mushrooms available the weeks of July 21st and July 28th. 

• Pricing (up-front):

  • 16 weeks during both U-Pick AND Fall CSA: $176

  • 10 weeks during U-Pick CSA: $110

  • 6 weeks during Fall CSA: $66

• Payment Plans (charged once a month for four months starting in June):

  • 4 payments of $44.00 for the 16 week share

  • 4 payments of $27.50 for the 10 week share

  • No payment plan available for the 6 week share

Payment Options:

We have three options for covering the cost of your CSA share.

• Purchase in Full (preferred)

• Payment Plan (over the course of 4 months) CLOSED AS OF 2/28/25

• Work Share (exchange your labor for veggies instead of money)

Purchase in Full (Preferred)

Paying the full price of your CSA membership upfront greatly helps our farm- it provides financial security for us as we purchase the seeds, compost, supplies, and equipment necessary for production.

The last date to purchase a CSA membership in full is June 10, 2025. Payable either on our online storefront or by mailing a check to PO Box 148, Beacon NY 12508 with “U-Pick 2025” in the memo line.

Payment Plan - CLOSED AS OF 2/28/25

We strive to make our CSA as accessible as possible. We offer payment plans as a way for members to pay for their share incrementally over the course of 4 months. A $25 administrative fee is added to the total price of your chosen CSA membership in order to cover the added labor involved with payment plans.

The last date to initiate your payment plan is February 28, 2025 at 11:59pm. We are unable to accept payment plans after this date. However, you can pay the full price upfront until June 10, 2025 if you miss the payment plan deadline.

• For members purchasing the 12-week U-Pick CSA share, your monthly payment will be $87.25

• For members purchasing both the 12-week U-Pick share AND 6-week Fall CSA share, your monthly payment will be $127.75

• We are unable to accept payment plans just for our Fall CSA.

Work Share

For folks who are interested in getting their hands dirty and helping out with field work, we offer a work share CSA membership. Work share members get their weekly share of veggies, herbs, and flowers in exchange for working with the farmers in the fields. No prior farming experience is required. We will train you and work alongside you in the fields. We have 15 work share spots open for the 2025 season. Please note: your application does not guarantee you a spot in our CSA. We will get back to you no later than February 28 , 2024 in regards to your application status. For more information on required hours and shift times, navigate to the application form below.

Refund Policy

A full refund (minus a $25 processing fee) is available upon request prior to May 31, 2025, after which no refunds will be granted.

UNSURE ABOUT JOINING BUT DON’T WANT TO MISS OUT?

Check back on this page for drop-in shares! As veggie & flower availability allows, we will post extra spots for purchase on a week-by-week basis. Drop-in shares are for anyone, regardless of whether they are a CSA member or not, and is a great option for folks who want to try it out before committing for a whole year. Keep your eyes peeled, and sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop!

Questions?

Email our farm manager with any questions/concerns at farm@commongroundfarm.org.