CSA BASICS
Here you can find out about the nuts and bolts of our different farm share options, including what they're like, pricing, and times of the year they're available. Please read on below for details about our certified organic vegetable shares. If you'd like to find out more about what a CSA is and how it works, please visit our CSA FAQs page.
With your weekly vegetable share, you can also pick up various share options. Details about our Fruit Shares, Egg Shares, and Flower Shares are below. You can also have your share delivered in some locations, often by bikers!
In January, February and March we have a new 100% local share option that you can find out more about below as well: Locavore Deep Winter CSA.
Vegetable SharEs
The standard Full Season Red Fire Farm CSA share option is 24 weeks long and is available at most locations. This season begins the week of June 7th and ends the week of Dec. 17th (24 distributions). The distributions are weekly except during Nov. and Dec. when they are every other week (Fridays Nov. 5 and 19, Dec. 3 and 17). Sliding Scale $580-$720 . Please pay at least $640 unless you are low income. Payments over $640 will be used to subsidize shares for low income members.
For those who want only an abbreviated Main Season share, we offer a 20 week option which ends the week of October 18th. Sliding Scale $465-$590. Please pay at least $520 unless you are low income. Payments over $520 will be used to subsidize shares for low income members.
NOTE: for some sites only Main Season shares are available, though you can switch to picking up in another location for the winter distributions - see specifics when you go to sign up.To see when things are in season, check our season chart.
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Egg Shares - New in 2009!
Our flock of chickens is integrating into the fertility cycle of the farm and laying delicious, nutrient-rich eggs for us to share with you. Shares come with a half-dozen eggs each week (or get two shares to receive a dozen each week). Rotated on fresh pasture and Certified Organic. Raised by our manager Patrick Bensen.
Check out this little video we made about the newly-arrived chicks!
Shares start in June when the vegetable shares start and go through the CSA season, either October or December.20 week Share: $65 for a half-dozen each week
24 week Share: $78 for a half-dozen each weekYou must also have a regular produce share in order to purchase an egg share.
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Flower Shares
Take home gorgeous bouquets each week to brighten your table.
Enjoy a season of fresh local flowers! Organically-grown. Flower shares include a weekly bouquet of flowers picked fresh on our farm and delivered along with your produce share. Your ten weeks of flowers will begin in mid-July and go through mid-September.We’re growing a gorgeous field of snapdragons, sweet peas, many types of sunflowers, larkspur, zinnias, gladiolas, cosmos, lisianthus, ornamental grasses, celosia and many others. In the late season dried flower bouquets may be included. Available at all Red Fire Farm distribution locations except Montague. Flower shares cost $100 for the season. You must also have a regular produce share in order to purchase a flower share, unless you can pick up your share in Granby or Springfield. Flower shares not available with home-delivered shares.
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Fruit Shares
The Fruit Share is a deluxe option including locally grown fruit for a 20 week season. We have a limited number of fruit shares available, so sign up early to reserve one. You must also have a regular produce share in order to purchase a fruit share.
This share provides one fruit unit per week. Example units are one quart of strawberries, one pint of blueberries, 1.5-quart box of peaches, or a 1/2-peck of apples. The season lasts for twenty weeks and begins in June with Strawberries. As the season goes on, it includes Blueberries, Plums, Peaches, Raspberries, Pears and a wide variety of Apples in the fall.
Some of the berries and vegetables included in this share are grown by Red Fire Farm and are certified organic. Most of the fruit, however, will be grown and harvested from other Pioneer Valley fruit farms. These farms use low spray Integrated Pest Management on their crops, but the fruit is not organic.
Farms supplying fruit include River Valley Farm (blueberries), Cold Spring Orchard (peaches, pears, apples), Apex Orchard (peaches), and Rice Fruit Farm (plums, peaches).
The Fruit Share Option costs $190 per share for the season.
Note: Fruit Shares are available only at the Northampton, Amherst, Pittsfield, Cambridge, Somerville, MIT, Jamaica Plain, Newton, and Brighton locations. (The other locations have fruit available for sale as part of the market or farm stand).
Home-Delivered Shares in Western Mass and Boston
Have Red Fire Farm Shares delivered to your home or office door by Metro Pedal Power, the Pedal People, or Berkshire Harmony!
Boston Area Delivery by Tricycle Truck
We offer delivery to Somerville, Cambridge, Jamaica Plain and parts of Boston in emissions-free, bicycle-powered trucks. The cost is just $9.25 per week - it's convenient, environmentally friendly, and supports a growing local business. Our partners, Metro Pedal Power did a great job carrying our shares in 2008 and 2009. Your share of top quality produce will arrive at the door of your home or office the same day each week based on your location. Each week, you leave your last week's empty box out so the biker can exchange it for a full one. And that's pretty much it!Available for Main Season and Full Season Shares, Fruit Shares and Egg Shares.
Really Busy One Day? Don't Need a Full Season of Delivery?
Get Your Share Delivered with On-Call Delivery - New in 2009!Set up ahead of time with Metro Pedal Power for On-Call Delivery of your share a couple times a season, whenever you need it. Contact info@metropedalpower.com or call 617-776-3700 for sign up and details. For Somerville, Cambridge, JP and parts of Boston.
Northampton Delivery by the Pedal People - New for 2010!
We offer delivery to everybody in Northampton. You can get our top quality produce and connect to our farm for visits and Pick Your Own, as well as having the convenience of delivery.
The Pedal People, our delivery partners from Northampton, drive a fleet of bikes.Delivery available Tuesday, available for Main Season Shares, Fruit Shares and Egg Shares. Then you can come visit the farm anytime you like!
Pittsfield Delivery by Berkshire Harmony - New for 2010!
We work with Berkshire Harmony to offer our shares in Pittsfield. Berkshire Harmony CSA Home Delivery conveniently brings the shares directly to you on Tuesday evenings. Add $10.00 per week to your RFF share price for the farm pick up, select packing, and home delivery service. For any special arrangements call 413 447 7522 or contact barry@berkshireharmony.com.
Available for Main Season and Full Season Shares, Fruit Shares and Egg Shares.
To get your share delivered for the season, just check that section on our CSA signup form when you sign up for the CSA. Please call the farm (413) 467-7645 or email us if you would like more information about our new home/office delivery options.
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Locavore Deep Winter CSA - New in January, February and March 2010!
Eating locally can be a challenge in the wintry months. This year we’ll be storing away delicious root crops, cabbages, garlic and more, and sowing our greenhouses full with winter hardy greens to make it a little easier! Every two weeks in January, February and March we’ll bring things out to share with you! We’re partnering with the makers of some local products to incorporate them into the share as well, from Real Pickles sauerkraut to apples from local orchards.
All vegetables will be organic. Items from other producers will be local organic when possible, local IPM (Integrated Pest Management, apples for example) or very locally sourced otherwise. All items will be vegetarian friendly.Storage crops will make up roughly 1/3 of the value, greens another 1/3, and local products the last 1/3.
Details for shares in January, February and March of 2011 coming this fall.