Help us celebrate national #CSADAY

On February 23 we are joining CSA farmers across the country in celebrating National #CSADAY! CSA (community-supported agriculture) is a subscription to a season’s worth of sustainable, chemical free produce grown on our farm that is distributed to members throughout the season. It is a form of investment that allows us small farmers to grow our business, pay ourselves a living wage, create jobs, and share our knowledge with farmers of the future.

FIVE REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD JOIN A CSA

-SUPPORT THE LOCAL ECONOMY A CSA is a great way to spend your food dollars wisely. You are directly supporting local agriculture and putting your money right back into your own community. Your investment in our farm takes money away from the large industrial agriculture corporations and creates jobs right here in Rhode Island. -IT'S HEALTHIER FOR YOU Most of the produce that we eat has travelled 1,500 miles before reaching our plate! Fruits and vegetables start to lose nutrient content in the first day after it was picked. Grocery stores sell produce that has been bred to have a long shelf life, not bred for flavor or nutrient density. Every week, you will enjoy freshly picked produce that tastes better and is more nutritious for you! Having a fridge stocked with fresh vegetables will encourage you to eat healthier and be more adventurous instead of picking up the same old thing at the super market. -IT WILL SAVE YOU MONEY Signing up at the beginning of the season commits you to spend the same amount each week on fresh food. Committing to a CSA means you're less likely to spend money on takeout or restaurants and more time cooking healthy meals for your family. Being a member also is a great value- we are able to share the abundance when our crops are at their peak so you will always get more than you've paid for. Receiving produce that is fresher also means it will last longer so you will waste less. Many of our customers have told us that their produce lasts more than 3 weeks when properly stored!

This is a photo of a Family Share, the larger of our two share options. We decided to see how much it would cost us to buy a similar selection of vegetables at two local grocery stores to show our customers how much value they receive as a CSA member. Our customers paid $25 for the share in this photo.

Whole Foods Market- $30.35

Stop & Shop- $28.75 - Organic options not even available for most veggies!

-PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT Buying from a small chemical free farm reduces CO2 emissions because your food does not need to be stored or transported long distances. It reduces likelihood of contamination of groundwater and our oceans from chemical fertilizers and pesticides. It protects open space from development and preserves the natural ecosystem. We also use the least amount of plastics & packaging possible- most items in our CSA are offered in bulk bins and our customers bring their own reusable or recycled bags to fill!

-BUILD YOUR COMMUNITY One of the best things about our CSA for us farmers is getting to know all of our customers. We are at CSA pickup every week and take a lot of pride in handing out the food we work so hard to grow to the members of our community. We are always happy to share recipe tips, growing advice, and ideas how to preserve your bounty!

In honor of national CSA Day, head over to our website to see if a Moonrose Farm CSA is right for your family. We'd love to be your farmers!