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There are few greater food experiences than opening your front door on a warm summer morning to a bright and colorful box of locally grown or sourced food items. Now, with the arrival of spring, this delight can be yours. The 2022/23 community-supported agriculture (CSA) cycle is beginning and we’ve got a guide to get you started.

A cherished springtime tradition in the Roaring Fork Valley, CSAs offer residents the opportunity to become members of a farm by purchasing small shares of the farmer’s goods. By signing-up for a CSA, members not only receive a beautiful box of produce, meat, eggs or mushrooms, and more. They also support the local economy, resilient agriculture, the land we love and their own bodies with nutrient-dense foods. 

Additionally, CSAs are a great way to get to know farmers directly, as many will personally deliver the food, or invite members to visit the farm to pick-up their items.

Check out page 13 for a small compilation of CSAs available in the Roaring Fork Valley. If we have missed any, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

CSAs fill up fast, so it’s best to sign-up early! If your chosen CSA is full, you can ask to be put on a waitlist or save this guide for next year; and if cost is a concern, please speak with the farmers directly, since many of them offer sliding scales and payment plans.

Who: Dooley Creek Farm, LLC | Carbondale

Schedule: First week of the month starting in August for one year

Pricing: Small ($1,565) and family ($3,095) share sizes

Delivery: Monthly doorstep delivery within a 50-mile radius, and an option for farm pick-up

Farming practices: Regenerative and organic

Offerings: Frozen cut meats that include chicken, beef and pork — see website for specific meat portions

Sign-up: www.dooleycreekfarm.com/csa

Fast Food Fact: The Valley’s only local meat CSA

Who: Toadstool Traditions LLC | Carbondale

Delivery: Pick-up at Craft and the Launchpad in Carbondale

Offerings: Lion’s Mane and Oyster Mushrooms are available in three share options: half-pound, one-pound and two-pounds

Sign-up: Contact Mateo: toadstooltraditions@gmail.com

Fast Food Fact: Growing rare, out-of-season gourmet and functional mushrooms

Pricing: $640 for full CSA ($725 with delivery); or $220 for only flowers, from July through September

Offerings: Full share with organic produce and a weekly flower bouquet

Delivery method: Delivers weekly to homes in Carbondale and other locations in the Roaring Fork Valley

Sign-up: www.juniper-farm.com/CSA

Fast Food Fact: This small farm is woman-owned and woman-operated on Pitkin County Open Space land just outside of Basalt

Who: Two Roots Farm | Basalt

Pricing: $995 for the entire season, or $585 for every other week

Offerings: Typical boxes have about 10 items that include greens, root vegetables, alliums, seasonal treats, herbs and fresh snacks

Add-ons: U-pick flowers, local farm fresh eggs, pasture-raised local meats, prepared food products using Two Roots Farm produce (e.g. salad dressings) and local, organic fruit

Delivery method: Weekly or bimonthly farm pick-up

Sign-up: www.tworootsfarm.com/csasignup

Fast Food Fact: Two Roots Farm has partnered with local food banks, Lift-Up, Pitkin and Eagle Health and Human Services, Pitkin County Senior Center, Safe and Abundant Nutrition Alliance and individual local families, according to owner Harper Kaufman

Who: Peach Valley CSA Farm | Silt

Pricing: Several options available on their website

Delivery: Weekly doorstep delivery with the option for farm pick-up

Offerings: Each share box includes an extensive array of root vegetables, leafy greens, herbs, main vegetables and seasonal fruits

Add-ons: Honey, heirloom turkeys and flower bouquets

Fast Food Fact: A small mom-and-pop farm, Peach Valley is beginning their 32nd year of CSA share. 

Who: Aspen Center for Environmental Studies (ACES) at Rock Bottom Ranch | Basalt

Offerings: Every share includes six to nine “backbone crops” (e.g. greens) and seasonal rotation crops (e.g. broccoli); the last share of the season includes fall storage crops (e.g. onions, potatoes, and winter squash)

Sign-up: www.aspennature.org/rock-bottom-ranch-2022-csa

Fast Food Fact: One of ACES’ three education centers in the valley

Who: Seed Peace / Wild Mountain Seeds | Carbondale

www.seedpeace.org / www.wildmountainseeds.com

Delivery: Pick-up at local farm stands with locations TBD.

Offerings: A sample box includes pint of cherry tomatoes, bunch of carrots, two onions, one cucumber, a half-pound of lettuce, chard or kale and a small bag of basil

Sign-up: Contact: csa@seedpeace.org

Fast Food Fact: Seed Peace offers many beautiful farm-original vegetables grown from their own seeds

Who: Borden Farms, LLC | Delta

Delivery: Weekly deliveries to Aspen, Carbondale, Edwards, Crested Butte, Ridgway and Telluride, with pick-up locations at farmer’s markets

Farming practices: USDA Certified Organic

Offerings: Seasonal produce that includes herbs, fruit and vegetables (e.g. heirloom tomatoes, eggplant, beans, melons and more); juicy peaches are available in August, and roasted chilis in the fall

Sign-up: www.bordenfarms.com/csa/

Fast Food Fact: A family farm that has been providing fresh, locally grown produce to the Western Slope for over 27 years, according to farmers Guy and Lynn Borden

Schedule: Early June through mid-September

Farming practices: Biodynamic and organic

Offerings: Eight to 10 seasonal items each week

Sign-up: Contact: rose@sustainablesettings.org

Fast Food Fact: Co-founder Rose LeVan said, “Supporting any one of the amazing farms from Aspen to Rifle is supporting your local food shed; they are all doing good work! Pick one and join today!”

Food distribution CSA provides goods from a variety of farms

Pricing: Full size ($850), half share ($500), flex share ($50 per week) and a full share with an egg add-on ($1000) for 20 weeks

Delivery: Weekly doorstep deliveries in the RFV and Gunnison Valley

Offerings: All shares include rotating items of fruit, vegetables, and the occasional good (e.g. juice, canned produce.); full shares include eight to 12 rotating items, and half shares are four to six items

Sign-up: www.farmrunners.com/csa/

Fast Food Fact: A weekly newsletter is included to showcase farmers, recipes, and storage information

Who: Happy Belly CSA | Hotchkiss

Pricing: Regular share ($44/week) and a family share ($62/week) for 16 weeks; delivery is added on at the end

Delivery: Weekly deliveries with pick-up in Montrose and the Roaring Fork Valley

Farming practice: Organic and holistic

Offerings: A regular share contains around seven vegetable varieties, whereas a family share contains up to nine varieties; both shares include fruit

Add-ons: Eggs and a weekly flower share starting soon

Fast Food Fact:  Working closely with several local farmers, in addition to her own farm, Blue Tractor Farms, owner Carin Frantz said, “We thread together a holistic, multi-farm experience, and provide weekly menus and recipes delivered to your inbox. You’ll never be left wondering how to use your produce each week.”

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